This month, Bay of Plenty Business News profiles a group of Under 40’s from various industries who are making their mark in the Bay of Plenty. In this issue we are profiling a broad range of individuals who are making a real difference (see pages 12-20) – we’re sure you’ll find their profile stories interesting.
1. Katie Douglas-Clifford – Craigs Investment Partners. 2. Ellie Smith – Creative BOP. 3. Georgina Smith – Holland Beckett Law. 4. Alice Scapens – Ingham Mora Chartered Accountants. 5. George Jackson – James & Wells. 6. Tom Elvin – Mackenzie Elvin Law. 7. Rebecca Savage – Mackenzie Elvin Law. 8. Thomas Refoy-Butler – Mackenzie Elvin Law. 9. Sam Uffindell – MP for Tauranga. 10. Danielle Adnitt – Oliver Road Estate Agents. 11. Brooke Robertson – Property Brokers. 12. Christy Arundel – Property Brokers. 13. Tim Short
– Property Brokers. 14. Sam Newbury – Quayside. 15. Joshua Morris – Skyline Rotorua. 16. Kingston Jones – Te Ratonga Poumanaaki.
Leading journalist provides diagnosis as Rotorua business pulse is taken
Around 50 members of Rotorua’s business community attended a breakfast to launch a report on the findings of the Rotorua Business Pulse at Te Puia last month. The event was hosted by RotoruaNZ and Rotorua Business Chamber and featured a keynote presentation by well-known New Zealand business commentator Rod Oram.
By ALAN NEBEN
The event was introduced by the chair of RotoruaNZ, John McRae who outlined the highlights of this, the first Rotorua Business Pulse.
The Rotorua Business Pulse survey is a joint initiative between RotoruaNZ and the Rotorua Business Chamber. The survey provides Rotorua business leaders (owners, CEOs, GMs) an opportunity to share their thoughts on the local economy and how their businesses are faring across key metrics.
This first survey was in field from 12 April to 4 May and was completed by 79 businesses.
McRae highlighted results showing business leaders are positive about the future after a tough year and they are buoyed by strong pipelines of work.
He said the report indicates businesses individually are more positive about the future of their own businesses compared to Rotorua’s wider economic situation, suggesting negative economic perception is not reflective of business reality.
Other key themes touched on by McRae included the challenges to business confidence and ability to attract quality staff resulting from the social issues surrounding emergency housing.
He also referenced the concerns expressed by businesses in the report about inflation and finding skilled staff, as well looking at issues such as business sustainability practices.
On a positive note, he said Rotorua businesses are playing their part in terms of flexible work practices and living wage pay levels.
Rod Oram’s presentation drew very much on his observations of the macro-economic and business and living trends he has studied internationally and how they impact lives and businesses here in Aotearoa New Zealand, and particularly businesses and the business environment in Rotorua.
Pukeroa director David Tapsell updated the audience on the progress of the Wai Ariki Hot Springs Spa and his organisation’s vision for operation of the development.
Next door to Wai Ariki will be the new QE Health facility. Having both
QE Health, with its focus on clinical and rehabilitative treatments, and Wai Ariki, with its spa and wellness focus, will establish Rotorua’s position as the centre for excellence in these areas.
Chair of Rotorua Business Chamber Miriam Hewson talked about her
personal commitment to living and working in Rotorua. She followed this with a heartfelt plea for a more positive constructive approach from all local leaders to local housing and social economic concerns and calling for, “less talking and more doing.”
The Rotorua Business Pulse survey will be distributed every six months to observe how different measures are tracking over time. You can find further information by going to rotoruanz.com/ business-pulse-survey.
Above:Rotorua business people listened to speakers recently over breakfast atTe Puia
Below:(L to R) John McRae,Chair of RotoruaNZ,Keynote speaker Rod Oram,Miriam Hewson,Chair of Rotorua Business Chamber,Pukeroa director DavidTapsell Photos Michelle Cutelli Photography
Bay of Plenty Business News has a circulation of 8000, distributed throughout Bay of Plenty between Waihi and Opotiki including Rotorua and Taupo, and to a subscription base. www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz
Bay of Plenty Business Publications
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Bay of Plenty Business Publications specialises in business publishing, advertising, design, print and electronic media services.
THE PORTER REPORT
A monthly update on the business world from David Porter
Examining the birth of galaxies
Across large swathes of Asia, Europe and the US, millions of people are grappling with unprecedented soaring heat and battling flash fires. It would be good to feel that this may provide the wakeup call the world needs to properly address the inexorable rise of climate change. But we have been disillusioned on this subject before. And sadly, will no doubt again be disappointed.
But all is not lost. I trust no-one has missed the most remarkable scientific achievement of recent years – the launch of the James Webb Space Satellite. We should all take advantage of this opportunity to literally gaze millions of years back into space to observe the early formation of galaxies.
to gaze back millions of light years.
Agency (CSA). Its first published images represent the first wave of full-colour science images and spectra the observatory has gathered.
The telescope is named for James Webb, who ran the fledgling NASA from 1961 to 1968 and who is considered by many to have done more for science than perhaps any other government official.
As SETI astronomer Seth Shostak put it in Science News, the enterprise promises to revolutionise our understanding of the universe in which we live.
Image from the James Webb Satellite Telescope: massive galaxy cluster called SMACS 0723 and many more distant galaxies.
Photo/Courtesy: NASA,ESA,CSA, STSCI.
of the focus went on extremely distant galaxies in the background. But right in the middle of the image is SMACS 0723 itself, a much closer cluster of galaxies about 4.6 billion light-years from Earth. Its light started its journey to the James Webb about 13.3 billion years ago. Amazing. Let us praise science.
‘40 under 40’
One image has already been highlighted as the most distant galaxy ever seen, with light that was emitted just 500 million years after the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago. The other four in the first images shone as late as 1.1 billion years after the Big Bang.
The new photos are, say scientists, giving us a sense of how all galaxies must look when forming stars.
In case you missed last month’s edition Scan to subscribe
I think most of us are aware that the light we see in the night sky is often millions of years old. A light year is the distance that light can travel in one year. So, if a star is one light year away, its light takes one year to get to us. The new James Webb satellite is enabling us
“When, in 1543, Nicholas Copernicus finally dismissed the 2,000-year-old idea that the Earth was the centre of the solar system, the standard of living in Poland didn’t suddenly make a great leap forward,” writes Shostak. “And yet Copernicus’ work demonstrated something of profound philosophical importance: Humans, as special as we are, occupy an unremarkable speck of dirt and dust in the universe.”
We would like to recommend to our readers this month’s cover feature on pages 12-20. We examine the region’s “under forties” influencers who are making a difference in business across the Bay.
Much of the growth and innovation we are seeing across the Bay of Plenty is increasingly being led by a generation of younger people finding new ways of driving our economy.
We are delighted to throw a spotlight on those who are making a difference in regional business and tell our readers about their impact in business and their evolving roles. www.bopbusinessnews.co.nz
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is a partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space
When an image of SMACS 0723 was released in July, most
David Porter
Employee travel expenses: How to treat them
If there is one topic guaranteed to get our readers’ attention in Deloitte Tax Alert articles, it is how to get the tax treatment of paying for employee travel costs correct.
Most employers will reimburse employees for occasional work-related mileage. If you are using IR rates as the basis for your reimbursement to employees, you can rest assured that the amounts can be paid tax free.
Just be aware that IR updates its rates annually – the current base (or Tier One) rate was increased to 83c per km from 27 May 2022.
With ever-increasing petrol costs it is hard to imagine at the moment that the IR rate would decrease, but it has done so in the past and this can catch employers out leaving them exposed to PAYE on what then become excess reimbursements.
Another thing you need to watch out for is where any employee is reimbursed for more than 3,500km in a year.
When this level is exceeded, the amount you can pay tax free usually decreases significantly to the Tier Two rates.
If you keep reimbursing
TAXATION
> BY ANDREA SCATCHARD
Andrea Scatchard is a Tax Partner at Deloitte, based in the Bay of Plenty. She can be contacted on ascatchard@deloitte.co.nz
employees have incurred in their work-related travel.
Purpose Capital wins Best Impact Investment Fund award
Largest impact investment fund makes its fourth investment
At the recent annual Mindful Money Awards in Auckland, the Purpose Capital Impact Fund won the 2022 Best Impact Investment Fund award. The judges commended Purpose Capital for their investments and Purpose Capital’s commitment to achieving significant impact through them. “It was a great affirmation of our work to date and also of the growing awareness of impact investment” said Executive Director Bill Murphy.
TheTier 1 rates recognise the fixed and variable costs of running a vehicle and can be used for the first 3,500km of work-related travel, or the work-related portion of the first 14,000km of total travel in the vehicle. After these limits, the TierTwo rates apply (these only reflect the variable costs).
beyond 3,500 km at a higher rate 83c rate, a part of that will be taxable.
You then need to work out, based on your employment agreements or mileage policy, whether you can deduct the PAYE from the reimbursement or whether you need to gross up the amount so that the employee gets the full agreed amount in the hand.
Add KiwiSaver and student loan repayments into the equation and this requires some serious mental gymnastics to work this out.
Of course, you do not have to use the IR mileage rates –you can use other published rates, such as AA ones, or you can base your reimbursement on the actual costs incurred by your employees. These can allow a higher tax-free reimbursement provided you have the data to support the payments made.
If you pay a regular travel allowance to any employees and want to treat all or some of it as non-taxable, you need to make sure you have good records to evidence that the amount paid does not exceed the cost the
Ideally you need the employees to keep a logbook of the distances travelled for at least a 3-month period, and then work out the estimated cost of that work-related travel either by applying the IR/AA rates or the actual employee costs.
If the calculation of costs is more than the allowance you pay you’re all good, but if it is less then part of the allowance will be taxable.
I can’t stress enough the importance of making sure you have records to support the amounts you pay if you treat them as tax free.
If IR considers any of the amounts paid are taxable, and tax has not been paid, the cost of the PAYE and other deductions you will get a bill for can be up to 60% of the original reimbursement and you are unlikely to be able to recover this from your employees.
If you want to check how your mileage reimbursement policies stack up, reach out to your accountant or tax adviser.
Why 360 Degree Assessments are a waste of time and money (or not)
We all have blind spots, that is for sure, and having these pointed out can be a game changer for our growth and development.
I am just glad they don’t have these at the gym.
Imagine on joining you had to undertake a 360 Assessment. Your gym instructor and fellow gym members measured your body fat, strength, speed, cardiovascular fitness, and there is the rating on how you look in lycra. I do not think any of us would be joining that gym.
After all we know we’re unfit, a bit heavy, and weak –that’s why we joined. What we need from our gym instructor is a discreet health assessment and a programme we can start on ASAP. This will quickly improve our health numbers.
I see this in training where a 360 Assessment, although appropriate for a high performing senior team, is an overkill for most.
The majority of people in leadership roles in New Zealand, even those with excellent operational knowledge, often have sub-optimal levels of self-belief, interpersonal and communication skills, understanding of leadership strategies or resilience for their role.
Having this pointed out by their colleagues is not fun and often counterproductive unless there is a high level of trust.
My preferred approach is an initial one-on-one assessment to
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
> BY MICHAEL SHAW
Michael Shaw is managing director of Dale Carnegie BOP Waikato (www.bop-waikato.dalecarnegie.com). He can be reached on Michael.shaw@dalecarengie.com
identify the areas of improvement that are important to the manager where they understand the implications of the shortfalls and significant benefits of gains in those areas. This results in an eagerness for change.
Dr Marshall Goldsmith (ranked #1 Executive Coach in the world) who pioneered the use of 360 Assessments and Executive Coaching said that people either want to change and do the required work to improve or they don’t. If they don’t, a 360 Assessment is of zero value. If they do, it is of enormous value.
Marshall works with the world’s top executives, and I highly recommend his book, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There”, which highlights common executive blind spots.
What about psychometric tests or personality profiles?
These can be powerful. I remember when I met my wife at university. Initially she thought, “Wow what a man, he
I highly recommend Dr Marshall Goldsmith’s book which highlights common executive blind spots.
actually listens to me”, however I was so quiet she eventually started to wonder if I was in some way specially challenged.
Luckily, we came across the book “Personality Plus” which explained the four dominant personality types and averted that crisis.
As a leader, understanding your psychometric markers or personality type enables valuable self-awareness in managing yourself and others.
However, if you struggle with relationships, are afraid of speaking to groups, find conflict challenging or lack enthusiasm to inspire others, there is more work to do!
When people want to change, and trust is high, 360 Assessments are great. If used as a tool to force change, they will backfire.
Really, the key for transformational growth is a want to change. When participants on our programmes see a need to change, want to change and believe they can change, then they will commit to change. The rest is easy.
The award comes on the heels of Purpose Capital completing several investments:
• Bureta Build to Rent – Purpose Capital raised and led a $4m debt syndicate into this security of tenure, home star rated housing development in Tauranga. (Co-investor Bay Trust)
• Lodestone Energy – Purpose Capital raised and led a $10m equity investment syndicate into New Zealand’s largest Utility-Scale Solar project that will provide enough electricity for a city the size of Tauranga. Two of the five solar farms are located in the BOP (Co-Investor Trust Horizon) (1 Waikato and 2 BOP solar farms).
• Homes for Tamariki – Purpose Capital’s $2m equity investment will contribute to providing stable homes throughout New Zealand for those children in most need under Oranga Tamariki’s care (One home purchased to date in the Waikato).
• Whakatōhea Mussels Ōpōtiki Ltd – Following their initial $5.5M investment in June 2020 the Purpose Capital syndicate (Bay Trust, Trust Horizon) has invested a further $2M in the Company’s most recent capital raise.
“With two other opportunities approved for investment we’ve started looking ahead to establishing our second impact fund early 2023,” said Murphy.
Purpose Capital Impact Fund
Purpose Capital are Impact Investors who drive positive environmental and social change in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and greater New Zealand. New Zealand’s largest private impact investment fund, Purpose Capital is founded on the principle that we can effect change through well-run commercial investments that deliver impact as well as financial return.
Through demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach, Purpose Capital aims to increase impact investments from asset and fund managers as well as private and philanthropic wealth. By leading investment opportunities, we provide confidence to other investors to invest alongside us in impactful companies and projects.
Fast Facts:
• Philanthropy NZ Member Investors include K1W1, The Tindall Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, WEL Energy Trust, Trust Horizon.
• Number of investments considered to date: 300+
• Investment pipeline: $500M+
• Fund size: $21.68M+
• Invested to date: $8.2M
• Co-investment under management: $14.8M
• $ invested in the BOP: $15M
The Mindful Money Awards 2022
The Mindful Money Awards celebrate the role that ethical and impact investing are playing in making money a force for good. They reflect the growing movement to re-orient investment finance towards sustainability and well-being, providing solutions to the mounting crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and inequality. The Awards honour the funds and the individuals who are leading the movement to make responsible investing the new normal, and impact investing the progressive frontier.
Bill Murphy receiving the award from Paul Stocks,Deputy Chief Executive MBIE.
Ebbett selected to represent BYD
BYD, one of the world’s largest and fastest growing electric vehicle brands, is coming to New Zealand and Ebbett Automotive are delighted to have been awarded the rights to retail the brand in Hamilton, Wellington, and Tauranga.
BYD may be a new name to Kiwis, but it is an established giant of the EV industry, outselling Tesla worldwide in Jan 2022 and predicting total sales of between 1.5m–2m electric and PHEV vehicles globally this year.
Backed by Warren Buffet, styled by former Audi Global Head of Design, Wolfgang Egger, and powered by the game-changing “blade” battery, BYD is tipped to make a big impact in the New Zealand EV space in the coming years.
The first model to hit showrooms will be the ATTO 3 SUV. Available for test drive in July, retail stock will follow closely behind, and Ebbett expect to make deliveries from August onwards.
Ben van den Engel, Managing Director of Ebbett Automotive, said “BYD is an exciting new brand and we can’t wait to introduce it to our customers in Hamilton, Wellington, and Tauranga. I think the ATTO 3 will prove to be a terrific new option for those interested in electric vehicles.
The exciting thing about the automotive industry is that it never rests and Ebbett has seen a whole lot of change and development during our 93 years in New Zealand. That progress will only accelerate over the years to come and I’ve no doubt BYD will be a brand that contributes to it strongly.”
BYD New Zealand Brand Manager, Warren Wilmot, said “We’re delighted to welcome such an established group as Ebbett into our network as we launch. They’ve been serving Kiwi customers for a really long time so know how to provide a great, full ownership experience, which is key for us at BYD New Zealand”.
As unique as the jandal
OFRANCHISING
>
BY NATHAN BONNEY
Nathan Bonney is a director of Iridium Partners. He can be reached at nathan@iridium.net.nz or 0275-393-022
nly New Zealand has the jandal. Apparently manufacturing of the jandal started in the garage of one Morris Yock in 1957. The unique name being a combination of the words “Japanese” and “sandal”, which Yock sought to trademark. Though, not to get in the way of a good story, it is contested that jandals had been imported from Japan from as early as the 1940s.
So, “What does this have to do with franchising,” you ask? Well, just as the rest of the world has sandals, slippers, thongs, and flip flops, but not jandals, franchising is a successful worldwide business model, but successful franchising in New Zealand requires a unique New Zealand approach. You need to meet the local market
There needs to be market demand for a product, service or offering.
In New Zealand, locally grown brands account for 71% of the 590 franchise brands reported in the Franchising New Zealand 2021 survey.
Many of these brands grew through franchising based on the success of an existing business and therefore established consumer
By the Bay for the Bay: How 2degrees gets local for business
When running a business, you need the support of people who know your operations and your environment. That’s why as 2degrees expands its comprehensive commercial communication solutions, they partner with local business technology experts like Elite Business Systems. The result? Information and communications technology that works for you.
That’s according to Andrew Fairgray, Chief Business Officer at 2degrees. He says the recent merger of New Zealand’s recognised ‘challenger’ mobile brand 2degrees with fixed line specialist Vocus delivers an organisation capable of doing it all – and doing it better.
But first, he starts with why. “The need for productivity tools in support of digital transformation is increasing across New Zealand. And it isn’t just the tools, but support and expertise so our business communities can improve productivity, work from anywhere, and make the most of existing and emerging technologies.”
Fairgray says the merged entity delivers a strong foundation as a ‘true scale’ competitor to the established incumbent operators.
“There’s a complementary product set; there is also a complementary mindset, with both organisations built on a heritage of creating economic value for customers and the country.”
There is, however, a problem.
The organisations responsible for creating technology products and solutions aren’t always the best at delivering them. This is particularly the case for business-oriented tools and solutions; on the one hand, navigating the wide array of available products is challenging. On the
demand, or love for a product or service – homegrown brands based on homegrown products.
Although Kiwis also love new ideas and products, not all imported systems prosper. Those that have, recognise two important factors:
1. Localise the product When McDonald’s entered the New Zealand market in 1976, they did so by adopting the suggestion of their Kiwi franchisee to localize the offer, adding the ‘Kiwiburger’, which included an egg and beet root, to the menu.
2. Products change, brands remain – Successful franchise brands create consumer demand that transcends the product offer ing. The great quote from Ray Croc when asked what McDon ald’s would be selling in the future encapsulates it very well: “I didn’t know what we would be selling in the year 2000, but whatever it was we would be selling the most of it.”
The nuances of the New Zealand market
From observation, perhaps the single biggest key to success for imported franchise brands in New Zealand lies in their ability to truly appreciate the size and dynamics of the market.
Foreign brands that look at the New Zealand market and believe the economics for their systems will be similar do so at their own peril.
Even brands originating from New Zealand’s closest neighbor, Australia, will find very different economics on both a franchisee that New Zealand is the most franchised country per capita in the world. The opportunities lie in the fact that it’s often easy to stand out in a small market, that New Zealander’s are inquisitive as consumers, innovative and entrepreneurial. Just like the jandal, franchising in New Zealand is unique but popular and very functional.
other, the competing priorities of a small or medium business owner mean decisions are often made in haste. “We’re overcoming that by being a partner around the table. That means understanding your business, while also understanding the technology which can enhance and enable efficiency specifically for you,” Fairgray explains.
The obvious question is ‘how’. After all, telecommunication providers are by necessity a ‘one to many’ operation (that’s the marvel of a $40 a month plan powered by a billion-dollar-plus network), and yet Fairgray stresses the necessity for a local presence.
“We believe the small and medium businesses which are the backbone of this country are underserved. We also believe company owners want to work with local people who are part of the community, even in a digital world,” he confirms.
The answer is partnership; in the Bay of Plenty, 2degrees partners with Elite Business Systems,
which isn’t just a local operator well-versed in the connectivity and cloud solutions available from 2degrees, but also the surrounding equipment depended upon by every organisation.
Everything from IT network systems and cloud solutions, to printers, business software, and more. “The Bay has a rich diversity of businesses that want and need a dependable partner capable of providing solutions that help them be better at what they do,” says Fairgray. “Powered by 2degrees, Elite is that partner.”
He says Elite is a leading Technology Solutions Provider – a recognised brand, founded in 1988 in the Waikato, and having operated in the Bay for a quarter of a century.
With a complete suite of telecoms services in support of the region’s digital journeys, he says the combination of local people with world-class services means everyone in the Bay gets the technology needed to live, work and play wherever they choose.
“We’re powered by mobile and fixed networks, data centres, cloud professional services and information security. 2degrees offers are globally recognised for the quality of our mobile networks, which combines with Vocus’ fibre assets to provide complete solutions. Add Elite in, and the result is an ecosystem designed to deliver.”
Finally, Fairgray says that having spent 30 years in the industry, he’s never been more excited at the possibility of delivering real change in a time when businesses are crying out for productivity-enabling solutions.
“The merger of two challenger brands known for their focus on customer service really means creating value for NZ, Inc. And that’s good for us all.”
Andrew Fairgray,Chief Business Officer,2degrees
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Water reforms aren’t just about drinking water
Much has been said about the Government’s three waters reforms –and a lot of the commentary has been negative.
By ANNE TOLLEY, Tauranga Commission Chair
Tauranga City Council has not opposed the reforms, although we have raised and continue to raise matters that are of concern to our community, and to the organisation.
There are a number of reasons why we have chosen not to express outright opposition, in the way that many councils have, and first and foremost is a recognition that New Zealand’s current water service delivery model will not be fit-for-purpose in the future.
Tauranga has an excellent drinking water service, which is ranked amongst the country’s best. Not every council is in such a fortunate position however, and we also need to acknowledge that three waters reform is not just about drinking water.
The other ‘two waters’ –wastewater treatment and disposal and stormwater collection and disposal are actually where many of the big problems will lie, because both will require
huge investment in new technology and capacity upgrades over the coming decades. The likelihood is that some councils, possibly most councils, will struggle to cope with the level of investment necessary.
Wastewater treatment technology is continually improving and when resource consents for treating and disposing of wastewater are renewed, the conditions imposed on water authorities are becoming increasingly more stringent and costly.
In the past, treated wastewater could be disposed of in rivers or piped directly out to sea, provided there was no major impact on the quality of the receiving water.
That’s highly unlikely to be the case in the foreseeable future, with disposal to land being a requirement and even then, many disposal locations would be ruled out because of potential impacts on natural water courses.
Stormwater may be even more problematic if the predicted impacts of global warming come about.
More intense and more frequent rainfall events are already forcing many councils to upgrade the capacity of their reticulation systems to cope with historically high stormwater flows and protect people and properties from flooding; and sea level rise is exposing more coastal areas to inundation risk.
The theory behind three waters reform is that the entities the Government is creating to deliver future services will be better placed than councils to take-on the debt required to improve our service quality nationally and ensure that it meets the needs of Kiwis over the next three decades and beyond.
That’s difficult to argue against, given the multi-billion dollar cost of dealing with the issues outlined briefly above.
The reforms do need to address some contentious issues however, not the least ensuring that entity ownership fairly reflects the equity (the current value of assets, less the debt applying to them) that councils and communities have in their
We also need to have mechanisms in place to ensure that there is local accountability for the quality of the services provided, and a governance structure that will ensure local priorities are recognised and addressed.
The Commissioners and Council staff will continue work with the Government to represent the community’s interests and we encourage everyone with an interest in the reforms to acquaint themselves with the issues and use the consultation opportunities that will be available as the various three waters reform legislation passes through the necessary parliamentary processes.
How can small businesses beat negative cashflow?
Chronic cashflow stress threatens to impede small business growth globally. A new report we recently released found cashflow challenges undermine the growth of at least 9 in 10 small businesses in Aotearoa.
In fact, the average Kiwi small business struggles with negative cash flow for a third of the year while one in six (17%) facing cash flow crunches for more than six months each year.
Negative cashflow is when a business’s monthly expenses are higher than the revenue to cover these costs, which can spell trouble for a business’s bottom line – especially if the issue is ongoing.
The rising cost of living and inflation continues to impact consumers and their behaviour, with many tightening the purse strings to weather the current challenging economic times.
Unfortunately, this reduction in discretionary spending appears to be translating into less money available to spend with local small businesses.
Add to this the balance of supporting employees with higher, more competitive wages and this puts small business
owners walking a tightrope.
WORKPLACE WELLBEING
> BY CRAIG HUDSON
Craig
Hudson is Xero’s managing director for New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
In fact, according to the latest Xero Small Business Index data, wages were up 7.3% year-onyear in the Bay of Plenty in June. But in order to remain competitive, small business cashflow needs to continue to flow.
These cashflow challenges are a major barrier for small business success – something especially damaging during ongoing economic pressure.
It’s increasingly important Kiwi small business owners ensure their customers pay on time as a key step towards improving cash flow.
This sort of volatility can introduce huge amounts of uncertainty to how owners invest in sustaining and growing a small business, directly compromising their livelihoods and
those of many in the community.
The sooner we take deliberate action on stabilising cash flow for the New Zealand small business community, the better-placed they and our economy will be to reach their full potential.
What can small business owners do to counteract negative cashflow?
Luckily, small business owners don’t have to sit back and accept regular cashflow trouble.
Taking the time to analyse their finances means business owners can begin to anticipate periods when cashflow often dips into the red and adjust how they operate to improve their monthly cashflow position.
And for any businesses who
Ocean scientist awarded L’Oréal Fellowship
A University of Waikato PhD student has won a L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science mentoring fellowship. Only one is granted in New Zealand each year and ocean scientist Kiri Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāi Tūhoe, Whakatōhea) is the first Māori PhD student to receive the award.
Kiri is a mother of four who lives in Te Puke and says as a student she’s always looking around for funding and other learning opportunities, so when she saw the L’Oréal mentorship she decided to apply.
L’Oréal was founded by a scientist and has been funding women in science since 1998, but the mentoring award for young Australian and New Zealand women scientists was launched in 2017. It links previous L’Oréal fellows from all over the world, with young and ambitious PhD students from Down Under.
“And so each month for six months I link up with a mentor one-on-one and then all mentees have monthly online private workshops. It’s really cool. I’ve got one coming up in the next couple of weeks on science communication.
“The other good thing about the mentoring is that I’m making connections with scientists from around the world.”
Kiri is based at the University’s Tauranga campus. Her Environmental Sciences PhD research feeds into the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge that’s focusing on Bay of Plenty’s Ōhiwa Harbour. Her research is “just a small part of a massive project” and is focused on tuangi (cockles) – mapping their habitats, their populations, and studying how and why they have changed over time, which in turn will help plan for the continued wellbeing of the harbour.
She comes to her research from both Te Ao Māori and western science perspectives, which has been her practice throughout her career. After completing her Master of Science degree at the University of Waikato, she worked at Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research for four and a half years as a taiao ora specialist, an environmental health specialist, and part of wider group working on projects that bring mātauranga Māori into their research, sitting equally alongside western science.
Kiri was at a conference, still with Manaaki Whenua but feeling like a change, when Associate Professor Kura Paul-Burke from the University of Waikato suggested she study for a PhD. Dr Paul-Burke is now one of Kiri’s supervisors and also part of the Ōhiwa project that includes local councils, DoC, and kaumatua from Whakatōhea, Upokorehe, Ngāti Awa and Tūhoe.
Dr Paul-Burke says Kiri’s study is the first of its kind on the Ōhiwa harbour and her findings will inform part of a Shellfish Management Action Plan and the creation of a technological tool to assist iwi monitoring activities in the harbour for the long term.
regularly experience cashflow crunches, prompt invoice payments and more support in budget planning could unlock huge growth opportunities.
Ensuring customers pay on time is a key step towards improving cashflow. Pandemic-led changes in business models – such as the adoption of food delivery models in hospitality or e-commerce sales for retail – can also help improve cash inflows in the longer-term.
For any local small business owners in the Bay of Plenty feeling the pinch, now’s the time to get in touch with your bookkeeper and begin putting a plan in place.
Supporting your local community by buying local and paying invoices on time will help us all weather this economic storm.
“Kiri is a seasoned environmental researcher who has spent many years assisting others with her work. It’s wonderful that she’s been recognised for her immense effort and further mentored to continue her great work in marine science,” Dr Paul-Burke says.
The Ōhiwa project is close to Kiri’s roots as her mother is Whakatōhea and Ngāi Tūhoe from Whakatane, which is close to the harbour. Kiri spent about a month in the summer mapping tuangi populations and identifying the seasonal sample sites to capture the condition of the tuangi over the year, and at the same time she’s been observing the tōrea (oyster catcher bird) which has a synonymous relationship with cockles in Māoridom. Since then it’s been lab analysis where her results will contribute to a habitat suitability index, developed by Richard Bulmer from NIWA and another of Kiri’s supervisors.
“This work will progress the robustness of the software to predict and historically identify where these populations are and were in the past,” Kiri says. She’s halfway through her PhD, which is by publication.
Kiri will travel to Melbourne as a special guest at the L’Oréal-UNESCO women in science conference in November with the other L’Oréal fellows, but before that she’s off to Spain on a Claude McCarthy Fellowship for the ECSA59 (Estuarine, Coastal Shelf Association) conference in Krusaal, San Sebastian, Spain.
Kiri Reihana
three waters systems.
AnneTolley
Scared of success? How to fight the fear and win
Adrug dealer held a loaded gun to my head and threatened to pull the trigger. I’ve been lost, stranded and dehydrated in the middle of the Sahara Desert.
I’ve watched loved ones take their final breath. I’ve stared down the throat of a great white shark.
I’ve opened the door to strange men who took the TV away while mummy and daddy did nothing. I’ve had the suicide hotline on speed-dial. I’ve seen my bank account go from zero to one million and back to zero.
I know what fear is. And I also know the market is full of it right now.
But fear – like any emotion – can be harnessed. With the right guidance, you can shine a light on the dark corners of your business and luminate a pathway to growth and prosperity.
Something In the air
Markets have emotions. You can smell it. You can almost touch it. The core emotions of markets are optimism, pessimism and fear. I felt optimism leave the market about 18 months ago. Fewer people were making bold moves. The shouting from the rooftops turned into something more like a whisper. When optimism leaves,
pessimism fills its place. Next to arrive is scepticism (this is where we are right now), and then fear will follow.
I work with several businesses as a consultant, and every week I speak with the smartest marketers and business advisors on the planet. I see what goes on behind the scenes. I’m tapped into a world that few experience. It’s 2022, not 2018. Things are different. Trust is broken. Recession and inflation seep into the gaps. There is more competition than ever. The business ecosystem as a whole is contracting, not expanding. “Screw it, let’s do it” has been replaced by “Let me think about it”. I don’t need charts and graphs to tell you this. It’s all around you. At the petrol pumps. The supermarket shelves. The house that just won’t sell. The client who just won’t buy. The offer that just won’t click. The customers who just won’t walk through the door.
Of course, people will tell me I’m wrong. “We’re doing great!” they will exclaim. Usually, however, they are selling dreams based on bygone optimism in the market. It’s like walking down Papamoa Beach trying to sell bikinis on a cold July morning: Economic winter is coming, and no BOGOF
People are afraid of what they do not understand. Surprisingly, most would prefer to remain terrorised and uninformed than gain the knowledge to conquer their fears.
offer or glamorous advertising campaign can change the fact.
Something exists, however, that can calm the nerves and conquer the fears…
And that something…is you.
Feel the fear, and do it … differently
Yes, people are scared right now. But you have a choice: You can join them, or you can be the one to lead them out of the darkness.
If you can help your customers understand fear, then you help them conquer it.
Fear happens when we encounter something – a situation, a person, a product, a headline – and our brain searches for a solution to validate what it is.
Imagine you’re in the sea, and something bumps against your leg. You start searching for a reference point. Something to validate the situation. When you can’t find anything, the anxiety builds.
Still can’t find anything? Anxiety turns to fear. Something bumps your leg again. Fear then turns to full-blown panic.
What is it you’re desperately searching for? The capability to deal with your situation.
If you encounter something and you’re capable of dealing with it, then you’re not afraid.
MINING BUSINESS WEALTH
> BY FREDDIE BENNETT
Guinness World Record Holder, podcast host and bestselling author, Freddie is known as ‘The Profit Hunter’. He helps business owners enjoy more time, money and freedom by discovering and extracting hidden profits in their companies. Freddie@conqueryourmedia.com
Here is when the business gurus will tell you: “fear is just an emotion”.
Well that’s great, but try telling that to a customer who is too scared to open their wallet because they have a feeling they might be swimming with sharks.
But you can take the fear away.
The ‘Fear Less’ lifeboat
When everyone is scared and feeling out of their depth, how do you solve this problem? You remove the fear, and replace it with the opposite of fear: Confidence.
If you can give your customers confidence, then they feel less fear. They are less fearful of the economy, inflation, house prices, fuel prices, or what their boss or partner might say.
It actually goes deeper than generic confidence, however. Because it’s about confidence in their capabilities.
For example, someone falls into deep water – if they’re confident in their capabilities (ie swimming), they understand the situation and they know how to overcome it, they’ll feel no fear.
So how do you give your customers capability?
Firstly, you give them the insight to understand the truth behind the situation they’re facing. This could be a brochure, report, presentation, article, etc.
Then, you arm them with the knowledge to take the fear away. Perhaps a product demonstration, training session or workshop.
Next, by giving the customer an opportunity to utilise or practice this new knowledge, you are building their competence.
Competence builds into confidence, which morphs into capability, which takes the fear away.
When you remove the fear for your customers and clients,
you remove the shackles that were holding back their purchasing decisions.
The final twist
There is one small detail that makes the difference between a customer horror story and ‘happily ever after’.
Most people will read this article and believe it’s about giving a customer confidence in YOUR business.
But true mastery comes from the ability to give a customer confidence in THEMSELVES. If your business can show the customer there is nothing to be afraid of, and give them the confidence to believe in their own capabilities … then you remove the fear. And they are eternally grateful.
Help your customers conquer their fears, and you become less vulnerable to the scary rollercoaster ride of 2022. Then you realise: There was never anything to be afraid of.
Winter weekend fun for all at Baypark!
Trustpower Baypark has something for everyone to fill their weekends this winter. There is a huge variety of events to interest a range of age groups in the community. Some of the activities are outlined below – so plan ahead!
Battle in the Bay – 6 August 2022
Battle in the Bay is a Cheerleading Championship for teams across NZ! A fun and competitive day with merchandise stores and teams performing cheerleading competitively.
On August 6, Battle in the Bay comes to Trustpower Baypark Arena and promises to be full of excitement with something for everyone!
Tauranga Careers & Business Expo – 12 & 13 August 2022
The Canvas Careers Expo is back! We’ll be at the Trustpower Baypark Arena on August 12-13, with industry-leading exhibitors from all corners of Tauranga’s workforce. Whether it’s business, science, hospitality, trades or something else entirely, you’ll find your passion at Canvas Careers Expo. Free Entry.
The Tauranga Food Show – 27 & 28 August 2022
Explore over 150 delicious exhibitors showcasing everything from chocolate, cheese and chutney to tea, truffles and tabasco. There’s plenty for everyone including allergy friendly, vegan or vegetarian, gluten free and organic options.
See cuisine come to life in the Live Cooking Kitchen, featuring our favourite chefs from restaurants and cafes around the Bay, and enjoy a sit-down lunch with fantastic local gourmet food truck flavours and street food delights.
The Zespri Aims Games – 3-9 September 2022
All teams are locked & loaded – 320 schools have officially registered to attend in 2022. The Zespri AIMS Games is a strategic partnership between the four Western Bay Intermediate Schools, Sport Bay of Plenty and the Tauranga City Council.
The Zespri AIMS Games is a Tau-
ranga City Council Legacy event. All individual and team sports are superbly organised to a very high standard. It’s linked to various local sporting clubs, regional and national sporting organisations to achieve this.
The sporting champi onships give 11–13-year-olds an opportunity to compete as an individual or in a team against their age group in 23 different sports. Each of the sports offered in 2022 will be hosted in superb facilities.
The Women’s Lifestyle Expo – 17 & 18 September 2022
With more than 160 companies featuring everything from gourmet food and beverages, jewellery and fashion to artisan goods, eco-friendly products, makeup, fitness, business, travel, art, beauty products, home wares and much more!
The Women’s Lifestyle Expo is a two-day event for women of all ages, and the only event of its kind happening in six regions in 2022. www.womenslifestyleexpo.co.nz/buy-tickets
Bay of Plenty Baby Expo – 24 & 25 September 2022
Discover all you need to know for you, your pregnancy or young child. Gain expert, up-to-date advice from our diverse range of exhibitors and experiment with products and services to find what best suits your needs.
A complimentary creche, parent’s room and mother’s room are provided onsite to ensure you have everything you need to visit in comfort. A huge range of products and services will be on show, along with seminars, demos and workshops.
Exclusive offers, activities and competitions are also provided – this expo is not to be missed!
www.babyexpos.co.nz/tickets/
NZ Bridge Congress 2022 – 1-8 October 2022
The 2022 National Congress is being held live in Mt Maunganui from 1-8 October 2022. The 36th New Zealand National Bridge Congress is the premier bridge event in our annual calendar and was last attended by over 700 players in 2019. 620 players attended the 2021 Bridge Congress.
Demi Lee Moore New Zealand Tour – 7 October 2022
International star Demi Lee Moore is taking to Trustpower Baypark’s Stadium Lounge with her latest album Jy Ken My Naam, which has reached Golden status across South Africa! Demi Lee was first introduced to the South African audience in 2014 when she reached the top seven on Season 10 of Idols. She went on to be the first winner of the television show Die Kontrak. This paved the way for her massive success in the music industry.
Her latest album Jy Ken My Naam, was released in late 2020. www.eventfinda.co.nz/2022/ demi-lee-moore-tour/mt-maunganui
Silver Ferns v Australian Diamonds – 16 October 2022
The Silver Ferns will go up against the Australian Diamonds on both sides of the Tasman in October. The Silver Ferns will defend their Constellation Cup title when they meet the Diamonds in four Tests, played as part of the Cadbury Netball Series.
The rivalry resumes on this side of the Tasman at Spark Arena in Auckland on 12 October and Trustpower Baypark Arena Tauranga on 16 October. Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua said, “It’s exciting to be able to confirm the Cadbury Netball Series with the opportunity to defend the Constellation Cup against our toughest rivals and we can’t wait for the rivalry to resume.”
The Silver Ferns ended a nine-year drought in 2021, securing the Constellation Cup after winning the series 3-1 in Christchurch.
HoopNation “The Classic” – 21-24 October 2022
The Classic has grown to become New Zealand’s premier basketball
event showcasing some of the nation’s top basketball talent. Hosted annually every Labour Weekend at Trustpower Baypark Arena in Tauranga.
The Tauranga Home Show –28-30 October 2022
The Tauranga Home Show is the Bay of Plenty’s biggest home and lifestyle exhibition. We’ve been building dreams in the Bay for more than two decades. 2022 brings the 23rd annual Tauranga Home Show with an exciting range of exhibitors from all over New Zealand, from small businesses to your favourite brands. Browse, compare, touch, feel and test products, and meet your suppliers face to face. Enjoy a great day out with the whole family – there’s plenty to enjoy including the Live Cooking Kitchen, a range of food trucks, entertainment for children and great prizes to be won! Tickets @ door.
Tauranga’s Premier Venue
Trustpower Baypark is Tauranga’s Premier Venue for conferences, meetings, entertainment, and exhibitions. Offering a complete package in one convenient location that features state of the art meeting rooms, in-house catering, audio visual services, marketing/promotional services.
For more information on any events, enquiries for Trustpower Baypark venues, BayStation activities or service on/off site from BayCatering, BayAudioVisual visit www.trustpowerbaypark.co.nz or email events@bayvenues.co.nz.
Demand plus ‘no delivery’ equals insolvency CREDIT CONTROL
What a couple of months it has been –record numbers of company liquidations and widespread insolvency events across normally stable and solid industries have made for a very turbulent and troubling time in the local business landscape.
On the outside, doing business seems to be a fairly easy equation: find something that people want or need, source it, market it and provide it for an acceptable price. What we have seen is components of the above drop out so the whole equation no longer computes. The main challenge for most businesses is generating demand; Once that is in place, the rest is fairly
elementary: find the capacity/ goods and get them to who bought them.
But what if you can’t source the goods? How can you provide what you can’t get?
I have seen clients walk away from well-established, multi-million dollar per year turnover businesses because of two main factors: lack of staff and lack of materials.
These are businesses experiencing demand that, as a new
> BY NICK KERR
Nick Kerr is regional manager for DebtFree NZ Ltd and director of International Private Investigations Ltd. He can be reached on 021 876 527 and Nick@debtfreenz.com
business, they could have only previously dreamed about, and they have the goods in the yard waiting to be deployed, but no one to deliver them and no one to set them up or install them.
Two business types that appear to be particularly affected in the local market are the scaffolding and concreting industries. They have the scaffolding and they have the concrete but they cannot find the right staff, for love nor money, to deliver to their customers.
Upon further research I have found an exodus of qualified staff in these industries
is occurring, with the majority heading to Australia, often to take up well-paid positions – after two years of travel restrictions and inability to earn money in these industries, this has proved to be irresistible for many.
My advice to any business that is having issues with huge demand but limited supply is simple: choose your clients carefully – if you are going to put your eggs in only a few baskets make sure those baskets are rock solid and have a real future.
Credit check them using
Centrix or a similar service, have solid and up-to-date best-practice terms of trade, become a secured creditor and have a credit monitor on them so if there are any bumps in the road then it won’t send your company into a tree.
Also keep your prices in-line with your cost increases; If your fuel bill has gone up by 30% then why haven’t your delivery or your installation rates gone up at the same rate?
If it raises your cost it decreases your profits, and at the end of the day your busi-
The concrete industry has been affected by staff shortages.
ness lives or dies from profit, not turnover. As my father (and business inspiration) has always told me, “Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity.” Just a thought.
Shouting from the rooftop: QE Health celebrates halfway mark of new
health and wellness centre
Iconic Rotorua organisation, QE Health, had something to shout about in July, with the installation of the roof on their worldclass health and wellness centre signalling the halfway mark of the 16-month construction project.
Known affectionately as
‘He Whare Atawhai –
A place of kindness’, QE Health has supported thousands on their journey to wellness since opening its doors in 1942.
QE Health Chief Executive, Dr Aaron Randell, says it’s exciting to see the 3000sqm building being brought to life, with the installation of the roof being a significant milestone.
“For 80 years, QE Health has been Rotorua’s designated health and wellness destination and it holds a unique place in Rotorua’s history. It’s a privilege to be involved with this project and see it come to fruition for the Rotorua community,” he says.
“The new health and wellness facility will offer a much-improved visitor experience, with a contemporary and relaxing vibe where we can continue to provide modern clinical treatment while drawing on the historically unique geothermal water and mud resources.”
Construction of the new facility began in August
last year, with the development undertaken by Watts & Hughes Construction. The project has created more than 30 new construction jobs in the city.
Watts & Hughes Construction Project Manager, Cole Weston, says this milestone is significant for QE, the community, and the wider construction sector.
“This is an incredible project to be part of and it’s important to see this type of investment and development for the region. It has been a challenging few years, so it’s great to see Rotorua expanding in this way,” he says.
“We’ve been able to support more than 30 people into employment and become part of the history of a significant institution for Rotorua, so it’s a special project for our team.”
The project has been funded through a series of predominately loans and some grants from Kānoa, the Government’s Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Rotorua Trust, and Rotorua Lakes Council.
Dr Randell says while they are hugely appreciative of the loans and grants they have received, QE Health is a not for profit charitable organisation and support from the community is still needed to complete the fit out of the new facility.
The facility is being constructed almost entirely from locally sourced timber, with the cladding being treated with new technology that doesn’t require the use of harmful chemicals.
Uniquely designed to reflect Rotorua’s geothermal heritage, the building will feature vertical white timber exterior cladding and screens to represent rising geothermal steam, evoking and acknowledging the geothermal source of wellbeing that makes QE Health unique.
The new facility will feature a modern layout, exercise studio, a new hydrotherapy pool and Rachel Pools, a 24-hour gym, and 13 comfortable and modern rooms for in-patient use.
The new building is expected to be complete in December this year.
Electrification in the luxury automotive sector
By MIKE RANSTEAD Branch Manager, Lexus of Tauranga
With fuel prices at an all-time high, and the Government adding surcharges to vehicles that don’t comply with their Clean Car policies, (CCC) it’s no wonder that the New Zealand vehicle market is experiencing unprecedented growth in the sale of hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and battery-electric (BEV) vehicles. With a staggering 94% increase year on year, it would seem that 2022 is the year of the EV.
Stand at any given intersection in Tauranga and you’ll see that electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are becoming a significant part of the traffic mix, with a staggering 45% of all sales in the luxury vehicle sector, having some sort of electrification.
Consumer interest in EV vehicles has significantly increased in the last 2.5 years and naturally, the introduction of the Governments Clean Car Rebate this year has ensured that a large majority of new car purchasers are researching electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids as part of their pre-purchase research.
Given there are also freshly imported used EVs and PHEVs available, these are especially attractive to buyers because of the large price difference between a new and a used vehicle in this sector.
Battery electric vehicles (BEV) are expected to be cost competitive with internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) by 2030, including purchase price parity by 2030 and total cost of ownership parity much earlier.
Purchase price differences between BEVs and ICEVs may persist longest for smaller, lower-cost vehicle categories, i.e., those competing with ICEVs (internal combustion engine vehicles) selling for less than $35,000.
However, range anxiety continues to be a concern for many BEV buyers, especially of low-cost, small battery vehicles in the used vehicle market where the Nissan Leaf has dominated sales.
This will improve over time as battery prices fall and achievable vehicle ranges increase above 350km. Range anxiety may continue to be a barrier to 2025, especially for BEVs purchased as primary household vehicles, but it is not expected to be as significant by 2030. There are some concerns over the end-of-life management of batteries, but these will reduce as effective product stewardship schemes develop.
EVs and BEVs are expected to become a dominant part of the future New Zealand vehicle fleet, but such a significant change to the fleet will take time to achieve effectively and efficiently. By 2030, EVs are likely to be readily available for import across all vehicle categories at a price that is competitive with ICEVs
As the Dealer Principal at Lexus of Tauranga, our customers are especially
familiar with hybrid technology with Lexus being one of only a handful of manufacturers who can boast that over 75% of their new vehicle range are either hybrid or full electric. Lexus has been in the hybrid market since 2005 with the RX, which was the first hybrid SUV on the market. So, the transition we are seeing to electric technology is a very natural progression.
We are constantly hearing comments from our UX300E (EV UX model) customers about how much they enjoy the car because it feels very “normal” rather than the giant tablet-like screens and unembellished interiors, as the large majority of our customers come from a generation where they only had an AM radio, and air conditioning and power windows were an optional extra.
Having said that, automotive technology is very intuitive, and for those who are comfortable using their smart phone or tablet, the transition is very easy.
What to choose?
Before deciding whether your next vehicle is going to be an HEV, PHEV, or BEV, there are six things to consider before you make the leap:
• What distances do you want to drive before having to charge?
• What is the vehicle warranty and battery warranty, and is it transferable?
• Will you install a home wall box or just use a 3-pin plug charging lead?
• Will the popularity of the manufacturer’s resale value hold up?
• What is the cost of ongoing maintenance and frequency?
• What are the vehicle manufacturers’ ecological profile and recycling policies? If you would like to know more about EV vehicles, or maybe even take one out for a test drive, visit Mike Ranstead at Lexus of Tauranga at 158 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga – or call him on 07 577 0880.
Mike Ranstead
Watts & Hughes Construction project manager,ColeWeston (L) and QE Health chief executive,DrAaron Randell on the job.
End users are the main point of entry for organisations – and it’s on the edge of disruption
End-user computing is about to undergo a profound transformation (EUC). In fact, it is predicted that there will be more than 50 billion connected devices by 2023. An enormous number of end-user devices must be managed, secured, and optimised in order to provide the effective, high-performance experience that today’s users expect.
BTECH TALK
> BY MARIETTE
TOLMAY
Mariette Tolmay is the marketing lead at Stratus Blue. She can be contacted at mariette@stratusblue.co.nz.
ut, let’s face it, EUC regulations are frequently complex and expensive for today’s businesses.
Due to the large number of mobile and remote workers, upgrading and managing endpoints can become a massive IT burden.
Given the growing number of security threats, ongoing OS (Operating System) migration requirements, and mounting financial pressures, EUC may be IT’s most difficult challenge.
Furthermore, it suggests that EUC is ready for innovation. With recent advancements that can extend the lifespan of expensive laptops and desktop systems, ensure consistent updates, and improve security controls, IT may soon be able to get off the EUC management treadmill and view the endpoint as just another link in the digital transformation value chain.
What is the source of the
commotion in EUC? Consider the following transformative drivers:
1. Extensive employee mobility
The modern employee can work from any device and from any location. According to a recent Gallup poll, 43 percent of employees work remotely on occasions. These workers use a variety of devices. While only 14% of workers use six or more devices, the average employee uses 2.3 devices to complete tasks.
What isn’t often considered is how this trend towards workplace mobility affects the complexity of endpoint management.
IT can implement granular policy control to streamline device support and reduce costs by streamlining device management and operations with a unified management solution that is hardware and
device type independent. Furthermore, they can improve overall user experience.
2. The permanent state of migration
Even though most IT departments prefer not to think about it, the end-of-support date for Windows 10 is rapidly approaching. It will be necessary to upgrade to Windows 11 at some point. After upgrading to Windows 11, you’ll almost certainly need to make another significant transfer.
OS transitions can be completely insane for both IT and users. The confusion will only worsen as the frequency of Windows 11 upgrades increases to every six months. Endpoint major migrations should not be required every six months.
Instead, the endpoint operating system should be updated automatically over the air, with
minimal help desk interaction and without interfering with the user’s experience.
Following that, it should connect to whatever virtual environment is required for a user to remain productive on whatever device they choose. As a result, users can get what they need without having to deal with lengthy device transfers and can enjoy a more comfortable, productive experience.
3. Endpoint security vulnerabilities
Endpoint devices are particularly vulnerable to cybersecurity risks because they are not subject to strict policy con trols or routine patching and updating.
To avoid these threats, users must rely on endpoint devices with embedded secu
rity that are virus and malware resistant, as well as enable automatic support for security mechanisms such as two-factor authentication, smart card readers, and others. One example would be hospitals that use Imprivata technology to provide tap-and-go authentication in conjunction with password or biometrics.
4. EUC management restrictions
Managing a large estate of endpoints has historically been expensive and time-consuming. Some organisations have large teams dedicated to this sole purpose. However, not
NEW APPOINTMENTS
Bevan Botha
The Building Intelligence Group (‘TBIG’) welcomes Bevan Botha as Project Director / Bay of Plenty Region Lead. Bevan is an experienced Project Director who has worked for several of New Zealand and Australia’s most highly regarded construction industry leaders. He has developed a vast knowledge base, with senior roles both as a client-side project manager and as an engineering consultant. He is highly skilled at building successful teams and has a strong technical understanding that has been derived from leading several notable projects in commercial, residential, health and education. A people-person, with a personable approach, Bevan believes in hands on project leadership and as a result he builds strong levels of trust. As TBIG’s Bay of Plenty Region Lead, Bevan is looking forward to building on the strong relationships TBIG has in the Bay.
Simon Gyenge
Dan Breed
New paradigms are emerging, such as desktop-as-aservice (DaaS) and the cloud workspace, to empower users while freeing endpoint management teams. These cloud-based desktops provide enhanced management efficiency, security, and policy control for desktop applications.
Remote support, zero-touch deployment, and simple central management are already available. Even down to the hardware layer, solutions can now provide detailed visibility into user experience and application performance. The EUC market is already being disrupted by innova-
Lyon O’Neale Arnold Lawyers are delighted to announce, Simon Gyenge as our newest Director. Simon joins Doug Lyon, Mike O’Neale, and Denise Arnold at the helm, reflecting our focus on bringing the next generation of Associates into our senior leadership. Simon’s passionate about law, and serving his clients. Specialising in Business and Commercial Law, Trust and Succession Planning, Property Law, and Personal Law. Simon plays a key role in the continued growth of LOA. As Director, Simon will build on our strong ‘people first’ ethos. LOA has a strong future ahead because of the quality of our people.
MediaWorks is happy to announce the appointment of Dan Breed as the new Sales Manager of MediaWorks Bay of Plenty and Coromandel. With 16 years of sales experience across managerial roles, learning and development and on the ground selling, Dan is ready to bring this knowledge into the Bay and continue to grow businesses across Tauranga and Coromandel via marketing and advertising strategy to MediaWorks Customer base. Returning to New Zealand in 2020, Dan has been working in Auckland and has now made the move to the mighty BOP and is enjoying every second of life in the bustle of Tauranga. With any spare time you’ll find Dan surfing, downhill and trek bike riding and somehow still playing rugby (when his body holds up).
UNDER 40 AND MAKING WAVES
“The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.” – Walt Disney, co-founder, Disney
The stories behind the people in this month’s business Under 40s lineup are testament to the truth of that statement. We reached out to the business community and asked, “Tell us about the new generation of personnel in your organisation who are really making a difference?”
We’re not just talking about high-flying millennials and tech start-up gurus, we’re talking about exceptional individuals at all levels of business, in all sorts of organisations.
The results are inspiring; At a time when so much business attention is focused on inflation, interest rates, staff shortages and uncertainty, it is refreshing to read their stories – they are, each and every one, stories of people who have chosen to quit talking and to start doing.
We spoke to lawyers, artists, politicians and many others – the takeout message for us: the future of Bay business is in good hands.
KATIE DOUGLAS-CLIFFORD
Empowerment is something that is extremely important to Katie Douglas-Clifford, whether it’s empowering her clients with investment knowledge around the markets, empowering women to help achieve financial freedom as investors through Craigs Women’s Wealth program, or empowering herself by balancing her career as an experienced investment adviser with her role as a mother of three boys under the age of four.
Katie is an inspirational investment adviser at Craigs Investment Partners, one of New Zealand’s leading investment advisory firms with more than 180 qualified investment advisers across 19 branches nationally. Katie is based in the Tauranga office from which a team of 260 staff operate.
Katie rejects any kind of ‘Superwoman’ tag – she instead prefers to call herself a ‘motivated realist’. “I choose to give my best to my kids. However, I could never be satisfied if I couldn’t also give my best to my clients. So I approach both things practically and realistically. You don’t necessarily
need to be the first in the office and the last to leave every day to be a good adviser – I’m a realist, balancing many roles, and I’m passionate and focused on providing timely, quality advice to my clients.
“As long as I’m doing that, I also have the satisfaction of sharing the occasional daycare pick-up and
regularly check the share market updates in the newspaper,” she jokes.
“Even when I was on maternity leave, I used to wake up every morning and check what the US markets had done overnight.”
She is philosophical in her approach to investment advice. She believes it is too often assumed that Kiwis already know all the basics of investing, however, that’s not always the case. “I believe passionately in never ‘assuming’ that my clients have all the necessary knowledge or understanding of investing.
“I begin by bringing things back to basics with all my clients, even the most sophisticated and savvy investors – I never assume they know it all. If I can help clarify their understanding, remove the emotion and offer advice that’s suitable to each clients’
personal situation and needs, I’m doing my job in a way that is best for everyone – that’s me giving my best to my clients.”
Katie is passionate about the Women’s Wealth program, which started in 2007, to empower women with more knowledge and confidence to start investing or become better investors.
“The more I can empower investors, the more I feel empowered myself,” she says. “I encourage anyone interested in investing to come along to one of our events or get in touch with an adviser to discover investing.”
FROM TAURANGA TO VENICE, AND BACK AGAIN ELLIE SMITH
When we spoke to Creative BOP on how we best put the spotlight on the wealth of young creative talent coming out of the Bay, one of their suggestions focused on arts graduate Ellie Smith.
Ellie is an art historian and writer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Classical Studies from the University of Auckland, a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies, and is currently a Master of Arts candidate in Museum Studies at Massey University.
Her Master’s thesis centres around how art galleries and museums are including the visually impaired community in their spaces.
Her first experience in a gallery came during her time at the University of Auckland where she gained a scholarship to be a part of the international internship programme at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.
“My time at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection was pivotal at the start of my career, getting to
see how such a world-renowned art museum runs was priceless.”
Since returning to Tauranga she has worked at Tauranga Art Gallery and Baycourt Community and Arts Centre, in roles that centre around engaging our community with the importance of arts and culture.
She currently works for Taurangabased arts consultancy Supercut Projects. With Supercut Projects she has co-authored City Art Walk, a free app leading art lovers around Tauranga’s public artworks, she curated Echoes: Tauranga Moana, a digital heritage exhibition that featured the city’s rich archives and is currently working with Tauranga City Council to revitalise the city’s public and civic art collections.
Ellie has a huge passion for the arts, galleries and museums, and
especially for finding new and innovative ways to engage different communities with them.
This is why her Master’s thesis centres so strongly around accessibility and ensuring that everyone has access to the wide variety of benefits interaction with the arts can bring.
Creative BOP has identified a plethora of young local talent in the art space. This is highlighted by the journeys of a number of passionate young people like Ellie Smith.
GEORGINA SMITH
ONE OF HOLLAND BECKETT LAW’S NEWEST PARTNERS
When Georgina Smith returned to NZ from the UK in 2014 she was focused on selecting a city that offered a great lifestyle and a firm where she could grow into a senior leadership position. Holland Beckett Law stood out as an integral member of the community both in a professional sense and as a good corporate citizen.
Georgina’s decision to join a progressive firm has played out. When she joined Holland Beckett Law the headcount was approximately 75 and now the firm has 140 staff. With the support of the partners, Georgina transitioned through the firm and in April she joined the partnership, carrying over 15 years legal experience with her. Identifying leaders who can build a team is what has made Holland Beckett Law a success
and one of New Zealand’s largest regional law firms.
Georgina acts primarily for builders, property developers and NZ’s largest non-bank lender. She flourishes when assisting clients with structuring deals which focus on growth and development of the Bay of Plenty region and wider NZ. Georgina feels a real sense of achievement when using her legal skills and general life experience to work with clients to achieve their goals and watching their businesses grow to achieve greatness. There are likely to be some tough times ahead for businesses and Georgina can be relied upon to assist with innovative legal solutions for restructuring and refinancing.
Retaining and growing staff is the firm’s number one priority. Holland Beckett Law achieves this in a
number of innovative ways such as graduate programme cash bonuses or options for paid leave to travel, regular salary reviews, wide ranging CPD options, flexible working arrangements, social and sporting events, wellness package and study benefits.
Holland Beckett Law also recently announced its new parental leave policy where primary carers are entitled to receive their first 18 weeks of Government assistance topped up to their full pay while partners of the primary carer are eligible to receive four weeks of paid leave.
Georgina is proud to be part of Holland Beckett Law’s leadership team and its commitment to attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent.
ALICE SCAPENS
LEADING THE WAY IN ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS ADVICE
The Bay of Plenty has a lot to offer, so it’s no wonder that families are choosing Tauranga to call home and set up business.
Alice knows first-hand the abundant lifestyle and business opportunities available, since starting her career in tourism in Rotorua, before making the move to Tauranga to join Ingham Mora as an accountant in 2014.
“It’s important to me that the clients that partner with me are able to achieve their business goals whilst still maintaining their ideal lifestyle. What I enjoy most about working at Ingham Mora is that every business and business owner has different outcomes they’re looking for.
“For me, my ideal outcome is to provide expert advice to help grow businesses in the Bay and still have time to recharge, whether by getting outdoors around the bay with my wife and children or
heading onto the water to find a fish or two.”
Humble by nature, Alice isn’t one to toot her own horn, but the clients and colleagues who work with her would describe Alice as hardworking, personable, business astute, dedicated and a creative thinker.
It’s no wonder Alice has grown from Chartered Accountant to leading a team under a director, to now being announced as the newest associate for Ingham Mora. Alice has hit the ground running and is enjoying having a more direct focus on clients.
Youth is on Alice’s side when it comes to embracing the everchanging technology. Alice is a whizz with Xero accounting
software and says, “keeping ahead of technology changes is vital to ensure businesses maintain a competitive advantage, particularly given the current economic challenges”.
Alice provides her clients with more than just traditional compliance needs; Alice offers expert business advice which sees her clients thrive in business and life.
If you’re looking for tailored business advice, then get in touch and ‘Ask Alice’.
PROTECTING THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESSES
As every business owner will tell you, bringing an idea to life takes time, money, and an enormous amount of energy. There is little more rewarding than seeing your idea turn into a commercial success, but all too often, we see others try to capitalise on that hard work.
George Jackson has been protecting the intellectual property rights of Bay of Plenty businesses for several years. “Good products, reputation, and brands are important to any business. If you are successful, you are at risk of imitation. Too often we see people trying to skip the hard part by copying a proven success.”
As a member of James & Wells’ commercial team, George advises
on and prepares agreements to best secure his client’s commercial position. “When I work with clients, I want to ensure the best outcome for them. A key part of that is truly understanding their objectives so that I can provide them with commercially relevant, pragmatic advice.”
A specialist in copyright, trade marks and fair trading matters, George is no stranger to intellectual property disputes. His time in the Tauranga District Court gives him affinity for research and preparing written material.
George’s work isn’t limited to SME businesses. Working with James & Wells, NZ’s largest independent intellectual property firm, has seen him involved with large international corporations.
“The most important thing any business can do is to protect their ideas right from the very start. Whether that’s securing your trade mark, or patenting your invention, it is much easier to enforce your rights if you engage with an IP specialist from the beginning.”
James & Wells has been protecting intellectual property for New Zealand’s brand owners and innovators for more than 40 years.
Their depth of experience ranges from managing large IP portfolios for international corporations, right through to protecting the ideas of startups, and everything in between.
TOM ELVIN
PARTNER, MACKENZIE ELVIN LAW LLB/BA, UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO
Tom grew up in Tauranga and returned to Mackenzie Elvin. He is a Partner specialising in general commercial work, commercial property, succession and day-today needs of commercial entities.
Tom works for a variety of clients including large commercial entities, families, cross border organisations and local authorities.
He takes equal enjoyment working with corporate entities as with closely held family businesses, first home buyers and first time business owners. Tom views his relationship with clients as being transformational rather than simply transactional.
Tom brings tremendous energy, experience and enthusiasm to his
work and to the firm. Clients value his pragmatic and direct approach, his sound and strategic advice, and his willingness to tackle difficult issues.
Tom also takes a keen interest in governance both as a trustee for a number of private trusts as well as his current role as Chair of Sport Bay of Plenty.
Outside of work he enjoys downtime with his wife Sara and their growing family.
Rebecca specialises in family dispute resolution work. Her focus is primarily on complex relationship property, trust and family protection matters and litigation arising out of broken relationships, whether in life or death.
After graduating, Rebecca worked as a Judges’ Clerk at the Auckland High Court before joining the Office of the Crown Solicitor in Auckland in 2010. There she gained a significant amount of litigation experience through the prosecution of criminal jury trials and regulatory and disciplinary proceedings.
In addition, she acted for a number of government departments and Crown entities in respect of various civil litigation matters. She has appeared in the Court of Appeal,
High Court, District Court, Youth Court, Family Court, Environment Court, New Zealand Parole Board, Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal and the Immigration and Protection Tribunal.
In 2012, she travelled to the United Kingdom as a Pegasus Scholar and was awarded the New Zealand Law Society, Young Lawyer of the Year award. Rebecca also took study leave in 2013 to complete a Masters of Law at the University of Cambridge. Rebecca achieved a first class result and was awarded a number of scholarships recognising her achievements.
Rebecca joined Mackenzie Elvin Law in July 2018 and she became a Partner of the firm in 2021.
Her incisive approach, intellectual
rigor and experience in managing cases, ensures that clients are getting top quality legal advice and representation. She is both a highly capable Court lawyer and a person who understands the realities of relationships and their complexities.
Rebecca has also been appointed by the Family Court as Counsel for Subject Person in respect of proceedings under the Protection of Property and Personal Rights Act 1988, and is also a Board Member of Good Neighbour and lawyer member of the Waikato Bay of Plenty Standards Committee.
THOMAS REFOY-BUTLER
PARTNER, MACKENZIE ELVIN LAW
LLB/BA (HONS), UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO
Thomas started his legal career in Auckland in a specialist litigation practice and subsequently worked for two national law firms before relocating with his family to Tauranga at the beginning of 2019. Thomas became a Partner of Mackenzie Elvin Law in 2021.
Thomas is an experienced litigator providing strategic advice and representation to clients in relation to commercial disputes and regulatory litigation.
He has particular experience in contractual disputes, construction, employment, insolvency, insurance, professional disciplinary proceedings, interim relief (injunctions and freezing orders) and regulatory litigation and investigations.
He has experience as sole and junior counsel acting for private and corporate clients, including Crown entities in both civil and criminal proceedings in the District Court, High Court and Court of Appeal. He has also appeared in the specialist jurisdictions of the Family Court and Employment Court.
Thomas regularly instructs barristers providing litigation support, management and appearing as counsel as required.
Thomas is passionate about finding pragmatic and constructive pathways through complex disputes.
While some disputes cannot be reached without the Court’s intervention, Thomas sees a huge
benefit for his clients in Alternative Dispute Resolution platforms, such as mediation and arbitration.
Thomas is an Associate Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and Board Member for Athletics Waikato Bay of Plenty and the Omanu Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.
A REAL-WORLD APPROACH FOR THE TAURANGA REGION SAM UFFINDELL
Sam Uffindell is the new Member of Parliament for Tauranga. He comes into the role determined to improve Tauranga and New Zealand.
Sam spent the by election campaign relentlessly focused on the issues that matter to people here: improving roads and infrastructure, tackling crime and gangs and easing the cost-of-living crisis.
Prior to becoming the MP, Sam was Head of Financial Economic Crime at Rabobank. This follows on from twelve years working in large international and investment banks across Sydney and Singapore. He is also the owner and director of an agri-business, New Zealand Humates, who manufacture high quality organic soil fertiliser for use on kiwifruit orchards.
One of Sam’s real strengths is that he’s not a career parliamentarian or bureaucrat. He’s had a career out there in the ‘real world’, leading teams, improving functions and directing a business. He understands that a key aspect to getting results is to determine the strategic direction, consult with key stakeholders, establish buy in, and then
enable those best positioned to achieve the desired outcomes.
If he brings this successful, real-world approach to being the MP for Tauranga then there is every chance he will deliver on his aspirations for our region.
Also of interest, Sam has repeatedly spoken of turning Tauranga into New Zealand’s tech capital, leveraging off all the advantages our region has with agritech and horticultural tech and the expanding University of Waikato campus in town.
He’s already talking with local tech companies and those in the SaaS, Web 3 and start-up space to explore what we can do to unlock tech growth in New Zealand, with Tauranga at the heart of it.
Outside of being an MP, Sam enjoys reading, surfing, watching sport and spending time with his wife and their three children.
DANIELLE ADNITT
“BROAD EXPERIENCE BRINGS VALUE…”
Over the past four years, luxury specialist agency Oliver Road has enjoyed a strong growth trajectory and the last 18 months wouldn’t have been possible without Danielle Adnitt.
Exploring a range of roles within both public and private sector business environments over her younger adult years has proven to Danielle that building a wide knowledge base and skillset has very real value – value she is currently bringing to Oliver Road and its clients.
The public is exposed (or perhaps, over-exposed) to constant “new listing” and “now sold” type marketing from the real estate industry. Yet, especially at the top end of the market, so much goes into these transactions. From the first client meeting through to a sale and settlement, no fewer than five Acts of Parliament produce a raft of constantly evolving legislative requirements and considerations.
Danielle’s tenure at Cooney Lees Morgan has proven immensely valuable in navigating this. Her Regulatory Support Officer position at Western Bay of Plenty District Council supports Oliver Road’s
comprehensive approach to premarket discovery/investigation of each property listed. An international career in the travel industry took her all over the world, providing endless opportunities to develop a skill of time-sensitive, client-focused problem solving –something required almost daily within the fast-paced real estate environment.
Almost all industries are experiencing the tsunami of change that technology of all descriptions is bringing, and real estate is no exception. With this brings risk both in overcomplicating the simple stuff, and under-utilising technologies that can produce huge value to a business and its clients.
Danielle’s wide exposure to different organisations and industries, each employing countless interconnected accounting, auditing, database, document, HR, marketing, operations, and automation
systems, has helped Oliver Road mitigate these risks and strike the right balance. Her choice and refinement of appropriate platforms, coupled with an ability to become very quickly proficient in them, is freeing up more of the Directors’ time to focus on what ultimately matters to its clients –selling their unique, high value homes.
If Danielle could give one piece of advice to her younger self it would be “to get excited about who you might become – while enjoying the current season and all of the experiences that contribute to the journey.”
Danielle is a mum, a daughter, a wife, a friend and fortunately for Oliver Road, a highly driven Business Manager making a difference.
SUPPORTING YOU THROUGH EVERY STEP OF THE REAL ESTATE JOURNEY
Matching the right person to the right property is something that continues to excite Brooke Robertson even after almost ten years in the industry.
After working in a PA role for a high-performing agent in Pukekohe at Barfoot & Thompson for four years, Brooke was motivated to become licensed herself and started working with buyers. This led to a partnership role selling real estate when she moved to Tauranga two years ago for a change of lifestyle. “Real estate ticks so many of my boxes. I’m passionate about architecture and love the fact that I can meet and help so many people to achieve their property dreams.”
Choosing to buy, sell or invest in
real estate will likely be one of the most important financial decisions most people will ever make.
Brooke considers it a privilege to be able to guide her clients through every step of the journey. “There’s no doubt, the process can often be an emotional rollercoaster, but together with Tim Short, we make the experience as fun, stress-free, and exciting as possible. We negotiate at the highest level and look after all the complex parts of the sale, so our clients don’t need to.”
While the awards and recognition are always nice, her real motivation comes from the joy of being able to help people daily. Together with Tim, the pair have a lot of fun and are, in many ways, the yin to each other’s yang.
In her downtime, you’ll likely find Brooke whipping up a delicious meal; she’s a passionate foodie!
Alternatively, she’s sure to be out and about enjoying some of Papamoa’s incredible scenery or spending time with friends, family, and her dog Fred and horse, Scooter.
* No.1 Property Brokers Residential Salesperson – Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Northland
* No.2 Property Brokers Marketing Salesperson – New Zealand
* No.18 Property Brokers Residential Salesperson – New Zealand
CHRISTY ARUNDEL
MAKING WAVES IN THE COMMERCIAL
REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
With six years of experience in the legal industry for a prominent local law firm and over four years of specialist Commercial and Industrial Real Estate industry experience throughout the Bay of Plenty region, Christy delivers her clients a powerful, focused service far exceeding their expectations.
“The personal fulfilment that comes with helping people to achieve their property goals is second to none.”
Having grown up in Tauranga, Christy is well connected throughout the business community.
She is renowned for her high standard of communication and professional, dedicated and solutions-focused approach to all
aspects of each transaction.
“I’m proud to be part of the Property Brokers Commercial Tauranga team.
“Tauranga City is a significant growth corridor for the Industrial and Commercial sector in New Zealand’s North Island.
“Our extensive infrastructure, associated networks, marketing, and network reach, means our clients receive the exceptional service they deserve.”
Outside of her passion for real estate, Christy enjoys the Bay of Plenty lifestyle and can often be tracked down on a golf course or climbing the beautiful Mount Maunganui.
TIM SHORT
THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAIL
Afirst to arrive and last to leave approach has been an attitude Tim has taken all his life. With a shared ambition and fortunate enough to work for brother Simon Short – Property Brokers’ Regional Manager Bay of Plenty and South Waikato for the past five years, Tim’s passion for the industry has grown out of a desire to help his clients transition in the most seamless and enjoyable way possible.
Tim’s background in architecture, teamed with his attention to detail, provides his clients peace of mind.
“I pride myself on being exceptionally thorough throughout the process, from strategising and implementing the right campaign to communication and customer service or detailing the suitable conditional clauses to ensure
both parties have been aptly represented.”
The Bay of Plenty’s combination of climate, horticulture, and its proximity to both Hamilton and Auckland, has made it a melting pot of business and lifestyle seekers alike.
Like many, Tim enjoys taking advantage of the many activities on his doorstep. Whether he’s up the Papamoa Hills, mountain biking in the Redwoods, or exploring the many lakes close by, enjoying these luxuries, is what fuels his work. “Work harder when it matters so you can enjoy more of what is on offer.”
With more than 50% of the homes sold by Tim and Brooke in the past two years going to those relocating to the area, creating the right lifestyle for those seeking it out,
has never been more important. The city is building a vibrancy that will cement Tauranga as one of the most popular places to live in New Zealand.
“We take our business very seriously and have exceptional systems that have streamlined our service offering to our clientele. Our ability to negotiate to the highest level across all price points has been reflected in us being an agent of choice to many within the BOP market,” says Short.
* No.1 Property Brokers
Residential Salesperson – Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Northland
* No.2 Property Brokers
Marketing Salesperson – New Zealand
* No.18 Property Brokers
Residential Salesperson – New Zealand
SAM NEWBURY
SENIOR INVESTMENT MANAGER, QUAYSIDE
With his love of the ocean, it might have been inevitable that Sam Newbury ended up in the Bay of Plenty after leaving Australian shores, spending the last four years bringing his wealth of skills and knowledge to Quayside, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s investment arm.
Quayside delivers sustainable, intergenerational returns to the Council to provide greater prosperity for the region. In the last year, we decreased general rates by approximately $350 per property.
Through our experienced Investment team, of which Sam is a senior member, Quayside manages a wide range of assets and investments (directly or indirectly) aimed at providing impactful outcomes for the community we live in.
Sam has used his experiences across a wide range of industries to hone his craft as our Senior Investment Manager, driving investment in multiple areas including several real estate projects in both Tauranga and Rotorua, and multiple private equity investments across New Zealand. Sam also holds some important
governance positions for local businesses, including Good Buzz, Aqua Curo and Huakiwi.
Sam possesses a keen ability to provide commercial returns for Quayside, and therefore the wider community, meshing his experience in finance, construction, and regional business development with a strong push on innovation.
Aqua Curo is one of Sam’s most important long-term projects, with the pilot trial in the Bay of Plenty yielding positive results.
The name, “Aqua Curo” means managing/caring for water. Using world-first technology, Aqua Curo has partnered with the University of Waikato and Western Bay of Plenty District Council to develop the largest alternative water treatment facility in the southern hemisphere, demonstrating the ability to harness bioremediation to eliminate
pollutants from Aotearoa’s waterways, leaving the water both cleaner and safer.
Our macroalgae removes pollutants resulting in cleaner water as well as an algae-based by-product that could create enormous future employment opportunities.
Sam has been instrumental in bringing this idea to life in our region, commenting “the opportunity to disrupt the current model and evolve conventional thinking regarding water treatment is huge.
Doing this whilst providing a positive impact on the environment and simultaneously creating value for shareholders and wider stakeholders is a driving force for me – the best of both worlds”.
Sam’s ability to influence positive outcomes, coupled with a strong
sense of community, love of nature and outside-the-box thinking, makes him a cornerstone of Quayside and our future.
Our best stories are ahead of us.
Invested in our future Mauri Ora Roa Phone 07 579 5925 quaysideholdings.co.nz
JOSHUA MORRIS
ACTIVITIES MANAGER, SKYLINE ROTORUA
Josh started with Skyline Rotorua as a ‘mature age’ Luge Operator after moving from Australia in 2017. His love for mountain biking (sparked whilst living in Canada) meant that a career with Skyline was something he considered his ‘in’ to the industry.
After some time and shuffling of many positions within the company, he became a member of the Senior Leadership team.
His passion for helping people soon piqued his interest in emergency services and so he began to pursue the idea of working for St John, giving up his time on training courses and doing volunteer ambulance shifts.
He gained more experience and qualifications and finally in 2022 completed his Diploma in
Ambulance Services and became a qualified Emergency Medical Technician with St John.
With mountain biking as a passion when Crankworx came around he put his hand up to be involved in anyway he could and so was given the role of Site Manager for the event, overseeing movements on the site representing Skyline.
However, there was synergy between what he did and the festivals operations team, Josh soon became a critical part of that team as well, seeing the event through to success in the festival and its inaugural Summer Series.
After five years, almost to the day, Joshua was promoted into a new role as the Activities Manager for Skyline Rotorua overseeing and managing between 50-100 staff between a variety of activities from
the Classic Luge to the Zipline, Mountain Bike Park, Gondola and customer service staff.
All of Joshua’s work and experience shows his unique ability to turn interests and passions into a successful career.
His ability to work with people of all ages and his own motivation to succeed coupled with his sense of humour, work ethic and care have all been contributing factors that have guided him to success.
KINGSTON JONES
GIVING BACK TO HIS PEOPLE
While living in Australia for 26 years Kingston Jones has been observing the impact of mental health and various disabilities on our rangatahi (young people) in Aotearoa.
It has ignited in him a passion to make a difference in the lives of our tamariki and prompted his return to Aotearoa with his whanau.
He sees rangatahi as Aotearoa’s most precious taonga (treasure).
Kingston is a valued member of the Te Ratonga Poumanaaki (TRP) team – we cannot envisage our organisation without him.
Having only recently joined
the team, Kingston’s journey has led him to an environment where many rangatahi are navigating a neurotypical world that does not make sense to them; Many with challenging behaviors are struggling to understand themselves and the world of adulthood.
This is where Kingston, as an emerging Youth Kaimahi Tautoko (support worker) and mentor, wants to give back to his people and embrace his Tikanga to nurture and guide wayward rangatahi.
The strategies he applies align with his ‘Why’, a motto he carries close to his heart, ‘Help the boy to shape the man.’
His core principles are to encourage youth to use their voice and to speak, embrace and explore their culture, to empower their self-worth, to learn from their mistakes and to always be kind.
When asked what compelled him to respond to TRP’s job advertisement on seek.co.nz, he
said, “Everything just fitted: the location and the job description.
“It presented itself as an opportunity to be part of something that was going to make a difference in the lives of our rangatahi.
“Working with tamariki with neurodiverse challenges has broadened my understanding of how some brain-based impairments affect their everyday lives.
“It is a privilege to be working with such amazing, strong and talented youth,” he said.
poumanaaki.co.nz
Sign up now to pay your regional council rates by direct debit!
This year, for the first time since the Regional Council was formed in 1989, we will be collecting our own rates. Until now, we’ve contracted this out to the region’s city and district councils to do this on our behalf.
But this year, in lateAugust/early September, if you’re a ratepayer you’ll receive a separate invoice from us.
Do you want to spread the cost of your rates across the year?
You can now set up a direct debit so that you can pay your rates the secure and easy way!
Direct debit means you can pay your rates invoice in regular instalments (weekly, fortnightly, monthly or annually), spread over the rates year. This is handy for budgeting and means you don’t have to worry about remembering to make a payment.
It also means that you won’t get charged a penalty on any amount that is still owing after the due date for the current rates year.
A key benefit is it means that you won’t get charged a penalty on any amount that is still owing after the due date for the current rates year
Once you sign up, we’ll take the agreed regular payments from your bank account. If the payment amount changes, we’ll always let you know before taking the funds from your account.
You can cancel the direct debit at any time by contacting us.
Note:
You will continue to receive a rates invoice from your city or district council for their rates – if you are already paying their rates by direct debit and wish to continue to, please do not cancel any existing direct debit arrangements you have with them.
Learn more and sign up today at www.boprc.govt.nz/rates
Organise your wishes in September
Thanks to the more than 400 Acorn donors from all over the Western Bay of Plenty, over $10M had been distributed to the local community between 2003 and 2021. If you haven’t yet considered the legacy you’d like to leave locally, Wills Month in September is the ideal time to organise your wishes.
Gifts through Acorn go further and last forever since the capital is invested by Craigs Investment Partners, with a percentage of the investment returns distributed annually.
More than 270 charitable organisations have been supported to date, chosen by donors who seek out groups that work in areas closest to their hearts or that help those in the greatest need.
During Wills Month, Acorn Foundation has partnered with local solicitors to allow clients to change an existing will to include a gift to Acorn at no charge. Other will changes are charged at the solicitor’s normal rate.
Local law firms have supported Acorn’s efforts for years. In 2022, participating law firms include: Abernethy Broatch Law, Anderson Law Office, Beach Law Papamoa, Burley Castle Hawkins Lawyers, Cooney Lees Morgan, Fenton McFadden, Harris Tate Lawyers, Holland Beckett Law, Kaimai Law – Bethlehem, Kaimai Law –Katikati, Keam Standen Lawyers, Mackenzie Elvin Law, Rejthar Stuart Law, Sharp Tudhope Lawyers.
The Acorn Foundation has experienced signif-
12 Mitch Lowe (Audiology), Carwyn Williams (Audiology). 13 Rose Treadwell (Creative Bay of Plenty). 14 Nikki
Arts
icant growth in recent years as more and more people in the region appreciate the long-term impact of their gifts.
CEO Lori Luke says the future looks very bright for Acorn’s support for the wellbeing of the region.
“The fund is approaching $60M now and will distribute nearly $3.0M to the community. As the fund grows in the future, so will Acorn’s ability to support organisations doing such fantastic work in the WBOP.”
For more information go to www.acornfoundation.org.nz
Supporting our community is easy with Acorn. We know the local charities transforming lives. Some are well known names, others are not. But they all have a positive impact on our region.
We’ll help you identify charities working in areas
Tasha Meys (Tastefully Tash).7 Gabrielle Vincent (Tauranga Arts Festival). 8 Jo Tricker (Jo Tricker Glass). 9 Harry Oram (Apex Academy), Louis Bolton (filmmaker). 10 Julie Paama-Pengelly (Te Tuhi Mareikura Trust), Sonya Korohina (Supercut Projects). 11 Nicola Welten (artist).
Hansen (Tauranga
Festival), Stephen Cleland (Tauranga Art Gallery)
What is in a title?
When the CFO became the COO (a ‘promotion’ according to HR), the CEO said there would be a public statement coming from the MD. She suggested it would be an EDM piece.
We all knew it would probably come from the desk of her PA who is more like her 2IC … the OG.
I always thought COO and CFO were, although distinct roles, quite similar in respect of seniority. Certainly not exclusively the domain of those with MBAs, but both requiring a high level of spe-
WARNING! ACRONYMS AHEAD !
cific competence and above average IQ.
So, was the promotion of the CFO to COO ‘actually’ a promotion? Who really knows?
Although an EDM piece explaining the change even-
tually did come, it was essentially PR. Considering we were just about to make an announcement on Q3 estimates, I was somewhat surprised.
Admittedly, we’re not public-facing like, say, IRD or ANZ –we’re effectively just a large SME – but we do still generally communicate important announcements formally in the press, not solely as IT driven DMs from the CTO.
There were of course other significant highlights to be spun: The recent relocation of our HQ from the CBD has resulted in improved B2B
HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED?
> BY ALAN NEBEN
Alan Neben is a Mount Maunganui local and experienced New Zealand publisher. He believes we may all be suffering from Acronym Overuse Syndrome (AOS).
communications, largely from better 5G (though the new ISP may be the actual reason), we certainly have reason to celebrate. All of us, not just the Gen Zs directing our socials: FB, IG, et al.
The board is intent on our protecting our IP, so they’ve called on HR and IT to formulate a plan, really just an interdepartmental MOU of sorts focused on R&D – ultimately, they are of course almost solely focused on EBITDA, despite their denials to the con-
trary – it’s in their DNA.
I recently floated the idea of us initiating an organisational SWOT sweep – I ran it up the flagpole, looking to get granular with a paradigm shift to break down the silos and, going forward, pushing the envelope outside the box – almost a DIY consultancy project without paying consultants – but my sense is this has been dismissed as TFH.
You be the judge, but I think we need to step up to the plate and put a pin in it – its
actionable and I just wanted us to grab that low hanging fruit.
In my opinion the senior management have recently been MIA – ironically, they have blamed Covid for their being AWOL.
BTW, this is my last week –roll-on COB Friday! I’d have a lot more to say on the subject if I hadn’t signed an NDA. I’m going to miss the corporate alphabet soup – it’s just BS (business syntax), but I love it … NOT (no one tell). BFN
Possible slowdown in employment market
Heading into the second half of the year we are still experiencing a difficult candidate market.
The first half of the year really has highlighted ever increasing labour shortages – there is definitely a shortage of NZ candidates, and although we are receiving a huge increase in international applicants, there is not a lot we can do with them right now. This has caused challenges, but also allowed us to do what we do best and that is finding the right candidates that not only can do the job but can also add value and fit the team. With the borders about to open as we write, this will hopefully help with some of the skills shortages we have been seeing, but we recommend you read up on becoming an accredited workplace if you’re planning on hiring internationals.
It is possible that we are starting to see a slowdown in the employment market with reports showing job boards are starting to see a decrease in advertised vacancies. Reports are also showing flexible opportunities have
HUMAN RESOURCES
> BY KELLIE HAMLETT
Talent ID are Recruitment Specialists and can support you through your recruitment process. Please feel free to talk to us about this by calling 07 349 1081 or emailing kellie@talentid.co.nz
marketing, the figures are still significantly higher than a year and even two years ago.
Therefore, a slight slowing of the market isn’t a real cause for concern right now.
decreased more than permanent opportunities.
The context around this, which of course needs to be taken into account, being that for a period of time now we have seen record highs, so even with a softening of the
As the country starts to really struggle with rising inflation, interest rates and cost of living we are seeing employers respond to business and economic conditions with caution. Whilst there is still some optimism in the market, for both employers and employees, the demand in the recruitment sector is largely being driven by the public sector.
Reports indicate that those in junior to mid-level roles are now not as likely to look at new roles, possibly choosing stabil-
ity of their current employment situation ahead of a potentially unstable economic conditions.
It also seems that smaller employers are opting out of the wage race, which for now, still seems to be forging ahead.
Prior to Covid, NZ had approximately 90,000 people coming into the country; Over the past year there has been a net outflow of more than 7,000. It’s easy to see why the labour market has tightened significantly.
These supply and demand issues, along with cost of living increases means that candidates are looking for better pay and working benefits – which has led to a high market turnover and the steep increase in wages we are currently
experiencing.
There is a demand for staff across every sector at present. Those that we are seeing the highest increases in wages over the past two years include manufacturing, transport and logistics.
Advertised salaries for production workers have increased on average 33%.
Another sector with high salary growth is the retail and consumer products sector with some roles experiencing increases of up to 30%.
So for now, it certainly is still a candidate’s market. We may see some relief when the borders open, however I suspect that this will take some time to have any real effect on employment figures.
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