December 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

December 2023 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS 5
Business confidence in
Rotorua soars by nearly 50%
– promising trend revealed
RotoruaNZ, in collaboration with the Rotorua Business
Chamber, has released the fourth Rotorua Business Pulse
Survey results, highlighting the evolving sentiments of
Rotorua’s business leaders.
The latest survey reveals a significant
upswing in forward-looking business
confidence, with an impressive
increase of nearly 50% compared with the
April survey findings. This surge in confidence
reflects Rotorua’s resilience and
adaptability, showcasing a positive trajectory
for the local business community.
The Rotorua Business Pulse initiative
continues to serve as a key barometer for
assessing the health of the local economy,
providing a valuable platform for business
leaders to convey their insights. The most
recent survey, conducted from October
18th to November 5th, saw active participation
from 108 Rotorua-based businesses,
contributing to the dataset underpinning
these findings.
Andrew Wilson, Chief Executive of
Rotorua NZ, said “the findings from this
survey reaffirm Rotorua’s potential as a
thriving place to do business. This surge
in confidence reflects the resilience of our
local businesses and their readiness to
embrace opportunities in an ever-evolving
economic landscape.”
Bryce Heard, Chief Executive of the
Rotorua Chamber, echoed these sentiments,
saying, “The survey results are a
testament to the collaborative spirit of
our business community and its ability to
adapt to changing circumstances. Rotorua
is poised for growth and prosperity, and
this renewed confidence is a clear indication
of that.”
As part of this initiative, a comprehensive
dashboard has been developed to
provide a user-friendly platform for stakeholders
to access and analyse the survey
data. This resource will help community
leaders, businesses, and policymakers
make informed decisions and monitor
Rotorua’s economic pulse.
Notable trends highlighted in the survey
include an optimistic outlook for the
next year, likely driven by factors such as
recent government changes, a heightened
focus on reputation rebuilding for talent
attraction, increased infrastructure investment,
and a significant uptick in the adoption
of AI technology by local businesses,
with a growth rate of over 50%.
These positive findings underscore
Rotorua’s resilience and potential for
growth, setting the stage for a prosperous
future for the local business community.
“We know that CSR is increasingly
important to companies and their
employees. Acorn offers tailored solutions
to help local businesses achieve
their corporate giving goals,” says
Emily Goulding, Acorn’s Corporate &
Community Giving Manager.
“There are so many ways to give
through Acorn: corporate scholarships,
employee workplace giving, corporate
endowment funds... It’s all about boosting
office morale and showing your
company cares about the communities
you work in.”
As an established funder in the
WBOP with 20 years’ local expertise,
the Acorn Foundation has its ‘finger
on the pulse’ and can give useful guidance
when it comes to choosing charity
recipients.
“At Acorn, we do all the due diligence
as part of our annual funding
round, where we assess dozens of funding
applications from local charities.
So, we know which local groups are
doing the most vital work in our communities,”
says Emily.
SPONSORED
CORPORATE GIVING MADE EASY
WITH THE ACORN FOUNDATION
More than 14 local businesses – large and small – are
choosing to give back to the community via the
WBOP’s Community Foundation: the Acorn Foundation.
Why? Because it’s local giving, for local causes.
For several years in a row, Acorn has
facilitated charitable donations from
local branches of ASB Bank and Craigs
Investment Partners at Christmas.
“Though we find that Christmas is
a popular time of the year for companies
to donate to charity, we
facilitate corporate giving
year-round,” says Emily.
“I would encourage any
company with a community
focus to contact
Acorn Foundation to
discuss how we could
help your business
implement a corporate
giving scheme that
suits you.”
Emily Goulding,
Acorn’s
Corporate &
Community
Giving
Manager.
Learn more at: acornfoundation.org.nz/corporate-giving
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