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Rotorua Chamber of Commerce Tabloid - November 2005
PF OLSEN and company ltd
 PF Olsen and Company Ltd (Olsens) was delighted to be named winner in the Unison Service Provider category, and then overall winner of the Westpac Rotorua Business of the Year.
The company is a service provider to over 400 forest owners throughout New Zealand, and is now in the process of expansion into Australia. Services extend beyond forest management to harvesting and marketing of logs. Additional services include consulting for forest sales or purchase, advice and supply of genetically advanced seed, seedlings and cuttings, aerial photography, mapping and stand records, forest insurance and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sustainable forest management certification. The company also runs an Application Service Provider (ASP) business that is host to software applications for 9 Rotorua-based businesses at present.
Olsens is owned primarily by its staff, a factor that helps to align employee and shareholder interests.
The recent past has been very difficult for the forest industry. Olsens however, is full of optimism for the future of the industry and has, over the last 5 years, invested heavily in software development, Research and Development and IT infrastructure to improve staff efficiency and productivity. Attention to high standards of environmental performance and the health and safety of its staff and contract workforce has taken high priority.
The Rotorua Business Excellence Awards are a valuable contribution to Rotorua's economic well-being. Not only do they raise the profile of business generally as the engine of wealth creation, but also inspire individual firms to examine their own processes and benchmark themselves against others. Olsens acknowledge the contribution of the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce and the sponsors of these awards. This important event is dependent upon the generous support of organisations like Westpac, Unison and the many other local sponsors.
Winning the awards this year has provided valuable local exposure for Olsens at a time when we are seeking to expand harvesting and marketing services to forest and woodlot owners throughout New Zealand. Staff morale was already in good shape but this award further cements Olsens' reputation as a good employer that staff are proud to be associated with. With staff retention being paramount in this time of skills shortage, that alone is an enormous business benefit.
Olsens look forward to the next 5 years of growth from a strong Rotorua base supported by high calibre local businesses.
MANUFACTURING & TRADE BUSINESS AWARD 2005
PHOTOARTS
 How do you celebrate your win?
When one enters the Business Awards winning is the goal. When the goal is realised and you have won, then what?
Winning is half the challenge, the other half is how to use the award to build the business. Some businesses have been very good at doing this and have changed the perception of their business in the eyes of their customers. Others have placed the trophy on the shelf and carried on as normal. In fact if I asked you to name winners of the past, only a few would spring to mind. So what do you do to build on the success of the award? Here is a list we hope to achieve.
- Place the award on our home web page
- Place in our signature on all our out- going emails
- Send an announcement to all our clients
- Place an article in our monthly newsletter
- Create a sign outside our building
- Display the trophy and certificate in an appropriate place in our reception
- Mention the fact in all our advertising
- Place in all our marketing material
- Mention when introducing ourselves in all forums
- Take up opportunities to speak in forums.
The next smart thing to do is walk the talk. You can't be a winner if you act like a loser. Review your service standards and encourage your team members to behave like winners.
Winning will bring more business. We know that from previous occasions when we have won. The secret is to service any new business in a way that will make it repeat business. This is a hard ask sometimes, however it is the challenge of winners.
Best of luck to all those who won this year’s awards and if you need a sign to advertise the fact call the “Best Manufacturing and Trades Business” PhotoArts 348 0234.
RETAIL BUSINESS AWARD 2005
LIME CAFETERIA
 The Rotorua Business Awards dinner was a special, glamorous night - like Rotorua's version of the Oscars. It felt fantastic to be out celebrating in style with our friends and colleagues from the wide range of local businesses.
There was a nerve-wracking moment for us as the Daily Post Retail Business Award was about to be announced: on one hand, our staff would be disappointed if we didn't win; but on the other hand, winning would mean being up on the podium in front of what felt like the whole of Rotorua! When Lime was announced as the winner, the team's reaction was ecstatic they lifted the roof.
When we entered the awards, we hadn't anticipated the tremendous boost it would offer our team. Opportunities for staff to celebrate their part in building a successful business are rare, and this award is a source of real pride for the team. That's just how it should be: we're very aware of the part our great team have played in establishing the business.
Lime is only a year old, and the last 12 months have been intense and fun. We've been focused on the hard work all year, but the Business Awards prompted us to stop and reflect on how far we've come. It's been great to take a snapshot of the business.
Now our energy will be channelled into consolidating the business and continuing to meet our customers' expectations. At the same time, we're developing ideas for future ventures. Lime has the potential to be a showcase for other related businesses, and we are open to opportunities.
Lime is fortunate to have been recognised recently in both the Rotorua Business Awards and the Best Café Awards. It's very humbling to be acknowledged when there are so many vibrant, successful businesses in our community. We're proud to have a share in Rotorua's success, and are very appreciative of the enormous effort required of the Chamber of Commerce to hold the awards.
Many of the benefits from entering the awards are things we hadn't considered in advance: the acknowledgement of the team, the opportunity to articulate the challenges and successes of the last year, and a reason to look around the business and say to each other “You've done a great job”. If you have ever wondered whether you should enter the Business Awards, take our word for it, the answer is 'yes!’
HOSPITALITY & ATTRACTIONS BUSINESS AWARD 2005
HELLS GATE
 He Tangata, He Tangata , He Tangata.
It is people, it is people, it is people.
The winning of the Rotorua Business Award Visitor and Hospitality - for us at Hells Gate and Wai Ora Spa is an affirmation that all of the hard work undertaken by our people has, at last, borne fruit. When I talk of our people I mean all of our staff, both present and past as well as our Trustees.
The journey to the stage to accept the award started for us 10 years ago when the Trust and ourselves, as joint venture partners, took back control of the reserve. It has been a long hard journey but one where we have never lost our vision of what we aspire to be “a unique cultural, geothermal and spa visitor experience delivered with excellence”. From a personal view, it was an absolute joy to receive the award, in the company of our Trust and our staff, many of whom have been with us over the 10-year journey. To these amazing people all I can say is thank you; it has been a privilege to work with you.
So what now? Well, we are basking in the glory of our win and have had a number of celebrations since, but our eye is still on our journey “to be all that we aspire to be”
We have a long way to go and are busy planning out the next ten years, which includes winning the national tourism awards. Entering awards such as these and others is not just about winning but more importantly, is about learning. It’s about learning your business through other people’s eyes, about benchmarking your practices against others and learning to be courageous - daring to stand up and be counted. Whether we win awards in the future or not, the process of entering is reward in itself as we will also learn from the experience and come out better for it.
The actual awards night was a brilliant celebration for Rotorua and as such I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the great work done by the Chamber, Events Impressions, Grand Tiara Hotel and Audio Visual Techniques all of Rotorua.
The night was spectacular! I had returned from the national Tourism Awards the previous week, which were held in Auckland at the Sky City venue. When comparing the two, the Rotorua Business Awards was the clear winner in every respect and was $50 per head cheaper. Well done. My team will be there next year, in force, to experience a wonderful night.
EMERGING BUSINESS AWARD 2005
 ENSISWinning the Emerging Business Award at the 2005 Rotorua Business Awards has capped off a busy 18 months for Ensis and one of its parent companies, Scion.
Ensis was established as an unincorporated joint venture between Scion (formerly Forest Research) and Australian-based CSIRO in July 2004. The organisation expanded further in July this year to become one of the world's largest integrated forestry and forest products research organisations.
Scion's Group Manager for Maori Strategy, Tupara Morrison, says entering the Rotorua Business Awards provided an excellent opportunity for Ensis to highlight its operations and expertise to the Rotorua community. Winning was a bonus, he says.
“We are a world-class research institution and with our joint venture in Ensis, we are a Trans Tasman operation that is working in both Australia and New Zealand every day.
“We utilise a great deal of leading edge telecommunications and IT technology to enable us to undertake our day to day business, and I believe we have a lot of experience to share with other Rotorua businesses. We are making a significant contribution to the knowledge base and future economic growth in Rotorua and we are proud to play this role.
“I think it's really important to understand that Scion is one of just nine Crown Research Institutes in New Zealand and we're based right here in Rotorua. It's a great asset for our region and I hope that by promoting some of the work we do, we can inspire local students and young people to also make science their career.”
COMMUNITY ORGANISATION BUSINESS AWARD 2005
MANA SOCIAL SERVICES
 The staff and Board of Trustees are just elated at our win. We were very honoured and happy at making the finals so to actually win was such an achievement not only for us, but for the 'not for profit' sector as well. Much of the work done in the third sector goes largely unacknowledged.
We are not in the money business. Our business is people. Encouraging and supporting them to become responsible, contributing members of our community. So, on behalf of all other not for profit organisations thank you Westpac, Newstalk ZB, and the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce for this recognition.
Only two of us represented our team of eleven at the awards. We were humbled by the recognition for our work.
I'd like to believe that the reasons we won were that we met all the criteria and focus areas required for the entry document with a distinctive flair and sincerity which clearly reflected our service; that we 'touched' the Judges with our presentation and that our service delivery and financial records were of a high standard.
The entire process for the Business Awards was of the highest standards to reflect the integrity of the sponsors and excellence required by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce for any award winner. That kept all other processes at an equally high standard and demanded the same excellence from applicants.
The effect on my team and Board is one of affirmation that we do great work for our community and our peers recognise and acknowledge this.
The award is recognised by our stakeholders, colleagues and the clients that we support and work with as an achievement that all can aspire to. We see ourselves as a 'lead' provider in our sector and the award reinforces that. We will use the award to positively promote our service and as the inspiration to develop further .
We at Mana believe that the strength and success of any community are measured in how they care for their most vulnerable members. The not for profit sector contributes in this important way.
Maxine W Rennie
(MNZASW, Dip. Social Services, Cert. Clin. Sup.)
DIRECTOR
MANA SOCIAL SERVICES TRUST
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY BUSINESS AWARD 2005
SUNSET PRIMARY
 What an absolute thrill it was to be successful in the Westpac Rotorua Business Excellence Awards.
A new experience for us all and a wonderful feeling to have successful business people in their own right come in to our school, to give their time and to have a critical look at what we are doing. Thank you to Terri Foley and Tina Toschi for giving their valuable time.
For too long, schools have been perceived as the 'other side of business' or 'not real business'. After all, what are our outcomes? We do not manufacture or produce anything that is tangibly marketable. The government puts funds in at one end and we use those funds to 'do our bit' to contribute toward the production of valuable, culturally aware and well rounded students who will be the 'citizens of tomorrow'. One of the unusual things though, is that we can never say that we are 'finished'. We can never say that this 'model is the most complete'. Or that it is the 'very best that we can do'. The education of children is precious and it is fraught with so many opportunities to 'get it wrong'.
Schools are in an ideal situation to act as “agents for change'….. by this I mean that we have some responsibility to work with our communities to see what their wishes are and to effect change that will support the students in gaining attitudes and skills in what we would generally hold as qualities and values for our society. We cannot impose dictates on our school community but we can encourage our community to make their own shifts in attitude and this sometimes begins with an initial 'hand up', culminating with an ability by stakeholders to increasingly take control of their own destiny.
It is important that in any business venture, that we believe in what we do and the value of what we are doing. The Sunset Team have believed implicitly in this for some time, which supports our conviction that we are doing the right things for our students.
To have the business sector acknowledge our efforts through this award has, I believe, affirmed the fact that schools are too being viewed as business. As indeed we are, with stringent planning outcomes and even more in depth auditing than many commercial businesses have.
Above all, for us this is another way that through public acknowledgement, we can hold our heads up and say 'We have all done OK'.
To the people of Rotorua …… This little school of 176 pupils, sited in Fordlands, has a heart and is in good health and is doing a great job in servicing our community. I would like to thank all those involved for giving us the opportunity to present ourselves to you.
Niels Rasmussen, Principal
CUSTOMER CHOICE BUSINESS AWARD 2005
BRUMBYS
 Every day we aim to not just meet customers’ demands but to exceed customer expectations and our surprise nomination told us that we are achieving that goal. This was a big pat on the back for our team and is a great reward for Ngareta, Andrew, Zac, Tony, Clem, Tim, Erika, Rachel and of course the irrepressible Emma.
Even though 2004 saw such stellar achievements as Brumby's being named Rotorua Business of the Year and New Zealand Franchisee of the Year, developing such a degree of loyalty among our customers and staff was and still remains our ultimate goal.
It is an honour and a privilege and incredibly humbling. We were in very prestigious company with Ngongotaha Pharmacy (winner two years in a row) and Credit Union Lakeland as the other finalists.
In business, as in baking, consistency is one of our major aims. Just as we try to avoid lumps in our date loaf we also strive to ensure each of our thousands of customers get the same quality of service day in and day out. This nomination was a great reward for an entire year’s hard work by our team. It means that our customers know that we will never rest on our laurels - rather we just change aim and head for the next peak. But we also know it’s our customers who set the peaks.
So you can imagine what a thrill it was for the team on the big night at the Sportsdrome … to be voted by our very own customers as winners of the “Customer Choice” Award.
Gerard summed it up on the night…
“Last year when we won the supreme award two things happened: first we woke up with hangovers and second our customers’ expectations went through the roof. To win this award tonight as voted for by our customers is amazing and it proves that the team has continued to exceed our customers' expectations… well done the team!!”
Last year we reached the peak and this year our customers pushed us back to the top. The bar has been raised again and the Brumby's Team will be working hard together to make sure that the quality of our product and service continues to exceed your expectations and you all know that we really care about our community and doing the best possible job for the most important judges our customers. THANK YOU!
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR BUSINESS AWARD 2005
 Elizabeth Rankin
Elizabeth Rankin who completed a printing apprenticeship at Sealed Air in May. She impressed with an ability to learn new skills quickly and to work unsupervised. She is now a shift leader of a printing team.
EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR BUSINESS AWARD 2005
 Craig Morrison
Craig Morrison is workshop supervisor and hydraulics engineer at Summit Engineering. He has outstanding communication skills with peers, team members, management and clients. The engineering industry recognises his ability to find solutions to complex problems and to contribute to the planning of major projects.
Rotorua's Tarawera Publishing
Named one of New Zealand's Top Home Businesses
Three outstanding New Zealand home businesses have been selected as recipients of the 2005 Telecom Home Business of the Year Awards including Tarawera Publishing in Rotorua.
Telecom's Home Business Competition recognises and rewards top New Zealand home businesses across three categories Inspirational Achievement, Best Use of Communications and Business Excellence. One category winner is also selected as the overall Supreme Award winner.
Best Use of Communications was awarded to Rotorua's Tarawera Publishing, creator of one of New Zealand's earliest online magazines, Good Returns.
This year's winner of the Inspirational Achievement Award was Napier-based BabyBaby which manufactures and sells a unique skincare range suitable for children and women the world over.
Sunrise Cleaning Services, a commercial cleaning company that employs over 110 permanent staff and services over 100 clients has taken out the coveted Supreme Award. The Nelson-based home business also won the Business Excellence Award.
The winners were selected by the Minister for Small Business, Rick Barker, Unlimited Editor, Fiona Rotherham and HomebizBuzz (www.homebizbuzz.co.nz) Executive Editor, Heather Douglas.
“New Zealand is a country of strong, independent and capable individuals and it is therefore not surprising that 96% of all businesses in New Zealand are small businesses. Yet, despite their small size, since 2000 they have contributed over one third of New Zealand's economic output,” says Mr Barker.
“It should also be expected that many of these small enterprises are Home Businesses. Telecom, by recognising the outstanding efforts of Home Business operators, is shining a light on some of our most innovative and creative people who operate some of New Zealand's most inspired businesses.”
“These businesses are great Kiwi success stories,” he says.
Each category winner will receive a technology makeover package worth
$5000, including:
- a Compaq Presario M2000 Notebook PC;
- a Sony Cybershot Silver Ultra Slim 5.1MP Digital Camera;
- Free Xtra Broadband Connection (worth $99);
- Free Xtra Broadband Wireless Network Kit;
- 6 months' free Xtra Broadband Adventure flat rate plan;
- a Sanyo 7400 mobile handset;
- a Uniden WDECT 2315 cordless phone; and
- Free Yellow Pages® Internet Banner for 1 month.
Telecom's Home Business programme was established in 1999 to meet the unique needs of people who run their business from home. Almost 65,000 home businesses have joined the programme to take advantage of the information and services Telecom offers. For further information visit
www.telecom.co.nz/homebusiness.
Best Use of Communications: Tarawera Publishing
Now producing seven publications, Tarawera Publishing impressed the judges with the comprehensive set of communication tools used to run the business. The internet model formed the early core of the business. As the business grew and with it customer demand for publications with feature articles, the ability to send large PDF files containing whole magazines via email using broadband became crucial.
The Tarawera Publishing home office has two telephone lines and these supply broadband, fax plus a second voice line. A wireless home network means laptops can be used anywhere in the house. The 15 team members, who largely work from their own home-based offices, can access company files from remote locations through the server in Rotorua. An 0800 number allows staff to keep in touch at all times and Monday morning team meetings are held via conference call.
BOOST Your Business Profile
I have just completed my second year of Rotorua Business Awards judging and I am pleased to say the decision gets harder every year. In 2005 new categories for Community Organisation of the Year and Emerging Business of the Year really tested the judging panel. And I was struck by one comment in particular from the representative of a Community Organisation who shared with the panel a comment from one of her staff who asked “Why do you always put us [the company] up for these things?” Her response was “To showcase what a fantastic job you do”. I liked that comment so much that it has prompted me to launch into print well ahead of the deadline for this article (a rarity let me assure you), to encourage you all to think about showcasing your business and the staff (in many cases young executives, apprentices and office juniors/administrators) that make it tick.
In particular I want to highlight the importance of planning ahead and giving thought to the 2006 Rotorua Business Excellence Awards now! There are some fantastic businesses in Rotorua who did themselves and the city proud but many others did not seem to see the benefit of entering the awards. As an additional sweetener I for one am very hopeful that a regional awards format will get up and running within the next two years and that opportunity will really be one not to pass up.
Now as well as showcasing your business in local awards, and more in keeping with the Boost young executives theme I also want to highlight the New Zealand Institute of Management Young Executive of the Year Awards. Again the opportunity to be involved in 2005 has passed and the awards ceremony is set to take place on 1 December 2005 but why not plan to recognize the expertise and dedication of a young executive in your company in 2006?
Having founded Boost in February 2005 the growth has vindicated the effort in seeking out this young talent and networking it with business groups such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotorua District Council and successful Rotorua businessmen and women. There are some amazingly creative, hard working and value adding team members and business owners in the group so why not recognize their contribution. The criteria for the NZIM Young Executive of the Year are
- Nominee must have a New Zealand citisenship, and be 35 years of age or younger as at entry closing date
- Nominee must have been employed by their organisation for more than six months, and hold a middle or senior management position
So get cracking, use well organized local and national business awards to market the achievements of your business and its staff.
Boost is the young managers' network for Rotorua. Its membership is drawn from the diverse range of industries doing business in the Rotorua District. Boost writes a regular article for the Chamber Tabloid and meets once a month. If you want to find out more about Boost contact Richard Booker at richiza@yahoo.com
IP OFFERS ADVANTAGE TO EXPORTERS
Protecting Intellectual Property (IP) offers exporters a strategic advantage when entering foreign markets. Establishing a barrier around key products and brands allows a business to focus on market entry and penetration, rather than facing direct and immediate competition from competitors on their home ground. Protected IP is often attractive to agents or distributors, who prefer to be secured some exclusivity in return for their promotional efforts. Strategic partnerships are often facilitated by the presence of protected IP, and can increase the returns that the IP owner can enjoy.
It is unfortunate that many newer exporters fail to recognise these benefits. Even experienced exporters may dismiss IP protection for being too difficult to enforce. What they overlook is the deterrent value of protected IP, which is often very effective at preventing conflict situations arising. A successful deterrent is a valuable tool for establishing a beach-head in any new market. Occasionally IP protection may only be partially successful as a preventative measure, should the value of your IP and potential market share be too great for competitors to ignore. In these cases the IP protection doubles as an enforceable remedy, which is even more effective if you have used your IP to establish a relationship with a larger ally particularly if they are based in that market. Essentially, if you couple IP protection with a good market strategy, and ideally also a strategic partner, you have both a formidable deterrent and weapon in your arsenal which allows you to get on with business.
A particular trap for many Kiwi exporters is doing business in markets which have a civil law based legal system for instance China. Loss of your IP can be an immediate and fatal consequence of failing to identify and protect your IP prior to doing business, and is a common cause of many bitter stories about trading in Asia. However this is an entirely preventable situation where exporters must learn to recognise and respect the different legal requirements and systems in the foreign markets where they intend to trade. The biggest threat to NZ exporters is complacency, arising from the benefits of living in NZ where you can still retain some IP rights without formally establishing them. Stop, think, seek the appropriate IP and legal advice, and as the saying goes don't rush in where angels fear to tread.
A final caution is to make sure you can justify your IP filing decisions. An effective IP strategy, ideally a living strategy linked to your business and marketing plans, will avoid expensive mistakes and lost opportunities. Plan your market entry, develop a matching IP strategy with your attorney, review these periodically, and you stand to gain a valuable asset for growing your business both locally and off-shore.
Antonia Sims is a registered patent attorney, and principal of the IP firm IPRIMA; members of Export BOP and the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce.
Exiting Your Business
- Do You Have A Plan?
Nairn Fisher
The lifecycle of a business means that at some point every business owner will have to contemplate the transition of their business to new ownership. This transition may be sped up by increased health concerns in our ever changing community, a desired shift in the work / life balance or what is facing many small business owners: the move towards retirement. For whatever reason, to maximise the sale value of your business, exiting needs to be a carefully managed process with a strategy in place well before the date of hand over.
The majority of small and medium businesses are family owned and recent surveys suggest that, in tandem with the ageing baby boomer generation, the average age of the business owner is in their mid 50s. A recent survey found:
- Only 38% of SME owners have a succession plan
- 40% of SME owners plan to sell in the next five years
- 50% will rely on proceeds of the sale of their business to assist retirement
- 33% expect to have difficulty selling
An interpretation of these demographics identifies that with the ageing business owning community, we can expect an increasing supply of businesses coming onto the market which is unlikely to be met by equivalent demand. The result being the focus of the sale will be on either price or value. Reality is, that for the many small business operators who do not have the skills to maximise the value of their asset and manage their transition process, those owners will end up achieving a sale by receiving a return lower than that under a planned exit process, if at all.
Another key factor that is starting to show up in the SME sector, which will also have a significant impact on price and/or opportunity to sell a business, is 'Market Convergence'. By way of explanation, competition, technology and pressure on margins or efficiency levels, means that to sustain business, critical mass is becoming increasingly important. For example the impact of such businesses as 'The Warehouse' in the retail sector. Alternatively speaking, a business unit is consumed by another business unit and thereby loses it identity. Certain businesses are being 'squeezed out' by the changing business environment.
The development of these trends is not immediately obvious, but the change is happening and those caught out by the change will be financially disadvantaged, particularly those owners approaching retirement and needing to maximise sale value.
To summarise the issues surrounding the trends, one needs to consider the following:
- An expected increasing number of businesses coming onto the market for sale.
- For SME owners who are looking to exit, their thinking will shift from “How much does my business produce” (Income) to “How much is my business worth” (Asset Value).
- Business owners staying in their businesses longer because they cannot sell their business for a price that will sustain their income needs in retirement.
- Owners having to allow more time to prepare their businesses for sale. Owners need to build sustainable value into their business or else when they come sell, they will only be able to trade on price not value.
- The need for a greater emphasis on business and management skill.
- A contraction in the number of businesses in the small business sector.
What are the Options?
It is generally accepted that the majority of succession activity will fall into three main options:
- Sale of the business
- Generational Succession i.e. continuing family involvement
- Employee/Management buy-out
Two further options would be either closing the business down or physically realising the assets (i.e. a fire sale) or a public listing. These options are generally outside the realms of most SMEs.
Whichever option is targeted as being the most appropriate, key drivers will include realisation of the maximum capital value of the business, and moving on from the responsibility of maintaining the business. In the case of the family / generation option there may be a basis for non-executive involvement with a source of passive income. Seeing the continuity of the business identity may be important and a deciding factor in determining which succession option is chosen.
Emphasis is on being prepared and planning. Change can be an opportunity or a threat. Which one it is generally depends on the level of understanding and readiness of those impacted. An important message is for the business owner to be proactive not reactive in the business exit process. Business succession is a process, not an event.
The Way Forward
For the majority of small business owners, most rely on their Chartered Accountant for a broad range of business advice as their most trusted advisor. If it is in your mind to exit your business in the next 3-5 or even 10 years, we encourage you to meet with your Chartered Accountant to discuss the key issues now. Make a plan, work the plan, realise your business's true value.
This article was submitted for the interest of members by Stuart King of Nairn Fisher Limited, Chartered Accountants. The content includes information from a seminar on 'Succession and Exit from Business' presented by Hayes Knight, Chartered Accountants, for the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. It should be used as a guide only and it is recommended that you consult with your professional advisor or Nairn Fisher Limited before acting on any of the information contained in the article.
E-Marketing Your Business E-ffectively
This article will cover some of the basics of how to promote your web site, including everything from picking the right domain name, optimising your web site for search engines, how to swap links with other web sites, choosing the right type of paid advertising as well as how to promote your web site via conventional literature.
The first task that your web designer should have performed would have been to check the availability of your business name. For example if running a local business called 'Bay Florist', the purchase of www.BayFlorist.co.nz would be a must. You should also consider the purchase of domain names relating to your key products and services which possibly include a 'location' component. A web smart Tokoroa florist has done just that. Bryans Plant and Flower Shop operates an e-commerce site under the more concise domain name of www.flowers-nz.co.nz. The company has also registered www.rotoruaflowers.co.nz, www.taupoflowers.co.nz, www.taurangaflowers.co.nz, all of which point to a 'mirrored' site. Correctly promoted, any of these domain names have a good chance of a favourable search engine ranking.
Being listed on a search engine is a first step to increasing the amount of visitors to your web site. When web users use a search engine such as www.Google.co.nz to search the web, they will usually be presented with 100s, if not 1000s, of web links relevant to their search query in the search results pages. Users will rarely explore past the first five pages of search results and with 10 links per page that means if you're not in the top 50 search results, you're unlikely to see many visitors. Achieving a good search engine ranking is not straight forward and is more akin to an 'art' than a process. You can only maximise, not guarantee your chances of a good listing. Luckily there are some tried and tested methods that will help.
Use regular key words in your web page text, for example, names of products or services. Ensuring that the first paragraph of text on a web site is descriptive, well worded and keyword rich is an important factor in appeasing search engines. Search engines will also look to your page title and hidden meta tags for clues in how to index (categorise) your web site. Again, ensure plenty of relevant keywords.
The more links you have coming in from other relevant web sites will also help to boost your rankings. Links from 'reputable', high traffic sites are best. Reciprocal linking (where you and another non-competing but subject-matter related web site agree to link to each other) plays a big part in web marketing. Establish these links with suppliers, industry organisations and associations etc.
As with any type of media, there is also the option of paid advertising options on the web. Any web user will be aware of 'banner' advertising; prominent advertisements strategically placed amongst the content of larger, popular web sites (visit www.nzherald.co.nz for an example). Although this is a valid form of promotion, web users tend to subconsciously 'filter out' such passive forms of advertising making banners relatively ineffective. The 'smart money' is spent on ads linked to search engine results. Commonly shown as 'sponsored links', they only display following a search for keywords relevant to your business. You'll only pay if a user clicks on your ad (cost-per-click pricing) and rates are very reasonable.
Finally, do not forget conventional marketing techniques. Promote your web site address on everything from receipts, invoices and business cards to shopping bags, vehicles, and clothing. You never know who'll see it.
Royston Bartholomew
is the Principal of
ThisIsMe Web Solutions (www.thisisme.co.nz),
a 2005 Westpac Business Awards finalist with six years experience of developing high-end database driven web applications.
Contact Royston at design@thisisme.co.nz.
Manual Handling
Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, the employer has a responsibility to take all practical steps to ensure the safety and health of employees and others at work, while employees also have responsibilities to keep themselves safe.
A big part of this is identifying, assessing and controlling hazards, and a key way to do that is to provide training and supervision.
Given that manual handling accidents are one of the biggest areas of injury for many staff, improving the way that staff shift loads (either people or objects) is very important.
Lakes District Health Board has a Manual Handling Advisor, Jane Pierce, who has a long career as a physiotherapist. Jane has seen so many people over the years who have injured themselves through moving loads incorrectly, so the chance to prevent such injuries is a welcome change of focus for her.
Nurses are a group at particular risk of back injury through the range of tasks they do. A particular day for a nurse might involve some of the following tasks, repeated many times:
- Dressing or undressing a patient
- Transfer the patient to a bed, or a chair or a commode
- Assist the patient into bed
- Assist the patient into and out of the shower
- Bathe the patient in bed
- Assist feeding the patient
- Handling linen bags
- And so on….
The low back pain and other injuries that many nurses suffer from are linked in particular to:
- Manually moving patients in bed
- Manually transferring patients between bed and chair
- Manually lifting patients from the floor.
Given all this, Jane Pierce endorses the view of the main nursing union, New Zealand Nurses Organisation, that there is no therapeutic value for patients to be lifted manually, and if employers are serious about reducing injuries amongst staff, a new approach of moving people or heavy loads need to be adopted. This is where a task assessment model comes in using a different approach to moving people and objects with or without manual handling equipment. A great deal of Jane's time is spent, training staff on the use of manual handling equipment and different ways of moving.
Jane does not only work with clinical staff among the 1200-plus staff at the DHB. She also works with trades staff and administrative staff whose daily task is to shift heavy loads.
Jane says staff in the IS department are a good example of staff who are moving heavy computer equipment around. She says a recent survey of staff injuries showed that 27 per cent of injuries for the year involved administrative staff.
For smaller workplaces without manual handling expertise, Jane says following a few careful rules will still help reduce manual handling incidents:
- Plan your movements prior to shifting an object or person
- Keep the load close to the body
- The power comes from the legs i.e. your main movement should be from your legs
- Brace your trunk for core stability i.e. protect your lumbar spine
- Guide with your arms i.e. movement and strength comes from the legs and not from pulling and pushing with your arms.
For detailed information,
please go to the OSH website
www.osh.govt.nz/order/catalogue/68.shtml and look for The Code of Practice for Manual Handling. This provides an overview of the legislative requirements and principles of manual handling. Additionally, ACC has a range of information about manual handling www.acc.co.nz relating to a range of industries.
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