Grow Your Business in 2025 BNI-Style
BNI is the most effective networking organisation we have come across, by far. We’re looking to form a group here in Waitaki and looking for people who great at what they do, focused on growing their business and looking for new opportunities locally. Find out more here.
About a thousand years ago, when I first went out on my own as a copywriter in the UK, I joined a networking organisation that within a year, produced 90% of my revenue. Now I’m going to introduce that organisation to you.
Regular revenue wasn’t the only benefit I gained. I got to work in new ways that developed my craft and I got outstanding business advice that helped me increase my charge-out rate AND my overall profitability.
I was a business of one.
Some people in the group came from far bigger businesses.
All of us turned up week after week because it was REALLY good for business.
Returning to New Zealand I tried some different networking groups - women’s ones, informal ones, breakaway versions of the one I joined in the UK but ultimately the only one that reliably worked for me home in NZ was the one I first found in the UK - BNI.
What I came to recognise is that over four decades, all around the world, across vastly different cultures (including over 25 years in New Zealand), BNI has stuck to its knitting because it works.
It works to grow businesses.
It works to grow expertise.
It works to support incredible connections.
I know from experience that BNI is not a magic bullet for everyone.
But if you’re the sort of person who does what you say you will, are good at what you do, are focussed on growing your business and looking for some new opportunities - it could be for you.
If you’d like to know more, fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch.
Industry Co-Labs
The Business Hive is launching a series of Industry Co-Labs to give local and independent businesses the opportunity to network with allied professionals in your industry.
Let us know what industry you’re interested in connecting with, and we’ll get you connected.
The Business Hive is launching a series of Industry Co-Labs to give local and independent businesses the opportunity to network with allied professionals in your industry. Knowing who does (and doesn't) do what is a huge asset when you're looking for a partner in a project, or a (sub)contractor with a specific skill set.
So, let us know what industry you’re in and interested in connecting with, and we’ll keep you in the loop!
Young Enterprise Scheme
We’re inviting community to help support our young people who undertake the Young Enterprise Scheme programme which gives them a chance to start and run a business during the school year.
Learn about the programme and how you could get involved here.
On Thursday 26th October we hosted a community discussion around the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) - a programme that’s been running for 40 years, usually via New Zealand high schools.
It’s a programme that our local schools have found difficult to reliably deliver in Waitaki. We get it, regional schools have to ‘cut their cloth’ with their resources which affects the programmes they can provide. And, let’s face it - if business isn’t your passion, it’s always going to be harder to inspire young people to push through the hard bits that we all experience.
YES is not an academic exercise (although it can give academic credits). It's a real-world business opportunity and we can help our youth succeed with wrap around support - that means you!
Which is why we hosted that community discussion - to see if our community has an appetite for supporting the YES programme more directly.
Gratifyingly, everyone in the room was willing to get involved and support YES in our schools. BUT, it has to be said, there were no young people in attendance.
As a community, I have no doubt that we can help drive an enterprising spirit in our young people; already lots of good ideas were mentioned. The question has to be how important is it to us, to do this?
YES provides our young people with an opportunity to learn about business and gain a bunch of essential skills along the way. They won’t all succeed. Some of them will drop out. Every one of them will learn something about the world and themselves. Some might be exceptional.
So without pressure, we’re asking you to tell us what you are happy to do, to help develop young entrepreneurs locally - all the while knowing it’s all (ultimately) in their hands to try and / or succeed.
Download a summation of our discussion here. Tell us if and how you want to be involved by taking our survey here.
Every generation has the same complaints about the newest one… plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!
Stronger Waitaki Economic Development Working Group
Blair Middlemass, Business Lending Specialist at ANZ joined us for the Stronger Waitaki Economic Development Working Group with an update on business banking.
ANZ is also hosting a free series of workshops to support business owners.
Blair Middlemass, Business Lending Specialist at ANZ joined us for the Stronger Waitaki Economic Development Working Group last Wed, 24th August with an update on business banking. Some key insights are below.
Oamaru is holding well compared to the financial variability seen in other parts.
Through Covid, people have stayed employed however we can expect to see people moving off shore again.
The key challenge locally is staff shortages and difficulty attracting people.
Banks shorter hours means more 0800 and website contact is on the increase.
CCCFA changes have put lending under more scrutiny, needing extra effort around disclosure and the need to protect vulnerable customers - this has slowed the speed of transactions.
Of importance for business customers is to be prepared to make an extra effort and to deal with product specialists rather than your (pre-Covid) go-to contact at your bank.
ANZ is also offering a range of FREE workshops and events to support business owners: from how to create a business plan for start-ups all the way to how to be an effective business leader and how to navigate cyber security and financial risks and everything in between.
Simply register for the workshop you’re interested in and attend online:
www.anz.co.nz/business/bizhub/workshops
Don’t forget that Digital Boost is also offering FREE training videos and Q&A sessions to help get your business online at digitalboost.business.govt.nz. Topics range from websites and social media to online productivity and accounting tools, e-marketing and much more.
The next Stronger Waitaki Economic Development Working Group will be on Wednesday 19th October. If you would like to attend and / or receive the minutes, please email the chairperson, Cara Tipping Smith at cara@thebusinesshive.co.nz.
Economic Development Update from The Business Hive
Get the latest lay of the land on local economic development initiatives. There’s a lot going on and we think you want to be informed to make the most of the opportunities coming up.
There’s a huge amount of thinking going on around how we create and maintain successful economies (district-wide, regionally, nationally and globally). As businesses, our access to people, skills and resources is challenging and it’s likely to be that way for a while. At The Business Hive, we try to support local and part of doing that is to help make sure you know the latest lay of the land. Read on for an update around the key local initiatives you’ll want to know about.
WDC Economic Development Strategy
The Waitaki District Council has launched its Draft Economic Development Strategy consultation and it’s an exciting opportunity to look up from our individual businesses and see how we can start to solve some of our issues in the Waitaki. We were pleased to host our CEO Alex Parmley and Mel Jones to speak to it at Business South’s BA5 this week. While there is some pushback from the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, feedback on the night and since has been overwhelmingly positive - seeing this as a potential step change for our district. We don’t have all the answers yet, but it’s a good start.
Otago Regional Workforce Plan
Alex and I went to Queenstown for the launch of the Otago Regional Workforce Plan a couple of weeks ago and had the opportunity to see and hear for ourselves how Central Otago is suffering from a major skills shortage - most obviously in hospitality (‘staff wanted’ signs on most hospo doors) - but less obviously, across sectors. We’re all struggling with the same issues - including the problem of satisfying the needs of partners and children when recruiting from other regions.
The Otago Regional Workforce Plan highlights four initial industries that need some new thinking;
Construction
Accommodation & Food Services
Healthcare & Social Assistance
Food & Fibre
The plan is well worth a read but in short, we need to be considering how we coordinate as a region, transform the way we educate. as well as train on the job to build local capability, and deliver a quality of life that people can aspire to. These mirror our mission at The Business Hive and we’re pleased to see region-wide recognition for these goals.
Hiring News
Speaking of recognition, last week, we caught up with Rebecca Finlay (Business South) and our recruitment partner - Dean Delaney from Platinum Recruitment to chew the fat (literally delicious bacon-y fat as we all had lunch at Badger & Mackerel).
The impact of the skills shortage in everyday recruitment is massive. Tough decisions are being forced - higher onboarding salaries for less capability have become a rude reality. At least one company has made the decision to pay all their existing staff at new market rates to protect the skills they need. Onboarding the new person at a higher rate than existing staff is problematic of course, and more so nowadays for sure.
Where once upon a time, staff didn’t discuss their salaries at work, now it’s commonplace especially amongst younger generations. Accompanying that is increasing scrutiny on gendered and ethnic pay gaps (last month on Women, last week on Pasifika, etc…) where pay transparency is actively being encouraged.
With this skills shortage, we have to be thinking about how we can keep our skilled people for longer. Stats NZ tells us that nationally we can expect to reach a population of one million people aged 65+ by 2028 - that is just six years away! And, we already know that we're ahead of the curve here in the Waitaki. Older workers also want flexibility so again, terms and conditions matter.
These are difficult waters to navigate for the small business owner, so what can you offer when you can’t compete on salary? This is exactly what we collectively need to figure out and why the Regional Workforce Plan is so important.
Immigration and Training Solutions
The word on the street is that we need to further widen our boarders and let immigrants in. The global situation makes that just (if not more) as competitive. We can’t import all the skills we need, we have to grow them and grow them quickly. On the job training is essential. Hiring for potential and growing our own people is vital. Talking with one local coffee shop owner, they reflected that they’d trained up the last key employees and make sure their pay and conditions are ahead of the pack. It’s not all about the money, it is all about the relationship.
Creating and maintaining that relationship takes leadership and a 21st century mindset around the way we communicate with our teams. Amanda Fleming’s Essence of Facilitation workshop is coming up in the middle of August - a transformative two-day programme that really heightened my skills (and I’m an experienced facilitator!). If you or your people are feeling a bit wobbly on how to facilitate the results you need and have those difficult conversations, this is a master class. Seriously, it’s life changing.
Working Together & Getting Involved
The Stronger Waitaki Economic Development Working Group, of which I am chair, meets next at 4pm on Wednesday 24th August at The Business Hive. This two-monthly meeting is open to all and a great opportunity to discuss local economic needs and initiatives. Let me know if you want to attend and we’ll get you on the meeting list.
Resources;
Essence of Facilitation Workshop
WDC Draft Economic Development Strategy
Otago Regional Workforce Plan
Immigration Skill Shortage List