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By David Bennett MP/National MP for Hamilton East It is my pleasure to be writing a column for Biz Hamilton’s inaugural issue for this year. With the launch of Biz Hamilton, our city now has its own regular and dedicated business-to-business publication which will serve as an essential tool, especially as we witness the economic and commercial growth within the area. Congratulations to Mark Nogaj and his team for launching such a great publication and we look forward to reading Biz Hamilton in the years to come. The year is already well underway and we have had several developments occurring within the region that will serve as key drivers for business growth and development for our city. On 4 February 2016, Rototuna Junior High school officially opened with a Powhiri welcoming 634 foundation students and their families to the new school in Hamilton North. The North-East of Hamilton has waited a long time for this school. It will provide a focal point for the community and will be a real asset for the area in the future. The new Junior High School caters for students aged Years 7-10 and includes some work on the site and infrastructure for the future Senior High School. The Rototuna Senior High School catering for students aged 11-13 is well under construction and is set to open in 2017. On 11 March of this year, we had the sod turning of the Hamilton Section of the Waikato Expressway. Prime Minister John Key and Transport Minister Simon Bridges turned the first sod on the $973 million Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway, signalling the start of the largest roading project in the Waikato’s history. Work on the Hamilton section of the Expressway has commenced and the project will be transformational for both Hamilton city and the Waikato region. Once complete, the Waikato Expressway will be the key transport corridor for the region, connecting Auckland to the agricultural and business centres of Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. Just this month, the Prime Minister John Key and Communications Minister Amy Adams also announced the official completion of the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout in Hamilton, making it the 16th completed urban area in New Zealand. The completion of the UFB rollout is welcoming news for local businesses and services across the city. Over 63,000 business, medical centres and schools will now be able to connect to the UFB network. With digital and online trading on the rise, the provision of rapid and widespread online connectivity will ensure that local firms remain competitive in modern markets. Hamilton is well positioned with a strong and vibrant economy. The recent Central Government developments in roading, schools and broadband will enable us to take advantage of our opportunities. We congratulate and wish Mark and his team at Biz Hamilton all the best for the new publication. 510 Grey St, PO Box 4183, Hamilton East, Hamilton, New Zealand, www.national.org. nz, www.davidbennett.co.nz, Ph 834 3407 | The future is almost upon us. Our clients are ready to maximise the opportunities it offers. ARE YOU? When experience and reliability counts for your rental property management! Contact me, Val Larsen to see how I can be of benefit to you. P: 839 5595 E: val.l@pcpm.co.nz www.pcpm.co.nz • Strategy • Governance • Leadership • Succession enquiries@strategies-direct.com Ph 027 554 1320 www.strategies-direct.com 16 : BIZ <strong>HAMILTON</strong> : ISSUE 1
IRD Contract Still Not Signed By Sandy Turner, Hamilton Central Business Association We have confirmation from the Commissioner of IRD Naomi Ferguson that no contract has been signed for the new IRD premises in Hamilton. The current position is IRD have decided on a preferred option and provider and have communicated their decision to the parties involved. IRD will now enter into negotiations with the preferred provider as the next stage of the procurement process. IRD expect to complete commercial negotiations in June 2016. We are extremely disappointed with the planned loss of 500 IRD workers from the CBD after media reports on 15th April that the IRD are considering moving within 2 years to an alternative site located in Te Rapa. We are hopeful that the work we have done to date is still under consideration and would like to update you on the situation. We firstly held a public rally in Garden Place on the 23rd October 2015. We had 3 local MPs and the Mayor speak at the rally and over 483 people signed our petition which was tabled in parliament on the 12th November. On the 3rd November 2015 we sent our concerns to Hon Todd McClay as we believed he had the final sign off as Minister of Revenue, however he replied that the decision was an operational matter (which we dispute). Following on from the petition we were then asked to submit a formal written submission to Jo Elworthy Clerk of the Committee, Finance and Expenditure. The submission was sent in February 2016. We have confirmation that they received our submission and have had one further update on the 15th April stating : Members of the committee are still considering the petition, and submission so at this stage there is nothing further I can pass on to you about it. We are hopeful that while they are still considering the submission there may still be the opportunity to persuade them to reconsider. We will continue to keep you updated and assure you we have not given up yet. For more details on the Hamilton Central Business Association: www.hamiltoncentral. co.nz By Colin Tasker, Principal - Audit & Assurance, Business Advisory, Crowe Horwath (NZ) Limited Planning Ahead – It’s Good For You And Your Business With the 2016 financial year completed and the 2017 year now underway, it is important that we turn our attention to planning ahead, if we haven’t done so already. For the medium to large businesses - those with 20 or more employees - planning ahead would be considered ‘business as usual’. However, for smaller businesses I am finding that it is generally only the successful ones invest time in quality planning and usually 2-3 months before balance date. Now is the time for small businesses to understand the importance and discipline of good planning. Planning involves more than just preparing a 12 month forecast budget which is often initiated by the banks. It spreads much wider than that covering different areas of your business such as: marketing, human capital, research and development, innovation (doing things better) and capital investment or divestment of less profitable areas. It also considers risk, regulation, systems and processes. Planning is essentially taking time to think about your business and the shape it is in. It is a disciplined process of elevating yourself away from all the detail and focusing on the elements that will both effect and drive the business over the next 12 months. Beyond this, there are aspects of long-term planning which may encompass considering lease terms, retirement, capital value improvements in preparation for a sale, mergers and acquisitions with other similar or complementary businesses, succession and dissolution. To be effective with planning, you need to create the right environment. This means looking closely at design and implementation processes, accountabilities and documentation – whether that’s through attending a regular discussion group of business peers or working with a board, executive team, business coach, mentor or advisor. The common response I get from clients is: “This is a waste of time – my priority is to look after clients’ needs first and foremost.” Certainly, this is important but so too is planning which is often viewed as being an academic exercise. As a result, the typical small business model evolves by default over time. What is required is for business owners to step up and re-shape it. SO, WHAT PRACTICAL STEPS CAN BE APPLIED TO A GOOD PLANNING PROCESS? Certainly, there have been a lot of books written on the subject. However, some of the things I see as being important are: -Get into a good discussion group with your peers and a professional advisor or mentor. A discussion group of similar sized non-competing businesses that meet on a regular basis can definitely help this process. -Review your business over the past 12 months and be prepared to discuss in the group or with your mentor the spectrum of challenges and successes. -Set action plans to implement changes. These may be only one or two minor changes at little or no cost through to wide-sweeping changes that have a material fiscal impact. -Feedback to the group changes that you are looking to make and be called to account for them. -Take on a good business mentor or coach and be prepared to consider and act on their advice. They can provide you with fresh thinking. -When planning ahead, certainly consider the long-term (next 5 years) but focus more on the next 12 months. Limiting your management decisions to a shorter timeframe makes things more manageable and provides greater focus and opportunities for implementation. -I have assumed that your financial information systems are up-to-date and readily reportable. Certainly, on-line cashbooks such as MYOB and Xero can provide this. At Crowe Horwath’s Hamilton office, we are interested in getting small-sized discussion groups underway involving 4-6 businesses. We envisage that the group would meet every second month to discuss matters like those outlined above and hear from guest speakers. Our Tauranga office has been running several groups for the past two years and business feedback has been very positive. I welcome your calls on 027 419 9646 or email me at colin.tasker@crowehorwath.co.nz with your expression of interest. ISSUE 1 : BIZ <strong>HAMILTON</strong> : 17
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 1 HAMILTON The publication fo
Page 3 and 4: NEW COUNCIL BLOOD BRINGS FRESH OPTI
Page 5 and 6: MODERN OFFICE Commercial Furniture
Page 7 and 8: THE FRIENDLY POSITIVE GYM WHERE WE
Page 9 and 10: Waikato Wardrobes have over 20 year
Page 11 and 12: million. “We’re just not in the
Page 13 and 14: Warehousemens Association) was firs
Page 15: PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE WAIKATO COMMER
Page 20 and 21: TAINUI DEVELOPMENT TGH Welcomes Res
Page 22 and 23: Hamilton Launches Online Marketplac
Page 24 and 25: WANT MORE $ COMING IN? THEN YOU NEE
Page 26 and 27: WAIKATO COMMERCE CLUB Reasons you s
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