Bay of Plenty Business News February/March 2018

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20 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS February/March 2018 When PR spin goes too far Let’s be honest. Many of us are prone to focusing on the positive and making the odd exaggeration when telling a story. That football match in the weekend? I scored a goal. Never mind the two penalties I gave away. And that new car my company is selling? It’s the first of its kind. Never mind that the only difference is the unique shade of grey it is painted. A little bit of poetic licence is often accepted when you’re telling a friend what you got up to on the weekend, but when it comes to business or politics, there’s such a thing as “good spin” and “bad spin”. That topic was brought sharply into focus recently by US President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address. Speaking about his decision to deregulate the coal industry, he uttered the oxymoronic phrase “beautiful, clean coal”. Trump was making the case for deregulation of fossil fuels to boost jobs and business opportunities, but his turn of phrase would have done little to convince anybody outside his supporter base. What Trump forgets - or on his previous history of documented falsehoods may not care about - is that there’s a difference between accentuating the positive and making statements that are completely at odds with scientific consensus. Good spin has its basis in fact and it can influence people because it has a degree of credibility. Without a factual basis, spin is nothing more than deceit. But it’s not just US presidents who are tying themselves in knots. Some Kiwi businesses are also spinning themselves off their feet. One example was Wellington business Glassescases, owner of New York-style diner Five Boroughs, which was recently put into voluntary liquidation. The directors told BusinessDesk that they planned to re-open Five Boroughs a few blocks away on a site owned by one of their other companies, and that winding up Glassescases was “the quickest and cleanest” means to an end. It’s one thing to talk about the benefits of deregulation and the jobs the coal industry will create, but quite another to label it “clean”. “Our company grew from four employees when we opened the doors to 19… we weren't quite ready for that. The way I look at it is we had a practice run at opening our dream business, and now we get to do it all over again,” a director was quoted as saying by BusinessDesk. Unsurprisingly, readers didn’t buy it. The comments section of the National Business Review website, which ran the story, was filled with remarks from readers expressing outrage that the directors were allegedly leaving creditors and staff out of pocket. Simply put, the narrative being put forward by the company was not perceived as 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. believable. The eventual outcome was that the directors of Glassescases issued a statement saying they had decided to take out a personal loan to pay staff what they were owed. The point of all this is that companies and politicians need to give the public more credit. It’s one thing to talk about the benefits of deregulation and the jobs the coal industry will create, but quite another to label it “clean”. The same principle applies to any business announcing it is going into liquidation. It’s fine to talk about lessons learned and plans for the future. However, any issues of unpaid debts or the business closure’s impact on staff can’t simply be ignored, as they are more than likely to emerge and potentially result in the company being seen in an unfavourable light So remember, next time you’re spinning a good yarn, make sure it’s founded in fact and think about how it will be received by readers. Chances are that if you’re not convinced of something yourself, your readers won’t be either. Challenges and strategies in 2018 Across sectors, small businesses continue to face challenges in 2018; namely increased competition from global chains, and technology-driven commoditisation of products/services and consumer comfort with online sales. For some, trying to compete against this changing world and its economies of scale seems unsustainable. But challenges are also opportunities and in 2018 the winners will be those who differentiate themselves in the market, by delivering highest quality personalised service and products by focusing on some key areas. These include: • Customer service - Loyal customers are a competitive edge in a corporate retail and online environment. So don’t get complacent about customer service which will only make you vulnerable to the convenience and price advantages of the corporate/online players. Focus on delivering the ‘wow’ factor, offering your customers a highly personalised, interesting and excellent experience that will enhance their sense of value and give them a good story to tell. You sell an experience, not a commodity. • Business management - The old adage of working on the business not in it still rings very true. Yet, many owner-operated businesses still spend most of their time in day-to-day operational tasks, to the detriment of the long-term business. Take time to manage the business – financial planning, reviewing the effectiveness of systems and processes such as customer service, staff training, and addressing longterm strategic needs, risks MONEY MATTERS > BY STEPHEN GRAHAM Stephen Graham is director and managing partner at BDO Rotorua, Chartered Accountants and Advisers. To find out more visit bdorotorua.co.nz or email rotorua@bdo.co.nz and opportunities. • Pricing structures - Suppliers are struggling as much as anyone so will be open to negotiation to be competitive. It comes down to getting a price that’s good business for both parties, achieving the best possible margin available considering the source of the product or service and what it can be sold for in the market. • Internet presence - Around 49 percent of New Zealand small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still do not have a website. That’s a shocking stat. A good quality web presence is critical in today’s world - that is where people find out about you and communicate with you. Social media platforms also play an important role in creating an online presence - it is estimated by 2019 there will be approximately. 2.77 billion social media users around the globe. Social media for small to medium businesses has the ability to increase website traffic, as not only do social media sites help drive traffic to your website, but the more shares your social media receives the higher your business will rank online. Without a quality internet presence you’re not only missing out competitively in terms of branding, but are also losing out on opportunities to connect better with customers and build online sales and services. • Community involvement - As a local business, another competitive edge you can build on over the global and national retail chains is getting involved in your community, helping building a level of visibility, connection and reputation that is difficult for the chains to replicate. Overall, there is a lot to be positive about in 2018. There doesn’t appear to be any sign yet of the forecast instability in the economy post-election, the dollar is strong ensuring purchasing costs remain stable, and generally our primary sectors are doing well. Opportunity is knocking.
REMARKABLE WOMEN IN BUSINESS Fresh ideas from Design One BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS February/March 2018 21 Building a remarkable business throughout New Zealand Design One’s Angela Gray has been in the interior design industry for eight years in the Bay of Plenty. With a diploma in interior design, she started in business while being a busy mother to twin boys and soon turned a hobby into a successful business. She has since been working alongside some of the region’s most renowned architects, housing and building companies, with her career soaring to new heights. “From as early as I can remember I have been interior design obsessed, so it’s no surprise to anyone that knows me that being immersed in the design world is my happy place,” says Angela. “I absolutely love being able to have a career that encapsulates my love of people and design - and what a place to work, here in the Bay,” she says. Angela says she appreciates the opportunity of working on larger commercial projects. But she also welcomes the intimate approach that a residential project brings out of her, where she can pull together all elements of a build from exterior to interior, designing and detailing cabinetry and kitchens, to the finer soft furnishing and finishing details. Angela Gray “I live and breathe design and having my finger on the pulse with everything current, while knowing how to coherently bring together both the old and the new,” she says. Angela says she is always excited by the team element of working with residential builders. “Bringing great relationships to my clients is all-encompassing and incredibly rewarding,” says Angela, who is currently involved in beachfront home renovations and large rural new builds. A new development for this year is the launch of her new Online Design concept, reflecting the increasing push of business into the digital world. “No design project is ever the same and that’s what I love about what I do.” Natasha Walsh Tradestaff is celebrating its 22nd year of business in 2018 and remarkable women have been at the foundation of our success. Our first employee Janice McNab is now our general manager. Eighteen Years ago our third branch opened in Tauranga and Sara Kerr now national training and development manager has been here almost ever since. This trend continues in Bay of Plenty with senior recruitment consultants Sanne van der Vliet in the Rotorua Branch and Natasha Walsh in Tauranga. Tradestaff was born from the desire to make a difference in blue collar temp recruitment and Sanne and Natasha bring the Tradestaff “cool and easy” philosophy to job sites across the Bay each and every day. Surrounded by heavy machinery, in steel caps and hard hats they are prepared to go Sanne van der Vliet the extra mile for their clients and temps to “get it right” Keeping hundreds of locals working every day is a huge commitment and responsibility that Sanne and Natasha take very seriously. Their relatable personalities, respect for their temps and positive attitude have been the key to the Tradestaff branches in Rotorua and Tauranga achieving record results recently. Both Sanne and Natasha are their respective branches health and safety representative – you can find them on industrial sites, looking the part, doing the business throughout the Bay – otherwise call them at Tradestaff 0508 404040 Growing a shutter and blind business in Tauranga As operations director of Santa Fe Shutters & Blinds Gail Christie works incredibly hard helping to design shutters and blinds which transform your home. Santa Fe is a privately owned business that was purchased in 2003 by Gail and Paul Christie. The head office and factories are both located in Tauranga. Santa Fe has now become one of New Zealand’s largest and well-known suppliers of window furnishings, with shutters and blinds to fit all budgets. The company sells to the wholesale and retail markets throughout New Zealand. The brand is well established and highly regarded for quality products and services. Last year Santa Fe added to its portfolio by purchasing another very well-known local company My passion has also been to grow the systems within the business and over the years we have developed very strong systems which allow us to provide a high level of service to our customers. This is to ensure it is easy for our customers to do business with us. email: hello@designone.co.nz Phone: 021 729 458 www.designone.co.nz Our Tauranga team is growing We are currently seeking a talented and extraordinary Recruitment Consultant with a flair for sales. called Bay Blinds. “This highly regarded manufacturing facility has now enabled us to supply an extensive range of locally made blinds to our customers across New Zealand,” says Gail. Gail works within the company and over Apply the last online 16 years via our Seek ad from when she came into the business as a radiographer or our who website knew very little about window furnishings, she has become well known within the industry as a valuable www.tradestaff.co.nz source of information on expert shutter and blind design. She is in daily contact with architects, interiors designers, agents and residential customers helping them to solve complex design issues. Over this time we have grown our range from manufacturing only Cedar shutters back in 2003, to having a shutter range that includes five different wood types plus aluminium shutters and a blind range that encompasses rollers, venetians, romans and verticals in more than 1000 different fabrics. As well as the huge product growth the company has seen Gail says that one of her greatest satisfactions over the years is to have mentored staff and grown the initial small team of six to a dedicated and hardworking team of more than 100. This growth has been with a strong passion for staff health and wellbeing. We have fitted offices with sit-stand desks and run a company fitness programme to help those staff who want to stay fit and healthy. “My passion has also been to grow the systems within the business and over the years we have developed very strong systems which allow us to provide a high level of service to our customers. This is to ensure it is easy for our customers to do business with us.” Gail says that she loves the industry, the company and the people she deals with on a daily basis and is looking forward to growing Santa Fe and Bay Blinds to be leading Tauranga Gail Christie businesses over the next five years. Tradestaff Tauranga & Rotorua www.tradestaff.co.nz Freephone 0508 404040 P2757Y Santa Fe Shutters & Blinds 142 Newton Street, Mt Maunganui Phone: 0508 274 888 www.santafeshutters.co.nz Bay Blinds 8 Maleme Street, Greerton Phone: 07 578 7794 www.bayblinds.co.nz P2563Y
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Bay of Plenty Business News February/March 2018

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