Issue I 2009

virtual magazine

Brian OwnerBubbles Laundrette

AnnettfounderLiving Design

ChicNelsonProfiling localsConnecting inspiring InformingKeeping it real

Kiwitagnew player on the block

The fear seems to be that computers, mobile

phones and ipods are isolating our communities.

But Chic Nelson sees it all in a different light.

YES, new technologies have changed society but

instead of being agents of isolation we see them

connecting our local community in new & vibrant

ways.

“Quotes”

“Kids today don’t know how to interact anymore.....”

Remember when you knew your local butcher........”

Remember when you knew everyone in your

street........”

“Remember when....blah blah.....”

Chic Nelson sees a bright future with positive, con-

nected communities.

We don’t see new technologies hindering our sense of

community.

blah blah

“Quotes”

vibrant

No it’s not like the old days BUT the desire for con-

nection, a “handshake” kind of trust in relationships

and knowing your local is still an intrinsic desire.

ChicNelson Virtual Magazine is shamelessly trying to

promote the business owners we are profiling be-

cause we want their business to work!

We also want to recreate in our community, that sense

of “knowing your local butcher” etc and being able to

connect.

Every person profiled is not just a static article of in-

terest. You can make contact with them, you can

comment on what you have read, if it’s touched you or

inspired you.

But most importantly we hope it makes you feel a little

more connected with your local!

“handshake”

shamelessly

connected

SERVICESESSENTIAL

BUBBLES LAUNDRETTE

Four years ago a Nelson man born and bred, parked up his forklift

for the last time , hung up his overalls and launched into business. Brian owner of Bubbles Laundrette has never looked

back. “ I was in a job mentality but it’s about working for myself; working for a profit.” It made sense for Brian to purchase Bubbles Laundrette, not only as an

existing business but the fact it is an essential service. And with the opportunity to live on site it was win-win for Brian financially.In the early days Brian ran the busi-

ness totally self-service whilst work-ing elsewhere part-time. But the juggling act became too much and he now runs the laundrette with a customer service focus as well.

In writing this article I always asso-ciated laundrettes with holidaymak-ers but Brian says plenty of locals use the service because not every-body owns utilities, or if a washing -

machine breaks down it’s conven-ient to drop off you laundry and pick it up later. Look-ing round while talking to Brian the place is hum-ming with locals: a group

of young girls laughing and hanging out, a gen-

tleman reading the paper and sip-ping coffee while he waits for the load to finish. A real community feel.Brian says the obstacles he has to face is isolation and not actually owning the building which has its frustrations.As we talk on, and the machines switch cycles, Brian talks of his vi-sion of expansion and the evolu-tion of such essential services in our 21st century environment.He told me how he would dream on the forklift of getting out from the “job mentality” and he did.He is no longer driving the forklift, but he is definitely still dreaming.

Annett Todtfounder Living Design

New Zealand is a great place to set up business ac-cording to Annett from Living De-sign. She should know having started businesses in New Zealand and in Germany. “Here, you don’t

have to start out with a big budget and it is easy to “just start.”Annett says she loves the open-ness of the busi-ness environment in New Zealand. “ In Germany, for example, at a

trade fair all the stalls are “blackened-out” by curtaining and you can only enter if you are a customer.

DANCE OF THE GLASSESStraight from the great glass blowing tradi-tions of Europe, creat-ing a dance with shape and form where ele-gance, en-joyment and fun are closely con-nected.

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N “Yet here,” Annett says,

“the environment is far more open and trades-people from similar fields are willing to talk and share.”Annett is a successful dressmaker and having a busy schedule as a pro-duction manager, in Germany, says,“I had achieved all my goals and wanted to spend more time focused on the family.”Husband, Klaus, comes from a family of cabinet makers, the skill passed on from generation to generation. It was crystal clear Klaus would be a cabinet maker, but the family business special-ised in office furniture.

This did not hold any appeal to the creative bent in Klaus, and so they successfully opened a workshop specialising in their de-sign furniture.

Moving to New Zea-land four years ago, Klaus’ skills were snapped up; and by creating an online store, it enables them to combine their artistic talents,

yet still focus on family life too. Their European roots means they person-ally know the craftspeople, and stand by their quality of work.

“We chose to move to Nelson because we really like it’s arts and crafts, it’s cafe’s and restaurants by the sea - all in one place.

This ap-peals to our de-sign back-

grounds.”But Nelsons appeal

went beyond the arts ex-tending to it’s family benefits.

“ We are on the back-yard of the Kahurangi

National Park and there are many opportunities available to the children.

“In Germany it can be very restrictive if you have children, many of the mu-seums and galleries are not user-friendly. Some will not allow children. Kids can have a full expe-rience here and be in-volved in the community.”

You can see this combi-nation of family value and artistic talent in one of their many designs.

The Christmas tree is made of solid wood and made in Nelson. It is a piece that can capture the hearts of family members down the generations.

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Each branch can hold a family treasure or heir-loom.

Annett says in a child’s first year it is very difficult

to know what to buy them.

“Here, for example, a grandmother, can buy a treasure to put on the tree that is significant to the child’s first year. And then, every Christmas af-ter, when the tree is brought out, the earlier treasures along with the new, are placed on it’s

branches, and so memo-ries are rekindled and the child has an heirloom filled with memories to hand on.”

Annett is very positive about starting up business in New Zealand and her advice is,

“Network, network, network, also make use of the free business courses, they simply do not exist in Germany.”

Living Design Giftware will be available for view-ing at Brightwater Play-centre on November 11th, from 10am.

All giftware is exclusive to Living Design and can-not be found anywhere else.

Annett is available for party plan evenings.

Phone: 5441878

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kiwitagnelson

Pioneers ParkHastings Street

Fridays 6pm onwardsCafe/League TV/PoolFamily Atmosphere

www.kiwitagnelson.com

There’s a lot of blokes gathering at Pioneers Park Friday evenings - various ages, various shapes and sizes but all serious about the game!Kiwitag Nelson is still in it’s infancy, but judging by the passion on the faces, it’s here to stay and will grow into a strong, healthy brute!

Craig Jones, referee, seems to be a bit of a man’s man, but assures me kiwitag is open to the ladies too - they just haven’t turned up yet.

Being a referee I ask Craig if he plays by the rules,“ In life, no, but with kiwitag, yes.”He says he respects NRL refe-ree, Bill Harrigan, founder of ‘Tag’ as a League training tool,“he has fine-tuned the rules and it makes for a quality game.”

Unlike it’s counterpart, ‘Touch’, if a player makes a bad pass and doesn’t ‘knock-on’ , then another

player, perhaps more skilled, can still pick it up and ‘play on’. It means the game flows and all skill lev-els can play.All the referees at Kiwitag are trained by Bill Har-rigan.I ask Craig if starting up Kiwitag is like setting up a business? He agrees with the analogy “Any new business entering the market and taking on an existing, established business will face a daunting task, so we need a point of difference. If you were a shareholder in Kiwitag Nelson you’d be pleased with the progress so far. This is season three, and we’re only getting better and better and numbers are increasing.”I get the feeling Craig’s had enough talk so I try and make small talk on the sidelines. But it’s a different culture down here, I’m met with glazed stares and a kind of nod.They’re not interested in small talk - it’s GAME ON!