Auckland Chamber Innovate - December 2013

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Published by the Auckland Chamberof Commerce

Publisher and Editorial DirectorMichael Barnett

EditorCharles Fairbairn

Deputy EditorSara Foley

Creative Director/DesignerRaymond Yeung

AdvertisingSulu Robertson

ContributorsSara FoleyRuth Le PlaJeremy MarksAnna VerboektLisa MacKayZac de Silva

DistributionAuckland Chamber of Commerce

PrintingSoar Printing

For Content and Advertising enquiriesp. +64 9 309 6100e. [email protected]

Auckland Chamber of CommercePO Box 47, Shortland Street,Auckland 1140, New Zealandp. +64 9 309 6100f. +64 9 309 0081w. aucklandchamber.co.nz

REGULARSEditorial: Make a Decision to Make a Difference 2News 4Economic Update 6Business Reads 34The Business Coach: Reduce Rick in Your Business 35Members Gallery 47

FEATURESThe New Zealand Story 8

What will Ultrafast Broadband mean? 12

A Blur of Highlights 15

Q&A: Three Technology Business LeadersTalk About The Economy 18

Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards 2013 28

Networking Goes Digital 32

CHAMBER SPOTLIGHTEmployment: CadetMax 16

On The Job: Employment Law Change 20

Chamber Events 24

Employment Solutions 30

On The Road 36

Global: China Business Summit 2013 Report 38

Membership 41

Business Support:Share Opportunities and Challenges with a Mentor 42

Chamber Spotlight 45

Business Savings 48

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CONTENTS

One copy of Innovate is supplied free to each Auckland Chamber of Commerce member company, with complimentary copies distributed to Chambers in other locations.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or printing without the prior written permission of the publishers.

ISSN 1171-7408

Disclaimer: the views expressed by contributors are not necessarily the views of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

The Auckland Chamber of Commerce was established in 1856. Innovate is the Chamber’s magazine and is direct-mailed and distributed free of charge to Chamber members. The Auckland Chamber is one of the largest business sector organisations in Australasia.

Photos: Auckland Chamber of Commerce acknowledges the copyright of Tourism New Zealand (Chris Williams, Damian Alexander, Joseph Kelly) and Topic Photography for front cover and 'The New Zealand Story' images.

2 Innovate December 2013

EDITORIAL

December 2013 Innovate 3

I’m often told that for New Zealand to prosper Auckland must be successful and I remind myself that for Auckland to be successful businesses must have the best platform off which they can operate – profitably.

But we still have some work to do to get the Auckland platform into the best possible shape on which we can create a team of champions to fulfil our dreams and ambitions for our City.

It concerns me that we enter a new term of local government still fixed on a political “them and us” attitude that threatens to continue to deliver division and frustration and make it tougher than it should be for Auckland to close the competition with those other world cities we like to compete and compare ourselves with. Division is an old style of politics while making the most of diversity, difference and tolerance is likely to deliver a better result.

We do not have the luxury of time given the pace other cities are moving ahead. We need to take some responsibility for what we are, what we should be and close the gap.

The business community is doing exactly that. If there is one issue that we should address to change the face of our communities, it is youth unemployment. This is an international problem of significant concern. In the OECD, for example, youth unemployment is 16% and considered to be a major constraint to growth. In Auckland, youth unemployment is 22% and if we focus on Maori and Pacific communities – it is closer to 30%.

This is unacceptable for a city whose economic development plan has the objective of delivering improved opportunity and prosperity for all. With business

community support the Chamber has created partnerships with the Ministry of Social Development and Ngati Whatua and made a difference to hundreds of young lives. But those initiatives need to be brought to scale with a whole of Government approach instead of the dilution of effort created by our fragmented efforts to address this issue.

The list of things for Auckland to do is extensive and exists because of a failure to act in the past. What is needed is a greater participation and resourcing of Auckland’s 21 local boards so they can play a greater role and take into account the diversity of the region and people who live in it. Auckland councillors and administration need to focus on issues on a city-wide basis. Issues of safety, security, infrastructure and employment are not confined to the city centre and recent events show clearly that current initiatives are inadequate.

Nowhere is the need for a change of behaviour and new standards in council more in evidence than the recently notified Unitary Plan. To reinforce that Auckland is serious about lifting its growth, exports and productivity, the Unitary Plan, a legal document, should include the relevant economic objectives from the Auckland Plan and be reinforced by policies and rules designed to achieve them. It doesn’t. Instead, its focus is on regulating and controlling the effects of growth. It will need to be redrafted to align and support the core Auckland Plan objective to enable economic growth activities, not simply manage or control its effects. It is a story you will be hearing a lot more about in coming weeks and months.

Meanwhile the recent Westpac business awards reinforced the new and highly creative business success stories that are

emerging in Auckland. They are young David companies challenging long-established Goliaths and winning. They are Auckland-based but world-focused. This new tier of Auckland business understands risk and possible failure but is giving it a shot using new ways and technology. Contact with networks is not measured in the number of handshakes or emails or how many times the phone rings, but in the number of tweets and likes or followers they have. It’s a new way of doing business and a different way but it's not wrong.

All Auckland businesses can be encouraged. The old, well-established businesses can be refreshed and stimulated by the success of youth, and the new emerging businesses can – and are – learning the value of well-tested best business practice. As signalled in our latest quarterly survey, business confidence is on the rise and rise. Both young and well established businesses that have adapted to the opportunities of the new environment are succeeding – it is Auckland at work.

In this issue of Innovate we also encourage all businesses to look at the new New Zealand Story tool kit that government has just released. Designed to assist businesses in their international marketing, it continues to paint New Zealand as a pristine, pure and green place of opportunity. Creative, innovative Auckland businesses will nonetheless be able to adapt the information to suit their own new technology and global marketing efforts.

Michael BarnettCHIEF EXECUTIVE

AUCKLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE


NEWS

The New Zealand Government has recently announced a major reform in health & safety legislation with the aim of reducing injury, ill health and death in New Zealand workplaces. This new ‘package’ will include:

• The introduction of WorkSafe, the new health & safety regulator which is to be established and operational by December 2013

• A stronger focus on a co-ordinated approach, with enhanced worker participation and increased collaboration between government agencies (such as the new WorkSafe and ACC) and between government, private businesses and individual experts.

• A new Health & Safety at Work Act, based on Australian legislation, will be presented to Parliament in December and will replace the Health & Safety in Employment Act 1992. It is expected that this new law and the regulations supporting it should come into force before the end of 2014.

• The new legislation will focus on reducing occupational harm and will provide for more effective enforcement and greater powers to the courts, establish harsher penalties and introduce new duties and responsibilities for company directors.

• An average increase of 3c per $100 of wages in the Health & Safety levy in order to fund the increase in cost of the new Health & Safety regime.

Lisa Mackay, Director, HRtoolkit.

Major reform of health & safety legislation

New Zealand ranks 17 out of 103 countries in ‘Workplace Attractiveness’ according, to a new Index. We are, you might say, ‘hot’ or officially ‘talented’- in an employment sense. The Global Talent Competitiveness Index, launched by international business school INSEAD, takes a range of factors, including external and internal openness, and business landscape into consideration.

New Zealand’s specific workplace characteristics are reflected in the result, based on research from the Human Capital Leadership Institute of Singapore, and US-based recruiter Adecco.

Our labour market flexibility sees us ranked first in the business landscape category and our scores in terms of internal openness show tolerance of immigrants, minorities, social mobility and the prevalence of female professionals - which combined help us rank fourth.

The 103 countries of the Index collectively represent 86% of the world’s population, and 97% of annual gross domestic product. The top ranking nations are predominantly European, with Switzerland ranked first, Singapore second, and Denmark third.

New Zealand workplaces are highly attractive


Thank you to all businesses who took part in the pilot EEO Trust Diversity Survey carried out by AUT University’s New Zealand Work Research Institute in November.

Managing an aging workforce has emerged as the leading issue for New Zealand’s larger companies while wellbeing and flexibility are the top concerns for the country’s small and medium organisations, according to the first EEO Trust Quarterly Diversity Survey.

The survey attracted over 1,460 respondents and has been developed to provide a benchmark for diversity in New Zealand workplaces.

EEO Trust chief executive Bev Cassidy-Mackenzie says the strong response to the survey shows New Zealand companies are serious about understanding the level of diversity in their business and seeing how they compare to the wider workforce.

“To make progress in achieving a workforce that more accurately reflects the demographics of the population – in terms of age, ethnicity, gender or disability – we need to know what it is about diversity that our companies are grappling with.” says Cassidy-Mackenzie.

“The fact that smaller companies have highlighted wellbeing and flexibility shows that it might be the mechanisms that support diversity that are presenting obstacles,” she said.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Michael Barnett says the results highlight the different issues that small and large organisations grapple with.

“For example, ethnicity, gender, bias, bullying and harassment were of notably greater concern for large organisations than for small organisations,” he said.

To read the full results visitwww.aucklandchamber.co.nz and click on the News tab

Workplace Diversity Survey Results

A ‘new’ e-newsletter for Chamber members will be launching soon. The social media newsletter will include Facebook tips andcase-studies from Claire O’Connell, Facebook New Zealand’s sales manager. This is an initiative to follow up her keynote address at The Chamber's Business Club in October as there was just too much to cover in her in20 minute presentation.

Members who want to receive these case studies can email [email protected] or visit the Chamber’s Facebook page Facebook.com/aklchamber and click on the ‘Get me tips’ button.

Business Club ‘liked’ by members

In November we had three prize-winners visit us in the space of 24 hours to collect prizes. Cathy Burn from Dalton International Limited was the winner of an iPad 2 in the prize draw offered to everyone who completed the November Business Survey.

And in a draw for businesses who completed their entry forms for the Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards within the deadlines, Lizzie Hines, managing director of Spaceworks Design Group, won the cash prize of $2,500 and Dave Anderson, general manager of Cubic Transport Services Limited, won a night’s accommodation at The Langham Auckland. Enjoy!

Congratulationsto our competition winners!

Economic Update

By Anne Boniface

The New Zealand economy has continued to accelerate. Businesses are increasingly confident about their prospects, the Canterbury rebuild is driving a broadening lift in construction activity and agricultural production is bouncing back strongly after drought. This stronger growth will generate inflation pressures that will require the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates next year. However, developments in the housing market in particular will be under close scrutiny as we assess the impact of higher mortgage rates and the Reserve Bank’s mortgage lending restrictions which came into force on the 1st of October.

Business sentiment improved further in the September quarter as an increasing number of firms expect both general business conditions and their own activity to continue to accelerate. Details contained in the September Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion (QSBO) emphasised that this improved outlook is not all down to a quake-driven construction boom (though of course this continues to be a big driver). Confidence is growing across a broad range of industries including those in the service and retail sectors.

And while it is not covered directly by the QSBO, many in the agricultural sector are also feeling pretty upbeat as production recovers from last summer’s drought. Milk collections over the last three months are over 5% ahead of the same period last year. As we head towards peak milk production, pastures and stock in much of the country are in great condition. The lift in production and sky-rocketing global dairy prices mean dairy farmers are set to get an income boost to the tune of 2% of New Zealand’s GDP.

The detail of the QSBO survey combined with other indicators pointing to improved domestic activity and a rapidly recovering agricultural sector, point to much stronger economic growth over the second half of 2013. And this strengthening domestic

activity will generate inflation pressure, compelling the Reserve Bank to raise rates. In its latest Monetary Policy Statement the Reserve Bank clearly signalled substantial interest rate increases over the next couple of years, projecting a 90day rate of 4.7% by late 2016 (from 2.7% presently) – an outlook that is now broadly consistent with our own long-held view.

This inflation pressure is expected to outweigh the dual headwinds of a high currency and housing market uncertainty. Stronger commodity prices are one factor supporting the strong New Zealand dollar which in turn will be putting downward pressure on imported inflation. The currency has also been buoyed by the US Federal Reserve’s decision not to reduce its pace of asset purchases in September and is significantly higher than the RBNZ assumed in its September projections. We expect the NZD/USD to remain above 80c until the September quarter next year.

We will also be keeping a close eye on developments in the housing market. While there is much uncertainty, our view is that longer term, the high profile restrictions on low equity lending will have a modest impact on housing loan growth and ultimately house prices. But when combined with the sharp increases in fixed mortgage rates we’ve seen over the last month we’re likely to see some of the wind start to come out of the housing market’s sails by the end of the year. Initially this softness should manifest as a small reduction in turnover, lengthening time to sell, and an increase in the number of properties on the market. A couple of months after that we would expect to see softer price action emerge (although a slower pace of house price growth should not be confused with house-price falls). But even if the housing market slows as we expect, it won’t be enough to stop the RBNZ kicking off a tightening cycle in around April next year.

October 2013


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From wine to water to windflow technology, New Zealand exporters can now use a raft of free marketing visuals to help them showcase the strengths and wonders of our country.

Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler is encouraging all exporters to see for themselves how the range of videos and photos can help them position New Zealand as a land of open space, welcoming hearts and open minds.

It’s all part of the New Zealand Story, a major new toolkit for Kiwis wanting to tell people overseas what we’re about. And it goes way beyond any campaign launched so far.

Bowler says the New Zealand Story works across every single business sector, can be used by every type and size of company, and is designed to work for public sector organisations too.

“The story.newzealand.com website tells a foundational story that gels together the most important ingredients of what New Zealand stands for,” he says.

The major new campaign builds on images of our beautiful land to highlight the welcoming nature and resourcefulness of New Zealanders. It talks about how our “place and space” in the world create the perfect growing conditions for fresh and new things to happen, characterised by deep and personal relationships.

And it positions Kiwis as resourceful thinkers with the principleof kaitiaki creating a more humanistic and unique perspective onthe world.

“The new campaign is about helping New Zealand to be more competitive globally in all its endeavours,” says Bowler. “It’s for everyone, whether they’re diplomats or people selling more primary products, more honey or getting more international students to come to our universities.”

Bowler admits the first inclination was to try to build an umbrella brand sitting above existing campaigns. The creators soon realised it would be more valuable to develop a foundation on which other marketing messages could sit.

Bowler sees the New Zealand Story as the “elevator-pitch conversation” that exporters can use to position New Zealand and garnish with their own organisation’s brand and message.

“Other industries can develop their stories on top of it,” he says. “Someone going to a trade exhibition or on a sales mission can quickly pull together information from the campaign as a starting point to how they present their own product or service.”

Bowler says the easy-access mix-and-match materials are designed to work alongside the 100% Pure New Zealand campaign, which was only ever meant to be for the tourism industry but somehow got used for many other sectors, in the absence of anything else.

“Part of why the New Zealand Story is such an important piece of work for me at Tourism New Zealand is to put 100% Pure New Zealand back into the box that it was designed for. It was never designed to be an environmental claim, for instance.”

Chamber of Commerce CEO Michael Barnett says overseas misperceptions of New Zealand’s brand earlier this year did nothing to alleviate problems with Kiwi dairy products in China.

“The 100% Pure New Zealand brand has been linked to New Zealand as a whole, and that has made us look as though we’re claiming a position that we had no intention of claiming.”

He questions whether the New Zealand Story will be any different, saying the campaign’s strong use of shots of pristine landscapes are “very much tourism-related again”.

FEATURE


Barnett urges exporters to take a close look at the New Zealand Story and draw their own conclusions.

“Is it selling New Zealand as a country that is innovative, creative and full of ingenuity, or is it pushing the same tourism buttons as before?”

Barnett says any new campaign must encapsulate the idea that New Zealand is the place and partner for innovation and creativity. It must redefine what our future relationships might be.

“We want to be seen as innovative and creative. If we can change the world’s perception of us, that will change the world’s expectation of us too,” he said.

On a practical note, Bowler says anyone can quickly register on the New Zealand Story website, and then lift and use the material for anything from posters, brochures and exhibits to PowerPoint orB2B presentations.

The only exclusion is using the images or assets in paid advertising, and that’s purely for practical, cost reasons. “The rights’ costs would have been so exorbitant to get global buy-out for every purpose that it would have been prohibitive.”

Like many people working with brands, Bowler believes the best ideas start with a key word. Deep in the heart of the New Zealand Story lies the simple notion of ‘openness’, he says.

“We’ve built the story around three chapters, all starting withwhat the world readily associates with New Zealand: this imageof open space.

“We say these open spaces make us welcoming,” Bowler explains. “Kiwis have open, welcoming hearts. In a broad sense, open hearts is about our welcoming generosity, our stable government and legal systems, our ease of setting up a business.... all of the things that

make our country a reliable place to visit, to send your children to university or to buy products from.

“And that leads to talking about open minds, which is about Kiwis’ ingenuity, resourcefulness, solving problems, creativity and imagination.”

The new campaign is by no means a Tourism New Zealand solo venture. The organisation teamed up with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and Education NZ to develop the brand.

Representatives from everywhere from Fonterra to Zespri, theNew Zealand Rugby Union, Air New Zealand and Craggy Range Vineyards have pitched in with ideas. The core group has gathered extensive input from the primary sector, manufacturing, services, export, education, Maori and other government agencies. Some 200 leading New Zealanders have been involved throughout the process.

The lead group engaged Australian agency Principals to help form the initial brief, then worked with communications experts Assignment and brand experience designers Designworks in the creative phase.

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce has just announced the appointment of a new public/private advisory board tasked with championing and protecting the New Zealand Story, while a small team from within New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) will manage it.

The advisory board includes the chief executives of NZTE, Tourism New Zealand, Education NZ, Te Puni Kokiri, MFAT, and the Ministry for Primary Industries; along with three private sector representatives.

Right now there’s no dedicated budget for marketing theNew Zealand Story overseas. “The idea is that it will largely be driven by New Zealanders using the materials,” says Bowler.

He says he knows public sector organisations will use the material quite extensively and he’s already counting on buy-in from ambassadors dotted round the world who will access the collateral.

FEATURE


“We’ve got political leaders constantly travelling overseas who we know will use it. And senior public servants and many firms are lined up saying they’re interested too.”

Bowler says there might be an option to run a marketing campaign sometime in the future. While that’s a way down the track, he thinks it could be something along similar lines to the co-funding options used with the 100% Pure New Zealand brand in which TourismNew Zealand teams up with overseas travel agents and airlines who are interested in promoting their services to New Zealand.

More material will be added to the site as time goes on. Bowler says it’s still “very much a 1.0 version” of the story.

But, for now, Bowler urges exporters to take advantage of the “good solid starting point” on offer.

“Have a really good look at what’s been produced,” he says. “If you’re in export markets and want to use your origin as part of your marketing message there are assets there that you’ll be able to use. They’re there for free. So give it a go.”

The New Zealand Story: http://story.newzealand.com

It all started with a quick chat. The 2011 Rugby World Cup had just finished. The Cloud had done its job well. But, still, NZTE CEO Peter Chrisp and Tourism New Zealand CEO Kevin Bowler thought opportunities had been missed. What, they wondered, would we all have done differently if we’d had a more clear idea of what we wanted to say about ourselves right from the get-go? What if we had a stronger New Zealand story?

As Bowler tells it, “we felt a lot of the right ingredients were there but it lacked glue”.

Fast-forward to the first quarter of 2012, and the walls in Tourism New Zealand’s Auckland boardroom are covered in Post-It notes. On them are bite-sized summaries of all the international research done so far on New Zealand’s image.

“We wanted to know what the world thinks of us,” says Bowler, “and we looked into every nook and cranny: at tourism and trade research and all the global brand indexes that measure happiness and safety these days.”

A year, a creative agency appointment and much askingaround later, a first hypothesis is taken out and tested in Australia, China, the United States of America, Indonesia,India and Germany.

The feedback suggests the initial concept is a little bit too forward leaning. “It was a bit too American, a bit gee-whiz,” says Bowler. “In fact the world likes us because we’re not like that. We’re quite calm, relaxed and easy-going.”

The new refined imagery has just been released on story.newzealand.com.

For Bowler, the launch of the story.newzealand.com website marks a turning point in a journey that has taken almost two years.

“A lot of us who worked really closely on this project are realising we’re just getting to the beginning of it now,” says Bowler. “We’re putting the 1.0 version of the story out for people to think about and hopefully use straight away. But we realise that in, say, three years time it will have evolved and improved, strengthened and got deeper and richer.”

THE STORY OF A STORY

Kevin BowlerCHIEF EXECUTIVE

TOURISM NEW ZEALAND

Ruth Le PlaFREELANCE

JOURNALIST

Michael BarnettCHIEF EXECUTIVE


12 Innovate August 2013

Auckland is in the third year of the nine year-long Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) project– the construction of a Government co-funded, optic fibre broadband network from the cabinet on the street to your door. At present 50% of the city’s companies have access to UFB, and by the end of 2015, this figure will be 90%. What could this mean for your company and for the region?

POWERING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTUFB is an enabler for economic development. Research suggests Auckland Council’s economic targets, namely to increase regional exports, grow GDP, and improve productivity, can be enhanced by improved broadband. McKinsey’s Global Institute found that internet usage, quality of infrastructure, and internet expenditure correlate with higher growth in per capita GDP, with the internet accounting for as much as 21% of GDP growth over the last five years in mature countries. For every 1 job lost as a result of the internet, 2.6 jobs are created and 75% of the economic impact is in traditional industries.

Achieving economic growth, and with it global competitiveness, will depend on the extent to which Auckland businesses embrace the new technology and put it to good use. An informal study of companies’ fibre expectations undertaken by Crown Fibre Holdings and the Telecommunications Users Association found most businesses “didn’t know what they didn’t know”, an uncomfortable state of affairs. Making the most of UFB requires businesses to change their processes and workforce skills.

WHO CAN BENEFIT AND HOW?For Auckland’s service and exporting sectors there is considerable opportunity. But it’s not limited to them. While organisations which exchange large amounts of information, have dispersed teams or a need for real-time business reporting are obvious winners; any business with accounting, payroll or customer relationship management needs can benefit.

UFB enables businesses to save money by leasing and accessing remote (cloud) storage space instead of owning servers onsite, and by swapping out multiple copper lines for voice-over-IP. Icehouse CEO Andy Hamilton estimates about a 30% saving in maintenance and other costs since getting fibre. The Icehouse has experienced notably

less IT-related downtime, and the connection to the cloud has provided security in case of a disaster. Andy urges businesses to take the first step and talk to their IT partner about what fibre offers. “You can leverage the lightness in a SME. That gives you an advantage.”

At Manawanui in Charge, CEO Marsha Marshall says productivity is greatly enhanced by the improved speed. The company manages providers for recipients of disability funding via a team of coaches working off-site. Now that staff have office-grade access to business networks from home, turnaround times are faster and the quality is good enough to communicate using video, saving time and money. “Most importantly,” says Marsha, “it improves our service to our clients and our customers.”

HELP ON THE HORIZONTaking up UFB and moving functions tothe cloud might sound daunting, buthelp is available. “Digital Enablement” is a new training course for companies in Food & Beverages, high value manufacturing, and tourism sectors through NZTE’s Auckland Regional Business Partner, ATEED. It looks at the threat posed by a tech-savvy new entrant in the sector, investigates a company’s business model for opportunities to use cloud-based applications and services, and considers what different form the company might take if these were adopted. Participants then develop a plan for change.

AN ARRAY OF OPPORTUNITIESUFB doesn’t just provide opportunity to businesses, but to schools, health premises and the public sector. It can drive greater engagement and learning improvements for students, allow patients to be treated in their homes and provide the full gamut of e-citizenry that simplifies regulatory compliance and use of public services. Many of the benefits will unfold in the coming years as UFB is taken up and new uses are found. Tech-savvy business leaders believe we will soon wonder how we ever lived without it.

What will Ultra-Fast Broadband mean for you and the Auckland Region?

Anna VerboektSTAKEHOLDER RELATIONS MANAGER

CROWN FIBRE HOLDINGS LTD


Chamber of Commerce Members DealVodafone Red Business PackagesOur Ultimate Smartphone Package

0800 888 129.

Red Business Essentials is unlimited talk and TXT to standard NZ numbers for standard person-to-person use. Refer to for terms. Red Business and Red Business Super is unlimited talk and TXT to standard NZ and Oz numbers for standard person-to-person use. Refer to for terms. All pricing excludes GST except Smartphone discounts which include GST. Vodafone roaming terms and conditions apply. 4G is live in parts of New Zealand. For coverage and what you need see . *New Smartphone every Year is only available to customers on Red Business and Red Business Super and requires sign up in month 1 of your plan and 12 months continuous payment of Add-On, re-sign to a new 24 month plan and trade in of your current phone in full working condition (or equivalent payment). For full terms and important things you need to know, refer ^Discount shown is the total of three months monthly access at half price and applied over three months.

Chamber of Commerce members can receive a bonus of 3 months half price access when members sign up to or re-new on to a Vodafone Red Business package or Business Basics mobile plan.

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Unlimited TXTs are for standard person-to-person TXTs to standard NZ numbers. Excludes overseas, premium and special numbers. As long as you’re using your fingers to TXT them, unlimited TXT is for you! See vodafone.co.nz for a full explanation of what you can and cannot do with unlimited talk and TXTs Vodafone On Account terms and conditions, and full plan terms and conditions apply. All prices exclude GST unless stated otherwise. Early termination and plan transfer fees apply. See vodafone.co.nz business for full details. Free group calling only applies to those applicable connections under the same customer account. Flexi Data: if you use all your monthly data allowance, Vodafone’s Flexi Data (previously Data Angel) service suspends data usage until the end of the billing month and presents a self-service portal where you can choose to resume data usage at the out of bundle rate, or buy a 500MB Add-On for $8.70 (excl GST). Flexi Data Add-On will last until the end of your billing cycle. ^Discount shown is the total of three months monthly access at half price and applied over three months.

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$82.50Chamber of Commerce



Michael Barnett is stumped when asked to summarise the ten years he has spent on the board of the Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) Trust.

A celebratory breakfast for the 1000th new migrant placed into employment was a notable milestone, he says. But, for Barnett, it is not just about the big picture results. He measures success through each individual life changed for the better. And on that basis, he says, the past ten years have been a “blur of highlights”.

For most of the past decade Barnett has served as chair of the EEO Trust board, taking over the role from ASB Bank’s current CEO Barbara Chapman.

The highlights became very personal earlier this year when Barnett was surprised to be called to the stage at the EEO Trust’s Diversity Awards NZ. Hidden from his version of the script was the moment when Minister of Women’s Affairs Jo Goodhew would present him with a glass waka by New Zealand artist Greg Hall in recognition of his decade of contribution on the board.

Visibly moved by the gesture at the time, Barnett says he had no idea it was coming.

“It was nice to be acknowledged but it caused a lump in the throat moment, to be honest.”

Walking away that evening and thinking about it since, Barnett says it was one of his most precious moments. “Because it celebrates a side of me that a lot of people don’t see: it’s the human-ness.”

Barnett champions and challenges a range of issues in his roles as CEO of the Chamber

of Commerce and as head of other business groups. Many topics can be contentious and his role is an adversarial one.

“I’m probably known for standing up and speaking out for business,” he says. “But in behind all of this has been a message from me that it isn’t business and the community: it’s about business in the community.”

To Barnett, the EEO Trust’s award celebrates how business and individuals can walkhand-in-hand.

“It’s about the human me,” he says. “It celebrates those who need a voice and those who have been prepared to help.”

He admits to getting frustrated when people assume promoting equal opportunities means just getting more women on boards or in senior management.

“To me, ‘equal’ means diversity,” he says. “So it might be about gender, but it could be about age, or being differently-abled, or having a different sexual lifestyle or preference.”

Issues such as unconscious bias, tolerance and behaviours in workplaces may be layered on top.

Barnett says he takes pride in talking with people about such issues and challenging leaders and managers to rethink their behaviour.

“You can see the nodding heads and know you’re making a difference.”

For Barnett, each individual’s story of how their life has been improved makes it all worthwhile.

“It’s about the letter that you get one morning from a person who had reached the end of their patience because they believed they had something to offer New Zealand society but were not given a chance. And they’re writing to tell you they’re got the first job they’ve ever had in this country through a course or a programme or some help or a contact that we provided.”

“Those are just as important milestones as the 1000th person that you’ve placed in a job.”

Barnett says he’s long believed in the power of well-articulated stories to create positive change. He remembers learning about the EEO Trust’s work with new migrants when he first joined the board.

“These are things that you often don’t think about until somebody puts them in front of you,” he says.

“There’s a part of society that is being disadvantaged and needs a voice. It’s only when you see those groups or individuals that you realise that with so little effort you can make a difference.

“When I looked at my roles in the Chamber of Commerce and the EEO Trust, I realised I have access to some amazing networks and people. Sometimes I can press some buttons and actually make some change.”

Ten years on, Barnett still enjoys being part of a network of like-minded, like-spirited people who’ve been able to make a difference.

“I’ve discovered there are a whole lot of people out there who, when given the opportunity, will step up and help create change.”

A blur of highlights

2013

FEBRUARYCADETMAX: 29 cadetsLSV: 114 trainees

APRILCADETMAX: 34 cadetsLSV: 122 trainees8th World Chambers Congress in Doha: CadetMax was a finalist

MARCHROBBIvisited

JUNE

CADETMAX:500th Cadet employed

JULYCADETMAX: 24 cadetsYouth Employability Focus Groups:1. SME Business Focus Group2. Large Business Focus Group

SEPTEMBERCADETMAX: 34

AUGUSTCADETMAX: 32 cadetsLSV: 90 trainees

DECEMBER

Supply Chain Solution has hired40 Cadets in the past two years

NOVYouth Emrequired young pe


DD

S4

The Auckland Chamber of CommerceYouth employment - a year in review

CadetMax mentors100 cadets in employment per month

CCCadddetttMMMax mentttorsssss

2

Whakatauki

E kore e taea e te whenu kotahi ki te raranga i te whāriki kia mōhio tātou kiā tātou. Mā te mahi tahi ō ngā whenu, mā te mahi tahi ō ngā kairaranga, ka oti tēnei whāriki. I te otinga me titiro tātou ki ngā mea pai ka puta mai. Ā tana wā, me titiro hoki ki ngā raranga i makere nā te mea, he kōrero ano kei reira. Kūkupa Tirikatene

The tapestry of understanding cannot be woven by one strand alone. Only by the working together of strands and the working together of weavers will such a tapestry be completed. With its completion let us look at the good that comes from it and, in time we should also look at those stitches which have been dropped, because they also have a message.

About COMET Auckland

COMET Auckland, Te Hononga Akoranga (Community Education Trust Auckland) is a charitable trust and Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) of Auckland Council. Our mission is to advance education for Auckland. For more information about our work on youth employability, contact Shirley Johnson [email protected].

The report can be downloaded from COMET Auckland’s website www.cometauckland.org.nz 072/13

Whhakkaatau

E kore e taea eki te raranga i kia mōhio tātoMā te mahi tamā te mahi tahka oti tēnei whI te otingame titiro tātouĀ tana wā,me titiro hokiki ngā raranganā te mea, he

Kūkuupa Tiirikat

Abooutt CCOM

COMET Aucklatrust and Couneducation for A

For more inforShirley.jooohnso

The report can072/13

Enhancing Youth Employability to support economic growth in Auckland a discussion document November, 2013

COMET Auckland

Prepared by Alison Sutton, COMET Auckland Penelope Tuatagaloa, Research Investigations and Monitoring Unit, Auckland Council Shirley Johnson, COMET Auckland

2014

E MAGASIVA CadetMax

MAYCADETMAX: 35 cadets14 cadets employed in Call Centres with Salmat/Sitel/Vodafone

4 cadets

OCTOBER

Work readiness training for Tamaki Youth in partnership with Ngati Whatua and Tamaki Redevelopment Company. 21 young people graduated.

ds.

VEMBERmployability Forum; reseach and actions to build the employability skills foreople to secure and retain work

December 2013 Innovate 17December 2013 Innova

CadetMaxThe Auckland Chamber of Commerce and Ministry of Social Development launched CadetMax in 2008. Over 500 young people have started their careers through CadetMax – through training, recruitment and post employment mentoring.

LSVLimited Services Volunteer is a six-week, live-in, motivational and training programme for young people run by the New Zealand Defence Force in partnership with Work and Income. The Auckland Chamber of Commerce provides career readiness training as part of each intake.

For more information about the programmes or to contact the Chamber about employing a career starter please call 0800 709 907 to speak to one of our Employment Team.

Major changes coming in Employment Law arena

BUSINESSHR ADVICE


ON THE JOB

There have been some major changes, either proposed or enacted, in employment law this year. Here is a quick round up of the changes and how they may impact you.

Medical Council of New Zealand standards for doctors writing medical certificates:The new standards have been finalised and published, providing greater focus on doctors to recognise the needs of employers as users of medical certificates. The key changes for employers to be aware of are:

1. Retrospective certificates need to be recognised as such.

2. If the patient is fit for some duties, this should be recorded on the certificate i.e. the blanket statement “unfit for work” can be challenged. For example, if a truck driver breaks their leg the medical certificate should state “unable to drive”. However, they may still be fit for other duties such as office based work. The question for the employer is “do you have alternatives within their skill range?“

If you are in doubt about the contents or validity of a medical certificate then there are steps you can take to challenge it. Call 0800 CHAMBER and the HR team can assist you.

Employment Relations Act Review BillA significant overhaul of the Employment Relations Act has been put out for consultation. The submissions are now being reviewed and a report is due on the 12 December 2013. The key areas of proposed changes are:

1. Collective Agreements – overall the theme appears to be to provide employers with greater control in collective agreement situations. This applies, in particular, around enabling both parties to initiate bargaining, and providing greater control for employers where negotiations have broken down.

2. Vulnerable workers - here is greater protection for employees in specific industries (catering, cleaning, food services etc.) in the event of the sale of a business, or transfer of a contract. The key change proposed is to exempt employers with fewer than 20 employees from this legislation.

In principle this seems a sound idea however, the proposed wording creates a new definition for calculating the number of employees which could have far-reaching implications for (in particular) franchise organisations.

3. Redundancy – there is a proposal to increase limitations around the amount of information that is provided in redundancy situations.

4. Rest breaks – currently the legislation specifies a morning and afternoon paid break of 10 minutes and a 30-minute unpaid meal break. It is proposed to change the wording to recognise that some workplaces vary the timing of these breaks. Reasonable breaks would still need to be provided, but these could be accommodated within the Law by providing the opportunity for these to be transferred to the start and the end of the day, and by the employer providing the employee with reasonable opportunity for rest and refreshment.

For many situations this is actually goingto be a case of legislation catching upwith current practice. However, this seems to be a political hot potato so we may see further changes before the Bill is enacted.

5. Flexible Working Arrangements – currently there are limits around who can ask for flexible working conditions (those with care responsibilities only), limits on the number of claims and the provision of 3 months for employers to respond to claims. The proposed changes are to:

a. Allow ANY employee to request flexible working arrangements

b. Removal of the limit on the number of claims any employee can make

c. Reduction in the time to respond from 3 months to 1 month

There are specified grounds on which a claim can be rejected.

The reality is that the vast majority of small businesses currently afford their employees significant flexibility. In fact, they are often so flexible that if they push back for any reason the employees often become very unreasonable in their demands for even greater flexibility.

Remember, this is NOT LAW YET. If you have any questions concerns or comments please call the Business HR advice team on 0800 CHAMBER. We will keep you up to date with further changes as they occur.

Lisa MackayVITAL TRAINING FACILTATOR and

MANAGING DIRECTORHRTOOLKIT

WE ARE HERE TO HELPIf you want to get more from your team we can help. As a Auckland Chamber member, you have access to our0800 CHAMBER (0800 24 26 23) service, which gives you free phone support from our professional HR team.

We also offer fee-based HR consultancy service and template documents (including DIY performance appraisal tools) to help with your employee-related challenges.


Enjoy quick, hassle-freeand no-cost recruitmentWe’ll find the right person for you.Call us to receive a quality shortlist of candidates:• Career-starter to skilled professional• Full-time, contract and part-time staff• Ready to start today

Save time and money, call 0800 709 907 for moreinformation or visit the ‘Find Staff’ section on our website.


www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

AllieRole Seeking: Customer Services/Administration/Reception

I am looking for a role in customer service or administration that gives me the opportunity to use my experience and develop new skills. I am an enthusiastic, positive and reliable person who has a passion for providing top quality customer service. With a keen eye for detail and excellent time management skills, I have proven strength in organisation and planning. I enjoy a team environment and am always striving to exceed expectations.

• 3+ years administration experience, including frontline reception• 2+ years inbound contact centre experience• 3+ years of high volume customer service delivery skills, by phone • Excellent time management and multitasking• Strong problem solving skills, troubleshooting background

Computer skills include: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint & Outlook), In-house CRM exposure, IT Support knowledge, telco specific knowledge including ADSL, email and broadband troubleshooting and management of call centre phone systems, competent with design software such as Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, web design using HTML coding & experience with Dreamweaver.

Emad Role Seeking: Civil Engineer

I seek a position in the construction/property industries where I can apply my extensive technical and engineering knowledge and experience gained across a broad range of sectors including commercial/residential, government/council and the military. I am keen to make an effective contribution in a busy team environment.

• Wealth of overseas experience in engineering and construction projects• Extensive technical knowledge with reinforced concrete construction and developing residential projects from concept to completion• Excellent project management and time management skills• Knowledge of New Zealand building codes and practices• Clear communicator with leadership experience• Determined and hard-working, work well under pressure

Computer Skills: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access,PowerPoint, Outlook)

Value added: Fluent in Arabic

Qualifications: Certificate in Business Ownership, Auckland; Certificate in Computing, Auckland; Bachelor of Civil Engineering, Egypt

Ross Role Seeking: Customer Service/Hospitality

I am looking to start my career in a busy frontline customer support role in retail, hospitality, a call-centre or tourism. During my work experience I have always been happiest working directly with clients and customers providing the best possible customer experience. I have a Learner Driver Licence, NCEA Levels 1 and 2 and have studied tourism. I have excellent communication skills, work well in a team and am happy dealing with people from all kinds of backgrounds. I am also positive, enthusiastic and outgoing.

• Learner Drivers Licence• Good teamwork experience• Leadership ability• MS Word, PowerPoint, Internet, email, some Excel• Strong communication skills• Good time management skills• High standard of personal presentation

Qualifications: NCEA Levels 1 and 2

Just a few of our current candidates available for work today.

EMPLOYMENT


UPCOMING EVENTS AND TRAINING


DEC2013 Auckland

Chamber Christmas Luncheon

13

Business Update

27

Franchising Workshop

7

Christmas Day

25

Finance 2014

26

Introductionto Strategy and Finance

12


MercurySpeed Networking Central

6

REGISTRATION INFORMATIONFor more information about any of the events or training

profiled, please contact our Events & Training Team on09 309 6100 or email [email protected]

Visit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

MAR2014

ba5 withRegus

20

ba5 withSudima Hotels

20New Year's Day

1JAN2014

FEB2014


Come celebrate Christmas with usFriday 13 December

At the Annual Chamber Christmas Lunch, on Friday 13 December.

Book a table, bring your team and your customers and celebrate the end of 2013.

Enjoy a sumptuous Christmas feast while listening to our entertaining keynote speaker – TV personality Nigel Latta.

Have your Christmas Party with us!

Date:Friday 13 December

Time:12.00pm - 2.30pm (registration starts at 11.30am)

Venue:The Pullman Hotel, Cnr Princes St and Waterloo Quadrant, Auckland

Tickets:Members $75.00 + GST,Non-members $90.00 + GST

Table of ten:Members $750.00 + GST,Non-members $900.00 + GST

Jo-Anne CooperEVENTS AND TRAINING MANAGER


REGISTRATION INFORMATIONFor more information about any of theevents profiled, please contact our Events& Training Team on 09 309 6100 oremail [email protected].

Get a better understanding of doing business in Auckland.

Guest presenter, economist and financial commentator Bernard Hickey, will give an update on the status of economic growth in Auckland. Has the government done enough to address housing affordability? Is the Auckland economy still experiencing a “goldilocks moment”– not too hot, not too cold but just right?

Come to hear the results of the Chamber’s latest Business Confidence Survey from Auckland Chamber CEO Michael Barnett. He will also address current issues facing Auckland business.

Thursday 27 February 2013

BUSINESS UPDATE

Market Performance

Are you considering ways to make your franchise successful or thinking of purchasing a franchised business?

Attend our Franchising Workshop on how to operate a successful franchise and how to manage the risks.

Business franchise expert and lawyer Stewart Germann will discuss the essentials of business franchising inNew Zealand, including:

• Definition and legal principles of franchising

• Different methods – onshore and offshore

• Getting started

• Financial issues

• Relationship between franchisor and franchisee

• Successful franchises and future expansion

FRANCHISING WORKSHOP

Franchise your way to business success

SPEED NETWORKING

Have you tried speed networking yet?

It is a great way to meeta room full of potentialbusiness connections.

Throughout the year there will be plenty of opportunities to connect with like-minded business people who want to make new contacts and connections – just like you.

We will bring you newbusiness contacts – all you have to do is talk.

Come to our next Mercury Speed Networking Central Event to meet potential customers and business partners in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. In two hours you can meet up to 50 business professionals.

Proudly sponsored byMercury Energy.

Complimentary drink onarrival – cash bar available.

The next Speed Networking Event will be held inMarch 2014 at Orams Marine Boatpark, Auckland.

Date:Friday 7 March

Venue:Level 1, 100 Mayoral Drive, Auckland

Friday 7 March 2014

Date & Time:Thursday 27 February 2014 8.00am – 9.00am(7.45am registration))

Venue: The Northern Club,19 Princes Street, Auckland

Cost: Members $20.00 + GST

Non-members $35.00 + GST


Business Club with Claire O´Connell

Introduction to Exporting Workshop

SNAPPED AT RECENT AUCLKAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EVENTS

Breakfast withthe Prime Minister

More than 450 people attended a gala ceremony to recognize and celebrate central Auckland business success.

Presented by Auckland Chamber of Commerce, the Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards recognize excellence in eight areas of business performance – innovation, exporting, service delivery, best emerging business, marketing, retail, business leadership and workplace safety.

Localist won the Westpac Supreme Business Excellence Award afterbeing awarded the Excellence in Innovation category.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce CEO Michael Barnett believes this year’s Westpac Auckland Central Business Award winners showcase the successes of businesses that are poised to take on the Goliath’s of their marketplace.

“This year’s Award winners give us an indication of the great things we can expect from emergent, entrepreneurial and innovative business in Auckland in the near future,” he said.

Barnett referred to the Awards as a showcase of new and emerging companies who were doing business

Excellence in Service DeliverySponsored by RSM Prince Chartered Accountants

CORPORATE TRAVELLER

Excellence in InnovationSponsored by OfficeMax

LOCALIST

Excellence in ExportingSponsored by Ports of Auckland

SMALLWORLDS OUTSMART STUDIOS

Best Emerging BusinessSponsored by Telecom Business Hub

VEND

Excellence in MarketingSponsored by Soar Printing

AUCKLAND ADVENTURE JET LTD

Excellence in Business LeadershipSponsored by Marsh

DR. JACKY LAM, SMILE DENTAL LTD

Excellence in Workplace SafetySponsored by ACC

TRANSDEV AUCKLAND LTD

Excellence in RetailSponsored by The New Zealand Herald

SMILE DENTAL, SYLVIA PARK

locally and internationally – theywere Auckland based but world-focused he said.

They represented companies using technology to drive their businesses and do business in a different way.

“We saw companies whose contact with customers was not measured in handshakes and phone calls but in tens of thousands of tweets – customers who follow them and like them and pass on their information to other networks almost acting as agents but doing so because they liked their product and services,” he said.

Barnett also noted the new breed of young entrepreneurs were not signaling a takeover of the old by the young but suggested the other managers should be prepared to be mentored by the young in areas of technology, media and communication and the old could provide mentoring of good business practice and process to the young.

The awards were sponsored by Westpac.

“As proud supporters of local, regional and national businesses, Westpac is delighted to help with a programme that inspires organisations to strive for and celebrate success,” says Simon Power, General Manager, Business Bank, Private Bank, Wealth & Insurance, Westpac New Zealand Limited.

Westpac Supreme Business Excellence AwardLOCALIST

Congratulations to all our winners!

Celebrating the bestof Auckland Central business…

Category Sponsors Supporting SponsorsFacilitation Sponsor Supporting Partner

Presented by Primary Sponsor 2013


1 2 3

6 7 8

9 10

5

12

4

11

1 Daniel Dalton, The New Zealand Herald. 2 Brian Landry, Soar Printing & Paul Macaulay Auckland Adventure Jet Ltd. 3 Corporate Traveller Team. 4 MC Frankie Stevens. 5 Smile Dental. 6 Sophie Haslem NZ Post, Simon Power, Westpac & Christine Domecq, Localist. 7 Transdev Auckland CEO Terry Scott. 8 Vend CEO Vaughan Rowsell. 9 Dr Jackie Lam, Smile Dental. 10 Sophie Haslem NZ Post, Michael Barnett, Auckland Chamber of Commerce & Christine Domecq, Localist. 11 SmallWorlds Outsmarts Studios team. 12 The Langham Auckland.

For profiles of all our candidates, visitthe 'Find Staff' section of our websiteat www.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

Meet some of our candidates


Chamberno-costrecruitmentservices

WE SPECIALISE IN BUSINESS SUPPORT ROLES:• Administration and Reception• Customer Services and Contact Centre• Accounts and Finance• Business Development and Account Management• Sales and Marketing• Executive/Personal Assistant

Talent SourcingEmployment

WE HAVE PEOPLE ATALL SKILL LEVELS:• Entry level to experienced• Team leaders to Management• New graduates to highly experienced• Contract, part and full-time

Call 0800 18 23 23 tofind out more about our NO-OBLIGATION, NO-COST recruitment service.

Contact us

Supply a brief

Receive CV’swithin 48 hours

Decideon interviews

We organiseinterviews for you

ViolaSeeking: Accountant/Analyst

I am is seeking an accountant or analyst role where I can contribute my extensive accounting knowledge and accumulated experience to improve the profitability of your business.

• 13+ years experience as financial analyst, accountant and auditor, banking, commercial, audit, government, SME & corporate

• Strong and proven analytical skills

• Experience in Excel financial modelling − e.g. pivot tables & vlookup

• Management reporting including KPI performance, budget, forecast, actual business trend variance analysis & commentaries

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access), PeopleSoft, Unibis, Microsoft Great Plains (MS Dynamics), Platinum, Outlooksoft, SAP & DacEasy

Qualifications: Chartered Accountantof Institute of Chartered AccountantsNew Zealand

Laura Seeking: Customer Service/Reception

I am seeking a customer service role within a dynamic company, in order to build on 5+ years of experience within a high volume, fast-paced customer-facing environment. With a bubbly personality and a commitment to meeting customer needs, I am an asset to any team.

• 5+ years of high volume customer service experience, within aback-of-house retail environment

• Extensive exposure to inventory documentation, including delivery dockets, packing slips, import/export forms and international documentation

• Quality control expertise

• Prior experience liasing with buyers

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), CRM: Management 2000

LloreliSeeking: IT Support/Data Entry/

Administration/Research Assistant

I am searching for a long-term career

in administration where I can use my

knowledge and skills to drive productivity.

I am passionate about new technology and

the value it can add to a business.

• Database specialist with 2+ years of

database management experience

• 4+ years of data entry experience

• Prior administrative support experience as

Private Secretary to GM

• 5+ years of frontline customer service

experience

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite

(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Access),

BATProbe & Fourm, Website Builder & HTML

Qualifications: National Diploma in

Computing (Level 5), Institute of Applied

Learning, Auckland; National Certificate

in Computing (Level 4), Te Wananga o

Aotearoa, Auckland; Postgraduate Diploma

in Applied Science, AUT University, Auckland

RickSeeking: Business Development

A highly-skilled pharmacist, with 15+

years of commercial business experience

providing pharmacy services in both retail

and public sector settings. With a successful

background in business ownership and

management, combined with my recent

qualification in business administration, I

look forward to contributing to business.

• Excellent verbal and written

communication skills – extensive

face-to-face client services

• Operational improvement expertise

• Identified opportunities for process

improvement

• Identified and implemented processes to

reduce backlogs

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite

(Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Orion

Concerto, Éclair, Intranet email and text

paging


Skilled & qualified people

Auckland Chamber of Commerce has a carefully selected group of job seekers qualified in a variety of industries including:• Information Technology• Manufacturing• Engineering and Technical• Accounting and Finance• Sales and Marketing• Professional AdministrationPlease note commission only and work from home roles

cannot be considered.

This programme is just one of our initiatives linking employers with job seekers at every level of experience and across a range of industries.

Call 0800 18 23 23 for more information today

Candidate profiles areupdated weekly in the ‘Find Staff’ section ofwww.aucklandchamber.co.nz

Seeking:• Employment• Project Work PlacementsThey are available to work for your company for agreed placement periods with no obligation and at NO COST, on a project work basis.(Some conditions apply - call us to find out more)

No recruitment costs No obligation New candidates join us weeklyand are available to start now

ArshadSeeking: Electrical Engineering/Electrical Design and Automation

• New Zealand and overseas experience in electrical design and services including installation and commissioning

• Expertise in designing electrical building services and light and power systems

• Experienced in preparation of layouts, specification for electrical equipment such as circuit breakers, cable sizing, voltage drop calculation, distribution boards, transformers

• Practical skills in troubleshooting, inspecting, repairing, testing and servicing products

• Takes a creative approach while ensuring compliance to standards and procedures

• Enthusiastic about developing new skills and comfortable using new technology

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Elite software, PLC programming, SCADA, AutoCAD

Value added: Fluent in Hindi and Urdu

Qualifications: Certified Electrical Service Technician A&B (Registered), NZ; Diploma in International Business, Auckland; Diploma in Building Services Design & Drafting, Auckland; Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronics), India

Rani Seeking: Accountant/Assistant Accountant

• Extensive experience in New Zealand and overseas

• Over eight years of accounting and credit control experience

• Extensive accounting experience in: financial statements, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payment control, general ledger reconciliation, inventory and fixed assets control/reconciliations, taxation and banking

• Excellent attention to details andproblem-solving skills

• Team player and able to work independently

• Ability to achieve all deadlines and works well under pressure

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher, Outlook)

Value added: Fluent in Arabic

Qualifications: Certified Graduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy, Auckland; Bachelor of Commerce, India

LilachSeeking: Graphic Designer • Over 8 years of New Zealand experience in

graphic design• Designed and directed, from concept to

production, diverse visual solutions for a range of media for many industries

• Experienced in branding, signs, print and web interface, facelift and interior design installations

• Excellent client relationship skills• Always flexible with a ’can do’ attitude • Creative, versatile and ’thinks outside the

square’• Excellent time-management skills with an

eye for detailComputer skills include: Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Fireworks, Dreamweaver, Premier, Bridge), CorelDraw, FinalCut, MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Xero

Value added: Fluent in Hebrew

Qualifications: Diploma of Fine Art and Graphic Design, Whitecliffe College of Art and Design, Auckland

MonjuSeeking: Property Management/Asset Manager/Graduate Valuer/Property Consultant

• Professional knowledge of property business including property finance and accounting

• New Zealand and overseas experience in management in service organisations

• Excellent communication and customer service skills

• Networking, PR and negotiation skills

• Highly competent organisational skills with a disciplined approach to project management and executive reporting

• Analytical and decisive in pressure situations

Computer skills include: MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), MYOB

Value added: Fluent in Bengali and Hindi

Qualifications: Bachelor of Property, University of Auckland

For profiles of all our candidates, visitthe 'Find Staff' section of our websiteat www.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

Meet some of our candidates


You have heard of LinkedIn, and potentially you have a personal profile – nearly a million New Zealanders do. But how do you use it? And how can it add value to your business?

In a nutshell LinkedIn is professional networking on steroids. Whether it is promoting your CV to potential employers or hunting and gathering sales leads, LinkedIn leads the way in terms of sheer networking ability in a professional environment. While ‘I’d like to connect with you on LinkedIn’ may never replace real life handshakes in terms of establishing relationships, it is an efficient way of building your network and displaying your professional experience. But to get true value out of LinkedIn, it is what you then do with your profile and network that counts.

Let’s start by looking at LinkedIn’s business model. Plain and simple, it is to sell your data. Yes all those prompts to complete your profile and endorse someone you don’t remember − that is data gathering en masse. With over 238 million professionals on LinkedIn (60 more people have joined since you starting reading this article), its software offering (Talent Solutions) has become one of the most powerful tools on the planet for professional recruitment and makes up 56% of LinkedIn revenue (USD205.1 million in Q2 2013).

Another 24% of LinkedIn’s revenue is made through marketing solutions i.e. it uses your profile (your data) to give advertisers the ability to target their ads. The remaining20% of revenue comes from premium accounts − if you’ve used LinkedIn for longer than two minutes you will have received some sort of invitation from LinkedIn to buy a premium subscription.

Now that you have embraced LinkedIn’s strengths (and developed some paranoia!), how you can take advantage of this platform for your business? Below are three ways you could use LinkedIn, depending on your business and available resources:

1. Objective: Find new talentAction: You too can tap into the mass data LinkedIn has by posting a job, which will be placed in front of appropriate people, both passive candidates and active job seekers. For under $250 you can have a job posting for 30 days with a guaranteed 10 applicants (you can view their profile and connect with straight them away).

2. Objective: Enhance your employer branding and drive traffic to your websiteAction: Create a Company Page (just like Facebook), where you publish original and curated content. Individuals can then follow your Page to get your posts. For example, distil a snippet from a blog post (if you have a blog) and publish it on your Company Page as a post, with a link back to the main article (= driving web traffic). You can also sponsor posts (paying) to get them in front of more people - here you can target people such as potential customers or potential employees and this can help grow your followers. Sponsoring your posts can be by cost-per-click or cost-per-impression basis and you only need a budget of $15 to begin.

3. Objective: Mobilise your sales team Action: Get your sales team to reach new customers by first connecting with

new contacts on LinkedIn straight after they meet them. This gives them access to the new contact’s network, who they can then target. With premium accounts they will be able to get in touch with people who they are not connected with - these start at around $60 per month. Your sales team can also search LinkedIn Groups for potential networks that your customers are interested in. Don’t just focus on industry groups − think laterally i.e. a payroll software company might discover some gold in a group based on manufacturing (who need payroll software) rather than joining a software group. Get your salespeople to use rich media on their individual profiles to display product videos, images and portfolios.

We have no affiliation with LinkedIn but we encourage businesses to explore this professional platform and see what it offers. From finding the next hire, to putting your website content in front of key decision makers, and expanding your sales team’s networking ability, LinkedIn is here to stay and you should be harnessing its power.

Networking goes digital

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BUSINESS READS

It’s not often that someone can tell their life story, combine it with the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, all by the tender age of 35, and still make it a compelling read.

Derek Handley has achieved all those things with Heart to Start. Selling The Hyperfactory, the Auckland-based business he founded with his brother, Geoffrey, in 2010 for just under $NZ50 million handsomely paid back investors and gave Handley the financial independence he had dreamed of in his 20s.

But, as Handley explains, things could’ve turned out a differently if it wasn’t for quite a bit of luck, the support of his migrant parents, an extraordinary degree of focus and taking the knock-backs (including near-bankruptcy at 22) but coming back stronger, and all the more importantly, planning − and delivering − literally as if his life depended on it.

While Heart to Start demonstrates an honesty and self-awareness that makes the book all the more satisfying, it also shows what might happen if one does plan and then makes that plan happen. And to reinforce this, the book comes with a distillation of Handley’s own planning framework, 60-odd yellowing pieces of paper at its centre. If it worked for him, perhaps it could work for you? Gerard Martin.

Recently Released READS

Malcolm Gladwell is a staff writer on The New Yorker whose essays on human behaviour have made him a publishing phenomenon. He has the ability to synthesise a range of actions into a central precept. In an earlier bestseller titled ‘Outliers’ he identified a common fact shared by a range of different performers; they had spent at least 10,000 hours perfecting their craft. This ’10,000 hours to excellence’ has become an acceptable principle.

In his latest book David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants Gladwell pulls a range of examples from history and asks the reader to question their assumptions. What looks like being a disadvantage can actually be an advantage. In addition to the famous bible story Gladwell references the Northern Ireland ‘troubles’, a group of well-known people who lost a parent at an early age, or suffered from dyslexia at an early age. The question could be put differently: is it better to born with a disadvantage? Charles Fairbairn.

DEREK HANDLEY

Derek HandleyPublished byRandom House NZ

DAVID AND GOLIATH: UNDERDOGS, MISFITS AND THE ART OF BATTLING GIANTS

Malcolm GladwellPublished byPenguin Group

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I like to read books about habits. At university I read the Seven Habits of Highly Effectively People by Stephen Covey. Charles Duhigg’s book looks into the possibility of changing habits. We build our working days around habits, so who doesn’t want to be more effective when time is such a precious commodity? Who doesn’t falter over decisions like – shall I check my Facebook page or finish a proposal?

Like you I am optimistic about new habits- about drinking green tea or daily exercise. So I launched into The Power of Habit with customary hope. The key to transforming your habits, Duhigg illustrates through a range of examples, is understanding how habits are formed. When you learn about neurotransmitters and how they operate you’ll be able to walk away from the cookies in the lunchroom, and go for 10km walks to the sound of morning birdsong. This is an intellectual appraisal of habits but not a magic bullet.

The book is filled with interesting examples and case studies – the swimming regimen required to win an Olympic Gold medal, and the lady who quit drinking and smoking to change her life around. Duhigg is an engaging writer. But if you want to quit that packet a day smoking habit you’ll need more than a collection of case studies.Charles Fairbairn.

THE POWER OF HABIT: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IN BUSINESS AND IN LIFE

Charles DuhiggPublished byRandom House


THE BUSINESS COACH

The problems that plagued Fonterra recently were well publicised. Fonterra took a hammering – the PR was dire, its brand (and sales) took a hit, managers had to spend time and energy on press conferences, media interviews, investigations, reassuring key clients in China… a nightmare situation that would have brought a smaller company to its knees.

So what can we, learn from this scenario so that none of us ever end up here?

It is important to consider how you can manage risk in your business. Even better, think about what is happening in your business that you are not aware of, but actually should be – those small-picture details that you haven’t bothered yourself with in the past but that are vital to the way your business runs.

I work with businesses of all sizes (from one-man bands to corporations with 2000+ people) and the best ones are those who take time out to identify what is happening in their business, both macro and micro aspects. Ask yourself, what is happening that is good and what is happening that is not so good? How do you make the “good” even better (i.e. more of a strength) and how do you make the “not so good” improve quickly? The only way to do this is to have wide shoulders and to be constructive in your critique. Ignorance is not bliss in business! The biggest learning we can take from the Fonterra scenario is that you want the information flow on the “not so good” to be immediate, while the issue is still small and manageable and you are able to address it today rather than tomorrow.

SO HOW DO YOU DO THIS?1. Have a culture of openness. You and

your employees should be able to say what you need to say (give full and frank

feedback), knowing that your thoughts and concerns will be considered – and you won’t have a black mark against you. A client and I made this a formal arrangement in their business. We called it “The 11th Commandment” – where anyone in the organization can say anything to anybody else in the business… as long as it is constructive. And the culture in that business now means that people actually want constructive feedback.

2. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement. To be the best business and always ahead of the game, this is critical. If you rest on your laurels, you will cease to be great and will very quickly move to mediocrity (which is when issues and surprises will arise). If you have everybody in the business thinking “how can things get better around here?” it means your team is constructively considering how they can fix things that are not up to scratch. This is obviously preferable to having unengaged staff who just continue on as-is, even though they can see there is a problem. It is common to do “root-cause analysis” on issues that occur in order to fix things so they don’t happen again. How about doing “root-cause analysis” on things that could go wrong? That way you’ll fix potential issues before they happen.

3. Have a culture of accountability. If everybody knows what they are accountable for, then they are unlikely to stuff up – nobody likes to shoulder the blame for a mistake that was undoubtedly theirs. If they take accountability seriously, they’ll be regularly critiquing what could go wrong in their areas of responsibility and doing something about it. And, if you have a culture of openness, others tap you

on the shoulder to remind you when you are not living up to your accountabilities (like an insurance policy for everybody to be accountable!)

4. Systems are best practice. Obviously you need to have robust, ever-improving systems that are followed – no matter what. When you do not follow the system, the chance of something going wrong grows dramatically with the resultant high risk of negative impact on the business (and perhaps beyond). Make sure that the systems are not a secret – having systems but people not knowing them is a waste of time. There are some great software systems out, like Promapp, that help you document systems in a user-friendly way and also help with risk management.

5. Remember that everyone counts. If everyone knows they are welcome to put forward ideas to improve and give feedback on areas where current systems might not be up to scratch, the brain power will be immense in improvements and risk management. Even the most junior person in your business or team may have some great ideas that you need to seriously consider.

So take a good look at your business and think about what you can do to improve your work culture and your systems so that you can avoid nasty surprises (or at the very worst, find out about any nasty surprises while you can still react).

Zac de SilvaBUSINESS COACH

BUSINESS CHANGING

Reduce risk in your business


ON THE ROAD

I ALWAYS PACKA couple of pretty dresses, black suit I'm a terrible last-minute, disorganised packer, so the question should be what do I always forget. Usually my toothbrush, book, phone charger and one time, my passport.

WORST BUSINESS TRIP EXPERIENCEFlying from London to San Francisco to do my on-boarding at Facebook. It was January 3rd and the only airline that could squeeze me on last minute was American Airways, meaning no free food or, more importantly, wine. My in-flight entertainment system didn't work, I'd forgotten my book and my phone was flat. So I had no choice but to sit there staring at the seat in front of me for 13 very long hours.

MOST MEMORABLE LOCATION FOR DOING BUSINESSI don't know if you'd call it doing business, but the Facebook Europe Christmas party at the Guinness Factory in Dublin was certainly the most memorable time I've travelled on business.

WHAT DO YOU DO ON PLANES? Drink a red wine or two and cry over cheesy romcoms that I'd never be caught dead watching on ground level.

STATUS UPDATES? I do this at the airport. Airports are the most popular place for a status update.

Travel habits of a Facebook managerInnovate caught up with Claire O’Connell, sales manager for Facebook New Zealand, as she prepared for her monthly trip to the Sydney office.

In October Claire was the keynote speaker at the Chamber’s Business Club event. She talked about building business using the Facebook business page product, and gave some great insights into how popular the Facebook platform is in New Zealand.

Facebook account holders operate apersonal ‘page’ and can also create a business ‘page’ for their businesses. Claire’s role at Facebook New Zealand is to increase the number of businesses utilising Facebook to promote their business and to engage with their customers.

With the company having 40 Offices worldwide one responsibility is regular meetings and frequent travel. Claire has regular virtual business meetings with colleagues overseas. Once a week she and 5000 colleagues worldwide tune in to a live Q and A session with Mark Zuckerburg and Sheryl Sandberg. And she travels often, mainly to Sydney and to Wellington, and occasionally to head office in San Fransisco.

In Sydney she mixes her work with catching up with friends from the four years spent working for one-time social media darling MySpace. Her travels to the States are more work-focussed, with the majority of time spent in Facebook’s head office in San Francisco. Has she met Mark Zuckerburg? “Yes, but he wouldn’t remember me.”

How does Claire manage with the travel commitments? And does she update her Facebook status as she goes?

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Michael Barnett and Sir Paul Holmes had a close friendship. Michael often visited Sir Paul and Lady Deborah Holmes at their beautiful Poukawa property – Mana Lodge – which they bought in 2000 and extensively renovated and landscaped.

“On these visits Paul often talked about what he might do with the property, about his vision for his ‘treasure.’ He wanted to make Mana Lodge into a luxurious retreat – for weddings, conferences, and weekend getaways, and it is this vision that Lady Deborah is now pursuing.

“I wanted to share this vision with youand the opportunities it presents,” says Michael Barnett.

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The maximum number of people per stay is 10 adults. Children under 12 are not included in this number.

Auckland Chamber of Commerce andNew Zealand Inc Ltd held the second annual China Business Summit on October 16th, at The Langham Hotel. More than 250 delegates, including senior New Zealand politicians, leading NZ and Chinese business leaders and commentators attended the full day Summit. Co-chaired by Auckland Chamber CEO Michael Barnett andNew Zealand Inc. Ltd Director Fran O’Sullivan, the topics ranged from Reputation Restoration and Managing a PR Crisis to Capturing Premium Business and Navigating Pathways Deals, and incorporated case studies on current success stories. These topics reflected the Summit’s theme ‘A Wake-Up Call”, as events earlier in 2013 it was clear that

New Zealand businesses, regulators and politicians needed to lift their game in order to sustainably leverage the bilateral economic and business ties.

Minister of Trade Hon Tim Groser opened the Summit addressing the responsiveness and resources available in China to deal with the recent crises and the shortcomings of the way they have been dealt with to date. He also recognised the transparency and lack of coverup in the New Zealand Government and Fonterra’s reaction, and noted that this was a positive outcome in relationships with China. He spoke about progress in the New Zealand - China relationship since the FTA was signed in 2008 and the potential that exists if we “are smart and make the right choices”.

“We are absolutely on track to meeting the objective set by Prime Minister Key and former Premier Wen of two-way trade of$20 billion by 2015. And when you reflect on the fact that two-way trade between China and the United States, the two largest economies in the world, is around $400 billion that is a pretty significant achievement for an economy of our size.

“We are also seeing the growth of two-way investment – and most of it in dairy in both countries is greenfields investment, the type of investment that even ideological opponents of foreign investment find difficult to argue with. There are similar highly positive statistics on tourism flows,” he said.



GLOBAL

The bigger the opportunities the bigger the risk for New Zealand businesses

Some of the key themes fromthe Summit:

THE BIGGER THE OPPORTUNITY THE BIGGER THE RISK IN CHINAThe China Business Summit addressed the issue of Fonterra's botulism scare and the ramifications of it on the market for New Zealand's brand and exporters to China.

One of the key messages for New Zealand businesses was that the bigger the business opportunity is, the greater the opportunity for risk. Food will always be a dominant part of exports so therefore there will be greater sensitivity and therefore greater accountability for the quality of what we do.

Said Michael Barnett, chief executive Auckland Chamber of Commerce, “This risk shouldn't make us fearful, but should make us ensure we have good systems in place.”

NEW ZEALAND EDUCATION OFFERS RESOURCE FOR FUTURE CHINA BUSINESSThe Summit brought together key business leaders from New Zealand and China to review opportunities for doing business in China moving forward.

In particular the focus was on the next generation of business leaders.

Michael Barnett, said that “New Zealand's future in China is going to be dependent on us having young people with language skills and an understanding of how business is done both in China and New Zealand.

“The Summit confirmed that we have a good brand for education in China but one of the key things we need to do is to keep track of the young people who come to New Zealand to learn English and can be a fantastic resource for New Zealand.“

NEW ZEALAND KICKED THREE OWN GOALS THIS YEAR BUT IT WAS A CHANCE TO SHOW OUR TRANSPARENCYWith the DCD residue issue, the botulism scare, and meat, apple and kiwifruit incidents, New Zealand exporters put themselves at risk of closer scrutiny. This, coupled with the Ministry for Primary Industries being under-resourced and communications inadequate to deal with

food safety issues in China according to Trade Minister Groser, meant that the New Zealand brand took a battering in China. Financial Times bureau chief in Beijing, Jamil Anderlini said that the contamination scare was a “gift” to the Chinese government which was in the throes of an investigation into dairy powder pricing and was trying to support Chinese national champions in the dairy industry.

David Mahon, managing director and chief investment officer of Mahon China Investment Management Ltd suggested that we didn’t need to worry about Fonterra and its integrity. “It is a company that does not act out of fear,” he said.

He said that the Chinese government was obsessed with food safety and recalled the melamine scare of 2008 when children died or fell sick from consuming melamine-laced milk.

NEW ZEALAND IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO HIGHER STANDARDSDavid Mahon warned that we are setting ourselves very high standards. “We have to stop thinking we are the best in the world at things. It makes us more vulnerable. We mustn’t be complacent…We shouldn’t think of ourselves as exceptional,” he said.

McKinsey & Co director Andrew Grant agreed that New Zealand is held to higher standards than other countires due to the types of food exported and because babies are affected.

And Chinese Chamber of Commerce Chairman Liu Feng concurred that we are victims of our own creation, trying too hard to maintain our immaculate image.

NEW ZEALAND NEEDS A CHINA STRATEGY – PREMIUM OR VOLUME TARGETS?Keynote speakers at the Summit debated whether the focus for businesses exporting to China should be about volume targets or premium targets – with some companies looking to rely on the number of potential consumers for business growth and others focussing on the premium brand values to capture the more affluent market which allows premium pricing.

According to David Mahon, there is no China Strategy. We are still being too opportunistic – selling commodities to China. “We can do ok at commodities at the moment but we have to be careful not to focus only on them,” he said. “How can we go to China and behave in a different way, to go beyond commodities?”

Chief executive and managing director of Synlait Group John Penno said that China is 36 times the land mass of New Zealand and 300 times the population. “As a business how do you get your head around that? China is many markets, not just a single market made up of 20% of the world population. The issue is how to address that and who do you target?” he said.

“There is a premium opportunity, and commodities give us access to that.”

Peter Chrisp, chief executive of NZTE, suggested that the challenge with China is that there is still too much fragmentation of effort of the New Zealand support networks in China and that these need to be aligned. There are resourcing issues as generally companies going into China expect a greater amount of support, and collaboration is one of the foils to scale,“ he said.

SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY IS ESSENTIALOne of the more resounding things to emerge from the Summit was the prolific use of social media platforms like Weibo in China, and the notion that engaging with consumers via social media was vital to help restore trust and managing New Zealand brands. With 564 million internet users in China and 95% of people in big cities registered in social media, Jeremy Webb, Head of Social at Ogilvy Public Relations said that there is plenty to analyse in terms of social data and trends. Businesses can use social media to find out what people are talking about, and to find a social purpose that responds to that data analysis and insight.

Make sure you join us for theCHINA BUSINESS SUMMIT 2014 in early October next year for an update on opportunites for doing business with China.


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MEMBERSHIP


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Dave Anderson, General Manager of national transportation company Cubic Transport, says that the Chamber is a great resource for businesses

in Auckland. “It is relevant to business needs,” he said. “If there is anything I need, I can approach the Chamber. I think Michael Barnett is very good too.”

Cubic Transport joined the Chamber 13 years ago. Dave says he often goes to the Ba5 events and has been to some seminars, especially when they have an IT component. He said that he completes the Business Confidence Surveys because he values the results, and attends the Business Updates for analysis and market conditions.

The company has 6 employees and recently entered into the Westpac Auckland Central Business Awards, which is hosted by the Chamber. He saw just entering the Awards as a worthwhile process. “It really proved to be a good experience to sit back and talk about the business. We realized what we had achieved. It made me think about our business, where we came from and where we are going,” he said.

We spoke with members who told us about the Chamber support services they use

To learn more about the fantastic support services we offer our members – visit our websitewww.aucklandchamber.co.nz to discover events, training, marketing opportunities and business resources.

• Opportunities to make new contacts and do business with other Chamber members

• Information: About the latest business issues and news

• Business support: HR, business advice and recruitment assistance

• Practical training workshops and informative events

• Promotional opportunities to fellow members

• Business savings: Save money on essential business supplies

• Representation at a local and central Government level

Want to find out more about how we can help?

Contact us on (09) 3096100, email [email protected] orvisit www.aucklandchamber.co.nz

To view video testimonials please visit Auckland Chamber’s YouTube Channel.Click the YouTube icon atwww.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

DON’T FORGET ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE ON OFFER FOR OUR MEMBERS:

TIGERTURF NEW ZEALAND

TigerTurf New Zealand, Production Manager Jennifer Tassell values the Business HR Advice service offered by the Chamber.

“We find the Business HR Advice line is by far the most valuable aspect of our Chamber membership. TigerTurf does not employ a HR Manager so having access to an HR expert to help with difficult employee issues is fantastic. The team running the advice line are excellent and are always happy to talk through any issue however ‘simple’. They ensure that we have considered every aspect of any situation and are acting in a fair and reasonable way. Having confirmation from a HR professional that we are doing the right thing really helps,” she said.

Tiger Turf has been Chamber Members for 10 years, using the training courses and seminars to keep up-to-date and to upskill.

“The main aspects of the membership we use are the training courses and seminars. I find the industry updates particularly useful. In addition we use the Business HR Advice line regularly and subscribe to the HR online document library.

“Events we have attended include the Excel Workshop, Microsoft Access Training, Employment Law updates, Disciplinary Process workshop and the recent Health and Safety Update briefing.”


SUPPORT

Having a mentor supported Pure SEO founder Richard Conway while he captured a gap in the New Zealand market for search engine optimisation.

Richard Conway started Pure SEO in 2009 after moving to New Zealand from the UK with his wife. He saw a gap in the market, but he didn’t know anyone in New Zealand. He joined several networking groups to get connected which he said was “difficult at first but became easier”.

Six months later he decided to get a business mentor and contacted Kerry Carr at the Auckland Central office of Business Mentors New Zealand.

His first mentor focussed on making connections and marketing the business, but Richard got to the point where he needed some strategic and financial guidance.

“There have been points where I looked at acquisition or selling part of the business so having opinions on that is helpful,” he said.

His second and current mentor is Matthew Abel who is a consultant in public financial management and spends time working on aid projects in the Pacific and developing countries – projects related to small business development or financial management in government.

The relationship with his mentor has evolved from Matthew giving his opinion and advice – particularly speaking from his experience – to now a more level relationship where Matthew acts as a sounding board for ideas.

“I value his opinion. Having a mentor has definitely helped me. Often it doesn’t need to be anything more than clarifying something in my mind – crystallising it.

“Having a business mentor helps with personal times too. I would consider Matthew a friend now,” said Richard.

Matthew Abel became a mentor because of his interest in business. He said he enjoys learning about businesses – the successes they have and the challenges they face.

“As a mentor, I go and see the needs for the individual business and see how they can be addressed,” he said.

Pure SEO’s business has grown remarkably over the past few years. Mentor Matthew acknowledges that Richard Conway is one of the most successful business owners he has mentored. And he says that having someone to talk to outside the business is something that is really valued particularly in smaller businesses.

“With any business owner sometimes they have a big problem they can’t share with staff or they are worried about the future of the business but cannot talk to staff about it, so to have a mentor to bounce ideas off helps them clarify the solution.

“Richard gets on well with his accountant and other people. He seeks advice from other people, which is good. Often people don’t have someone they feel they can discuss the books with, or they don’t want to have to pay for the time of a professional.

“Mentoring helps you to link into a network, and along with joining the Chamber gives you an idea about the local environment, about business and exposure to new ideas. A bigger business might have its own board of directors or its own established network but it is more of a challenge for smaller businesses,” said Matthew.

Richard and Matthew meet every 3 months now, but initially it was more frequent.

“Once you know the business there is not much more you need to see. I am hoping to see the action plans for the Pure SEO business for the next 3-6 months next time we meet,” Matthew said.

When Richard Conway started the business there were just 12 or 13 employees. Now Pure SEO has 180 clients in a range of industries including Fletcher Building, Subaru, and The Heart Foundation. The business has grown largely through word of mouth and the success of the last couple of years has culminated in winning the New Zealand competition for the “Google All Stars” in July this year. And a visit to the GooglePlex in San Francisco – a career highlight for Richard.

To join the Business Mentoring team to support businesses in the Auckland Central region, register on the websitewww.businessmentors.org.nz

Or if you are looking for mentoring support, registration costs $150 + GST for up to two years. Find out more atwww.businessmentors.org.nz

For more information phone Kerry Carron (09) 374 2265.

Share opportunities and challenges for your business with a business mentor

ESCAPE TO THE OFFICEFind the perfect location for your business 09 522 0039

A fully funded service of Business In The Community

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Visit www.businessmentors.org.nz or call 0800 209 209

People in businesses often feel very isolated. The Business Mentoring programme provides an empathetic person to listen to the challenges and difficulties small businesses can face. Sometimes this alone is all that is needed to identify strategies and opportunities for growth.

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CHAMBER SPOTLIGHT

The first graduates of a new work readiness training programme for Tamaki youth hit the job market in October looking for supportive businesses in which to start their career.

In what Michael Barnett, chief executive of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, said is an exciting pilot, Tamaki Redevelopment Company and Ngati Whatua O Orakei partnered with the Auckland Chamber to run a comprehensive career assistance programme aimed at training Tamaki youth to become work ready.

“The real success will be when businesses in the Panmure-Tamaki area join in the programme to offer real work experience,” he said.

A key aim of the programme is to offer realistic and practical work readiness training to Tamaki youth between the ages of 17-24 years looking to start their career. The two-week programme covered the basics of preparing a CV, job search and interview techniques, as well as visiting different work places to help participants understand how the workplace operates.

A supporting objective of the programme is to increase the proportion of people in Tamaki – Panmure that are employed.

Following the two-weeks of work readiness training the 21 participants were matched with potential employers. The programme will provide mentoring support for up to a year after placement noted Mr Barnett.

“The ultimate success will be when businesses respond by offering opportunities for our youth to participate in real vocational work,” he said.

“I am passionate about this initiative. Good and successful businesses are locked in and close to the communities they operate in,” said Mr Barnett. “The Chamber’s job is to support business and part of that role is to invest in creating opportunities for our youth to participate and have a career in business.”

Business Support for Work Ready Youth: Pre-employment skills pilot launched in October

Helen Corban works for the Employment Division at Auckland Chamber. In her new role as Employment Liaison for the Migrant Employment Programme (MEP) Helen assists skilled and professional migrants into meaningful project work placements and, ultimately, into employment. MEP candidates often lack a business network and enough recent and relevant New Zealand work experience in their field; the Programme circumvents these obstacles.

“One of the most important components of the Programme is engendering an understanding of what New Zealand employers want and why. We aim to enable candidates to become ‘expert job seekers’ who go on to become ‘exceptional employees’,” she said.

HeIen joined the Chamber of Commerce in May 2012 to cover a maternity leave contract for the New Kiwi Career Success Programme. Earlier this year she was appointed to manage the Migrant Employment Programme.

After completing a BA in Education,Helen started her training career in Japan teaching English and marketing New Zealand-made products. She then set up a business providing Japanese language and business etiquette seminars. Subsequently she delivered time management training to corporates in New Zealand and Japan. Before joining the Chamber Helen also offered mentoring, coaching and training in SMEs through her own business.

Helen’s prowess at networking led her to meet Penny Smith, Employment Division Manager and subsequently resulted in employment at The Chamber.

After 18 years as a training consultant Helen is enjoying being part of a busy team and an organisation that makes a difference in the

Helping Migrants into work -a new role for Helen Corban

business world.

About the Migrant Employment Programme: Helen talks about the Programme

“We interview candidates and assess their suitability – is this someone we could work with, someone we would be happy to promote under our brand and who has skills relevant to businesses within our database?

“Job seekers are supported through a personalised combination of coaching, comprehensive marketing and employment-related training.

“Some candidates will do a project work placement which will give them more experience in their field, and this is at no cost to the employer – which is great if a business has a short term need but doesn’t have the resources to manage it, or perhaps the business has a couple of non-urgent projects where operational pressures stop it from getting them done. A placement will add experience and value to the candidate’s CV but there is a lot in it for the employer also. We are the link between employers and candidates and will proactively develop relationships with employers to enable these “win-win” relationships. These placements are often a pathway to employment, an opportunity for the employer to trial a candidate to establish that their skills are relevant and they are a good team fit.”


look what happens when we meet in the middle As an Auckland Chamber of Commerce member, when you show Mercury a recent price your electricity supplier is currently offering you for your Auckland based business premises, they promise to either meet that price, or go one better, and beat it! They’ll also ensure you avoid any future energy price increases by fixing the price of your energy at that super low rate for 24 months^.

*Terms and Conditions for the ‘Auckland Chamber and Mercury Meet or Beat Energy Deal’ apply – ask Mercury for details. ^The fixed price applies to Energy Charges, and Mercury reserves the right to increase other charges as set out in the terms and conditions. #If you’re on a fixed price contract with another electricity supplier, you’ll need to give Mercury a quote less than 14 days old, instead of a recent power bill. Mercury Energy is a division of Mighty River Power Limited.

energy deal*

Find out just how much your business could save by emailing a recent quote or a bill to [email protected]#

MEMBERS GALLERY


FOR CONTRACT

S

021 820 334

Marketing &Promotion

0800 555 703regus.co.nz

Ready-to-work offices to suit your business needs in Auckland

Printed Labels in Rolls

No Minimums

No Origination Charges

Prompt Delivery

Mario Vulinovich

VULMAR CONSULTING LTD

BE, MBA (HONS)

Business Coach & Mentor

E [email protected] T 021 503 084W http://nz.linkedin.com/pub/mario-vulinovich/9/249/128

ScillaScillaChocolates

PRODUCT OF NEW ZEALAND

Order Now0800 724 552

www.scillachocolates.co.nz

Handmade Belgian ChocolatesGifts For Your Staff & Clients

BUSINESS SAVINGS

Savings simply from being a memberTake advantage of exclusive business savings and discounts available to Auckland Chamber of Commerce members through our Alliance Partners.

Mercury Energy: As an Auckland Chamber member, when youshow Mercury a recent price your electricity supplier is currently offering you for your Auckland based business premises, they promise to either meet that price or go one better, and beat it! They’ll also fix the price of your energy at that super low rate for two years.Email [email protected].

Noel Leeming Group: Noel Leeming has partnered with Auckland Chamber of Commerce to bring you fantastic savings on products in Noel Leeming stores nationwide. Use your Chamber membership card or quote your membership number to access trade discounts across the entire range*. *Does not include already discounted items

OfficeMax: As a Chamber member, save up to 60% off the retailprice of hundreds of products from OfficeMax, including stationery, office furniture, computing and technology products and much more.Call 0800 426 473 or email [email protected], or show your Chamber card in-store.

Vodafone: Members new to Vodafone who sign a 24 month Vodafone Red Business Plan and members who are existing Vodafone customers and re-new onto a 24 month Red Business Plan, will for three months of their new Red Business term, be credited back half of their Red Business Plan monthly access fees. Eg: Sign up to the Vodafone Red Business Essentials Plan at $95.00 + gst per month for 24 months and get $142.50 off your bill. Call 0800 888 129.

Z Energy: From 1 November 2013 to 28 February 2014 Chamber members can get 7 cents per litre off the advertised pump price at Z service stations nationwide! For full details of the offer check outwww.aucklandchamber.co.nz and to sign up for a Z Card, head to z.co.nz/Chamber to apply. It can all be done online and only takes10 minutes. Remember to have your Fly Buys number and Chamber of Commerce membership number handy. Your offer code for this deal is CCREWARD8.

Terms and conditions apply to all offers.For more information on our Business Savings Programmescontact us on 09 309 6100, email [email protected] or visitwww.aucklandchamber.co.nz.

Connect with usKeep in touch with Auckland Chamberof Commerce

• Ask about your membership

• Find out about exporting

• Book for events

• Find staff

• Advertise in Innovate or utilise other marketing services

• Find training courses to upskill

• Save money through Alliance Partners

• Find resources to help improve your business

Visit us at www.aucklandchamber.co.nzCall us on 09 309 6100

For business advice call0800 CHAMBER (0800 242 623)

Twitter @aklchamber

Facebook facebook.com/AKLChamber

LinkedIn

Follow us on

www.linkedin.com/company/auckland-chamber-of-commerce


Terms and Conditions: Offer is valid from Sunday 1 December 2013 and ends Tuesday 31 December 2013, or while stocks last and is available at Noel Leeming stores nationwide. Offer is not available at Lifestyle Appliances or online and cannot be used in conjunction with any deferred and/or interest free credit offer or with any other promotional offer. Standard Fly Buys points consists of 1 Standard Point for every $25 you spend at Noel Leeming. All prices include GST and are correct as at Thursday 28 November 2013.

We are the nationwide company that’s also in your town. For customised solutions, contact us today.

www.noelleeminggroup.co.nz/commercial

0800 737 5223 [email protected]

Over 75 retail stores

Noel Leeming Group Commercial is one of New Zealand’s most trusted brands. We bring you the newest product developments and technology from some of the most desirable brands from around the world, while tailoring preferential commercial solutions for local customers.

Noel Leeming Group provides commercial appliance and technologysolutions to the agriculture, business, corporate, education, government, hospitality and insurance sectors.

The only appliance store with Fly Buys

PPRREESSEENNTTT TTHHIS FLYER IN-STORE TO TAKE ADVANTAAGEEE OOF TTTHHEESE GRREATT DEALS!

$949$399PLACE AN ORDER

IN-STORE NOW!

x2 USB x1Samsung WB2100 Ultra Zoom Camera

16 Megapixel Sensor35x Optical Zoom3” Swivel LCD Screen25mm Wide Angle LensHD Movie RecordingLive PanoramaSmart auto

Model: WB2100 122114

Samsung 46” Full HD LED

PLACE AN ORDER

IN-STORE NOW!

x2 x1USB

Samsung 32” High Definition LED

$37

Maisto Radio Controlled Drift CarReal drifing actionFull digital proportional steering

Recommended for ages 8+

HOTPRICE

$54

Sony Noise Cancelling HeadphonesReduces unwanted ambient noiseFoldable and swivel design for easy portabilityOption to listen to music with or without noise

cancellationPlug Adaptor is supplied to connect directly to

stereo or dual jack of in-flight music servicesNeodymium magnet delivers powerful sound

1 December - 31 December 2013

$114

EVOLUTION 1020 RC HELICOPTERGiant 3 Channel RC HelicopterRequires 4 x AA Batteries (for the controller)

PICTUREPERFECTPREZZY

$348

STOCKINGSTUFFER

SANTA’SPICK

If you’re the driverof your business...Z Card can make yourjourney a little smoother.

Z credit criteria and terms and conditions apply.

Z Card is the only fuel card that offers you Fly Buys points, or AirpointsDollars, on fuel purchases at service stations. It’s just one of the ways Z Card benefitsChamber of Commerce members. It also gives you a discount off the pump price at over200 Z service stations nationwide.To get you off to a great start, from 1 November 2013 to 28 February 2014 you canget 7 cents per litre off the advertised pump price at Z service stations nationwide!

For full details of the offer, including terms and conditions, check out www.aucklandchamber.co.nz, or jump straight to z.co.nz/ZCard to apply online. Your offer code is CCREWARD8.

If yoff u’re the drivrr evv rof yourff businessss ...Z Cardrr cd an makekk yourjourneye a little smooth

Fuel your business your wayCARD

Auckland Chamber Innovate - December 2013

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Transcript of Auckland Chamber Innovate - December 2013