Commerce Comment — Spring 2023

Tech Resilience

What would your business do if the lights went out?

Unsung Heroes

From our hour of need: one year on from the 2022 floods

Blue Economy Meets Green

The seaweed research that's changing the farming game

of Local Science

Chamber Board:

President: Venus Guy

Vice President: Manoli Aerakis

Board Members: Chris McGeown, Peter Pattullo, Sharon McGuire, Louise Walsh, Alfredo Puche, and Richard Butler.

Publication Design: Tizza Design

Cover Image: By Bare Kiwi, courtesy of Nelson Regional Development Agency.

From the CEO

inever cease to be amazed by how quickly the business award milestones roll around.

The two most exciting weeks are the ones where we know who has entered and of course, the week we know who has won. Needless to say, this is one of those weeks!

I’m pleased to say we have received 27 category entries from around the region; a heartwarming response and a reflection I suspect, of plenty of local organisations moving in the right direction despite current challenges.

As a judge, we always have organisations in the mix that we know little or nothing

about, and even the more familiar names inevitably reveal some previously unknown nuggets that enlighten and/or impress us.

We’ll be profiling them all in more detail in the summer issue of Commerce Comment and over the following months, so I’d encourage you to find out more about these local businesses.

What is their formula for success? It may be hard to glean without reading their submissions (and sorry, you won’t!) but you already know it is oftentimes an enigmatic combination of moving parts. The right product, the right team, the right location, the right branding,

belief, time and place. But whatever the combination, their success is our success or as we like to chant in the office on regular occasions, strong business, strong community, strong region.

By the time the next Commerce Comment is out, the general election will be behind us. As an organisation, we remain politically impartial and will continue to advocate for our members regardless of how it all shakes down, postelection day. I always love being able to cast my vote. The novelty never wears off I find, even 130 years since women were first able to vote in New Zealand. It’s a right that we all share, I encourage you not to waste it!

Ngā mihi, AliBoswijk Chief Executive Chamber of Commerce

Spring has sprung — and so has this year's business award entries, with over 20 businesses to celebrate.

“I always love being able to cast my vote. It's a right we all share, I encourage you not to waste it!”

Image: Last year’s Hall of Fame recipients checking out the award. Left to right: Hermann & Agnes Seifried, Judy & Tim Finn.

The annual Nelson Pine Industries Chamber of Commerce Business Awards recognise innovation and creativity in the business sector. This year, 27 entries have been submitted in the seven award categories: Start Up, Small, Medium, Large, Community Impact, Environmental and Innovative Business.

Apex Accounting

There is a saying “Anything that costs your peace, is too expensive”. This was the inspiration for Apex, an accounting business that wanted to give back peace of mind to small business owners and investors by taking care of their accounts.

Digitella Marketing

The Digitella team are genuine people who love to yarn about digital marketing. They specialise in creating bespoke digital solutions for businesses looking to level up their online activity, and identifying the best channel mix and strategy for clients’ business goals.

Keetrax

Keetrax partners with businesses to help them get more sales online. They’ve partnered with 366+ ecommerce businesses on their journey, acquiring an audience where clients can create a bond and talk about stuff that interests them.

Boost Your Learning

A tuition service that offers oneon-one bespoke lessons to students across Aotearoa. The tutors work with whānau and teachers to support students to succeed in education and experience increased confidence in all aspects of their lives.

Esolar provide cutting-edge solar energy solutions for residential, commercial, and community projects. They have a deep commitment to sustainability and offer tailored systems that reduce carbon emissions and deliver substantial energy savings.

Dancing Sands Distillery

The distillery team at Dancing Sands distils, bottles, labels, and packs every single bottle of Dancing Sands’s spirits by hand. Sent around the world from the heart of Tākaka, their gins are also found in over 500 retail outlets within New Zealand and in eight overseas markets.

Hybrid Bikes

Hybrid Bikes is a carbon fibre e-bike design and innovation company. Their focus lies in providing a unique offering that encompasses lightweight construction, customisable design options, extended battery range capacity and maximum comfort.

Kimer Med

Viruses are a difficult target for drug development, with built-in defences and the ability to mutate. Kimer Med has a goal to develop treatments for multiple, acute viral illnesses and are refining a process that provides the capability to rapidly customise different antiviral formulations.

Golden Bay Solar Farm

A family owned and operated dairy farm in Golden Bay, the Hills have expanded into forestry, property, and carbon farming and recently constructed a solar farm that generates enough energy to power 310 homes.

Esolar

Harvest Ktichen

From conferences to intimate family gatherings, award dinners and weddings, Harvest Kitchen is an all-inclusive venue based in Seifried Estate, Appleby. They have two spacious function rooms accommodating 20 to 300 people for stand-up functions, banquets, theatre-style events.

NZAW Ltd.

NZAW Ltd is pushing the boundaries of sustainability in the beverage sector. Recognised as a frontrunner in premium artesian natural alkaline water production, the company is pioneering eco-friendly practices.

School Strike 4 Climate

School Strike 4 Climate Whakatū is a student-founded movement, created to address the pressing challenges of climate change. The movement, fuelled by the passion of youth, underscores the collective responsibility to protect the beauty of Nelson Tasman.

Milestone Homes Nelson Bays

A residential new home builder, Milestone Homes has developed a reputation for building quality homes and are committed to ensuring they benefit the wider community through growth, job creation and sponsorship.

MoveGoodNow

For over ten years MoveGoodNow has operated a private gym called the Moutere Shed that endeavours to create a safe and inclusive space for group participants. Classes are intentionally centred on attracting those who don’t feel connected to the traditional group fitness model.

OneFortyOne

This trans-Tasman forestry company manages 80,000 hectares of land including pine plantation and conservation areas. Making a positive difference is a strategic priority for the company, guiding their work and bringing sustainability and community to the forefront.

Pete's Natural Sodas

From timeless classics to mind-bending blends, Pete’s soda range promises a symphony of fruity delights. But here's a juicy secret: rather than resorting to juice concentrates, they rescue surplus fruit on the verge of wastage, transforming them into award-winning sodas in their solar powered facility.

Smart Business Centre

The team at Smart Business Centre understand people, businesses and situations are unique, and provide personalised support to their clients with this in mind. As well as accounting solutions, they provide business advice and mentoring, and offer training on Xero and Payroll at their specialised training hub.

Tim's Gardens

Tim Morozgalski’s aim is to help clients get control of their garden, understand their impacts on the natural environment and make the most from their spaces. He understands the health benefits gained from well-designed gardens and unlike many gardening and landscaping companies, Tim’s Garden chooses to use organic principles with success.

TBI Health

Their vision is to lead the way in the rehabilitation industry, helping people with injury and illness to reach their full potential and lead happier and healthier lives. They are passionate about improving access to services and reducing health disparity in the region.

The Barden Party

When lockdowns crippled the performing arts sector, Director Laura Irish had an idea. What if we put on a Shakesperean show in our backyard? A successful season generated many encore performances and now The Barden Party is looking to build a boutique immersive entertainment company.

Transform Your Life Within

Greg Jones is a Certified Creation Coach who works with the superconscious to re-wire the brain in order to remove negative thoughts, fears and past trauma. He guides his clients to remove their self-sabotaging beliefs, and into a life with better health and wellbeing.

The Food Factory

The Food Factory aims to educate, inspire, and increase the confidence of those who desire to start their own food businesses, as well as strengthening communities by providing a hub where charitable groups connect, learn new skills related to food preparation and develop cross cultural diversity through cuisine.

The Cooper Group

This real estate agency has built a brand that understands the power behind collaboration, and through honest, transparent communication and unfailing values, has become a regarded referral business. It is their ethos to always do more and be better.

Under the Hood

The company has been forged out of a passion for low and slow barbecue cooking. Their in-person BBQ Masterclasses have taught over 1200 people and the request to bottle up their barbecue goodness has led to the development of five BBQ seasonings, Under the Hood Original Sauce and vac packed meats and sides.

Image: Rossella Nicola, Aquaculture tutor, has always been fascinated with algae

Seaweed research at NMIT Te Pūkenga may help to improve sustainable farming practices in the future.

It is just one of the research avenues available to anyone looking for a career in the thriving aquaculture industry, where study can be completed online in as little as 12 hours a week.

The Level 3 Sustainable Aquaculture programme is an introductory qualification that familiarises students with the key aspects of the aquaculture industry. The blended learning model offers hands-on experience in purpose-built labs, field trips out on the water and opportunities to spend time on-site with industry experts.

These experiences are compressed into workshops that allow ākonga to easily fit study around life, and they can continue study online in their own time, allowing them to reel in the future they want.

If ākonga are as hooked as we are on the idea of sustainable practices leading the way in our future, aquaculture is a unique approach that offers promising opportunities.

Rossella Nicola, aquaculture tutor at NMIT and Senior Aquaculture Technician at Cawthron Institute

can hardly contain her excitement for her students and the directions they are taking their research.

“Seaweeds are the future,” she says, “there are so many opportunities and now is definitely a great time to get involved.”

One such seaweed is Asparagopsis. It creates the compound bromoform that can reduce the amount of methane a cow produces.

“People want to cultivate this seaweed and introduce it dry into cattle feed,” Rossella says.

Regional employability is tremendous in this sector, with the NMIT aquaculture hub boasting one of the highest employability rates across campus.

As Te Tauihu is a major hub for aquaculture research and production, there is an ocean of opportunities available.

The online study option for the Level 3 Sustainable Aquaculture programme is open for registration now and begins 9 October. See nmit.ac.nz for more details.

See nmit.ac.nz/aquaculture for more information, or book a free 15 – 30 minute career chat nmit.ac.nz/ career-chat

Airport customer satisfaction grows

Earlier this year Nelson Airport carried out its annual customer satisfaction survey. This is an important opportunity for us to seek feedback from customers, visitors, and the community on what we do well, and where we need to improve.

In 2022, as travellers started slowly and cautiously returning through our doors, we set ourselves a goal of improving our customer satisfaction rating from “Good” in early 2022 to “Excellent” in 2023. The rating is derived from a Net Promoter Score (NPS), a global benchmark of customer loyalty and satisfaction.

The results are in, and I’m thrilled to say we achieved the “Excellent” customer rating we were seeking this year. Our NPS score increased by four points, and satisfaction was up across a wide range of our airport facilities, including airline check-in, airport wifi, overall airport ambience and carparking.

Kudos is due to the entire airport team, particularly our customer service officers who provide outstanding service every day. That extends to our partner airlines, such as Air New Zealand, Originair and Sounds Air, as well as our terminal food, beverage, and retail outlets. We’re very grateful to be part of a hard-working team

that values and focuses on improving the customer experience. Some of the key insights from the survey were:

• Travel is dominated by in-bound visitors, with 67% of passengers travelling into Nelson from other areas

• Overseas travel is recovering from Covid, with those travelling to overseas connections doubling since the 2022 survey

• Travel confidence is high, with 78% of people planning another trip within six months

• Satisfaction increased in seven out of nine airport facilities

About 1500 people undertook the survey, with roughly equal numbers of passengers and community members participating. We received a huge amount of valuable feedback to help us drive future improvements.

We’ll be looking into improvements in seating variety and comfort, wayfinding and signage and the terminal experience. There were multiple requests for a bus service – and with the launch of the Nelson-Tasman eBus in August it’s great our customers now have this option available.

Some of the respondents to our survey were confused about why we care if they would recommend us – after all, there’s only one Nelson Airport so it’s not like they could choose a competitor even if they wished to. The answer to that is layered. The airport is a major gateway to our region. Our performance reflects on our region and is one of the first impressions visitors will have of their trip here. We’re proud to be an enabler of our region’s sustainability and prosperity and we want that to shine through in everything we do. And we take our role seriously. It’s not good enough for us to say that because we are the only choice for many regional flights that we can sit back and take our customers and community for granted. Our vision is to be a world-class airport where zero emissions aircraft operate and we are well and truly on that journey.

Our vision is a big challenge, but we’ll keep working towards it every day. And we need you to tell us if we’re getting it right or wrong. The survey is closed for this year but you can share feedback with us any time – just email feedback@ nelsonairport.co.nz.

Mark Thompson CEO Nelson Airport www.nelsonairport.co.nz

Asking employees to work extra hours A common fishhook for employers

It’s not uncommon for employers to need their staff to work extra hours from time to time. However, care should be taken so that directions to work additional hours are compliant with the Employment Relations Act (the “Act”), and recorded correctly in the employment agreement. In short, employers need to make sure that a correct “availability provision” is included in the employment agreement if the Act requires it in the circumstances.

You will recall that “zero hours contracts” were made illegal some time ago. These were agreements which required employees to be available for all work offered, without compensation for being available, and without any guaranteed hours of work. As an alternative to zero hours contracts availability provisions were introduced to allow some flexibility to request employees work additional hours, while also providing employees with increased protection.

Deciding on when an availability provision needs to be included in an employment agreement still manages to trip up employers. It’s important to understand when an availability provision is required, and if so, what the clause should contain.

reasons based on reasonable grounds for including the availability provision.

• An availability provision must set out:

a) what specific hours the employee is required to be available for work (in addition to the specified guaranteed hours of work); and

b) reasonable compensation for the hours that the employee must be available to accept work. Where the employee is on a salary it can be agreed in the employment agreement that the salary includes compensation (provided that this is reasonable in the circumstances).

• When considering reasonable compensation the employer should take into account the number of hours the employee needs to be available, the proportion of those hours in relation to the employees guaranteed hours of work, any restrictions on the employee during the hours they need to be available and the employees pay under the employment agreement.

team can prepare and review employment agreements and employment policies, as well as review your current employment practices as part of an employment health check-up for your business.

What sets us apart is that each of our employment lawyers are also immigration experts. This means that we can advise on all employment issues affecting your business, including issues connected to hiring migrant workers.

Talk to Us

If you would like advice on this topic or any other employment related issues, please contact our employment team today.

The key things to note are:

• An availability provision needs to be included in an employment agreement if an employer can offer work at their discretion and the employee is required to perform that work if requested.

• The employer must have genuine

• A deficient availability provision will not be enforceable, meaning that the employee will not be required to perform the additional hours of work.

• If an employment agreement allows the employee to turn down an offer of work in addition to their guaranteed hours of work, an availability provision is not required.

How Pitt & Moore can help

At Pitt & Moore Lawyers our employment

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is of a general nature and is not intended as legal advice. It is important that you seek legal advice that is specific to your circumstances.

Heather Collins Associate Pitt & Moore www.pittandmoore.co.nz

“It's important to understand when an availability provision is required.”

“The team at Nelmac deserve to be acknowledged for their dedication and commitment in the city’s hour of need."

Eddie Powick Utilities Operations Manager, Nelson City Council

Recognising the lessons from the 2021 floods, Nelmac Kūmānu took a preemptive stance by planning, allocating resources, and identifying potential issues ahead of the disaster. This proactive strategy aimed to minimise the anticipated damage and disruption. The company's in-house Crisis Management Team (CMT) played a pivotal role, collaborating closely with Nelson City Council, Civil Defence and other relevant entities.

Nelmac Kūmānu's experience in crisis management, supported by dedicated teams and technical expertise, enabled them to implement a coordinated flood response. The CMT effectively aligned Nelmac Kūmānu’s key business areas of Drainage, Wastewater, Treatment, Water Supply, Arboriculture, Parks and Reserves, and Electrical Services in response. The crisis response was supported with health and safety planning and delivery as well as traffic management, while additional work was facilitated by our Conservation, Landscape, and Projects Teams. The Contract Support Team was pivotal in the frontline triaging incoming phone-calls and service requests.

There were numerous sites across the city that Nelmac Kūmānu attended which stretched our resources. The stormwater drainage infrastructure was obviously under the greatest pressure, and we prioritised keeping it functioning as best we could. This meant identifying our critical intakes, culverts, and detention dams, and having our people onsite clearing floodwater and debris continuously while it rained. At some of these sites we literally moved mountains of mud, silt and debris to keep the water flowing.

It was a priority to keep the mains water supply running to households, which was a challenge as critical mains had been damaged in slips and there were pipe breaks in parts of the system as they were placed under great pressure.

With the intensity of surface flooding, the wastewater system was inundated and struggled to keep up with demand. Our wastewater crews kept the pump stations running, while also repairing

pipeline breaks at multiple locations, and they attended, resolved, cleaned and disinfected countless overflows. Our wastewater treatment plant operators were also challenged to cope with the deluge of water.

Our arboriculture team were called to numerous downed trees, often in dangerous locations affected by slips.

The health, safety and wellbeing of our people is paramount and the challenges of an ever-evolving working environment required extra vigilance. Plans were in place to manage fatigue, and teams were rostered round the clock. We communicated well with our people in the field, monitoring them for safety, and assigning tasks in pairs with designated drivers. When the weather made it possible, the teams were visited with food and hot drinks onsite.

Nelmac Kūmānu made the decision early in the response to engage with our subcontractors to assist with the workload. We had eight main subcontractors assisting us, with an additional eight to ten excavators attending different storm water intakes. Nelmac Kūmānu could not have provided the service we did without the much-valued support of our subcontractors. They responded to our call for support immediately and together

we managed to limit the flooding and protect the public, property and infrastructure assets as best as we could.

The subcontractors who we owe so much to include; Dwayne Whiting Contractors Ltd, Asphalt and Construction (A&C), Edridge Contracting, Ching Contracting, Kyle Whiting Drainlaying Ltd, Haskett Contracting, Mahana Earthworks Ltd, Punt Brothers Ltd and Tuffnell Plumbing.

The quality of the planning, permanent and temporary measures and repairs put in place for this event were exceptional and constantly being tested. Individual expertise and the combined knowledge and experience of 150 years in our core water team was very visible during this emergency and the clean-up aftermath, and we are proud of what we achieved. Our people went above and beyond the call of duty at this time of crisis. Our Nelmac Kūmānu values and our role as Kaitiaki (guardians) of our environment, really took on a new meaning at the time of this weather event.

Richard Lester Divisional Leader - Water Nelmac Kūmānu www.nelmac.co.nz

Helping your business succeed.

Many owners, managers, and team leaders require better skills and knowledge in certain areas to enable them to be effective, responsive and confident to lead the business into the future.

That’s where Regional Business Partner Network can help you identify and prioritise skill gaps and offer referrals to training or coaching programmes & providers.

Thank you so much for all the assistance provided. I am excited to start working my way through this action plan. I came away from our meeting buzzing, optimistic and excited for next steps.

The Green Collective

Capability

Development funding

may be provided to qualifying businesses after we have conducted an assessment. This funding allows you access to a partial subsidy of up to 50% on any approved training workshop, course and/or coaching offered by a training organisation (maximum $5000).

Tasman region forestry study important for the industry

Aseven-year forestry study looking at the impact of sediment in rivers from harvesting and earthworks has entered its fifth year.

The $2.7 million study is jointly funded by Ministry for Primary Industries through its Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures fund and OneFortyOne New Zealand Forests. The work is being done in two forested catchments located in OneFortyOne’s Donald Creek Forest near Tadmor in the Tasman district.

Jo Field, OneFortyOne’s Environment Manager, says the study is exploring the effectiveness of current best practice in sediment control as well as looking at opportunities to improve practice.

“The current phase of the study is measuring post-harvest sediment load changes and impacts using current best practice sediment control techniques, alongside freshwater monitoring data collected throughout the study.

“This year we reached a significant milestone for the project. We were able

to analyse and compare the data from a catchment that has been recently harvested with data from the control (unharvested) catchment.

“Interim results show that sediment loads are higher in the post-harvest catchment than in the control catchment. This is expected for the post-harvest area as there are extensive earthworks associated with roads and landings and it no longer has the tree canopy to reduce the impact of rain on the soils and stream, however the groundcover vegetation does develop rapidly.

“Despite the sediment loads being higher after harvesting, there has been no quantitative or anecdotal evidence to suggest any impact on water quality or habitat in the Tadmor River downstream.

“Later in the project, we will be seeking input from industry and relevant experts to see if we can design better sediment control options than is current best practice. This would then be tested in the currently unharvested catchment prior to it being harvested, and compared with the

existing methods.

"The data will help us understand the impacts of our business. It will help us learn what works well and where we might do better.

"This is a valuable opportunity to test the performance of current and new inforest sediment management techniques - and we are grateful to work alongside Cawthron Institute, Envirolink, Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research as well as the Ministry for Primary Industries.

“This is important work, which we'll be able to share widely with the forestry sector and other stakeholders,” says Jo.

For more information and to collaborate with OneFortyOne NZ, email Kylie Reeves, kylie.reeves@onefortyone.co.nz.

How a strong brand can boost your business on Google

Imagine you're craving takeaways, and you turn to Google for guidance. You could search using a generic word like "takeaways," but you're in the mood for a specific experience, so you type in "McDonalds."

This is a typical pattern we see in search results. People will often search for brand names they know before using generic search words. The internet allows even the smallest of businesses to compete globally. However, this newfound opportunity also brings fierce competition. To stand out in this vast digital marketplace, businesses must build strong brands that resonate with their target audience.

The Power of Strong Branding

Trust and Credibility: Strong brands are synonymous with trust and credibility. When consumers encounter a familiar and reputable brand, they are more likely to click on it in search results.

According to a study by BrightLocal 60% of consumers are more likely to contact a business when it appears in local search results with an optimised listing.

Loyalty and Repeat Business: A wellestablished brand fosters customer loyalty. Loyal customers return and become brand advocates, referring others to your business. This word-of-mouth marketing is priceless.

Improved Click-Through Rates: Google favours websites with high click-through

rates (CTR). Strong brands tend to have higher CTRs because users trust them more. According to a study by Advanced Web Ranking, branded keywords generate an 82.6% higher CTR than generic keywords.

The Statistics Speak Volumes

Brand vs. Generic Search: According to a report by Moz, brand searches make up approximately 8-10% of all Google searches. This means that many users actively search for specific brands rather than generic terms.

Higher Conversion Rates: Another study by BrightLocal reveals that branded searches have a 15% higher conversion rate than non-branded searches. This suggests that users searching for specific brands are likelier to purchase or engage with a business.

Local Business Impact: For smaller businesses, local search is crucial. Google reports that searches containing "near me" have increased by over 500% in recent years. When consumers search for local services, they often include the brand name, indicating that strong local brand recognition is pivotal for attracting nearby customers.

Suggestions for Strengthening Your Business Brand

Consistent Branding: : Ensure your brand's name, logo, and messaging are consistent across all online platforms. This uniformity reinforces brand recognition.

Content Marketing: Create engaging and relevant content showcasing your industry expertise. This can help establish your brand as an authority.

Social Media Presence: Be active on social media platforms that align with your target audience. Engage with your followers and use social media to reinforce your brand's voice and identity.

Online Reviews: Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on platforms like Google My Business. Positive reviews can boost your online reputation and trustworthiness.

Paid Advertising: Consider investing in paid advertising campaigns that target brand-related keywords. This can help capture users actively searching for your brand.

Businesses can strengthen their brand and enjoy increased visibility and success in the online marketplace by focusing on consistent branding, content marketing, social media presence, online reviews, and strategic advertising.

Tony Downing Owner and Director Downing Creative Marketing www.downing.nz

Local focus: Global Impact

Many Nelsonians will be familiar with Cawthron Institute and the person after whom our hundred-year-old organisation is named — Thomas Cawthron. However, people often tell me that although they know of Cawthron Institute, they're not entirely sure what it is we do. To answer that question, it helps to explain where we have come from.

Many Nelsonians will be familiar with Cawthron Institute and the person after whom our hundred-year-old organisation is named –Thomas Cawthron. However, people often tell me that although they know of Cawthron Institute, they’re not entirely sure what it is we do. To answer that question, it helps to explain where we have come from.

Thomas Cawthron was a successful merchant in Nelson at the turn of the 20th century and gifted much of his wealth to charitable causes upon his death in 1915. He bequeathed the equivalent of over $100 million dollars towards the establishment of a technical school, institute and museum - the most significant private donation in New Zealand’s history at the time - and he hoped these organisations would support a prosperous nation.

Cawthron Institute, which officially opened in 1921, has carried on that legacy over the past century, evolving to deliver research that meets the needs of our economy, environment and society. We used to carry out agricultural research that supported our forestry and food production sectors, but today our research is firmly centred in understanding and protecting marine and freshwater ecosystems.

We are now New Zealand’s largest independent research institute, and we work with researchers, industry, government and communities in New Zealand and around the world on solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing society today. We also deliver significant local impact in the Top of the South through our philanthropic programme, including the Cawthron Scitec Expo, summer scholarships, education workshops and public science talks.

Our team of nearly 300 scientists, laboratory technicians and support staff hold core expertise in the fields of Aquaculture, Blue Technology, Biosecurity, Food & Bioactives, Freshwater Ecology, Healthy Oceans, Microalgae and Social Sciences.

Our people are spread across four locations in Nelson which boast world-class facilities, including our National Algae Research Centre and Finfish Research Centre at Cawthron Aquaculture Park in Glenduan. The research conducted at these facilities includes work to explore the potential of microalgae and macroalgae (seaweed) for use in products like food and medicine, research into

shellfish and salmon that supports our aquaculture industries, and the development of marine farming and hatchery technologies.

Our main campus on Halifax Street houses two laboratories – one for research and another that provides trusted testing services to food and natural products customers in Aotearoa and the Pacific, helping them meet food safety and export requirements.

We have two other laboratories located in Stoke - a second algal research facility for microalgae production and a physical containment Level 2 aquatic research laboratory which supports biosecurity, aquatic animal health and environmental research on issues including aquatic pests and pathogens, invasive species, harmful algae, pollutants, and microplastics.

Cawthron Institute is both a nationally and globally significant research institute and a significant asset to Nelson. The research we do helps our environment, economy and society thrive. I hope the impact of our research leaves a long legacy, just as Thomas Cawthron’s generous bequest has done.

If you are interested in the services we offer or the research we do, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. Our contact details are available on our website – www.cawthron.org.nz.

Volker Kuntzsch Chief Executive Cawthron Institute www.cawthron.org.nz

In the of their lives

Tania Spitzmesser has been creative all her life in one way or another.

It took her a couple of decades before she picked up a paintbrush and it wasn’t until she did an art course 18 months ago that she fully fell in love with it.

“It unleashed something in me.”

Although she has a full-time job, it’s painting that Tania has in her sights. A side hustle for the time being, once she gets to retirement she wants her painting to be the awesome on the super.

In preparation for this and to help her develop business skills, she has turned to the NTCC Primetime programme for people over the age of 50. Three months in, the 19 entrepreneurs are having the primetime of their lives, Tania included.

“Primetime seemed like the ideal place to shore up my skills. To bring in things that I hadn’t been doing in my other business so that I could extend my knowledge and hold myself accountable; to put those things in place, and that I don’t skip over the bits I don’t want to do.”

Launched in June this year, the programme has seen the cohort attend workshops facilitated

by market experts, which is also supported by oneon-one mentoring with Stephen Broad-Paul.

Tania describes the workshops to date as ‘absolutely excellent’. They were:

• Having a Growth Mindset, developing the mental skills required to start and grow a business, facilitated by Melissa Muirhead from The Great Work Lab

• Your Brand, Your Why, facilitated by Chris Hall from Business Box, powered by Ascentium

• Market research and Analysis, facilitated by Chris Butler from The Marketing Studio.

By the time you get to your 50’s, your personality is well entrenched, for better or worse. So, a gathering of individuals who know their own minds could create quite a strong dynamic. Fortunately, they bonded immediately.

“I think we’ve got such a lovely diverse range of people who are doing some really cool stuff and it’s really lovely to hear how they’re approaching things and what their challenges are. So, it’s a very rich tapestry of experience in the room.

"I think that’s a lovely thing as well, working with people who have life experience. We all have different perspectives and different ways of thinking about stuff which really helps you to think about things that you might not have thought of yourself. So, it’s been really valuable.”

Primetime is funded by the Office of the Seniors. NTCC is no longer accepting registrations for this year’s intake.

Resilience: don’t tell me "I told you so"

In 2023 we have witnessed the evolution of business resilience practices, deeply intertwined with advancements in IT.

Businesses in Nelson have embraced cloud-based infrastructure, enabling remote work, data storage, and disaster recovery. This approach not only ensures operational continuity during unforeseen events but also facilitates scalability and cost-efficiency.

Collaboration tools have also played a pivotal role, uniting geographically dispersed teams and creating business opportunities in the region that would not have been possible without the internet. Video conferencing, project management software, and communication platforms have fostered seamless interactions, ensuring uninterrupted teamwork and client engagement. This is a step in the right direction — until the lights go off.

Do you have a successful business that relies on a single internet connection? Many internet providers guarantee an annual commitment to maintain 99.9% uptime. This sounds fantastic, but in practice your systems could go offline at any time. Which day this year could your business be offline? Tomorrow?

When Cyclone Gabrielle hit earlier this year, a state of emergency was declared. There was no power, no mobile network and no internet connectivity — highlighting our reliance on fibre-optic cabling for communications. At that moment, the only communication available was satellite.

If the power goes off, you could join the queue to hire the last diesel generator in Nelson, or you could have already installed solar. If the fibre network goes offline, you could wait

(your mobile network is on the same cable, so you will be waiting) or you could have already installed Starlink — a low-orbit satellite service operated by American aerospace company SpaceX, offering fast internet connectivity directly to your business.

Until we are faced with an emergency, there is no urgency to act — but when the worst does happen there is no appetite for “I told you so.”

To be resilient, a modern business protects its data with strong backup and cybersecurity practices and protects its connectivity with backup connections that are appropriate for its size. It reduces single points of failure, creating and implementing action and response plans, and adapts to challenges by finding the answers to the questions it didn’t even know it needed to ask.

The true cost to your business is not making the commitment to invest in the right technological solutions for a crisis. See Bill Gates’ 2015 TED talk "The Next Outbreak? We’re Not Ready" for some great thoughts on proactivity... and some eerie foreshadowing.

Mark Holland Service Delivery Manager BlueberryIT www.blueberryit.co.nz

Who’s collaborating at MAHITAHI?

Based on the NMIT campus, the Mahitahi Colab is a gathering place for digital nomads, offering flexible coworking options for new, growing or flexible businesses. . Here’s a few of the regular faces you might see next time you pop in to the Mahitahi Colab.

Howdy, Nelson! Meet Digitella Marketing, your new Digital Marketing sidekicks. We're all about bespoke growth marketing solutions, from SEO mastery to Email Marketing, Website Analytics, and Paid Search or Social Advertising. Whether your company sells Sneaker or Software in local, national, or international markets, eCommerce & SaaS are our specialty. We're here to bring long-term, sustainable growth to your business, boosting your online presence and advertising efficiency. Having recently moved to Nelson, we're currently operating out of Mahitahi Colab.

Kia ora! I lead a civil and software engineering firm, Urban Intelligence, that formed two years ago to support councils, communities, iwi, businesses, and infrastructure providers to make more informed decisions around climate change and natural hazard risk. I've been with the Colab for ~6 months and operate half-time between Whakatū and Ōtautahi while completing a PhD at the University of Canterbury. Outside of the mahi, you'll find me exploring the trails and spending time with my partner Harriet.

I’m a senior project editor for Massey University Press. Mō Aotearoa, mā Aotearoa – we make award-winning books for Aotearoa about Aotearoa. Our list includes history, design, art, biography, poetry, architecture, social issues and children’s books. We publish a real range that reflects the Press’s core principles of ‘explore, explain, engage.' My job is to manage a book from draft manuscript to print. I work directly with authors, editors, designers, photographers, illustrators and printers. I work with a great team and get to engage with people’s passion projects.

Nō Ingarangi ahau, kei Whakatū au e noho ana, kō Jon Lasenby ahau. I run Maranga, my leadership consultancy from the Mahitahi Colab. My best work happens when leaders are honest and vulnerable enough to heal their own pain and rewrite some of their deep-seated assumptions about the world in order to be better leaders. My next step is to take the work up a level and help leaders work out how to lead their people and their organisations in a meaningful response to climate change.

Daniel Raats

Mitchell Anderson

Emily Goldthorpe

Jon Lasenby

A massive thanks to everyone who visited the stands of our YES students at the Nelson Market. The sun shone, the teens talked and the punters paid. The event qualifies as a sensational success with a few of our teams venturing into sell-out territory and a good business buzz being generated all round. Practicing their sales pitch, engaging with customers, using teamwork and creating attractive branding are invaluable skills the entrepreneurs got to test first hand.

Check out all the region's YES businesses for 2023:

Who is She?

Bracelets of powerful NZ women

Refloat

Make-up bags made from used pool toys

Kawaii Loops

Crochet kits

Fruitbay Sorbet

Sorbet made from waste apples

Off Your Face

Face mask packs

G.T.M .

Clothing repurposed into make-up bags

Reflect

Stickers to raise self love and confidence

Pure Hold

Natural alternative hair product for curly hair

PTT Honey

Manuka honey & hauora health drink

Bubble

Market event management company

Grandpa Jack’s All American Spices

BBQ meat spice rub

Savvy Spenders

Card game to help financial literacy

Inprotein

Bliss balls with cricket protein powder

Compass

Gender neutral clothing

Neptune

Natural hair spray product for curly hair

Thrift & Sport

Sports clothing

Only Popcorn

Savoury flavoured popcorn

Equality Education

Events to encourage diversity & equality

Bluem

Handmade flowers

Zero Thoughts

Skateboarder Clothing

Hangr

Macrame Plant Hangers

Charmify

Handmade jewellery

Howie Timms, NBS General Manager, Commercial meets with Angie and Hamish of TOAD Hall café.

Business Profile

Dani Ferrier Coaching

The age of empowerment is upon us and it means big changes for businesses and the mindset of those who lead people. There is a responsibility now more than ever for business owners to have a greater understanding of themselves so that they can self-manage and show up for others.

There is also a big change in people's perception of coaching and how important it is to have support as a leader. Dani Ferrier has been a Leadership coach for 2 years and finds real reward in helping local business leaders achieve great team culture and get their lives back!

Dani says, “I love being the champion on your team. The coach that can call you on your stuff and cheer you on when things get tough.”

One of Dani’s clients recalls her experience working with Dani: “I did not know much about leadership, what it means to be a good leader etc. It's more than I expected. I thought the training would be based on getting some instruction on how to lead but this is really about understanding how to lead, to learn about yourself and to understand your team members.”

Dani’s background is in tourism and she has a real passion for people. She has learnt her leadership skills out in the wilderness as a mountain guide, and also living overseas and having to lean into fear. She is now helping others fight fear and become the leader they need to be.

Some examples of her coaching session topics she has with business owners are: Managing the team's emotions, Saying what needs to be said, Running an inspiring meeting, How to create benchmarks & check-ins with each team member, and How to let go of control so others can do their jobs.

In New Zealand we are 97% small and medium-sized businesses (https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/smescrucial-business-growth) which means that most people who start a business were really good at the technical part of

a birds-eye view and create a pathway to achieve your mission. For more information about how you can connect with Dani go to www.daniferriercoaching.com

Meet our Members

Welcome to Harvest Kitchen, where unforgettable moments and exceptional dining experiences await. Whether you're seeking a function room for 20 to 300 guests or a delightful restaurant space with a charming outdoor seating area, we have you covered. Conveniently situated between Nelson and the Abel Tasman, nestled within the beautiful Seifried Estate in Appleby, our location is as stunning as it is peaceful. Here at Harvest Kitchen, we are inviting you to indulge in a culinary journey and make memories with your guests and business partners. We pride ourselves on our relaxed yet refined atmosphere, embracing diversity and accessibility for everyone.

E: functions@harvestkitchen.co.nz

T: 03 265 5199 W: harvestkitchen.co.nz

Caliber Design is a mechanical design company, employing 50+ engineers throughout New Zealand. We specialise in design and project engineering, working onsite with our clients on a project-by-project basis. This allows our clients to scale their teams with experienced mechanical engineers, as and when required.

Caliber Design engineers have worked on projects with over 200 kiwi companies. We have experience across multiple industries, including aerospace, industrial materials handling, marine, agriculture, heavy road transport, hydrogen, cryogenics, and medical. We have engineers in the Nelson region, so please get in touch.

E: riki.shearer@caliberdesign.co.nz

T: 027 344 2374 W: caliberdesign.co.nz

With a Nelson family history of confectionery and chocolatiering dating back to 1880, Aroha Chocolate is the latest edition. Husband and wife team, Wobblie and Jo, produce some of the finest handcrafted, artisan chocolates using premium Belgian chocolate combined with some of the best ingredients sourced locally and from around the world, with no added artificial preservatives. Their motto has always been “Flavour First” ensuring their chocolates have strong, distinctive and lasting flavours. Available online at www.arohachocolate.com, with shipping throughout New Zealand and around the world, and options to personalise your next gift.

E: info@arohachocolate.com

T: 021 585 269 W: arohachocolate.com

Etiquette by House of Kennedy is New Zealand's Modern Day Finishing School, cultivating confidence, charisma and refining social graces. Michelle Kennedy is the founder of by House of Kennedy and is an internationally certified etiquette coach and trainer.

Etiquette is being able to hold your own with confidence in any social situation while making a great first impression; lessening social anxiety. Suited for any individual, classes on offer are the Polished Professional, Social Etiquette, Children and Teen Programs and the Modern Day Finishing School. Michelle is reviving an outdated art form where classes are fun and informative, with a modern twist.

E: class@byhouseofkennedy.com

T: 021 088 89897 W: byhouseofkennedy.com

Let’s skip the technical jargon: at Digitella, we’re genuine people who love to yarn about digital marketing. We specialise in creating bespoke digital solutions for businesses looking to level up their online activity, and we take immense pride in educating our clients along their journey to digital success. Whether it’s Google ads, paid social media, email marketing, search engine optimisation or web analytics that you’re interested in, our team of platform specialists are great at identifying the best channel-mix and strategy for your business goals. When working with us, you can consider us an extension of your team – ready to assist and effortlessly merge with your company to enhance business intelligence and drive meaningful results.

E: admin@digitella.nz

T: 027 822 3293 W: digitella.nz

Need a place to meet, socialise, entertain your friends or share ideas? Greenmeadows Café is located in the heart of Stoke, at the front of the Greenmeadows Complex.

A handy halfway meeting point between Richmond and Nelson and a short drive from the airport, there is free wifi and charging points, making our café a convenient meeting place for business, as well as social connections. Open 7 days from 7 am-2:30 pm, fully licensed (pending), and with catering options for meetings within the centre as well as a great lunch cabinet and breakfast menu. See you soon on the sunny side of the street!

E: gmcafestoke@gmail.com

T: 03 265 6514

Doing business is easier when you have a business partner that understands your industry. At Beyond Your Numbers, we deliver comprehensive accounting, advisory and bookkeeping solutions to sole traders and businesses specialising in the trade sectors.

We work with businesses to reduce stress, provide customised business solutions, educate and improve cashflow by using up to date and accurate information. All to the same end – to give you freedom to do more of the things you enjoy.

We are here to help take the struggles out of running your business.

E: leah@beyondyournumbers.nz

T: 027 337 6029 W: beyondyournumbers.nz

For more than 20 years, we have produced, published and widely distributed two desktop map pads and an A5 guidebook covering Nelson and the Tasman region. Tourists typically keep the map/guide as a travel bible referring to it often and writing notes on it as they tour the region, then take it home as a souvenir. Our advertising spaces are large and bold and designed to showcase local businesses to the best possible advantage. As an advertising vehicle, it has incredible reach and offers exposure to tens of thousands of people.

E: info@visualguides.co.nz

T: 027 544 5565 W: visualguides.co.nz

Introducing some of the newest members to our community.

Meet our Members

It began as a love story and ended with one of New Zealand’s most established distilleries – Dancing Sands. Founders, Sarah and Ben first hit it off when they met through their corporate jobs. After managing a long-distance relationship between continents, in 2016 Sarah and Ben Bonoma both left their corporate careers and took a leap into the unknown to establish Dancing Sands Distillery in Tākaka. Dancing Sands makes their gins using a vapour distillation technique to craft their five gin flavours: Dancing Sands Dry Gin, Sauvignon Blanc Gin, Sun-Kissed Gin, Barrel-Aged Gin, and Wasabi Gin. The distillery offers free tastings from their Tasting Room.

E: info@dancingsands.com

T: 03 525 9899 W: dancingsands.com

An organisation on a people’s mission! Unstoppable Force supports individuals and businesses to give fear and uncertainty their marching orders and quit rewarding mediocrity. They provide the fuel for sustained momentum in your life and career. It's time to become the Unstoppable Force you are meant to be!

Stew Darling and his Unstoppable Force team provide you with the opportunity to build a leadership culture at an individual, team, and organisational level.

Work with Stew to solve real problems within your team and become the leader you wish you’d been led by.

E: stew@unstoppableforce.co.nz

W: unstoppableforce.co.nz

Upcoming Events

SEPTEMBER

12

FINDEX BA5: THEATRE ROYAL

5:00pm - 7:30pm

Theatre Royal Nelson

INTEPEOPLE BUSINESS WOMEN'S NETWORK: SOPHIE MOLONEY

OCTOBER (cont.)

WEBSITE MARKETING & TRAFFIC

5:00pm - 7:30pm

G Block - NMIT, 57 Nile Street

EMPOWERMENT & DAILY ACTIONS

9:30am - 11:30am

Mahitahi Colab

GROW YOUR BRAND WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

Mahitahi Colab 19

9:30am - 11:30am

SELLING YOUR VALUE

Mahitahi Colab 22

9:00am - 10:00am

13 14 06 17

Mahitahi Colab 04

9:30am - 11:30am

STRONG COMMUNITY SYMPOSIUM

8:30am - 4:00pm

Annesbrook Events Centre

PORT NELSON EXPORT WORKSHOP

Tides Hotel 11

8:30am - 12:30pm

MANAGING CASHFLOW

9:00am - 11:00am

Mahitahi Colab

LEADERSHIP LESSONS

Mahitahi Colab 18

9:00am - 10:00am

MASTERING BODY LANGUAGE

Mahitahi Colab 18

3:00pm - 5:00pm

WESTPAC SMARTS: THE BLUE ECONOMY WITH VOLKER KUNTZSCH

10:45am - 12:00pm

Tides Hotel

ADMIN SYSTEMS FOR BUSINESSES

Mahitahi Colab 25

3:00pm - 5:00pm

Are you making the most of your membership?

You and your staff can access big savings with our national partners.

There are plenty of special member-to-member offers from local businesses too!

Don’t

forget about the Stocard app!

The Chamber has now gone digital. With just a few simple steps, your membership card can be loaded into Stocard and taken with you, or your staff, anywhere.

CORNERSTONE PARTNERS: