June 2021 - Bay of Plenty Business News

JUNE 2021 VOLUME 5: ISSUE 6 

WWW.BOPBUSINESSNEWS.CO.NZ 

FACEBOOK.COM/BAYOFPLENTYBUSINESSNEWS 

LIFTOUT 

Delve into 

Tech. 

IN THE BAY 

Explore the way 

Bay tech firms have 

fought back during the 

pandemic in our guide to 

technology and innovation. 

(See pages 9 to 16) 

investment 

Craigs draws a strong 

crowd to discuss 

investment options. 

 

P3 

franchising 

Know your master. 

P7 

credit control 

Mind your relationships. 

P21 

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2 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS June 2021 

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FOR KIWI BUSINESS

June 2021 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 3 

Craigs draws 

strong crowd 

at Trustpower 

Baypark 

Mark Lister offers explanation to Craigs clients. 

By DAVID PORTER 

Craigs Investment Partners drew 

a stellar crowd to its recent 

state of the nation address at 

Trustpower Bay Venues, with some 

850 RSVPs. 

According to the keynote speaker 

Mark Lister, head of private wealth 

research, he does some 40-odd presentations 

a year across New Zealand, 

including areas where Craigs IP 

doesn’t have branches, but does still 

have a strong client base. 

The sessions are pitched at Craig 

IP’s investment clients, but Lister 

spoke with Bay of Plenty Business 

News on the record before the event 

began. 

The sessions are designed to give 

the firm’s clients an insight into how 

the company thinks markets are tracking, 

as well as offering insights into 

the housing and stock markets, and of 

course currency developments. 

Lister said that there was a feeling 

amongst many people, especially in 

the business community, that there 

wasn’t as much business or real world 

experience in the current Labour government 

as some voters would have 

liked. 

“You have got quite a lot of career 

politicians, which is a little bit risky 

when they haven’t really had to run a 

real business,” Lister said. 

Having said that, Lister noted he 

met regularly with prime minister 

Jacinda Ardern and finance minister 

Grant Robertson, and regarded them 

as very moderate. 

“They’re not the government of 

transformational change,” he said. 

“They’re very similar on the political 

spectrum to the [previous National] 

Key government and there’s not a lot 

of rocking the boat.” 

Lister said that while plenty of 

National supporters might have 

been disappointed by the election, 

it appeared the Ardern government 

would be in for some time, based on 

its current popularity. 

Basically the Craigs IP events are 

an opportunity to explain to clients 

the reasoning behind their investment 

strategies. 

“From an investment perspective, 

politics is important because it sets 

the scene for the economy, but the 

economy is a beast of its own,” Lister 

said. 

“Businesses will do what they do 

and politicians are only one small part 

of the scene. So you never build your 

investment strategy around the political 

environment.” 

Housing a key issue 

A key issue for many New Zealanders 

remains housing, which is continuing 

to rise. 

“I think it will continue to steadily 

drift higher, although I think from 

here the pace of gains will slow down. 

The market has had a big runup in the 

last 12 months, but there are changes, 

partly because of the changes you 

Head of Private Wealth Research Mark Lister, Founder and 

Acting CEO Neil Craig and Head of Advisory Tim Kiefte. 

are seeing on the policy front, which 

are reducing the attractiveness of 

property as an investment for many 

people.” 

Lister said that at the coal face 

advisers were seeing a lot of property 

investors getting out of the market 

because it was becoming harder work. 

Lister noted that the biggest thing 

driver of property prices was interest 

rates. 

“The reason property prices have 

done what they’ve done over the last 

30 years is that interest rates have 

been going steadily lower,” he said. 

“Your view on what the property 

market will do is largely a function of 

where you think interest rates will go 

from here,” he said. 

“If you think interest rates will 

stay at current levels for the next 

five years, property will keep going 

up. If you are nervous about interest 

rates and you think we’ve reached a 

bottom in interest rates, then I would 

say that’s a head wind to the property 

market.” 

He noted that in the 1970s and 

1980s inflation averaged about 12 

per cent per annum whereas in recent 

years in it had averaged about two 

percent, meaning rates were much 

lower. 

“That is why people in financial 

markets are watching inflation really 

closely, because history has told us 

that a rise in inflation is usually a 

precursor to a rise in interest rates.” 

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Bay of Plenty Business Publications specialises 

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print media services. 

As a monthly newspaper we don’t usually delve into stories that are 

likely to be rapidly changing before we go to print. But given the focus 

of our issue this month is on developments in hi-tech, the problems 

bedevilling our close neighbours in Waikato did catch our eye. 

In addition, members of our 

staff have been personally 

disrupted by the chaos that 

has resultd from the hacking. 

If nothing else, the latest hacking 

demonstrates just how vulnerable 

we can all be to cyber 

intrusion. 

Radio New Zealand has 

already reported that there is 

widespread alarm about what 

might happen to highly sensitive 

patient and staff information 

from Waikato District 

Health Board. 

A group purporting to be 

responsible for May’s cyber 

attack has emailed some media 

saying it has personal information 

of patients and employees 

and scores of records and 

documents containing names, 

phone numbers 

When we went to press 

minister of health Andrew 

Little was refusing to speak 

directly on the matter, issuing 

only a statement saying ransomware 

attacks were a crime. 

He has been in touch with the 

Waikato DHB Commissioner 

Dame Karen Poutasi about any 

assistance the DHB requires. 

“There is an active police 

investigation. Other agencies 

such as the NCNS [National 

Cyber Security Centre] and the 

Privacy Commissioner continue 

to support the DHB,” the 

statement said. 

Cyber experts say the danger 

is the hackers could sell the 

data to other cyber criminals, 

which could then be used to 

scam the victims, but whether 

a ransom was paid or not there 

was still no guarantee the data 

would be secure. 

National Secretary for 

APEX Union and the Resident 

Doctors Association, Deborah 

Powell, described it as “just 

low-life behaviour”. Staff at 

the DHB were already dealing 

with the stress of the fallout of 

having the whole IT system 

compromised, and Powell said 

“the way we react is important 

here...”. 

That is why people in financial 

markets are watching inflation 

really closely, because history 

has told us that a rise in inflation 

is usually a precursor to a rise in interest 

rates.” – Mark Lister, Craigs IP 

Craigs draws strong crowd at 

Trustpower Baypark – p3 

Craig Lister addresses clients in Tauranga. 

David Porter 

Waikato DHB chief executive 

Kevin Snee said the DHB 

was constrained by what it 

could say. “We can’t comment 

as it’s a matter of police 

investigation and we are aware 

that public commentary can 

be monitored by the malicious 

actor so we will not be commenting 

any further.” 

RNZ’s checkpoint quoted 

reporter Phil Pennington, who 

has reviewed the documents, 

said: “It would be a very big 

exercise indeed to fake something 

like this, it does appear 

that they do have sensitive 

patient information ... there is 

a lot of it.” 

We would respectfully 

point you to our tech section 

and urge that you ensure all of 

your systems are secure. 

The past year or so of Covid-19 has 

been wild from my perspective.” 

– Hadleigh Ford, SwipedOn 

Bay company 

survives 

pandemic 

thanks to global 

support – p11 

Get the latest investment 

insights to your inbox 

Subscribe to the Craigs Investment Partners informative Market Insights 

enewsletter and keep up to date on the latest investment insights. 

The Craigs Investment Partners research team provide timely and regular 

content, including commentary and analysis on market developments, help with 

understanding investing jargon and how current events impact investors. 

To subscribe to the enewsletter go to craigsip.com/insights 

0800 272 442 / craigsip.com 

Craigs Investment Partners is a NZX Participant Firm. Adviser Disclosure Statements are available on request and free of charge. 

The Craigs Investment Partners Limited Financial Advice Provider Disclosure Statement can be viewed at craigsip.com/terms-and-conditions.


Jump in 

bond yields 

Investment market update 

(for the quarter ended 31 Apr, 2021) 

The most significant market 

move over the last quarter 

was the jump in longer-term 

interest rates. 

Bond prices move in the opposite 

direction to interest rates (or 

bond yields) – when yields rise, 

bond prices fall (and vice versa). 

For years (or really decades) 

bondholders have benefited from 

falling interest rates, and therefore 

rising bond prices. 

Over the last six months the 

direction has reversed, with higher 

long-term bond yields resulting in 

some of the biggest bond price 

declines for many years. Shorter-term 

rates didn’t rise as much, 

but most bond portfolios would 

have lost value over the past six 

months. 

For investors who plan to own 

bonds to maturity, these “losses” 

on bonds aren’t permanent – holders 

will still receive the same 

interest on their investment and 

be repaid in full when the bond 

matures (unless, of course, the 

borrower defaults, generally not a 

common event). 

Higher interest rates reflect 

the improved outlook 

A powerful combination of huge 

stimulus measures from central 

banks and governments (literally 

injecting trillions of dollars into 

the global economy) coupled with 

Covid-19 vaccine rollouts has 

boosted economic activity around 

the world. 

Not all that money has yet been 

spent. Savings have been boosted 

in many countries. Today’s higher-than-normal 

savings could 

support economic activity in the 

future. 

The rise in bond yields reflects 

confidence in an ongoing recovery, 

but also the risk of higher 

inflation medium-term. Higher 

inflation lowers the value of 

money over time – investors, 

therefore, demand higher interest 

rates to compensate. 

Inflation remains a key uncertainty 

for markets. We do expect 

inflation measures will jump 

in coming months as (1) prices 

recover from the falls seen during 

last year’s lockdowns, and (2) 

supply constraints and shortages 

of skilled workers (often due to 

current migration restrictions) 

around the world push up costs 

for businesses, which are being 

passed onto consumers. 

The chief unknown, however, 

is whether this inflation will be 

temporary or sustained. Central 

banks’ current view is it will be 

transitory, but there is a risk it 

becomes more entrenched. 

Equities continue to 

perform well 

Despite the jump in longer-term 

interest rates, it has still paid 

to remain invested in equities. 

Global equity markets have 

continued to push higher with 

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR MONEY 

> BY BRETT BELL-BOOTH 

Investment Adviser with Forsyth Barr Limited in Tauranga, and 

an Authorised Financial Adviser. Phone (07) 577 5725 or 

email brett.bell-booth@forsythbarr.co.nz. 

companies generally delivering 

better-than-expected results benefiting 

from a combination of 

improving economic activity and 

significant cost savings. 

A softer New Zealand 

market the exception 

New Zealand equities underperformed 

major markets over the 

quarter. 

The NZX50 market index is 

dominated by a relatively small 

number of companies – the largest 

eight companies account for 

around half the index. What that 

means is any price changes (up or 

down) in these larger stocks has a 

significant impact on the overall 

index. During the quarter we saw 

falls in some of New Zealand’s 

largest listed companies, for company 

or sector-specific reasons, 

plus a general pullback in defensive, 

dividend stocks – which 

dominate the market. 

• Clean energy exchange traded 

funds’ (ETFs) buy high, sell 

low strategy has caused significant 

volatility in electricity 

stocks, particularly Meridian 

Energy (New Zealand’s second 

largest listed company) 

and Contact Energy. For a 

deeper discussion please see 

our Focus article ‘Sleepy Joe 

causes a power surge’ published 

on 15 February. 

• A2 Milk lowered revenue and 

earnings guidance for the third 

time this year. Border restrictions 

are limiting how much of 

A2’s product is getting to the 

key China market. 

Cautiously optimistic 

We remain confident in a strong 

global economy over (at least) the 

next 12 months or so. That said, 

there are still risks for markets. 

Asset prices are not cheap by 

any historical reference, and levels 

of speculation and exuberance 

in markets are high. 

Risks of higher-than-expected 

inflation and therefore upward 

pressure on interest rates is higher 

than it has been for a fair while. 

These factors mean we do expect 

future returns are likely to be 

lower than what we’ve seen over 

the past decade or so. 

This column is general in nature 

and does not take any of your 

personal circumstances into 

account. For personalised financial 

advice, contact Forsyth Barr 

for an overview of the services we 

can provide. 

NEWSBRIEF 

Trustpower to 

explore potential 

retail business sale 

Tauranga-based utility Trustpower has 

stated that recent results confirm the 

merits of its recent strategic review. 

Trustpower chair Paul Ridley-Smith 

said the strong performance of each operation 

reaffirmed the board’s decision to 

explore the potential sale of the retail business 

and establishment of a standalone generation 

business. 

“We firmly believe in the growth potential 

of both the generation and retail businesses. 

These results confirm that both generation 

and retail are sound operations that 

could thrive independently of each other.” 

Recent Trustpower developments include: 

• The launch of a voice of customer programme 

to track, understand and remedy 

pain points in the customer experience 

journey, as part of a commitment to 

customer-centricity. 

• Successful execution of asset maintenance 

and enhancements despite 

ongoing Covid-19 Alert Level changes 

throughout the year. 

• Enhancements at Waipori, Cobb and 

Kumara contributing an additional 

9.5GWh in annual generation volumes. 

Strategic Review 

In January 2021 Trustpower announced a 

strategic review of its retail business. This 

review is aimed at testing market interest in 

the sale of its mass market retail business 

and exploring the business case for a standalone 

generation business. 

In April 2021, Trustpower announced 

its intention to enter into due diligence with 

a number of interested parties to further 

explore the possible sale of the retail business. 

At the time of this announcement the 

process remains ongoing. 

Dividend 

Ridley-Smith announced the Board has 

approved a fully imputed dividend of 17.0 

cents per share, as well as a one-off special 

dividend of 1.5 cents per share, also fully 

imputed. He said the special dividend was 

a ‘catch up’ on the previous year, where 

Trustpower declared a reduced dividend of 

15.5 cents per share amidst the uncertainty 

surrounding the impacts of Covid-19. 

Together with the interim dividend of 

17 cents per share paid in December 2020, 

this provides a total fully imputed dividend 

of 35.5 cents per share for the 2021 financial 

year. The dividend will be paid on 18 

June 2021. 

Trustpower said it would look to provide 

market guidance once the results of 

the strategic review were known. 

EXPERIENCE. THE DIFFERENCE ADDS UP. 

07 927 1200 | 60 Durham St, Tauranga | www.inghammora.co.nz


Making a difference with investments 

Considering sustainability measures when assessing a company can not only align 

investments to your values and encourage companies to make positive change, it can also 

identify risks to the longevity and strength of a company’s business model. 

Along with considering 

their environmental 

impact, sustainable 

investing also incorporates a 

company’s societal impact and 

how it is governed. 

A company that has a detrimental 

impact on its environment 

is more likely to have an 

unsustainable business model. 

The same goes for one that has 

a negative impact on society, 

or that has poor governance 

practices. 

Assessing a company’s 

sustainability can help align 

investments to an investor’s 

set of values. In addition, it 

can help drive positive change 

by signalling to companies 

what areas stakeholders see 

as important, and where certain 

issues may need to be 

addressed. 

Furthermore, it’s important 

for investors to be aware that 

a company with an unsustainable 

business model presents 

additional risks over the 

long-term. 

One of the most common 

ways of incorporating sustainability 

into an investment 

process is via the integration 

of environmental, social and 

governance factors. This is 

termed ‘ESG’ investing. 

ESG investing is more than 

simply screening and excluding 

companies engaged in 

certain business areas, such 

as gambling, fossil fuels or 

tobacco. 

It includes a range of 

non-financial measures to 

help identify sustainable and 

non-sustainable businesses, 

and those taking active steps 

to improve the sustainability 

of their businesses. 

For me, the ethical aspect of my 

investment is really important. I decide 

what to invest in, but my adviser gives 

me recommendations along the way 

and answers any questions that I might 

have.” – Craigs Investment Partners client 

*Image of client testimonial has been changed for privacy reasons. 

Socially responsible 

investing is here to stay 

Socially responsible investing 

has gained in prominence in 

recent years and is anticipated 

to become increasingly 

important in 

the years ahead. 

Covid-19 has 

acted as a further 

boost, with 

more and more 

investors recognising 

the 

importance of 

thinking about 

the bigger picture, 

rather than 

only pursuing returns. 

Gone are the days where 

the only focus for a company 

was on maximising shareholder 

value – a company 

must now be aware of the 

impacts of its activities 

on all stakeholders, 

be they shareholders, 

customers, 

employees, suppliers, 

or society 

at large. 

Companies 

must maintain 

their social 

license to operate, 

and controversies 

have real effects on 

company valuations. 

Roy Davidson, Research 

Analyst, Craigs Private 

Wealth Research 

To help clients invest sustainably, 

Craigs Investment 

Partners has developed sustainability 

scores. 

“These scores provide valuable 

information for socially 

responsible investors, weighing 

up the key issues and 

highlighting factors for investors 

to consider in an easy to 

understand manner,” explains 

Craigs research analyst Roy 

Davidson. 

Vanessa Stevens, Craigs 

quantitative analyst adds, “as 

an example, when considering 

a company’s emissions, Craigs 

looks at how emissions intensive 

a company’s activities are, 

what they are doing to lower 

Vanessa Stevens, 

Quantitative Analyst, Craigs 

Private Wealth Research 

their footprint, if they have 

measurable reduction targets 

in place, and whether the company 

is aware of the risks and 

opportunities climate change 

may bring.” 

Craigs Tauranga Branch 

Craigs Investment Partners 

House, 158 Cameron Rd, 

Tauranga 

Ph 07 577 6049 

tauranga@craigsip.com 

Craigs Rotorua Branch 

First Floor, 1196 Whakaue St, 

Rotorua 

Ph 07 348 1860 

rotorua@craigsip.com 

This information is of a general nature only and does not constitute regulated financial 

advice. It does not take into account your particular financial situation, objectives, 

goals, or risk tolerance. Investments are subject to risk and are not guaranteed. 

Past returns are no guarantee of future performance and returns can go down as well as 

up. Before making any investment decision Craigs Investment Partners recommends you 

contact an investment adviser. Craigs Investment Partners Limited is a NZX Participant 

Firm. For more information on Craigs financial advice services please see craigsip.com/ 

terms-and-conditions. 

ADVERTORIAL 

Putting spreadsheets in their place 

When the pressure is on, as it is in incident management – complaints, audits, H&S or R&M – you need 

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Upcoming events: 

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Choosing a Master 

Some of the best-known franchise brands, and nearly every 

international franchise brand in New Zealand, will actually be master 

franchisees operating under a master franchise agreement. 

The holder of that agreement 

– the master franchisee, 

has the rights to 

operate and develop franchise 

business units themselves, and 

or to develop a territory and 

appoint sub-franchisees under 

that brand and system. Master 

franchise agreements can be 

regional, such as a province, or 

national. 

What are the benefits of 

purchasing a master? 

Acquiring the rights or purchasing 

a master franchise 

provides the master with many 

of the same benefits of buying 

a franchise system, but usually 

at only a fraction of the cost of 

acquisition. 

As touched on, many of the 

masters operating in New Zealand 

are large, extremely wellknown 

international brands, 

that in addition to brand power 

will have proven systems, 

access to unique products or 

FRANCHISING 

> BY NATHAN BONNEY 

Nathan Bonney is a director of Iridium Partners. He can be 

reached at nathan@iridium.net.nz or 0275-393-022 

services. 

Two additional and significant 

benefits of acquiring 

a master versus developing 

a franchise are the speed to 

market and the lower establishment 

and ongoing development 

costs. 

The franchisor may develop 

products, services and systems 

and the master will have 

access to these as part of their 

agreement, again most often 

faster and at a lesser cost than 

developing themselves. 

Are there any draw-backs? 

There are a few drawbacks – or 

I would suggest considerations 

or limitations – with acquiring 

and operating a master 

franchise. 

The first and significant 

limitation that needs to be 

acknowledged is that the master 

franchisee does not own the 

intellectual property. In most 

cases this will extend to any 

locally customised or developments 

to the intellectual 

property. 

There are of course ongoing 

fees that need to be repatriated 

to the franchisor. These 

need to be carefully assessed 

to ascertain whether the model 

is sustainable for each of the 

parties, franchisor, master 

franchisee and potentially 

sub-franchisees. 

In the case of importing 

international brands or systems, 

how appropriate is it 

for the New Zealand market, 

is there a consumer demand 

and will there be demand for 

sub-franchises? 

Lastly, consideration needs 

to be given to the term or 

length that the master franchise 

agreement. 

If the master does not have 

renewal rights they do risk 

developing and growing a 

system which ultimately will 

return to and for the benefit of 

the franchisor. 

Two additional 

and significant 

benefits of 

acquiring a 

master versus 

developing a 

franchise are the 

speed to market 

and the lower 

establishment 

and ongoing 

development 

costs.” 

Who would a master 

franchise suit? 

Who is likely to acquire a master 

franchise, and or who is best 

suited to acquire and operate 

one? 

The first group, and one that 

we see often in New Zealand 

are existing franchisors, existing 

master franchisee and or 

brand operators. 

They understand how to 

develop and operate brands 

and systems and they often 

look towards masters as a way 

to diversify, take advantage of 

developing trends or grow their 

overall business beyond market 

limitations of the brand(s) they 

already operate. 

The second two groups are 

less prevalent in the New Zealand 

market, but I am going to 

suggest them as the franchise 

sector develops and matures 

will increase. 

The first of these are existing 

or experienced franchisees. 

Usually, they will have operated 

as multi-site or multi-unit 

franchisees and are looking at a 

way to further grow using their 

experience of operating with-in 

the guidelines and provisions of 

a brand. 

Critically different to operating 

as a franchisee, if they 

are able to sub-franchise they 

will benefit from the initial and 

ongoing fees from the sub-franchisees 

without having to allocate 

the resources to developing 

and operating the business unit. 

The last group of potential 

master franchisees, and again 

one that we are only just starting 

to see in the New Zealand 

franchise sector, is private 

equity groups. 

Private equity groups can be 

strong candidates as their usual 

business model is a growth 

model, they often have well 

experienced management and 

leadership teams and critically 

they have the capital that is necessary 

to truly take advantage 

of and develop using master 

franchisee rights. 

ADVERTORIAL 

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Full service 

dine and cruise 

Trinity Wharf has developed 

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in collaboration with 

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drinks and a two course 

dinner at the waterfront 

hotel and restaurant on the 

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a two-hour cruise departs 

from the hotel’s pontoon, 

with dessert platters and 

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Bay Explorer. 

Trinity Wharf is a 

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position such as a 

cruise package with Bay 

Explorer combined with 

our exceptional dining was 

an obvious product development 

for groups and corporate 

clients. 

“The package was so 

successful for both small 

and large scale businesses 

last summer, particularly at 

Christmas time for end of 

year team celebrations. We 

wanted to get a jump start 

on promoting it again for 

this summer and share this 

amazing team experience 

with the business community 

again”. 

Trinity Wharf is owned 

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and surrounds. The 

property is conveniently 

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So, what are we supposed to eat? 

Musings on luxury and leisure, post annus horribilis 

Even an instinct as primal as eating has been transformed in the 

modern world of our luxury lifestyles. 

LUXURY & LIFESTYLE 

> BY ALAN NEBEN 

Alan Neben is a Mount Maunganui local and experienced 

New Zealand publisher. He now regularly works from home. 

alan@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

While ‘fish and chips 

Friday’ has remained 

a weekly NZ gastronomic 

constant for generations, 

progress moves even 

our trademark takeaway staple 

relentlessly onward. 

Although we can now 

upscale to bluenose dusted in 

a light, tempura crumb batter 

cooked in hand-crafted, nonallergenic 

low-fat virgin Himalayan 

soy bean oil, accompanied 

by laser-cut organic 

pommes de terre curly flat 

wing chiplets avec zesty mayo 

jus, in essence the humble fish 

and chips meal remains fundamentally 

unpretentious (with 

the exception of the above 

varieties). 

Fish is still fish, and chips 

are still chips – the newspaper 

wrapper might no longer 

be readable, and the accompanying 

Fanta might now be 

a replacement low-carb, nonsugar 

drinking medicine, but 

the smell of freshly cooked 

fish and chips still makes me 

say, ‘yes please’. 

So, too, the meat pie. 

Although the full range of 

pie experiences has been 

expanded from two choices – 

potato top and mince – to 202 

options, including octopus and 

lamington curry, and vegetarian 

beef and kale hotpot … 

mmmmmmm … a meat pie is 

still, at its most simple, a meat 

pie. 

But beyond the pie and the 

fish and chips, life has certainly 

changed, gastronomically 

speaking. 

As you will no doubt have 

noticed, I’m prone to regularly 

walk down the ‘when I was 

young’ road in this column. 

Today is no exception. 

For comparison purposes 

I recall – less 

than fondly – when 

Chinese gooseberries 

hadn’t been 

trademarked, 

‘re-specied’ and 

fully commoditised 

and an avocado 

was considered 

too exotic for the average 

Kiwi palate to contemplate 

– not that the average 

Kiwi palate could actually 

find the aforementioned fruit 

to buy and then contemplate 

anyway. 

Olives were married to sailors 

and pistachios would break 

your teeth when you tried to 

chew them. 

Fast-forward to 2021. 

The kids order sushi for their 

school lunches and they don’t 

even care that the fish is not 

cooked – what is the world 

coming to? 

I’m not even going to talk 

today about supermarket psychosis 

– that most recent of my 

modern food-related afflictions; 

that particular malady 

will keep for another column. 

But I am perplexed by 

the bewildering plethora of 

healthy eating signposts at 

modern restaurants directing 

me to a longer life, a healthier 

gut microbiome, clearer skin, 

less interrupted sleep, better 

I’m going to try and eat more leafy greens 

and drink more water. But I’m not giving up 

fish and chips on Fridays and a mince pie 

occasionally when I’m in recovery.” 

sex, elevated karma and a generally 

more radiant aura. 

The average restaurant 

menu is now increasingly 

dotted with letters that I don’t 

understand; In much the same 

way that LGBT evolved to 

LGBTQQIP2SAA while I 

was away for the weekend, 

the average restaurant menu 

now contains an alphabet of 

specifiers next to every second 

menu item – V, V+, 

O, GF, NF, ND, FT (vegetarian, 

vegan, organic, 

gluten-free, nut-free, 

non-dairy, free-trade) 

etc. This can be quite 

annoying when all 

you want to do is 

check if the salad 

comes with chips. 

Pectarian surprise 

When a good friend recently 

announced he was now pescatarian, 

I offered my condolences 

and asked if he was 

seeing a specialist. 

Suffice to say, I am trying 

my best to ‘keep up’. Interestingly, 

I have noticed that my 

friend does have a spring in 

his step now – slam dunk case 

closed irrefutable proof that he 

is having a mid-life crisis. 

Or maybe it means the pescatarian 

diet is working. Hard 

to pin down the cause and 

effect with any certainty, but 

he’s a believer, so I guess that’s 

ultimately all that matters. 

So, are the advantages 

promised by my local pizzeria’s 

menu superscript annotations 

coming true? Are we 

healthier, happier, having better 

sex and living longer? 

Well, here’s the thing – 

while we seem to have more 

cures, we keep discovering 

more diseases. 

While we keep practising 

deeper mindfulness thanks to 

our life coach’s top ten yoga 

hacks, we seem to need the 

therapy more and more. 

The sex was already good 

until the internet showed me it 

wasn’t. 

And while the wealthy seem 

to be living for more years, are 

they really ‘older’, or are their 

regular length lives just being 

chemically elongated? 

I’m going to try and eat 

more leafy greens and drink 

more water. But I’m not giving 

up fish and chips on Fridays 

and a mince pie occasionally 

when I’m in recovery. 

Mackenzie Elvin Law expanding 

its new generation of partners 

ADVERTORIAL 

Mackenzie Elvin Law welcomes 

Jason Bywater-Lutman 

to the partnership. 

Jason will be formally admitted to 

the partnership once New Zealand 

Law Society regulatory approval 

requirements have been finalised, 

making a seven-strong team of principals. 

The appointment confirms 

the firm’s commitment to building 

a strong intergenerational practice. 

Jason is passionate about helping 

Bay of Plenty locals achieve the 

best legal solutions possible in his 

areas of speciality – property, development, 

construction and wider 

commercial law. 

Mackenzie Elvin Law Senior 

Partner Graeme Elvin says Jason 

will be a great addition to the partnership, 

and his appointment has 

come at an important time for the 

firm. “It’s not only about outstanding 

people, for us that’s a given, but 

also the need for extensive legal 

experience. 

“We’ve seen a rapid growth in 

the Bay of Plenty and Jason is excited 

to use his expertise to help 

shape the region now, and in the 

future, and I’m looking forward to 

seeing him flourish in the Mackenzie 

Elvin environment,” he says. 

Jason, who has close to two decades 

of law experience, is proud 

to call the Bay of Plenty home. 

He settled in Mount Maunganui 

in 2014 with his young family, 

following stints practising law in 

Auckland, the United Kingdom and 

Wellington. 

“The Bay’s thriving property 

and commercial sector has created 

unparalleled growth opportunities. 

I’m proud to be part of the region’s 

development and to help clients 

obtain excellent outcomes in their 

endeavours. 

“Joining the successful and 

well-established partnership at 

Mackenzie Elvin Law gives me 

the chance to offer clients customised 

and full legal services with an 

exceptional team behind me,” says 

Jason. 

The appointment of Jason follows 

the recent promotions of 

Rebecca Savage and Thomas Refoy-Butler 

to partners. These three, 

along with partner Tom Elvin, make 

up the second generation of partners 

at the firm. 

Mackenzie Elvin Law is committed 

to being ‘the best on the 

ground’ recognising that law isn’t 

above anyone – it’s for everyone 

– and that’s why the local business 

has a reputation of not only 

strong legal competence but also 

approachability. 

For more information: 

www.mackenzie-elvin.com 

Jason Bywater-Lutman has joined 

the team at Mackenzie Elvin Law. 

NEW PARTNERS, 

NEW GROUND.


Tech.IN THE 

BAY 

LIFTOUT 

BBN’S GUIDE TO TECHNOLOGY AND 

INNOVATION IN THE BAY OF PLENTY 

IN THIS ISSUE 

ENVICO: 

NZ drone company 

flying high 

SWIPEDON: 

Responding quickly to 

market changes 

LAWVU: 

Software firm puts 

legal teams first 

ARRON 

EDWARDS: 

Explore your tech 

future 

TECH TALK 

– with TS – 

Agritech funding 

TAKES BIG STEP FORWARD 

By RICHARD RENNIE 

Bay of Plenty agritech startups stand to be 

among many of the firms to benefit from the 

first milestone to be achieved from the sector’s 

Industry Transformation Plan (ITP) announced 

last year. 

One of the plan’s key goals was to develop a 

venture capital fund targeting agritech startups 

wanting to advance to a commercial stage. The 

agritech ITP was the first of several planned by 

government, due to also include tourism, forestry 

and food sectors. 

Brendan O’Connell, Agritech NZ chief executive 

announced to Bay of Plenty agritech firms late in 

April the launch of the Finistere Aotearoa Fund as 

a $42 million source of capital. The fund comes 

with the backing of the NZ Growth Capital 

Partners and San Diego-based Finistere Ventures. 

Critics of New Zealand’s agritech sector, which 

generates $1.2 billion of export income a year, 

have cited a lack of pathway to commercialising 

startups as a major roadblock to the sector’s 

growth. 

AGRITECH IS BIG IN NZ 

New Zealand is often compared to Israel, with 

a similar population, but an agritech sector 

generating ten times the amount of export 

earnings. But O’Connell says the funding 

market for agritech in New Zealand has matured 

significantly in recent years, with the full 

spectrum of funds now available from angel 

investors sparking startups, growth phase and 

commercial pathway funding. 

Tauranga is increasingly being recognised as a 

hub for angel investment funding with Enterprise 

Angels for example providing funding for 60 

early stage startups to the value of $24 million 

since launching 10 years ago. 

“Companies like (BoP based) Robotics Plus need 

to be celebrated for the ambitions they have got, 

and the funding support they have managed to 

get,” said O’Connell. 

Robotics Plus secured US$10 million of funding 

in 2018 from Japanese robotics giant Yamaha 

to help further develop its orchard automation 

equipment. “It is a very different business model 

to what we have seen before in New Zealand, 

with the exception of Xero.” 

Fund sources now included well-backed 

operators such as Pacific Channel, which has 

placed in excess of NZ$50 million of early-stage 

funding into 27 New Zealand startups through 

50 capital raises. 

Pioneer Capital has invested in 23 businesses 

with funding aimed at businesses already 

managed by capable operators wanting to 

expand into larger international markets, typically 

between the $10 million-$50 million range. 

“Where there used to be holes there are not 

holes now.” 

Increasingly then the challenge was to, like a 

dating process, match the right investors up with 

the right agritech startups. 

INVALUABLE ACCELERATOR 

PROGRAMME 

O’Connell says this is where the Sprout Agritech 

was invaluable with its Accelerator programme. 

This aimed to expose startup personnel to 

business models that had worked, applying key 

lessons to their own businesses to make them 

“match fit” for a scrutinising investor. 

Refining the pitch, having the business plan 

challenged and working closely with mentors 

helped ensure neither party wasted each other’s 

time in determining their suitability. 

Overall O’Connell is optimistic about New 

Zealand’s status as an agritech hub, having moved 

into ninth place globally recently for startup 

potential, and recognised as a regional leader. 

One other outcome of the industry ITP that local 

tech firms had pinned some hopes on was the 

development of a robotics academy in Tauranga, 

leveraging off work done by University of 

Waikato and Robotics Plus. 

But O’Connell – who took over the job a year 

ago – says this had been revised when it was 

realised the expertise sat not only in the Bay 

of Plenty, but around the country, and it would 

prove more effective to develop a better 

network from the resources already in place 

nationally.


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Envico is flying high 

NZ DRONE COMPANY ATTRACTING INTEREST WORLDWIDE 


Sam Vye and Cameron Baker set up Bay of 

Plenty company Envico Technologies two and a 

half years ago to develop tech for conservation. 

After some world firsts with drone technology 

and becoming well known for “big drones” both 

domestically and internationally, the partners 

have also recently started Syos Aerospace. 

“The vision is to become a world-leading drone 

manufacturer, specialising on heavy-lift utility 

drones,” said Vye. “By 2024 we aim to have a 

production facility in the Bay producing 200 

units per annum, exporting 95 percent to target 

regions, tapping into a projected $45 billion 

market.” 

MANUFACTURING BUSINESS 

PLANNED FOR BAY 

Vye said the company decided to set up a 

manufacturing business in the Bay to develop 

the drone platform, and to become a certified 

aircraft manufacturer. 

According to Vye, the response to the company’s 

products has been huge. “It will most likely be 

more of an international market, but there will 

be some domestic sales,” Vye told Bay of Plenty 

Business News. 

As noted, the company is expecting around 95 

per cent of its sales from abroad – markets such 

as the US and Europe and Asia. 

The company plans a Series A investment round 

at the end of 2021 to facilitate this growth. 

According to the company’s mission statement, 

the aim is to develop pioneering technology 

solutions for environmental sustainability. 

“Our purpose is to identify and develop 

suitable solutions that can overcome our 

present problems that negatively impact our 

environment. Whether that problem is detecting 

invasive species, effective invasives control or 

deforestation. We are focused on practical and 

viable solutions for every problem we set out to 

solve.” 

“There definitely is high interest in New Zealand, 

but we don’t really have competition in the class 

we’re in, anywhere in the world,” said Vye. 

He pointed out that any company that starts off 

in New Zealand most likely they will be doing 

more overseas than domestically simply because 

of the sheer size of the available markets 

overseas. 

“The response has been huge,” he said. “The 

attraction has been because we’ve developed 

a product that is highly practical and not just 

based on aesthetics or just to get the investors 

interested. We’ve actually developed a product 

we would like to use ourselves.” “We don’t really 

have competition in the class we’re in anywhere 

in the world,” he said. 

Vye said that one of the requirements of the 

Drone prototype unveiled. 

Photo/supplied. 

drone was that it could be delivered to sites 

anywhere in the world or around New Zealand 

– either on the back of a trailer or in a shipping 

container – without any disassembly being 

required, most places worldwide. This reduced 

transportation costs, he said. 

Bay company 

survives pandemic 

THANKS TO GLOBAL SUPPORT 


SwipedOn Pocket – employee companion app 

For Bay of Plenty company SwipedOn, as for 

many others, dealing with Covid-19 hasn’t been 

easy. And as an ex Ship’s Captain on container 

ships, cruise ships and superyachts, Hadleigh 

Ford isn’t your standard tech entrepreneur. The 

idea for SwipedOn came when he noticed that 

they still used a standard paper visitor book to 

register guests on his ships, and the realisation 

that a digital solution would offer their guests a 

vastly better experience. 

SwipedOn is a company that has gone from 

a tech startup to a global-leading visitor 

management system, with clients that 

include Bayer, Disney, FedEx, 3M, Krispy Kreme, 

Gate Gourmet, Bosch and Skyscanner. 

SwipedOn is a cloud-based iPad application that 

replaces paper visitor books with an elegant and 

simple tech solution. Founded by Ford in 2016, 

the company experienced rapid growth within its 

first two years of operation. 

GROWTH COMPANY HERITAGE 

In 2018, SwipedOn won the Callaghan 

Innovation Growth Grant, was nominated as 

finalists in the NZ Hi-Tech Awards for start-up 

of the year, and was sold to British based 

Smartspace Software PLC. 2020 saw another 

year of growth for SwipedOn and the company 

diversified and expanded on their product 

offering in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, 

to include solutions for workplace screenings 

and contact tracing among other functionalities. 

SwipedOn is unique in that over 80 percent of 

their business is international and their biggest 

markets are the UK, USA and Australia. “The 

past year or so of Covid-19 has been wild from 

my perspective,” Ford told Bay of Plenty Business 

News. 

“We had a global audience so perhaps saw the 

impact faster than most in New Zealand. Our 

customers were either closing up or working 

from home. Or they had issues using a touch 

screen device because of the potential risk 

of cross contamination. So our fundamental 

business model was in question in question at 

the same time that many global economies were 

falling over. So yes, that was quite a torrid time.” 

However, Swiped On responded, putting its 

team together for a brainstorming session to 

explore alternative ways of operating. 

MOVING CONTACTLESS 

As the pandemic got underway they shifted 

the entire app from iPad to contactless in a 

matter of weeks, introduced visitor screening 

questions and provided training in using the app 

for contact tracing. Ford’s visitor management 

system eventually saw huge growth due to a 

global demand for visitor screening and contact 

tracing. 

Developed during the height of the pandemic 

in response to real-time needs, SwipedOn’s new 

products include: contactless workplace sign-in, 

visitor and employee screening questions, a 

dedicated employee sign-in app, contact tracing 

and SwipedOn Desks – a new feature for shared 

workspaces. 

Contactless sign-in 

● Contactless sign-in allows visitors to 

smoothly and safely sign in and out of the 

workplace using their own mobile, eliminating 

the need to touch a communal device. 

SwipedOn Desks 

Hadleigh Ford, SwipedOn founder. 

Photo/supplied 

● SwipedOn Desks helps utilise shared 

spaces effectively, optimising operational costs, 

and offering greater control over workplace 

health and safety policies. The new feature 

allows administrators to manage hot desks, 

agile or activity-based working environments, 

keep track of office occupancy, and even set 

resources as unavailable to help ensure effective 

social distancing. 

● SwipedOn Pocket is an employee 

companion app that helps facilitate a risk-free 

workplace via a contactless sign-in experience 

for staff using their Android or iOS smartphones. 

The app includes screening questions 

and employee movements are logged - giving 

a full oversight of who is in the building at any 

one time. 

SwipedOn Proximity 

● SwipedOn Proximity offers verified 

on-site sign-in for employees by alerting users 

through the pocket app that they are within 

a predetermined radius of the workplace, 

prompting them to sign in. 

Visitor and employee screening questions 

● Businesses can easily screen 

employees and visitors by asking them custom 

yes/no questions to determine if they are a 

safety risk to the workplace. 

Contact tracing button 

● The ability to contact trace has always 

been possible with SwipedOn, but it used to 

be a manual process. In the recent product 

update, contact tracing has been transformed 

into an automated process. It now has the 

capability to alert users who could have had 

contact with an individual who is later deemed 

high risk. 

Ford said new owner Smartspace Software PLC 

had been consistently supportive and SwipedOn 

was able to push into new market segments. 

It also helped, he said, that SwipedOn had 

developed quite a “tail wind” that helped it to 

rally support from old and new customers. 

“We’ve had quite a significant customer base 

we’d managed to build products for, to help us 

ensure growth with the business,” said Ford. 

“Our buyers have been extremely supportive.”

12 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS May 2021 

Xero explores leadership training options with Jason, 

Leah and the team of SMYD Chartered Accounts. 

Getting the most 

OUT OF YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR BUSINESS 

By CRAIG HUDSON 

I was recently asked, how do you balance looking 

after your people with the need to deliver 

commercial value? Simple – these two things are 

not mutually exclusive. You can be successful in 

business without compromising your ability to 

be human. 

I go by the adage, “where focus goes, energy 

flows”. If you can focus on the building blocks of 

success, such as developing your people, instead 

of success alone, then success will follow. I 

believe people are the most valuable resource in 

a business and should be the core of everything 

we do. 

The Xero leadership team went down to Waihi 

recently for a planning session, and there I met 

with Jason and Leah from SMYD Chartered 

Accountants, who were a finalist in the Small 

Partner of the Year category in the 2020 Xero 

Awards. We had a kōrero about wellbeing and 

the impact of this on business. 

When he and his wife Leah started their 

accounting practice, they had one major focus in 

mind – a better lifestyle and ultimate wellbeing 

for themselves and their family. Now that they 

have expanded to a larger team, they have kept 

employee wellbeing top of mind – allowing 

staff to work flexible hours, and remotely from 

home -–meaning they can all put their family 

and lifestyle commitments first, and work around 

those. 

Jason said by putting their people first, they have 

built an extremely loyal, motivated and engaged 

team who really care about their clients. And in 

turn, they’ve seen exponential business growth. 

In fact, they’ve never needed to advertise 

SMYD’s services because word-of-mouth is so 

powerful for them. And I believe that comes 

down to focusing on the fact that people and 

Craig Hudson, Managing Director New 

Zealand and Pacific Islands, Xero 

their wellbeing are at the heart of their business. 

Looking after your people’s wellbeing should be 

a priority for small business leaders. If you’re not 

convinced, let me give you the business case. 

Research commissioned by Xero and conducted 

by the New Zealand Institute of Economic 

Research (NZIER) shows that for every dollar 

invested in organisational wellbeing, employers 

can get up to $12 back. 

This return comes from avoiding the negative 

impacts of poor wellbeing, by creating a positive 

culture in the workplace that supports the 

physical and mental health of staff. It doesn’t 

need to take a lot of time or money. It can be as 

simple as having one-on-one conversations with 

your team to get to know them better. 

Taking an interest in their lives – and sharing 

more about your own – will help build a more 

open and trusted environment where people feel 

comfortable sharing things with you. 

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Tauranga-based Software-as-a-Service 

(SaaS) company SwipedOn, went from tech 

startup to offering a world-leading visitor 

management system with major multinational 

clients within five years. 

With the initial intent to replace the paper 

visitor book, enhance data privacy and create 

a streamlined workplace, Covid-19 delivered 

a true test of their ability to ensure the 

product would continue to evolve amidst a 

rapidly-changing global environment. 

Now, SwipedOn is helping over 7000 

businesses in more than 70 countries return 

to work safely with features which help with 

Covid safe compliance and so much more. 

SwipedOn’s latest Development, SwipedOn 

Desks is proving to be a useful tool for 

businesses across the world as they begin to 

reopen their doors post-pandemic. 

SwipedOn Desks offers a smart and simple 

approach to workplace management. 

Businesses which are interested in keeping 

employees safe at work through social 

distancing, or those who are operating a 

hybrid workplace, will love the agility of the 

cloud-based platform. 

SwipedOn Desks offers any sized business 

the ability to manage their shared desk 

spaces from a central application; helping to 

utilise shared spaces effectively, optimising 

your operational costs, while giving you 

greater control over implementing your 

workplace health and safety policies. 

It’s the perfect fit for workplaces in need 

of a solution to control office capacity, 

view occupancy and history and operate a 

hybrid workplace effectively. Office zones 

or individual desks can be booked out to 

accommodate the rotation of teams and 

individual employees alike. 

Desks can be booked easily by an admin 

or by employees on-the-go on their 

smartphones. For effective social distancing, 

desks can be flagged as unavailable by the 

admin to prevent these from being booked.


Tauranga software firm 

PUTS LEGAL TEAMS FIRST 

By RICHARD RENNIE 

Tauranga legal software company LawVu has 

been quietly building its client base, capacity 

and staff numbers in its central city offices as it 

looks well over the horizon for more business 

opportunities. 

Founded by Sam Kidd and long-time local 

resident Tim Boyne, LawVu is a suite of software 

services aimed at increasing the productivity of 

in-house legal teams in large corporate entities 

and multinationals. The company was recently 

nudged into the national limelight with the 

announcement in early May that it has done a 

deal with a large, but as yet un-named social 

media company. 

Telstra as a client in Australia, a company 

with the largest in-house legal counsel in the 

Southern Hemisphere. Funding to expand has 

come from local investor Craig Wearne who 

liked the idea from the get-go. 

LawVu recently secured $2.5 million of funding 

through a convertible notes offering, run by 

Australian venture capital company AirTree 

Ventures, supported by NZ Growth Capital 

Partners. 

“Generally funding has not been too great an 

issue, we have always been able to convince 

investors about the value of what we are 

offering firms, and really it has been more of a 

case of waiting for the market to catch up to the 

idea,” said Boyne. 

LawVu was born in 2015 when Tim Boyne took 

his 10 years’ experience working in the IT team 

for local legal firm Sharp Tudhope and joined 

with Kidd who had experience in a project 

management software startup. 

“My experience at the law firm was that at 

the end of every month pulling together all 

the reports for the big company clients,” SAID 

Boyne. “It was incredibly painful on our side, and 

had to be repeated by the client. I thought there 

had to be an easier way to keep track of things.” 

‘GO TO’ PRODUCTIVITY TOOL 

Partnering with Kidd and being able to apply 

his experience from his project management 

software saw them develop what is becoming 

the “go to” productivity tool for in-house 

counsel. 

The pair’s big break came when they landed 

Boyne said the legal counsel sector has been 

largely unchanged over the past 20 years 

and has missed out on many of the digital 

productivity tools other sectors have benefitted 

from. 

“For example, 15 percent of lawyers are tracking 

contractual obligations and deadlines on PostIt 

notes. Feedback we get is that having LawVu 

has helped significantly reduce wasted time 

for mundane tasks like document searching, 

meaning teams can focus on more higher value 

projects and activities. 

“One city council saved 40 percent on their 

expenditure on outside counsel spend, while 

another firm’s team of lawyers saved an hour a 

day each by not having to search for documents 

in the usual way.” 

The company has found Australia a good starting 

point as an overseas market, with firms generally 

being larger and two to three years ahead of 

their New Zealand equivalents in adopting new 

technology. But New Zealand clients include not 

only the big players of Zespri and Fonterra, but 

also LIC, Sky and Harcourts. 

REVENUE TRIPLED 

Last year despite Covid’s disruptions the 

company tripled its revenue and will be looking 

to further capital fund raising later this year 

in the US$10 million range as it continues to 

expand its Tauranga office base from its current 

30 staff. 

Boyne says if he had one wish for Tauranga city, 

it would be to see more of a hub develop around 

Tim Boyne: co-founder of Taurangabased 

legal software company LawVu. 

a cluster of tech-focused firms, helping reduce 

the region’s reliance upon its physical resources. 

“You need good companies to attract good 

people, particularly as more and more people 

have spouses, who may also wish to work here 

coming with them.” 

Now with 70 staff spread around Tauranga 

and the world in offices in the US, Ireland and 

Australia, Boyne said there was no constraint 

being based here, and no plans to leave the city. 

Australia is currently the company’s largest 

market, but the US beckons and the company 

is intent on becoming the “go to” option for 

in-house legal teams around the world. “We are 

all about landing and expanding at this stage.” 

ADVERTORIAL 

2DEGREES 

NETWORK 

COMES OF AGE 

• $1b total investment in mobile and broadband offering 

• Ericsson announced as 5G partner for 2degrees bring world-class expertise 

• 5G network build to launch in late 2021 

One billion dollars. That’s how much 2degrees 

has invested in its network since the telco 

opened its doors in 2009. And with the recent 

announcement of Ericsson as its 5G partner, 

2degrees will offer even more to Kiwis from 

late 2021. 

2degrees Chief Technology Officer Martin 

Sharrock says many Kiwis will be surprised to 

learn how far the network has come, with most 

still having fond (though out of date) memories 

of 2degrees as a start-up. 

“Most Kiwis are unaware how much we’ve 

grown. We have our sights set on delivering 

New Zealand’s best 5G network, on top of the 

$1b we’ve already invested in our nationwide 

mobile and broadband offering. 

“We started replacing the core of our network 

in 2020 and we can now accelerate the build 

out of 5G with planned upgrades to existing 

sites. Ericsson is a global leader in mobile 

communications technology, and they will help 

us to bring New Zealanders a world-class 5G 

network,” says Mr Sharrock. 

“We’re excited about 5G and we’re aiming 

to have our first sites live in Auckland and 

Wellington during 2021. The network will 

expand to the other main centres, with plans 

for 700 sites.” 

In addition to enabling the 5G network 

build, partnering with Ericsson will allow 

2degrees to double its current 4G capacity 

and provide an event better customer 

experience, backup up by 100% Kiwi-based 

customer care. 

“To be able to evolve our network to 5G, we’ll 

also be getting in and replacing the heart 

of our network so every one of our mobile 

customers will benefit,” he said. 

Sharrock was keen to point out other 

improvements to the 2degrees 3G / 4G 

network and said a myth he is keen to bust is 

that old fashioned idea that 2degrees still uses 

a competitor network to top up its services, 

which is no longer the case. 

“Our new infrastructure agreement was signed 

last year and roll out of that is just wrapping 

up. It signals the end of the idea of roaming 

and will ensure all our customers will receive 

‘the full 2degrees experience’, especially in 

rural areas or on regional roads.” 

That means that with almost 1800 sites, the 

2degrees mobile network now covers 98.5% of 

places Kiwi’s live and work. 

The network was recently rated first for ‘most 

responsive network’ and first equal for its 

‘excellent consistent quality’ by Tutela.


What makes a good IT 

ADVERTORIAL 

Managed Service Provider? 

– AND WHY DO ORGANISATIONS NEED THEM? 

When we think of technology, we often think 

of the devices, applications and systems we use 

daily, to simplify our lives and keep us connected 

to the world. We view it as the means that drives 

innovation, productivity and efficiency. And we 

have become so accustomed to it being readily 

available that the standard thought is simply “it 

just needs to work” 

The accelerated growth of technology has 

provided a platform that profoundly impacts a 

business’ daily operations. From automation and 

productivity to communication and collaboration. 

With advancements in tech, SME’s can level the 

playing field with larger organisations. From most 

aspects, technology is exciting. It opens doors, 

streamlines processes and provides tools to scale 

our business. It literally put’s the world at our 

fingertips. And when we have the right hardware, 

systems and software in place, our business can 

be limitless. 

But what happens when the tech we so heavily 

rely on, doesn’t work? What if your business was 

to lose access to all your data and systems today? 

What is the cost to your business if you have 

a total IT blackout for 8 hours, or a week? And 

more notably, have you given thought to what the 

severity of disruption and reputational damage to 

your organisation would be in such an instance? If 

2020 taught us anything, it’s that, a solid network 

infrastructure and IT platform is pivotal to a 

business’s success. 

The everchanging landscape of IT and the 

intensifying topic of cyber security requires a 

careful and considered approach and up to date 

knowledge of advancements, which is where the 

advantage of having a Managed Service Provider 

comes in to play. Your MSP should act as an 

extension of your team, provide great value, and 

help your organisation succeed. Choosing the 

right MSP to partner with, helps shape the future 

of your business, so it’s important to know what 

to look for. 

STRATUS BLUE – A ‘PERPETUAL 

BETA’ 

Stratus Blue is a local MSP – we embrace the 

mindset of “Perpetual Beta” a term that is used 

to describe an organisation that operates with 

a strong feedback loop between customer and 

organisation. Our internal philosophy is based 

on the idea, that to become the leaders in our 

industry, we need to be continuously listening, 

learning and adapting. So, we frequently ask 

ourselves: “are we meeting that benchmark of a 

great MSP?” 

Like most service businesses, our “benchmark” is 

set by the needs of our customers. Organisations 

choose to partner with us because we provide a 

customisable solution that meets their needs. We 

understand that as a partner to our clients it is our 

duty to provide them with experience, expertise, 

the latest tech knowledge and resources that 

allow for greater accuracy and reduced risks 

and liabilities. We want our clients to be able to 

focus on their core business - such as direction, 

strategies, and growth while we ensure they have 

the best practice IT framework in place. 

Above all, we foster the care for our people. 

Both internally and with each business we are 

engaged with. We believe what sets us apart, 

are the PEOPLE that make Stratus Blue, and 

the culture of genuine care and connection for 

the businesses we partner with. It has enabled 

us to become a business that grows organically, 

through referrals and reputation. 

We are humbled at the support we get from many 

notable organisations who put their trust in us, 

it is their feedback and success that drives us to 

strive for continuous improvement, and to never 

stop asking ourselves “What makes a good MSP?” 

YOU'RE TECHNOLOGY 

SIMPLIFIED. 

PROVIDING THE CORE TECHNOLOGIES TO HELP 

YOUR BUSINESS GROW. 

NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE 

IT PROCUREMENT 

MANAGED SERVICES 

MANAGED CYBERSECURITY 

CONSULTING & SUPPORT 

Managed Services, Managed Better. 

Addressing the 3 most pressing issues 

business owners and leaders in the SME sector 

are facing. 

Sustaining revenues – in the face of unpredictable 

changes. 

Cyber Security and Risk Management 

Understanding changes in human resources and 

employment law – protecting you and your people 

Giving businesses the freedom to be 

remarkable. 

Call 0800-2-277478 

or 07-777 0010 

www.stratusblue.co.nz 

P R E S E N T E D B Y :


THE IMPORTANCE OF A 

Cyber Security Framework 

Cyber Security. Those two words seem to be on 

repeat. Everywhere we turn in the tech space, 

this topic, albeit being discussed extensively, just 

seems to get hotter. 

Last month saw the Waikato DBH fall victim to 

a “war” it didn’t see coming. Theory is, an email 

attachment was opened, and if so, one click, 

was all it took bring five hospitals to their knees. 

Employees were underpaid or not paid at all, 

cancer patients were shifted to other regions, 

procedures that required digital imaging were 

rebooked and doctors were pushed to rely on 

hard copy records and whiteboards to commence 

treating patients. 

The extent of damage and the cost to the 

government and insurance companies are still to 

be determined as experts weigh in, that the “war” 

is far from over. As cyber security heroes work 

tirelessly to put out the “fires” the looming fact is 

that even once all workstations and software are 

restored from backups and systems are up and 

running, the risk of all patient information being 

released online is still very real. 

THE MONEY MOTIVE 

Simply put, a large government organisation was 

infiltrated by hackers with one motive. Money. 

According to a recent cyberwarfare report, by 

2025 cybercrime globally will cost businesses 

USD$10.5 trillion annually. And if the theory of 

human error, one small moment of misjudgement, 

a single motion of a finger on a mouse, is what’s 

to blame. It reinforces, that without a doubt, 

alongside health and safety, cyber security and 

awareness should be the top discussion points on 

every businesses risk register. 

At times this topic brings about the sense of 

scaremongering, with businesses of all sizes still 

embracing the approach of “she’ll be ‘right” or 

“there’s no reason for us to be targeted”. In fact 

the above comparison to a “war” might seem 

excessive to some. But there are staggering stats 

showing that over 50 percent of businesses 

across all industries in NZ were successfully 

targeted by a ransomware attack in the past 

12 months, and one in five of those businesses 

stated the attack caused serious disruptions to 

their operations. 

CYBER SECURITY SHOULD BE A 

PRIORITY 

It raises cause for alarm that when in discussions 

with many business owners and decision makers 

Cyber Security still does not rank as a priority. 

We look at the importance of Health and Safety 

in the workplace, it is pivotal to keep our people 

safe, but if our business operations, funds and IP 

isn’t safe, how do we ensure the continuation of 

business as usual for those we employ or service? 

Cyber Competency in a permanently digitally 

connected world is becoming a skillset required 

for leaders and employees of organisations and 

it’s evident that Cyber Security is no longer an 

IT duty, but that of the entire organisation, no 

matter the size. Breaches can be achieved through 

hardware, software, and of course the largest risk 

TECH TALK 

at hand, human error. As health and safety does, 

cyber security too, requires a framework. One of 

assessment, commitment, action and culture. 

Taking into consideration what the critical areas 

to protect are in your business, and what the 

implications would be if you were to lose your 

data assets or if your business operations were 

to be down for any length of time, will help asses 

what security measures you have in place and 

where there are gaps. This enables you to act and 

put a framework in place for security measures, 

training and a security “playbook” to follow. 

Committing to this Framework means creating 

a culture of cyber security awareness, that 

means demonstrating your commitment through 

educating staff and ensuring that there is a healthy 

sustainable security culture. When a security 

culture is sustainable, it transforms security from 

a one-time event into a lifecycle that generates 

security returns forever. 

The World Economic Forum Principles of 

board governance of cyber risk suggests some 

> BY TONY SNOW 

Tony Snow is chief executive and co-founder of Stratus Blue. 

He can be contacted at Tony@stratusblue.co.nz. 

considerations for organisations to integrate and 

support strategic and security goals: 

• Appointing a role of a security officer, or more 

commonly outsourcing it. This role carries the 

responsibility to ensure a comprehensive plan 

(playbook/blueprint) exists for data governance 

• Inspiring a cyber security culture 

• Reviewing cyber security function, 

performance and accountability 

• Set the expectation that cyber risk is an 

important part of business longevity and 

continuity 

Regular reviews of your framework and cyber 

management plans should be conducted as 

technology and the sophistication of attacks 

everchanging. Regular and adhoc internal and 

third-party audits should also be performed on 

the effectiveness of cyber risk management and 

recovery plans. How is your plan looking and has 

it been tested? 

TECH BRIEF 

LEVERAGING DIGITAL TOOLS 

A master of many tools, Alicia Beach has 

maximised her Instagram as the platform to sell 

her paintings. Although this could easily be a 

successful full time job, two months ago Beech 

launched Aura Digital to help other creatives 

and small businesses also achieve their goals 

and create income with what they do. 

“Aura Digital’s mission is to inspire and 

empower people to use digital tools, platforms 

and apps to achieve their goals and create 

opportunities for themselves,” she said. “I love 

watching people thrive, especially when it’s as 

easy as giving a few tips and tricks to get the 

ball rolling.” 

First connected with Venture Centre through 

her role at Creative Bay of Plenty (where 

she was marketing lead), Beech is excited 

to continue partnering with their work in 

equipping entrepreneurs on their journey. 

As a Digital Marketing consultant, Beech 

coaches people to leverage social media and 

digital marketing with tools such as Canva, 

Instagram and email marketing. 

Painting, alone in her “bat cave”, without any 

inhibitions is Alicia’s happy place. “It’s what I 

need to be doing. But if it’s all I did, I would 

probably lose touch with the outside world and 

reality (laughs). Aura Digital means I get to pass 

on what I’ve learnt.” 

DIGITAL SAVVINESS 

Beech’s savviness with digital tools – especially 

Instagram – means she is consistently prebooked 

out for her art. She shares that one of 

Instagram’s biggest advantages is that it opens 

you up to the world, widening your potential 

customer base. No longer are you limited by 

being a local business. 

“Instagram allows my main market to be in 

Australia. Just this morning I sold a painting to 

someone in Perth.”


Operational improvements 

DELAYED BY COVID-19 IMPACTS 

EXPLORE YOUR TECH FUTURE 

> BY ARRON EDWARDS 

Arron Edwards is CEO, Bravesight.com. He can be reached at 

arron.edwards@bravesight.com or by phoning 07 928 8867. 

Digital Transformation happens when a business 

decides to improve its operations using 

technology. The technology used could range 

from ERP or back-office software to e-commerce 

systems to speed up order entry and fulfilment. 

Companies that back themselves started and 

completed the initial work to improve their 

businesses using technology. Since lockdown, 

we’ve observed many companies are struggling, 

not financially, but rather operationally due 

to delayed shipments and shortages both in 

stock and labour. This has meant these vital 

transformation projects have been put on the 

back burner for a while, even though they will 

help with some of these issues. 

This is behaviour we have seen for quite some 

time. Business owners who run multiple projects 

simultaneously, end up with delayed projects 

because their priorities are split. Some companies 

work with advisors, coaches or consultants to 

help them prioritise the projects to make the most 

significant improvement. 

When IT projects are prioritised, these companies 

have the largest growth. We’ve not seen it just 

a few times; every client we’ve worked with that 

have prioritised this Digital Transformation has 

grown. 

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM 

A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION 

PROJECT? 

Additional capacity – There is an initial thought 

that there will be cost savings, but this seldom 

happens as the businesses realise they needed 

the free up capacity of one or more key people, 

so they get more business through their systems 

rather than lay people off. 

You’ll find new problems – Once a key constraint 

is flowing better, companies will have a raft of 

new problems come up. We’ve warned clients of 

these before they arrive and help them resolve 

these problems quickly. 

You’ll wish you’d started sooner – Working on 

the project requires a lot of hard work and more 

hours tidying up data etc, then you’ll see the 

return and want to get it done faster. This is a 

comment we have heard many times. 

WHAT STOPS COMPANIES FROM 

TRANSFORMING THEIR BUSINESS? 

Companies delay these kinds of projects because 

they are close to retirement or selling their 

business. This means they don’t realise the 

maximum sell price for their business – just ask 

any business broker. Mostly though, it’s fear. 

Business owners have heard some horror stories 

or had one themselves. 

We always advise companies to find out 

what a provider is like to work with and hear 

that things don’t always go to plan. It’s the 

hard work companies put in that make their 

transformations a success; their partners are 

there to support them in the areas they don’t 

have expertise in. 

WHERE SHOULD YOU START? 

Work out what process or system is causing you 

the biggest headache, then get some help to 

determine if that is the problem. Many advisors 

have experience across many industries, so see 

common issues. Some issues might not be in the 

place you think they are, so having a second pair 

of eyes can help clarify the issue. 

Decide you want to solve a problem, and work 

out how much that problem is costing you. Often, 

a problem is costing you much more than you can 

easily quantify. 

These problems are worth solving first. Then 

you’ll find a string of related problems that can be 

solved at the same time. 

ADVERTORIAL 

Cyber security 

special offer 

TO BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESSES 

InPhySec is a security solutions company 

that delivers superior, intelligence led cyber 

security services to protect your sensitive 

data and information. We believe that 

intelligence is our greatest weapon and our 

client’s greatest defence in the fight against 

cyber crime. 

We offer a broad range of security 

services including security reviews, policy 

consultation, managed security services, 

digital forensics and incident response. Our 

clients are diverse and include some of the 

country’s largest government departments, 

commercial enterprises and SMEs. We are 

highly regarded for our incident response 

services and have responded to some of the 

country’s largest attacks such as the recent 

NZX DDoS attack. 

The collective skillset of our experienced, 

passionate and highly trained team and our 

commitment to working with only the best 

in market technology partners, results in 

the delivery of the most comprehensive, 

specialist and unique cyber security solutions 

both here in NZ and globally. We are 

privately, NZ owned and proud of our no 

compromises approach. 

SPECIAL OFFER 

We would like to offer all BOP Business 

readers an exclusive discount on 

our technical Baseline Security Assessment 

service. The assessment requires installing 

a security agent that monitors for 30 days. 

This is a comprehensive review of your endpoints 

(servers and user devices) current 

security posture, risk position and resulting 

recommendations. 

We are offering BOP Business readers a 

50% discount on this service, which is 

usually valued at $6,000*. Please email 

us at security@inphysec.co.nz and quote 

‘BOPBusiness offer’. One of our team will be 

in touch. 

*Offer valid until 31 December 2021


FRIDAY 16 JULY 

TRUSTPOWER ARENA


Trustpower Baypark – Bay of 

Plenty’s Entertainment Hub 

Trustpower Baypark is living up to its reputation as the 

Bay of Plenty’s Hub of Entertainment as we head into 

the colder months. This winter we have a calendar that 

is full of events for the whole family to enjoy. 

Project 2021 

PROJECT is a Hip Hop Crew Dance 

Competition for youth who have a 

passion for Hip Hop Dance. This 

event will allow young people to 

engage in creative expression in a 

supportive and positive environment 

that encourages participation and 

enjoyment. Participants may come 

from throughout NZ for the two day 

event on June 5 & 6 to battle it out for 

over $5,000 in prize money. 

Showquest 

A night to celebrate our creative 

ākonga, Showquest is a nationwide 

performing arts competition and 

a platform for youth voices to be 

heard. Be amazed by original stage 

performances combining Art, Music, 

Dance, Drama, Culture & Technology. 

Students design, produce and 

perform these stories in a powerful 

night of celebration and recognition 

from their community. Young designers 

will follow the performances with 

a show-stopping Toi wearable art 

showcase. 

Watch friendly inter-school rivalries 

heat up as tamariki explore the 

issues that are important to them. Join 

friends and whānau in supporting 

local emerging talent on the big stage 

June 9! (www.ticketek.co.nz). 

Armageddon 

Don’t miss the Bay of Plenty Armageddon 

Expo event on June 12 & 13 

at the Baypark Arena for its biggest 

gaming and interactive experiences 

yet. 

With special TV and movie stars 

beaming in virtually including guests 

from Smallville, Supergirl, Star Trek 

TNG, Supernatural, The Mandalorian, 

Doctor Who, Battlestar Galactica, 

Naruto, Rick and Morty and 

more! 

Check out the incredible gaming 

displays including Virtual Reality, 

Just Dance Disco arena, huge PC and 

console area, airsoft, amusements 

and more. With heaps of collectibles, 

exhibitors, artists, and designers, this 

is THE biggest Armageddon Tauranga 

event yet. (www.iticket.co.nz). 

Junior Tough Guy & Gal 

Challenge 

So you’re tough, but are you tough 

enough to take on the 1-day Junior 

Tough Guy and Gal Challenge? 

This is a chance for primary and 

intermediate aged kids to get involved 

in New Zealand’s biggest mud run 

series in a version tailored especially 

for them. 

The Junior Tough Guys and Gals 

will take on a 1.5km or 3km muddy 

obstacle course consisting of swamp 

crossings, a spider’s web net climb, 

crawl under obstacles, beautiful 

native bush trails, tunnels, hurdles, a 

climbing frame, water crossing and 

not to mention, mud, mud and more 

mud. 

Held on June 15, all competitors 

will receive a special finishers medal 

for taking part (www.eventpromotions.co.nz). 

Devilskin & Kora 

NZ musical legends DEVILSKIN and 

KORA band together to Co-Headline 

a nine-date winter tour across the 

country, landing in Tauranga on June 

18. 

This winter tour will see an epic 

accumulation of songs that put these 

bands on the map, tracks like Kora’s 

infamous Pop Your Bubble, Drop 

Dead Killer and Carolina and DEV- 

ILSKIN have a host of songs from 

their three #1 albums including crowd 

favourites like Voices, Pray and Start 

A Revolution. 

These two iconic Kiwi bands will 

join forces for a must-see tour promising 

big songs and a formidable live 

energy that is not to be missed! 

Don’t miss this explosive tour 

with two of New Zealand’s hottest 

live bands (www.eventfinda.co.nz). 

The Seriously Good Food 

Show 

Are you looking for some culinary 

inspiration? Celebrate your love 

of all things gourmet with food and 

beverage vendors, craft beer, wine, 

and food trucks at the 2021 Seriously 

Good Food Show. 

With over 120 exhibitors from 

all around New Zealand, you are 

guaranteed to find new and exciting 

products to motivate your next dish 

or creation. 

Sweet or savoury, devour the Seriously 

Good Food Show at Trustpower 

Arena Baypark on June 26 & 27, 

2021. Door sales only. 

The Tauranga Gala Dinner 

Howzat! International cricket 

icon, Brendon McCullum, is gearing 

up for a smashing night out at the 

ninth annual Tauranga Gala Dinner 

on 16 July. 

Captaining a stunning evening 

of entertainment, McCullum 

will be joined by renowned sports 

broadcaster, Scotty Stevenson, with 

national treasures Jackie Clarke, 

Tina Cross and Taisha Tari supplying 

incredible live performances with 

their sensational group, The Lady 

Killers. 

This year’s event will be a spectacular 

night of wining and dining, 

insight and entertainment, and locals 

and legends. 

Get up close and personal with one 

of New Zealand’s most celebrated 

cricketers, be enthralled by some of 

our most heralded singers, and revel 

in style with your clients, staff and 

friends for a much-deserved night out 

(www.taurangagaladinner.co.nz). 

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, 

professional conference organiser 

(PCO) and 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.


NEW APPOINTMENTS 

BBN’S GUIDE TO NEW PEOPLE AND NEW ROLES ACROSS BUSINESS IN THE BAY 

To feature in New Appointments email us at new.appointments@bopbusinessnews.co.nz 

New executives appointed across the Bay 

As organisations in the Bay of Plenty bounce back from the effects of Covid-19 some of the region’s largest and most important groups are 

gearing up with new executive appointments. Please contact us if your organisation has personnel changes you would like to share. 

John Holyoake 

Christina Finlayson, Laura Murphy 

A new chief executive officer has been 

announced for Western Bay of Plenty 

District Council. 

John Holyoake will take the role of 

retiring chief executive officer Miriam 

Taris, appointed to the role in 2014. 

John is currently chief executive of 

the Tamaki Regeneration Company - 

the largest urban regeneration project in 

New Zealand, a role he has held since 

2015. 

Previously, John has worked for 

Serco NZ, Housing NZ and Department 

of Corrections in senior leadership 

roles. 

Western Bay Mayor Garry Webber 

says John’s appointment reflects Council’s 

anticipation of Central Government’s 

well-signalled national reforms 

of Three Waters and the Resource Management 

Act and the desire to be ready 

for the changes. 

“John combines considerable experience 

in the public and the private 

sectors with leadership of large-scale 

projects and strong relationships with 

government, agencies, and large stakeholder 

groups. 

“Council looks forward to working 

with John to ensure Council continues 

to build on its reputation for proactively 

working with, and getting to know, its 

communities and stakeholders across 

the region.” 

John says, “I’m looking forward to 

leading the Western Bay through this 

period of change and the opportunities 

that this will bring for the Council and 

the communities it serves.” 

Priority One has welcomed two 

new Young Professional Directors 

to its Executive Board in May. 

Christina Finlayson and Laura 

Murphy were selected from a 

strong group of applicants and will 

join the Executive Board for 12 

months. 

“It’s great to continue the Young 

Professional Director Programme 

this year,” says Priority One Chair 

Simon Clarke. 

“Christina and Laura are 

already standouts in their fields, 

we look forward to having them 

around the board table. Ensuring 

that Tauranga is an attractive place 

for talent is important to this economy, 

the viewpoints that our Young 

Professionals provide will help 

inform our talent strategy.” 

“I’m passionate about the future 

of Tauranga and its prospects for 

businesses, the community and in 

particular young people living and 

working here,” says Laura, a Solicitor 

at Holland Beckett. 

Christina, a Digital Product 

Owner at Ballance Agri-Nutrients 

Christina Finlayson 

shares, “I’m grateful for the opportunity 

to join an organisation that 

cares deeply about the sustainable 

growth of our city. It is such a privilege 

to develop my governance 

skills, learning from local business 

leaders.” 

Laura Murphy 

The Young Professional Director 

Programme was started in 

2020, with the view to providing 

Tauranga’s Young Professionals 

with governance experience, and 

Priority One with a diversity of 

thinking around the board table. 

YOU CAN’T 

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WWW.STRATUM.NZ | 07 573 7717


First on the scene 

Photos from Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards 2021 Launch, 

held at the Pullman Hotel, Rotorua. 

Photos by Michelle Cutelli Photography 

1 

2 

1 Bryce Heard (Rotorua Business Chamber) and Michelle Urquhart (Tompkins Wake). 2 Ryan Gregorash (Matai Restaurant) and Trevor Maxwell (Rotorua Lakes Council). 3 Tim Senington and 

Julie Fiske (Kanuka Boutique Florist). 

3 

4 

4 Yogi Bhati (Fix Café), Geoff Rice (Rotorua Chamber Board Member), Mayor Steve Chadwick (Rotorua Lakes Council) and Trevor Maxwell (Rotorua Lakes Council). 5 Nadia Christensen 

(McDowell Real Estate), Cecile Whelan (Rotorua Business Chamber), Bryce Heard (Rotorua Business Chamber) and Michelle Cutelli (Michelle Cutelli Photography). 

5 

6 

7 8 

6 Glenn Tasker (Quest Hotel, Rotorua) and John McRae (Deloitte). 7 Charlie Windell (Rotorua Business Chamber) and Israel Guido (Pullman Rotorua). 8 Angelique Scott (Personnel 

Resources) and Alan Solomon (OneChance NZ). 

9 

10 

9 Paul Hickey (The Hits FM), Andrew Orme (Tompkins Wake), Kiri Tahana (Kahui Legal) and Mayor Steve Chadwick (Rotorua Lakes Council). 10 Kiri Tahana (Kahui Legal) and Andrew Orme 

(Tompkins Wake).


Relationships and other complications 

Jon Richardson, a famous UK comedian, once said “all relationships 

end, either one of you leaves or one of you dies” and that is true in 

business too. But sometimes the relationship can outlive its benefit 

for both parties. I will give an example of this that I have come across 

in the construction industry. 

A 

builder and an electrician 

start working with 

each other soon after 

starting their own businesses. 

They started doing mainly renovations 

for a few years and 

business was good. 

Then the builder was 

approached by a group home 

builder franchisee about submitting 

a quote to subcontract 

to them. Eager to land a 

large client and knowing several 

companies were quoting 

against him, the builder went 

in with a very competitive 

price and won the contract. 

Naturally, the builder asked 

his electrician friend to work 

with him and they both hired 

staff, purchased equipment 

and got ready for the influx of 

work. 

Around six months into 

the contract the group home 

builder was paying payment 

claims late and would always 

come up with an issue that 

needed remedying on the day 

the payment was due, in an 

apparent attempt to delay the 

payment. 

The electrician had also 

heard from some of his electrician 

friends working at other 

businesses that the franchisee 

had outstanding accounts with 

several of them from before 

the electrician and the builder 

started working with the group 

home builder. 

The electrician relayed this 

information to the builder and 

expressed his concern given 

the late payment history. 

When things go wrong 

The builder decided to ignore 

the information and agreed 

to build the next two houses 

for the group home builder. 

However, when he asked the 

electrician to provide services, 

he refused stating that he had 

heard a creditor was planning 

to put the group home builder 

into liquidation. 

The builder became angry 

and told the electrician that if he 

refused to do the work then the 

working relationship was over. 

The builder called the group 

home builder, and they assured 

him that they were solvent and 

did not know of any creditors 

that were unpaid. 

Three months later, the 

group home builder franchisee 

was in liquidation, the builder 

was an unsecured creditor 

owed $50,000 and the electrician 

was back to doing higher 

margin renovation work. 

Some of the best operators that I have 

worked with have regular meetings with 

both key suppliers and major customers to 

ascertain that they are on the right path and 

have complementary plans for the future.” 

Often people in business fail 

to take regular audits of their 

relationship with key suppliers 

and customers. And when 

this happens there is a real risk 

that one business could follow 

the path of the other into areas 

where they would otherwise 

not tread or one could end up 

feeling abused or hindered by 

the other. 

Some of the best operators 

that I have worked with have 

regular meetings with both key 

suppliers and major customers 

to ascertain that they are on the 

right path and have complementary 

plans for the future. 

CREDIT CONTROL 

> BY NICK KERR 

Nick Kerr is a Business Advisor at NJK Advisory Ltd. 

He is also director of International Private Investigations Ltd. 

Nick can be reached at nick@nzipi.com 

This way there is plenty of 

time to make subtle changes 

to either ensure alignment and 

synergy or to make allowances 

for customer and key supplier 

replacement where needed 

without causing major business 

disturbance basically no one is 

ever surprised by something 

they have planned for. 

Just a thought. 

NB: This will be my last column 

as an Area Manager of 

EC Credit Control. This month 

I move my focus to NJK Advisory 

to focus on providing 

debt prevention and specialist 

business advice. My sincere 

thanks to all of my clients with 

EC over the past 14 years and 

I wish all of you every success 

for the future. Thanks. 

ALTOGETHER 

At Bayleys, we believe relationships are what businesses are built on and how they 

succeed. We understand that to maximise the return on your property you need: 

Professional property management 

A business partner that understands your views and goals 

Contact the Bayleys Tauranga Commercial Property Management team today. 

Bayleys Tauranga 

Commercial Property Management 

07 579 0609 

jan.cooney@bayleystauranga.co.nz 

SUCCESS REALTY LTD, BAYLEYS, LICENSED UNDER THE REA ACT 2008 

ALTOGETHER BETTER 

Residential / Commercial / Rural / Property Services


Is your business 

ready to catch the 

wave? 

There’s a brightness about the future right now. The Covid-19 vaccine 

is being rolled out in many countries around the world and businesses 

in industries that could see only darkness last year are starting to spring 

back to life. But is your business ready? If your business downsized 

or pivoted to survive, how easy will it be to ramp back up or return to 

some of the core business you relied on prior to the pandemic? 

Gearing back up can take 

time and businesses 

that are too slow off 

the mark risk missing out on 

opportunities. 

This is precisely the challenge 

faced by many tourism 

operators, which will be looking 

to attract Australians once 

again now that the trans-Tasman 

travel bubble is in place. 

Hospitality and events businesses 

are in a similar boat and 

will be trying to adjust their 

marketing messages back 

towards the joy of socialising 

and spending time with others. 

Exporters face an extra 

layer of complexity because 

the Covid-19 situation differs 

by international market. It’s 

not easy, but by focusing on 

the following key areas you 

will improve your chances of 

catching the Covid recovery 

wave early. 

Update your messaging 

The way we sell our products 

or services needs to change 

once again. Most businesses 

shifted their messaging 

during the lockdown last year, 

whether it was to appeal to 

New Zealanders desire to buy 

locally or to remain relevant at 

a time many people were stuck 

at home. 

With travel bubbles popping 

up and people re-emerging 

from their homes in some 

countries, it’s time for businesses 

to begin capitalising 

on the newfound hope many 

have. We may not see a complete 

return to what we saw 

before Covid-19, but some 

industries are experiencing a 

resurgence as people overseas 

seek to make the most of the 

freedoms success over the 

virus can bring. 

Promotions can once again 

celebrate getting together with 

friends and family to enjoy 

good times together. 

Optimise online stores 

There has been a sharp increase 

in the number of people shopping 

online in the past 18 

months as national lockdowns 

and fear of the virus spurred 

many people to change their 

behaviour. 

As a result, having a 

well-presented and easy to 

use online store is now critical. 

If you haven’t already, it’s 

worth exploring e-commerce 

options. And if you already sell 

online, then now is a good time 

to ensure is the buyer experience 

is seamless. 

Make sure you have 

high-quality photos and 

engaging product descriptions. 

Ensure payment and 

delivery is straightforward. 

Take steps to ensure you can 

gauge the success of your marketing 

activities and measure 

conversions. 

Country and regionspecific 

marketing 

For exporters, it’s more important 

than ever to have your finger 

on the pulse of each of the 

key markets you are selling 

into. The rebound from Covid- 

19 is vastly different depending 

on where in the world you 

are, and a message and product 

that might be well received in 

one country might be insensitive 

or taboo in another. 

You wouldn’t dream of promoting 

a concert at a stadium 

in India right now, but the 

appetite for events that draw 

crowds will soon be greater 

than ever in places like New 

Zealand, Australia and the UK. 

It’s critical to tailor digital 

messaging by country. Now, 

more than ever, one message 

used universally to promote 

your products in every country 

is not enough. The same goes 

for your marketing budget. Be 

THE LAST WORD 

> BY JAMES HEFFIELD 

Director of Bay of Plenty marketing and PR consultancy Last 

Word. To find out more visit lastwordmedia.co.nz or email 

james@lastwordmedia.co.nz. 

prepared to regularly increase 

and decrease your spend in 

each country you target as the 

in-country Covid-19 situation 

changes. 

Get your resourcing and 

systems right 

Your marketing promises will 

be meaningless if you don’t 

have the systems in place to 

back them up. How fast can 

you ramp up and hire staff 

if opportunities arise? How 

easy will it be to increase production 

or get new stock in 

quickly? 

It’s a good idea to get 

employment contracts in order 

and make sure you know 

where you will advertise positions. 

Put some thought into 

how much inventory you will 

need to hold – If you only hold 

a limited amount of stock, then 

you will need to plan ahead 

more because of the longer 

delivery times resulting from 

recent disruptions to global 

shipping. 

The recovery from Covid- 

19 won’t all be plain sailing 

for businesses, as the recent 

spike in cases in some countries 

demonstrate. But if the 

vaccines continue to be effective 

and businesses time their 

runs right in each market and 

country they sell into, then the 

light at the end of the tunnel 

may not be so far away. 

It’s not easy being an employer in 2021 

As employers we are currently facing challenging times. We navigated 

our way through the trials that 2020 brought, with luckily fewer job 

losses than estimated and since then, business is seemingly booming. 

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 

The skill shortages within the labour market are not only 

affecting the major cities, but are very real right here in the 

Bay of Plenty – and potentially worse.” 

But how can business 

thrive and grow if the 

demand vs supply for 

staff is not met. Over the past 

18 months there have been 

several employment-related 

legislative changes announced, 

rising compliance costs, and 

now skill shortages are becoming 

apparent across almost all 

sectors. 

Skill shortages are a very 

real business risk in today’s 

climate. Businesses are busy 

– many more so than ever 

before. Wait times for services 

and trades are lengthy – is this 

our new norm? How can a 

business grow and prosper if 

they can’t find quality people 

to fill key roles. 

With our borders being 

closed and the supply of 

migrant workers limited to 

those who are already in the 

country, the demand for workers 

is high. With an increase in 

vacancies and a decrease in job 

seekers, as employers this is 

one of our biggest challenges 

for this year and beyond. 

Taking a regional hit 

The skill shortages within the 

labour market are not only 

affecting the major cities, but 

are very real right here in the 

Bay of Plenty – and potentially 

worse. The regions tend to 

get hit hardest in times such 

as these. Shortages are being 

experienced across a broad 

range of industries and sectors 

and are no longer contained to 

technical roles. 

In a candidate-driven market, 

becoming an employer of 

choice is one way in which 

you can ensure that you are 

at the top of candidates list 

of company’s they want to 

be employed by. This can be 

achieved by developing your 

employer “brand”, which will 

help you to attract top candidates 

to your business and differentiate 

your company from 

your competitors. 

This can help you to attract, 

recruit, and retain the best 

available talent, which ultimately 

will have financial 

benefit and payback for your 

company. It’s walking the 

talk, providing genuine and 

real benefits – “treating your 

valued employees more like 

your valued customers” – your 

vital resource in sustaining 

your business and its future 

prosperity. 

The real costs of 

replacement 

Having a robust reputation 

as an employer goes beyond 

attracting the best employees 

to your vacancy, it will provide 

positive opportunities and 

financial advantages to your 

company. 

Employees that stay with 

your company can be trained 

and developed, retaining 

essential skills and knowledge. 

Do you know the real 

cost of having to replace an 

employee in a key role who 

has been with your company 

for several years and is leaving 

to work for a competitor? 

Some of the ways in which 

you can look at enhancing your 

employer brand include adopting 

Equal Employer Opportunity 

practices, community 

involvement and engagement, 

flexibility with work options, 

health and wellness policies, 

environmental and sustainability 

policies, providing a point 

of difference as an employer 

from your competitors, real 

benefits, genuine commitment, 

and care of your employer 

brand through company integrity 

and leadership. 

Recruitment is about 

attracting the most talented 

and capable people to your 

role, therefore any positive 

messages and demonstrable 

behaviours that you can communicate 

about your employment 

practices may give you 

the edge you need to become a 

preferred employer in the eyes 

of the candidate. 

It goes beyond just the 

attraction of candidates, also 

encompassing retention and 

development. 

Do you know what your 

employer brand is – how your 

business is perceived by those 

not in the marketplace but 

those who are already working 

for you. 

Starting in-house with 

an initial employee survey 

could be the first step in 

researching current perception 

and what you might take on 

board as feedback to improve 

your employer brand for the 

future.

June 2021 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 23


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June 2021 - Bay of Plenty Business News

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