Bay of Plenty Business News January/February 2017

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8 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2017 Biosecurity becomes a community effort Getting the Bay of Plenty port community on board with biosecurity is starting to pay dividends at the Port of Tauranga. By RICHARD RENNIE Widening biosecurity beyond its usual boundaries of customs and Ministry for Primary Industries biosecurity officials is the secret weapon government and the region hopes will prevent future devastating incursions like the Psa bacteria that almost wiped out the kiwifruit industry in 2010. The wider joint efforts were highlighted with a joint Biosecurity Awareness Week at the port in late November which attracted locals and cruise ship visitors alike to highlight some of the imminent threats to the region and the country’s primary sectors. Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) chief executive Dr Barry O’Neil said a joint initiative launched earlier this year was proving successful in improving communication of biosecurity risks and identifying hazard areas. It included representatives from the port, forestry, dairy, kiwifruit, logistics and transport sectors. The cruise ship trade had been identified as one of the highest risk sectors for biosecurity incursions, particularly from passengers bringing risky food items ashore. The joint initiative has invested much in educating port workers about potential biosecurity risk areas, and on likely unwelcome passengers they may come across in their work. Information sheets and calendars highlighting seasonal biosecurity risks have been distributed throughout the port’s industrial area. Of particular concern is the brown marmorated stinkbug, currently on the “least wanted” list of pests, alongside the Queensland fruit fly whose presence would devastate New Zealand’s horticultural sector. Dr O’Neil said the stink bug was of particular concern, given it was harder to trap than the fruit fly which was attracted by pheromones to traps. “So far we have found 407 at the border, and this is a pest that is not fussy, it will eat about 300 different crops and trees. Our scientists have also determined that climatically New Zealand has a very favourable climate for the bug.” The bug is a pest found in Asia, but has aggressively invaded the United States. Its name comes from the smell it releases when squashed. Dr O’Neil said thanks to the initiative that has educated the port community of such threats, a container cleaning worker had raised the alarm on discovery of what he thought was the bug during work one day. Port of Tauranga commercial manager Leonard Sampson said co-operation from the booming cruise ship sector had been particularly heartening. With more than 80 vessels entering the port bringing in excess of 170,000 people, he said the port had appreciated identifying ships’ food sources before they docked. “Cruise companies have worked to source food from sources that are secure, reducing the risk pathway before they even dock. “In the last two years there has been a huge increase in the amount of practical steps taken to increase awareness. Having a collaborative approach has been better for everyone.” Dr O’Neil said having 750 port staff working every day at the border knowing what to do was a significant help to MPI customs staff. Port of Tauranga commercial manager Leonard Sampson (left) and Dr Barry O’Neil. New Year resolutions – get your HR house in order We are well and truly on the other side of the New Year now and 2017 has certainly started full of promise for an exciting year ahead. New Year is a great time for reflection to look back over the year that has been - the highs and lows - and then to look forward and plan for the year ahead with the challenges HUMAN RESOURCES > BY KELLIE HAMLETT Director, Recruitment & HR Specialist, Talent ID Recruitment Ltd it will inevitably bring. Most of us have good intentions for the upcoming year coupled with a few resolutions that last until the end of February. You may set New Year resolutions for ‘yourself’ but have you also set goals for your business and team? A colleague of mine once noted three important New Year’s resolutions – business fitness, less consumption through applying a sustainable business approach – recycle, reuse and reduce and thirdly tackling the big issues in your business (something we all love to avoid!). Perhaps as we approach this year which will most likely involve some business growth and expansion for many, it’s timely to consider a fourth resolution regarding the human resource systems and processes within your business. The people you employ are either going to be your biggest asset or possibly your biggest liability. Ensuring your HR systems and procedures are in place for the new year, will lead you to start as you mean to carry on, enabling your business to focus on the bigger issues. For example, do you have up to date position descriptions, employment agreements and house rules? Do you keep accurate and up to date staff files? Do you conduct regular reviews with your staff and are they up to date? Do you have policies that need to be updated or reviewed? Are your individual staff and team targets in place Small businesses upbeat about year ahead New Zealand small businesses finished 2016 on an upbeat note, with confidence at its highest levels in almost two years, according to ANZ’s quarterly Business Micro Scope survey of small firms. A net 20 percent of respondents - up from 17 percent in the September quarter - say they are confident about the business environment in the year ahead. Within this group, micro firms’ (0-5 employees) confidence rose a solid 5 points to +14, while intermediate firms held steady on +26. The ANZ composite measure – a key proxy for growth for 2017 and have you caught up with them individually to note their personal goals for the year? Do you ever ask your staff for feedback on their position, the team and the company? Knowing where your staff and team are at, and how they are working together can help you to build a more cohesive work environment for the future of which will ultimately be more productive and profitable. Having your human resource framework in place will make it easier to manage your staff now and in the longer term and enable you to focus on the bigger picture. So often we come across businesses which have – lifted to +20 during the quarter. The composite measure is based on firms’ activity outlook, hiring, investment and profit expectations, all which improved in the quarter. “It was a storming finish to a good year for New Zealand’s small businesses,” said Andrew Webster, general manager retail and business banking. “If the confidence plays out, 2017 will be an excellent year for small businesses with a net 34 percent expecting a lift in activity for their business over the next 12 months.” The composite growth measure lifted across all five grown quickly but struggled to keep up with the basic processes and requirements for managing their staff.This can often lead to staff dissatisfaction down the track, hinder growth, as well as compliance issues. The beginning of the year is when many businesses are looking ahead and hiring staff. One of your New Year goals could be to ensure your internal paperwork and systems are in order, which will enable you to concentrate on 2017 as a growth year, a profitable year and one in which you can take advantage of the high calibre candidates on offer who will add value to your business. regions – Wellington leads the way followed closely by regional South Island. Auckland continues a gradual climb while growth prospects in regional North Island and Canterbury have started to gain more momentum. “While overall sentiment and growth prospects are positive, concern about finding skilled staff continues to create a potential wedge between growth prospects and actual growth. Competition and regulation are also seen as obstacles to businesses realising their growth potential in 2017,” Mr Webster said. Growth prospects for four of the five sectors improved in December with construction and services leading the way.
BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS January/February 2017 9 Reach new customers using social media It’s no great secret that social media plays a big part in our lives. Long gone are the days when it was solely considered a social networking tool for young people. According to Statista, the number of social media users around the world was 1.91 billion in 2014 and this number is expected to soar to 2.67 billion by 2018. In New Zealand, Facebook is by far the most popular online platform, with 74.7 per cent of users. More than 2.5 million Kiwis use Facebook each month, with the biggest user group being people aged 25 to 34. Linkedin is the second most used, followed by Instagram and Twitter. In 2017, make your business visible. Make your mark online. Today, businesses need an online presence to be successful. Kiwi companies have yet to fully realise their online potential, but we are catching on to the fact that without it, we are a great deal smaller and less visible. A survey of 217 Kiwi companies carried out late last year by OMG Solutions showed that 93.6 percent use social media for business, and 98 percent plan on continuing to use it in the future. A total 89 percent of the companies polled said they use social media for brand awareness, and nearly as many said they use it to engage with their audiences. Around half say they rely on Facebook for online advertising. For Bay of Plenty businesses it makes absolute sense to develop a strong online presence. And not just locally. As a small region in a remote country, social media is our portal to the rest of the world. As a local business seeking to build a wider, more visible presence, it’s valuable to start by knowing what your customers want, and what you want to achieve from your social media activity. Do you want to raise awareness of your brand, interact with others in your industry, promote services or products to customers, or build an online community to discuss ideas? Being clear about what you want to achieve is important as this will ensure your efforts are well directed and your results more measurable. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms are effective tools to tell people who you are and what you do. They are also good places to showcase your knowledge of your sector, stay on top of trends and developments in your field, and share your insights with clients and peers. Social media allows you to swiftly share information with customers, partners and the public. You can build networks with others in your field. You can be bigger, stronger and more effective in your business sector. Gaining followers is another useful aspect of social media, which allows clients and others to show support for your business. It also allows you to regularly connect with those who are interested in what you do. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms are also ideal spaces to advertise at low cost. The vast majority of Bay of Plenty businesses have fewer than 20 employees and can’t afford costly ads. Be smart and invest in effective words and images to market your brand across your social media platforms. You may be surprised at how many you reach using a lowcost, well targeted advert. Social media is powerful, and it pays to maximise its business potential. But social media on its own is not a silver bullet. To be effective, it needs to be done conversationally, and as part of a broader strategy that includes other digital marketing efforts, face-to-face communication, and print. For some, social media is not necessarily about doing TELLING YOUR STORY > BY JAMES HEFFIELD Director of Bay of Plenty communications consultancy Last Word Writing Services. To find out more visit lastwordwriting.co.nz or email james@lastwordwriting.co.nz. more, but about doing it better. Ask yourself this: What is the message you want to convey, and how can you do it in a way that differentiates you? Remember that the online universe is abuzz with chatter. To get results, you’ll need well-chosen words and images. In 2017, make your business visible. Make your mark online. Discard those New Year resolutions Over the festive period and the start of the year people often set themselves various New Year resolutions. If you have, then we urge you throw them out the door. Unfortunately, the sad truth is the vast majority of New Year resolutions fail. They tend to be too wide sweeping and do not help you change your behaviour and achieve what you want. Humans are creatures of habit. You need determination and a course of action to make positive changes in your life. This year we challenge you to do something different. Don’t set resolutions but take some time to think about where you would like to be in one year, three years and five years in both your work and The key to successful goal setting is to be SMART – they need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results focused and Timebound. personal life. Then sit down and set goals. You can encourage all your family members to do it too. Each year we sit down with our three children and do goal sheets. We encourage our kids to have a wide variety of goals of exploring new interests, academic and sporting. Now in the third year our kids look forward to this annual activity. The key to successful goal setting is to be SMART – they need to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results focused and Timebound. You can set goals in any area of your life but if you don’t know where to start try thinking about your life in categories that include your career, financial goals, education, family, attitude, physical, pleasure or even public service. Make sure your goals are important to you, and that there is value in achieving them. Motivation is key to achieving goals. You also should write your goals down including why they are important to you. Then pin up your goals in a prominent place so you will see them every day. Share them with others – tell your colleagues, family and friends. Our goals sheets are pinned up on the door of the pantry. Now that you have your goals you need to make an action plan. Set out the indi- GROWING YOUR BUSINESS > BY DARREN MCGARVIE Darren McGarvie is co-founder and Chief Coach of the Firestation, the Bay’s only business growth centre. To find out more go to www.thefirestation.nz or email grow@thefirestation.nz vidual steps you need to do to be successful. This gives you a road map to achieve your goals. Make sure you review your goals and your progress throughout the year too. If you need help to stay on track to achieve your goals think about using a professional coach. A coach is there to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and help you learn new ways of thinking and applying yourself. But the main benefit of a coach is accountability. Coaches offer both encouragement and a forced discipline to help you achieve success in the goals you have set. So, make 2017 the year of successful goal setting to achieve the success in all parts of your life. AVERAGE *According to Computer Economics and Gartner Surveys IT SPEND PER USER www.stratusblue.nz $3,800 P.A. * TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FROM GROUND TO CLOUD
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