We can get through as a community

Our local economy needs you.

While Auckland (arguably) is at or near peak Omicron, we’re just getting under way.
Xero’s small business index for January 2022 fell below 97 points, after three months in a row above the 100s. Remembering that 100 on the index represents average performance, this signals an economic step change.

The downturn is largely due to slowing small business sales. Unsurprisingly hospitality and accommodation suffered the most (year-on-year growth rates slowing by 2.2% and 4.2% respectively) but even agriculture, forestry and fishing slowed (down 1.4%), and job growth was down 1.9%. This latest data doesn’t reveal the impact of January 23’s Red light as yet.

Overseas after their respective outbreaks of Omicron, Australia’s index fell to 86 and the UK’s to 85.

New Zealand’s economy has held better than most. As our Business South navigator, Rebecca Finlay, wrote last week, right now the biggest impediment to business and the local economy is lack of staff. We’re seeing that in Wellington this week as staff isolate and services struggle; supermarkets, primary healthcare, ferries, recycling, transport and restaurants.

Restaurant Association president Mike Egan said the Wellington community had rallied by getting healthy staff to plug staffing gaps in other restaurants. Surely that’s the kind of thing we can do here in the Waitaki.

At it’s most useful, rallying means knowing where we can help and understanding what resources are required. So Waitaki, getting connected has never been more important than now.

That means ask businesses how they are doing.

Ask businesses what you can best do to help.

Jump online to your groups town and country — ask questions, show your support.
If you can’t spend more money with them, can you review them to encourage others to spend there?

Do you know someone reliable who needs casual work? Can you connect them to a relevant business where usual staff are isolating?

Could you dust off some skills and offer to do a shift somewhere to help out? Could you volunteer somewhere to take the pressure off?

At The Business Hive, we’re in the business of connecting people — so call or come in.

We’re also home to Business South who are here to support all businesses, not just members, so talk to Rebecca Finlay (who’s doing a phenomenal job).

How we get through the next few weeks is the whole community’s business.

Ask yourself the question, ‘‘what can I do?’’

Negotiating the way in this Vuca world

It’s 2022, and more than a year since we bought a little old building in Oamaru.

You know the one.

Thames St, next to Poshtel.

The outside looks a bit like a bee hive (now) — boxy, yellow with black stripes. Handy that, because we are The Business Hive — and our logo sits at the very top.

Design-wise, that’s the inspired visual concept by local design company Design Federation.

Execution-wise, you’re seeing the consummate skills of Ace Painters and MJ Ireland Signs.

Why am I telling you this? It’s because the very image of our building illustrates a cornerstone of our business values — that smart, collective efforts outclass simple intention (in this case, paint the building).

We’re heading into a year where expert business predictions are a truly mixed bag. The whole world is facing increased volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (it’s termed a Vuca world).

We don’t have the immigrant labour force we’ve relied on.

We have ongoing supply chain disruptions.

We know that Millennials and Gen Z (adults under 38) are increasingly seeking purposeful work and flexibility (which could be underpinning the great resignation).

Here in the Waitaki, work is more concentrated in a few industries than in other parts of the country.

Our 2020 HHI (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, where an index of zero represents economic activity evenly spread across all industries) was 144.2 compared with 47.5 nationally.

This matters because the more a region’s economic activity is limited by industry types, the more vulnerable it is to adverse effects (eg commodity price, scarcity or labour force issues).

This year will bring unprecedented opportunities to solve problems in both big and small businesses — and we do that best through smart, collective efforts.

That means understanding what the challenges are and making connections that will help us find the solutions.

The building that is The Business Hive is a striking visual reminder in the heart of our town — an example of businesses working together for something greater than the sum of its parts.

That’s our reason for being — to help businesses make those connections that will drive local economic growth.

It’s why we’ll be working with the Oamaru Business Collective and Business South, local businesses and those newly appearing with ambitious business ideas.

It’s about supporting a thriving business community for the benefit of us all.

We’re in it together, Waitaki.

Welcome 2022. This is the year to get involved.

Source: https://www.oamarumail.co.nz/opinion/negotiating-the-way-in-this-vuca-world/

Time to get on with it in new normal

Well, last Monday’s announcement seems to have put the kibosh on a South Island with different-from-North-Island rules.

Air New Zealand announced that no jabs means no flying internationally, maybe not at all.

The Government announced no jabs means no entry to New Zealand for non-citizens starting November 1.

Vaccine passports are up for discussion.

Alert Level 3 has multiple settings.

It’s getting more “nuanced”, which means more to get our heads around – and we’ve been told more changes are coming.

Bottom line – restrictions here for a while.

Vaccinations are the new “elimination”.

Outside is safer than inside (because, transmission).

Masks are staying.

Yep, we kinda knew that too – it’s what’s been happening everywhere else.

So let’s get on with it.

In these parts, we’re problem solvers. Sure, there’s some bitching and whining (hey, even in the Waitaki we have a vocal few of that kind), but mostly we dust ourselves off and stump up with solutions.

Delta Level 2 means restrictions. Delta Level 1 likely will as well.

Masks.

Masks suck but people get used to them. Alex reminds me that he’s worn many masks, in many jobs, in all weathers, inside and outside. He’s a living example of well-adjusted mask-wearing from a pre-Covid world.

It snaps me back to the days of no seatbelts, habitual drink-driving and no helmets on skis – all things we learned about, got used to or got over.

We can do this.

Vaccinations.

Yep, I’ve got the jab twice.

I had cancer for a bit, made my treatment choices and am more than five years clear, but it still breaks my heart every time someone is diagnosed.

I know they could survive relatively unscathed, like me. I also know they might not. I know that fear. I don’t want it for anyone.

Covid could be far more common than cancer (which is one in every three) and more impactful.

Nuff said.

Outside.

Summer is coming. Where we live, it’s traditionally dry. Let’s use our natural advantages. Council’s waived the fees for street furniture. The weather is on our side. We have amazing outside spaces! Let’s get busy on it.

Yellow is the new black and Covid is the new normal.

We’ve got masks, vaccinations and outdoors up our sleeves. I’d love to hear your ideas.

Source: https://www.oamarumail.co.nz/opinion/time-to-get-on-with-it-in-new-normal/

Facing our fears, working together

Alex and I popped down to The Business Hive this week, masked and dangerous, armed with the now familiar Covid-yellow insulation tape and (coincidentally) Covid-yellow tape measure (1m rule).

This time feels same but different.

Cleaning, yep. Measuring, yep. Rearranging furniture, yep.

Wondering if we’re doing it right? This time, not so much.

Worried about contagion in our building? This time, not at all.

No business owner wants to get Covid or worse, be responsible for its spread.

We all know that testing, wastewater testing and contact tracing is key.

We’ve learned how transmission can happen and how best to prevent it.

We know we don’t have Covid in the South Island right now. That doesn’t mean we should flout the rules, but we can let go of some of those last-time-we-got-the-tape-out fears.

The fears that we can’t so easily bypass are equally familiar.

Fears about how to meet 100% of outgoings with a fraction of earnings, fears about the mounting costs of compliance, and the biggest fear of all – what if an employer can’t look after their staff?

Every employer I’ve spoken with in the past few weeks has been focused on their team.

Some are doing OK, but others are choosing to put wages ahead of bills, hoping the proverbial tape holds over these (hopefully) short-term financial cracks.

Business owners know their people, they know those families, responsibilities and lives. They share in their teams’ joys and care about their disappointments.

The mere thought of letting down any of their people – it’s what makes for sleepless nights.

That’s why we must support local businesses – they are the bedrock of our community.

It’s why everyone (council, commercial and community) must work together so no families fall through that Covid-shaped hole.

I’m pleased to say collaboration is exactly what I am seeing.

Diverse groups are sharing information and working hard to help.

From penguin posters of solidarity (thanks to local graphic artist Scott Wilson) to multi-agency discussions, problems are being considered and solutions tested.

This place has rich history of great ideas, mobilising voices and putting in the hard work. We can live up to that legacy with open minds and listening ears.

If you need help, ask. If you can help, do. Bring your ideas to the table, get involved and let’s all do our part in what we know needs to be done.

Source: https://www.oamarumail.co.nz/opinion/facing-our-fears-working-together/

Cautious sense of relief, optimism from businesses

A quick nosey through business reports and predictions tells me that New Zealand small businesses are doing pretty well in the global shape of things.

Xero’s new Small Business Index showed the small business sector was performing better than average for the second month in a row across all four measures – sales, jobs, wages and the time it takes to be paid.

Looking more closely at the numbers, it’s good news, but we’re not there yet.

Small-business sales increased by 14.3% compared with last year, but we have to remember that we went into lockdown in the last week of March 2020.

Jobs numbers increased 3.7% year on the year, with the exception of hospitality which experienced a 7.8% decrease.

Small-business wages (average hourly earnings) were up 3.2% year on the year but the 2019 average monthly increase was 3.8%.

Time to be paid has decreased to 21.2 days which is good for small-business cashflow, but more than double the 10 days prompt payment goal that the Government self-imposed in June 2020 and widely recommended.

In chatting with local business owners, I’m hearing a sense of cautious relief and optimism. Many businesses have been doing at least as well as their owners had hoped and, in some cases, better than ever.

A key element locally is that those who are doing online sales are seeing uptake across the board. So, yes, we are shopping online as well as buying local, but some of our local small businesses are taking advantage of that trend by selling into other local, national and international markets.

At The Business Hive, we’re seeing a steady increase in the number of businesses getting in touch for contacts and connections – including newcomer businesses.

We’re seeing outstanding collaboration between traditionally competitive business, including in our own building project.

We’ve also noticed an increase in partnered-business promotions, where local businesses are working together to cross promote their products and/or services.

Right now, local businesses are also being asked for their input for the Waitaki District Council’s long-term, destination management and spatial plans. Make time to look ahead – your input now could help shore up many longer term benefits for our region.

Keep being engaged.

Follow the Oamaru Business Collective if you haven’t already.

Winter is coming and opportunities will keep coming too. Let’s get on and make the most of them.

• Cara Tipping Smith is a director of The Business Hive and the Oamaru Business Collective chairwoman.

Source: https://www.oamarumail.co.nz/opinion/cautious-sense-of-relief-optimism-from-businesses/

Make more ‘good old ordinary’ connections

A year ago, we were in lockdown.

I can’t remember whether we had just ordered a box of River-T wine or had just finished drinking it? Whichever – thank you River-T!

Since then, I’ve lost count (and it’s not the wine’s fault . . . it could be the wine’s fault) of the number of business support initiatives I’ve seen.

There’s been a lot going on.

There’s been long-standing subsidised resources like Regional Business Partners Network and Mentors NZ.

There’s been new funding support like wage subsidies, Covid-19 relief funds and flexi-wage programmes (employee and self-employment).

There’s been inspired (and inspiring) new initiatives like Manaaki, Digital Boost and Small Business Day NZ and a multitude of Facebook groups sharing and promoting products and services with outstanding results. Yes, on digital, and if we’re not participating – we are losing out!

CPA Australia tells us that over 11 years of surveying, NZ small businesses have consistently lagged in the Asia-Pacific region for investment in innovation and participation in the digital economy.

Most recently, a quarter of all NZ businesses surveyed made no major changes as a result of the pandemic and only 9.3% reported an increase in focus on online sales!

That’s NZ as a whole.

Last year, Waitaki received about 2% of the Covid-19 Advisory Support funding for Otago. We have about 10% of Otago’s businesses.

That was a fully funded, targeted support programme for any business affected by Covid-19. Most of the funding went to Queenstown Lakes (57%) and Dunedin (26%).

Most of us didn’t apply or applied too late. Missed out.

Right now, support is out there for whatever challenges a business may face; mental, financial, interpersonal, logistics, health & safety, staffing, foreign exchange, sustainability, start-up funding, sales skills, supplier sourcing, marketing . . . It’s all on offer – paid for, subsidised and free!

So how do we find out? How do we know which of it is good?

We ask around.

That means turning up to some business events. It means joining some of those groups. Not just to sell our stuff (so 1990) but to chew the fat, make connections and be in the loop.

How did I find out about River-T doing wine deliveries during lockdown?

Yep, connections.

Not the elite kind. Just the good old ordinary, catch up and share kind. Then I bought it online.

It’s that simple and it’s time to join in.

• Cara Tipping Smith is a director of The Business Hive and the chairwoman of the Oamaru Business Collective

Source: https://www.oamarumail.co.nz/opinion/make-more-good-old-ordinary-connections/

New Business Collective leader

The Oamaru Business Collective has a new leader.

Design Federation creative director Annabel Berry has stepped down from her role as chairwoman, and has been replaced by The Business Hive director Cara Tipping Smith.

Ms Tipping Smith knew she had big shoes to fill, taking over from Mrs Berry who founded the group in 2019, but said she was excited about the challenges ahead.

She had been involved with the Oamaru Business Collective from the start – “way back when it was just an idea Annabel had”.

“I think we all knew we needed a collective group to accurately represent local businesses, but it took Annabel to bring us together to make it happen,” she said.

She was “incredibly grateful” Mrs Berry would remain on the committee, continuing to help give local businesses a voice and increase their visibility in the community.

The committee had decided to rotate the chair role each year, to give board members the opportunity to drive a different focus.

“We decided that we would share the load,” Ms Tipping Smith said.

Last year, the Oamaru Business Collective became an incorporated society, with a paid annual subscription.

There was a variety of businesses signed up – from health practitioners to the trades. While their individual needs varied, there were commonalities, as the majority were small businesses, she said.

The collective holds regular social gatherings, hosted by different businesses.

“That’s been really interesting seeing people actually connect, not network,” Ms Tipping Smith said.

“Actually have a conversation with someone else in business, and it’s amazing just how powerful those connections are.”

The committee also met regularly, and would continue to organise events, such as Shoptober, and advocate on behalf of businesses.

Post-lockdown, the feeling among Oamaru businesses was mixed.

“I think it’s fair to say everybody’s got some kind of hardship,” Ms Tipping Smith said.

“There’s a lot of positivity, there’s a lot of ‘it’s not as bad as we thought it would be’, there’s some commentary around ‘we haven’t seen the worst of it yet’.”

A drop in spend in Otago and Southland was “still really hitting” – especially small businesses.

“That’s kids school fees, or the new van – it’s actually real money to them.”

At present, the council’s destination management and spatial plans were what the committee was most focused on.

While the destination management plan had a tourism focus, there was also potential to attract people to move to the Waitaki district, Ms Tipping Smith said.

“Of course, our tourists are limited – but actually, the people coming through could also wind up being newcomers. They could be the people who go, ‘this place is cool, we want to start a business here’, or ‘we want to employ people here’, or, actually, ‘we could run our business from here’.”

Ms Tipping Smith was passionate about making business ownership and management an attractive, “real” career choice.

“We are looking at what’s happening in other regions and going if we want to attract people?’.”

The Oamaru Business Collective committee is made up of Ms Tipping Smith, Mrs Berry, Cathy Maaka, Dawn Brown, Jeremy Holding, Rachael Keen, and Simon Berry.

Source: https://www.oamarumail.co.nz/community/new-business-collective-leader/

Ready for a new year

And we’re back!

Just like that it’s 2021 and we’re back at work.

Blink. Right?!

But we’re excited.

Last year saw our local community rally together in a bunch of new ways and we’re better and stronger for it.

As it happens Xero agrees, stating “being part of a community has a very real commercial benefit that can’t even be broken by a pandemic”.

The local pivots and innovations that 2020 delivered or inspired are worth celebrating.

Things like Pen-y-bryn’s two Jameses’ own-price’ strategy last May. Brilliant and the frontrunner for elevating Oamaru in the minds of Kiwi travellers – thanks guys!

Things like Anvil Engineers’ foot-operated hand sanitising station that made us all that bit safer and made the national news. Go Hayes family!

Things like Jane Thompson and Helen Riley-Duddin’s inspired Meet the Maker fundraiser which showcased incredible local talent (some of whom sold a year’s worth of work in one day), instilled massive local pride and raised a wadge of cash for Fenwick School. Take a bow, guys – you’ve shown us the future!

As 2020 closed, we saw the launch of new local businesses – hospitality retail, manufacturing, trades, importing, health and wellbeing, professional services and more – all businesses being built by people boldly investing in their futures and our collective economy.

Congratulations and thank you, every one!

We also saw profound bravery in those who closed their businesses. You worked every bit as hard as the rest of us. Thank you for your service and your effort.

You got beaten in the ring that was 2020 but you’re not out for the count. Stand tall. There will be new bouts and you will win again.

Looking forward, Xero tells us that small business trends for 2021 include: more remote working, more online sales, more workplace flexibility, more pivots and more small business tech. These are things The Business Hive can help support and we’ll keep working hard to help keep local businesses thriving.

Expect some new offerings. Stay in touch and watch this space.

On a personal note, I was humbled by being named a Waitakian of the Year for 2020.

I have a lot of support that enables me to get involved in things that matter to me and am grateful beyond words especially for the guy who makes it possible – Alex Regtien.

Welcome to 2021! Let’s get cracking.

• Cara Tipping Smith is a director of The Business Hive, a co-working space in Oamaru’s Ribble St.

Source: http://www.oamarumail.co.nz/opinion/ready-for-a-new-year/