Waikato Business News March/April 2017
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the voice of the region’s business community, a business community with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of co-operation.
Waikato Business News has for a quarter of a century been the
voice of the region’s business community, a business community
with a very real commitment to innovation and an ethos of
co-operation.
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WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS <strong>March</strong>/<strong>April</strong> <strong>2017</strong> 5<br />
Successful ‘pop up’ market<br />
comes to Hamilton<br />
A pop up business market that gives<br />
businesspeople a chance to network at<br />
a relatively low cost and in a condensed<br />
time-frame has been brought to <strong>Waikato</strong>.<br />
By GEOFF TAYLOR<br />
The <strong>Business</strong> Market is<br />
the brainchild of Tauranga<br />
businessman and<br />
experienced marketer, Brett<br />
Yeatman.<br />
In Tauranga The <strong>Business</strong><br />
Market comprises four regional<br />
events a year at ASB<br />
Baypark as well as smaller<br />
monthly local markets at<br />
selected cafes.<br />
It is this local monthly<br />
model Brett is initially rolling<br />
out at Frankton’s Café Agora<br />
in association with <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Chamber of Commerce.<br />
He describes Café Agora as<br />
a fantastic place to start. “It’s<br />
close to the CBD, it has good<br />
parking, great coffee, excellent<br />
service and has the added<br />
events centre opportunity. It’s<br />
a top spot to meet.”<br />
Brett Yeatman and the business board at Café Agora.<br />
A business board has been<br />
mounted at the café which acts<br />
as a physical directory of the<br />
various businesses involved.<br />
“It’s like an organiser, all<br />
the cards are tidily in one place<br />
and categorised,” says Brett.<br />
“The directory is also mirrored<br />
online. You could put in<br />
‘electrician in Frankton’ and<br />
two or three will pop up so you<br />
can support local business.”<br />
Interested businesspeople<br />
can go online and book to be at<br />
the monthly markets. Brett emphasises<br />
that the market “is not<br />
a coffee club” and networking<br />
is carefully organised to be<br />
valuable and time effective for<br />
businesses involved.<br />
Brett says he is looking out<br />
for other cafes around Hamilton<br />
that see themselves as business<br />
friendly and would also<br />
like to act as business hubs and<br />
host monthly business markets.<br />
He is also in discussions<br />
with the <strong>Waikato</strong> Chamber<br />
about setting up the first regional<br />
market in Hamilton.<br />
The former Zimbabwean<br />
coffee farmer, property developer<br />
and commodity trader has<br />
always been fascinated by the<br />
“science of marketing” and<br />
started professional business<br />
networking group Prolink 15<br />
years ago which spread around<br />
the country.<br />
Brett says over the years<br />
he’s been to many marketing<br />
and networking expos around<br />
the world and found that they<br />
are often expensive, exhausting<br />
and time consuming.<br />
“I thought there has to be<br />
a better way of doing things.<br />
A lot of small business people<br />
can’t stay away from their<br />
business for extended periods.<br />
Rather than spend a week at<br />
some expo that costs an arm<br />
and a leg, why not take one day<br />
a month and invest in your profile<br />
in more affordable amounts<br />
across the calendar?<br />
“It’s just common sense,”<br />
he said.<br />
<strong>Waikato</strong> Chamber of Commerce<br />
chief executive William<br />
Durning says the chamber is<br />
pleased to be involved in partnering<br />
to provide small businesses<br />
with more tools and<br />
resources to do well.<br />
“We see this as a complimentary<br />
product.”<br />
Café Agora operations manager<br />
Andrew Sing said they<br />
were excited at the prospect of<br />
hosting the local markets.<br />
“We love the community<br />
and we want to make ourselves<br />
available,” he said.<br />
“We are here for the business<br />
community. We have the<br />
facility, great food and great<br />
coffee.”<br />
The <strong>Business</strong> Market’s regional<br />
markets feature a breakfast<br />
starting at 7.30am followed<br />
by a range of speakers,<br />
full on networking between<br />
9am and 1pm and then lunch<br />
and more speakers.<br />
“The big thing we do here<br />
is to create a positive vibe. We<br />
serve good food and make it<br />
a friendly environment. You<br />
want to show people you value<br />
them by giving them excellent<br />
service.”<br />
The <strong>Business</strong> Market's founder Brett Yeatman, Café<br />
Agora operations manager Andrew Sing and <strong>Waikato</strong><br />
Chamber of Commerce chief executive William Durning.<br />
“We create the atmosphere<br />
and the buzz that encourages<br />
everyone to talk more freely.”<br />
Brett carefully selects a<br />
range of different businesses<br />
and matches those that he<br />
thinks should be networking<br />
closely together.<br />
“We are also quite strategic<br />
as to where we place everyone.”<br />
As the market has developed<br />
Brett has adapted the size<br />
and layout to work out the best<br />
formula.<br />
He finds that four hours at<br />
the morning market is ideal.<br />
The breakfast and lunch<br />
time speakers provide a chance<br />
for participants to gain a bit of<br />
knowledge and education. To<br />
attract speakers, Brett partners<br />
with a number of local, national<br />
and international companies.<br />
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