Talking Better Business with Craig Oliver: Recent Episodes
Craig Oliver
We talk to owners of small and medium business on how they built their businesses, and through this we get great insights on how to combat the everyday challenges of running a small to medium business by people who are actually doing it.
When the time comes to exit your business there are so many things to consider and thoughts that go through your mind. The most traditional method is to to list the business with a broker and go for an outright sale. However there is an alternative method, and that is Business Owner Transition. Today I talk to Rob Young and Mike Warmington from Platform1 to explain to us just what is Business Owner Transition, and how it can be a highly successful and profitable option for all concerned.
| Cory Mitchell and partner Indie are the founders of Sleep Heavy. Cory was looking for the good business opportunity for a long time, and then when at the same time he found a possible solution to his insomnia the stars aligned and Sleep Heavy was created. Fast forward 3 years, and with lots of learning on the way Sleep Heavy has managed to take full advantage of the opportunity that Covid 19 presented, and have grown their business by 270% since lock down. A great story of doing the hard work, and being in the right place at the right time !! |
Mike is the founder of One Eighty Recruitment. They specialise in working with employers & candidates in the construction, engineering and property sectors.
Mike talks to us about the challenge of recruiting from both sides of the ledger – The employer and the candidate. We talk a lot about what is required in this post covid landscape, and how important it is to not stop.
Mike is a big believer in the fact that soft skills are just as important (if not more) than hard skills, and how important it is to have the right cultural fit within a team.
What I enjoyed about talking to Mike was is expert perspective of how a employer can recruit better, and how a candidate can present themselves to a prospective employer better.
Ganapathy is a Project Management Specialist. It is his job to work with Business Owners to help them bring their business transformational projects to fruition.
He has worked with small teams, right through to large corporates. What I enjoyed about talking with Ganapathy is how he drew on his extensive experience to gives us some really down to earth advice on how to go about making our projects successful.
Fiona is a Culture Change & Leadership Practitioner. She has recently released her book, Rules of Belonging which explores all aspects of building a great team culture.
I love Fiona’s concept of providing the structure and expectations around what is acceptable to belong to your organisation. As humans we have a caveman survival instinct and need to belong to groups.
Fiona expertly has taken this need, and built a framework on how this can use to build highly productive and successful workplace teams.
Leeon Johnston is a guy who set high goals, and high expectations of himself. Life has taken lots of twists and turns which has pushed Leeon to reinvent himself a few times.
His current endeavour is the transition from a multiple award winning national industry leader in real estate sales, to franchise ownership. Now it is no longer just about Leeon, he has a team to consider, motivate, inspire and lead.
So how is he doing? Have a listen and find out
Col Fink is a leader in the areas of building great workplace culture, team engagement and public speaking . He has an unquivering passion for understanding human beings and diving into what it takes to make them come together for a collective goals.
He teaches business owners how to engage individual and groups. In this podcast chat Col shares some of his ideas and practical actions that will help you too to start your teams engagement journey.
Col’s mission is about improving workplace dynamics, individual fulfilment, and creating buy-in to your collective purpose: “Together we can create something much bigger than ourselves”.
Bryan started his working life as a Chartered Accountant more than 40 years ago, and has owned and operated a number of businesses across a diverse range of industries and
professions, including retail, wholesale, manufacturing, property and hospitality, accounting and financial planning.
While most of his businesses have been successful, like most business owners, Bryan has experienced challenges along the way. The lessons he has learnt give him that incredible down-to-earth value his clients appreciate.
Bryan now uses his experience as a business mentor, coach, author and speaker whose outcomes-focused approach allows business owners and leaders to transform their lives and take their businesses to the exciting next level.
Bryan’s strength lies in his understanding of the issues that business owners face and the way those issues affect all facets of their lives. This strength positions him to inspire business people to achieve all that’s possible.
Cameron was appointed CEO of the famous Richmond Football Club at age 24, the youngest in the history of the game.
For most of the next 25 years, he was CEO of Richmond, Melbourne and Fremantle, when those clubs were at their lowest ebb, both on and off the field. He is the second longest serving CEO in the modern game.
Having taken on some of the sport’s most difficult and daunting challenges, Cameron established a track record of building teams and organisations, unifying groups while navigating periods of genuine adversity and complexity.
Cameron is a CEO, leadership coach and strategist. He works with CEOs and emerging leaders to achieve high levels of trust – personally, culturally, strategically and organisationally – as the basis of high performance.
Steuart Snooks is an Email and Workplace Productivity Expert.
He works with senior executives, their EAs and support teams who are overloaded with email and crying out for practical, affordable solutions to the relentless demands of email and the workload it delivers.
He has over 25 years’ experience in researching and developing best practices for managing incoming email and workload and restoring email to its rightful place as a powerful tool to facilitate improved workplace and personal productivity.
In this chat Steuart delivers insightful, entertaining and highly practical solutions that make a real difference to personal and organisational productivity.
What Steuart teaches us can change the way you work . . . forever!
Kirsten Peterson is a registered psychologist,and endorsed sport and exercise psychologist. He has worked with the USA Olympic Team, and at Aus Institute of Sport. She now focuses on helping business leaders navigate the pah of high performance within their businesses, and industries.
Kirsten teaches us in this chat some real practical things we can do on a daily basis to help us get the extra 10% of performance within ourselves as leaders, and within our teams.
Fiona is a 20 year veteran of all things productivity. Her business Productivity Specialists specialises working with business owners and assessing their own productivity, redefining what it means for their business, and if needed how to increase it.
In this fireside chat Fiona shares her thoughts, ideas and practical tips on the above. If you know, or even suspect that your businesses productivity is not where if should be then this is essential listening.
Our show sponsor is the O2E Business Academy. So today I thought we would have a talk to it creators to see just is the O2E Business Academy
Craig Oliver & Donna Yeats created the O2E Business Academy back in 2019 with the direct intent of providing support to SME Business Owners to navigate their business growth and move their business from Ordinary to Extraordinary.
We talk about the massive success that the Academy members are experiencing, and what it is that makes the program so unique.
Chris & Angela Feron built their Property Management Business with the embedded mantra of outstanding customer service.
They built it so well, that they have recently complete a very successful exit through selling the business.
Chris & I talk all thing about their 5 year journey, and what it truly means when Chris uses his slogan ‘’Have a Magical Day’’
Tania ‘’The Terminator’’ Reid was born fighting.
Her story is full of twists and turns. From life as a trouble and reckless youth, to the rise of her career as a professional boxer, and everything in between.
In this story we explore the parallels of the sacrifices that often need to be made in business and life in order to be happy.
As we grow our businesses, we often loose this ‘’happy ‘’ bit. Tania tells us how about the 25 year journey to find to happy place.
Seven years ago Rebecca McCaffery left behind climbing the corporate ladder to help her husband in his business. Fast forward to today, she is the joint owner of 3 businesses, all based working from home.
I talk to Rebecca of the mindset & discipline required to work from home. We also dive into the opportunities it can provide to build a business that create the flexibility to live life on your own terms.
Dr Amanda Wiggins recently purchased the successful business of Clean Mixes, as featured in our episode with Christine Westbury.
To do this, Amanda left the security of a safe and well paid job to launch into being her boss, and control her own destiny.
I talk to Amanda about the very scientific way she tackled the due diligence in this purchase, and how she approached the transition.
Chris is the founder of SwampShack Studio. He has a real passion for helping budding artists, musician (and podcasters) to bring their ideas and creations to the world.
We talk all things about his career and thoughts on the future of audio in business, and why it is such a power medium.
| Renee & Jenna are life's go-getters. Having achieved lots in previous careers they cam together a best friends to build a business that focuses on real world actions for the betterment of real world ladies. This entails not only building a successful business, but also bring up a busy family and everything in between. Inspiring chat with two very driven and passionate women, who weren’t happy with the status quo of offerings, so created their own. |
Ben is a qualified builder and is the owner of Boarder Homes in NSW. He has transformed himself from being a complete dickhead to a man who now is fully self aware and understands his value to his business, family & community.
Ben is now a person who has committed to a road of life long learning. He is fully aware of need to continue to grow, and is also extremely passionate about helping young people also follow this path and empower them to be the best they can be.
A great chat with someone who has been punch in the face with life, but go back up and tackled it straight on.
Andrea is the founder of Likuid Media. He is a Facebook marketing expert who teaches business owner/ operators valuable insights to best practice to target and engage with new and existing customers through the social platform.
In this chat we dissect how to create content that you clients want to see, and also what works with the algroithm.
Andrea is generous with his knowledge, and gives lots of real practical tips that you can implement immediately in your social media marketing.
Beatrice had a burning desire to do something with her life that had true meaning and purpose. When she went through some hormone issues with her own body, she identified the desire of other women to also find help in this area. So she created Eve Health.
Now by no means has it all been plain sailing, but with an innate drive to make it work, and by surrounding herself with others to help her on her journey she has succeeded.
Anne gives us some insights on the power of a press releases, and how they can be a super powerful and free way to get noticed, so that your market can discover your fantastic service or product.
Anne gives us some great tips on how to not only write a press release, but also a methodology on how to get it in front of the right editor or publisher
Anne shares with us the importance of being prepared for when the proverbial hits the fan. This is Crisis Management. What do we need to do before it all really does become a crisis.
We also dive deep into the pro’s and con’s of working with Influencers. Anne gives us some great tips on how to choose a good influencer for your brand, and also how to ensure we don’t get our fingers burnt along the way.
18 months on from my first chat with Sara Quilter of Tailor Skincare we talk again.
Tailor Skincare has gone from strength to strength, and achieved fantastic growth. They managed to infiltrate the very competitive retail market throughout New Zealand.
In the episode Sara & I discuss the journey to make this happen. As Sara’s says ‘’Getting the order was the easy part’’ ‘’The really hard work started after that’’
Sara is very honest about what it took to achieve what she has. There are some fantastic learning's in the chat, and is essential listening to anyone who is targeting the corporate retail market as a distribution channel.
Today I talk to Christine Westbury of Cleanmixes.
Christine saw a gap in the market from her own experiences in trying to satisfy her own sweet tooth while staying healthy.
This is a real experimenting at home to a fully fledged growing business story.
In this week's episode I have the tables turned on myself, and am forced to sit in the interviewees chair while my colleague Donna Yeats interviews me.
Donna asks me all about what I actually do, and how I help my consulting clients.
So yes it is a little bit of self-promotion, but it is more of an unveiling of myself and an insight to my passion of helping other businesses owners do great stuff, and be successful.
Today I talk to James Donald & Letitia Stevenson from Yonder.
Yonder have developed some very clever automation and AI tools that gives tourism providers the ability to chat with travellers 24-7.
I talk to James & Letitia about starting a tech business, and their journey through the first year from start-up to a viable business.
We also dive into the challenges within the tourism industry, and how the need to create great customer experiences throughout the entire customer journey.
Charlotte Giblin joins me to talk about her journey as a full time artist in a business context.
There is a perception that if you follow art as a career path, then you are almost anti the traditional business career. And to some extent you are right.
However Charlotte saw and opportunity as she was entering university on how she could combine the two and create her own path in the business world using skills as a business thinker along with a natural talent as artist.
We explore Charlotte's journey and hear how she has made made Art her business. Like all businesses there are pivots, realisation's, learning's, and lots of hard work to get to the stage where you successful.
| In this chat with Rachel of Identify Marketing we talk not only on how to grow your own business through good marketing, but also her own business journey. Rachel tells us all her own learning's, the highs and lows she has experienced as she has built her business. These are things that we often don’t hear from the professionals we engage to help us. It is great to hear a business owner be so open, and that they are just like the rest of us. Raw and Real. We also explore the whole concept of building trust in our marketing, and Rachel gives us some fantastic tips on how to create our own content for our own online marketing. |
Bernard set out in 2015 to take his business on a Culture Transformation. In 2016 they won best workplace culture in New Zealand. His business and its people have reaped the rewards ever since.
Bernard talks to us about the 4 year business culture journey to where they are, and how the has business managed to not only survive a potential catastrophe, but grown from strength to strength in all key areas.
Kristal Sargent is the owner of multi award winning hair salon La Villa Hair Stylists.
She has developed a culture within her team that is not only high performing for the business itself, but also for the individual involved. Kristal is a true people person and is constantly developing and mentoring her people to deliver the best out come for her clients and business. She is a straight shooter who uses her intuition and experience to create an empowering team mantra that produces results.
In this chat with Dr Rachel McInnes we explore what Wellbeing at work really means from a practical and outcome aspect. Rachel uses her wealth of diverse educational research and practical experience to achieve outstanding results for her clients in both the corporate arena and SME market. We dive into the importance of understanding our personal and organisation values in-order to grow sustainable and solid businesses. Her mantra is to help others to be the best they can be.
Dave Moloney’s business Let The Secret Out is all about capturing your story and using this in marketing of your business. People do business with people, they want to know who they are doing business with. The use of stories is a fantastic way to show case this and bring some personality into your marketing and allowing you to stand out from the crowd.
Sunniva Holt is a Self Made Multi-Millionaire, Serial Entrepreneur, Author of Two No.1 Best Selling Self Help books, Mindset Coach and International Speaker. She is the founder of Sunniva Holt International, a company dedicated to providing personal development and training to millions of people globally. In this episode, we talk all things about what it takes to be successful. What sort of mindset you need to be successful and what happens when you are not feeling fulfilled with where you are at in life.
Rosalie and her husband Richard own a successful building company. What is unique about their very traditional business, is that Rosalie has built a paperless office model. She is using technology to keep overheads super low and create enormous efficiencies with real-time data. This is a great chat with a young business owner who is disrupting her industry and bring the future into now.
Don is a self-confessed ideas bloke. He is an entrepreneur in the true sense of the word. He is the current owner two very successful business within the FMCG Industry. It has not been all plain sailing though and Don walks us through these challenges and twist in turns of his journey. Here is a man who has lived and breathed resilience. This is a fascinating chat with a super interesting man who sees opportunity behind every door.
Sarah has a passion for the health, wellbeing. She is a strong believer in the power of the mind and has studied this extensively. In a previous life, Sarah was an elite sportswoman who represented Great Brittan at world champ level earning 4 gold medals along the way. It was this that introduced her having a powerful mindset. She and her business partner are now bringing their real-world experience and fact-based research to help businesses and their employees combat the challenges of health and well-being in everyday life, helping them become a far more engaged and productive workforce. When this happens everyone wins.
Tracey has been involved in her husbands business for the last 20years. Her kids are now older, so Tracey has decided it is now her turn. She has started RubyBayCo. In this chat Tracey talks about the journey to this point. She discusses the lessons she has learnt over the last 20 years and how well they have set her up for the launch of her own business. This is a great chat with a lady who is following her dreams and creating something for herself.
Therese Hart started her business 8 years ago from her garage. Now after many years of hardwork she is embarking on a nationwide growth and expansion strategy. She has set up her business to acquire other good eftpos resellers and bring these under her business umbrella and structure. Listen here to hear how she is doing it.
Sam Bennett is the owner of Speaking Made Easy. He helps people gain confidence, captivate audiences, and become extraordinary speakers. Today we talk to Sam about verbal skills, and how to use these in our presentations and speaches.
Christine Ure of Pilates New Plymouth started her business 3.5 years ago and grown year on year. I enjoyed talking to Christine about her strategy from day one to set up her business to be a sellable asset at some stage in the future. How she has grown the business to employ staff, and manage workflow. And how she is now tapping into the corporate market and helping them with their wellness programs.
Today Glenn & I discuss what it is that successful SME owners do differently than others. We dive into the fact that not everyone is cut out to be a business owner, while other thrive. We discuss the resurgence of print media. And we talk about how to get in front of the freelance writers and editor so that you can promote your own business.
Today I talk to Mike Clark of Thinkright on the importance of the having the correct mindset for business. We dive into how to engage your staff to be the best that they can be, and in turn deliver great results for your company.
Robert Bull is a champion of productivity, continuous improvement and business excellence. Robert and I dive in to what all this means, and how to actually make it happen in a practical sense. What does a business that has all its ducks in a row look like and how you can start it yourself
Vizlink is all about providing professional communication tools to farmers and their staff. We talk to Gemma about all the hard slog to bring her business into a viable profitable entity. Gemma discusses how she stays focused on the business, while still being a mum, a wife, a friend, and a farmer. We discuss the unwavering passion and belief that is required to bring your ideas to fruition.
Aimee has carved out a very successful career as lawyer over the last 9 years. When Aimee found herself as a solo mum at age 18, she just saw this as a speed bump in the road of life and was determined to pursue what she had always wanted – To be lawyer. She put her self through Law School while raising her daughter. Fast forward to today she is now the mum of two children, along with having her own career. Aimee and I discuss all things mum v career. The concept of Mothers Guilt. The challenges of being a working mum, along with the benefits of this as well. We discuss what things she see other successful mums doing. We talk about Aimee’s ambition to be a leading authority in all things Trusts.
James is the founder and CEO of All Access Holidays, based in Melbourne. They arrange and supply holidays for people with disabilities. We talk to James about the the gap in the market he identified, and how All Access Holidays are positioning themselves in it. We discuss James’s concept of 'un-examined markets'. We also get very real about resilience and hard truth in what takes to start a business and build it.
Sam Horn of Sam Horn Building talks to us today about the tough lessons he learnt on his business journey of turning his passion business into a profitable business. Sam discusses the pivotal moment when he was told that he was actually in debt rather than the owner of a business that was making good profits. He discusses how this was a massive wake up call for him, and what he did about it to dig himself and his business out the hole that had been dug. Then from there how he has refined his business and continued to grow year on year. This is a fantastically honest chat about the harsh realities of business ownership and trying to go out alone. It is not all daisy’s and rainbows !!!
Today we chat to Emily Gallagher of Conscious Boss. Emily specifically helps ladies move from Idea to Launch, and then from Launch to Leverage in their businesses. The big prequisite of this is that they do it with a conscious mind, and create something bigger than themselves. We dive deeper into what she means by this and the impact it has on the businesswoman, their families, and the community at large. Emily heavily promotes her success in 2017 of going from $20kpa to $200kpa. She openly talks about this, and how she did it. What I enjoyed is the admission and story behind it, and the fact that it did actually take 4-5 years achieve this, but how she used the years to educate herself, and position herself to be able to leverage off the relationships and value that she had been providing to these relationships to slingshot her business. This is a great chat with a dynamic, energetic and passionate businesswoman who is going big places.
Facebook released its new algorithm recently. This has resulted in a big shift as to how businesses can market, and serve their clients on Facebook. Anne has studied the algorithm and tested what works and what doesn’t. She shares her expertise and insights on how to best use Facebook now to reach your market.
Today I chat to Justine Parson of YourVA. Justine has had her business for 20 years this year, so has a bundle of experience in what it takes to be successful, however in late 2016 she felt she had lost her passion for her business, and this was effecting everything else in her life. This forced her into having a good hard look at her business to see what could be done. The results was a big shake up and big pivot into her service offerings and pricing model. This took lots of guts and resulted exiting a lot of her clients. One year on I talk to her about this shift and the result from it. This is a fastinating chat with a business lady who had the guts to believe in herself and make the change for her business, family, clients and staff.
www.yourva.co.nz
Today I talk to Anne Buttar of Wonderland Firm PR & Social Media. Anne is the recent recipient of HopperHQ 2017 Instagrammy Award for International Social Media Marketer of the year, so she is a true authority and industry thought leader on all things PR and Social Media. Anne talks about how the small and medium business owner can use Public Relations (PR) to boost their brand, clients and sales and compete with the big boys. It is a lot simpler than we all think which a joy to any business owner’s ears is. We discuss the beginnings of Anne’s career when she was working with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and managing their PR, to how she manged to end up in Wellington and is now working with some of New Zealand’s fastest up and coming exciting business owners. Loved this chat. So much energy and so real and authentic.
WHEN A PENCHANT FOR MAKING FACEMASKS USING A BAG OF CLAY AND A KENWOOD MIXER TURNS INTO A SOCIAL MEDIA HIT AND AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS, IT’S EASY TO SEE HOW FOLLOWING YOUR PASSION CAN RESULT IN SUCCESS. IN THIS PODCAST WE TALK TO OUR GUEST, SARA QUILTER, WHO DECONSTRUCTED HER OWN SKINCARE REGIME TO ANALYSE JUST WHAT WAS GOING ON HER SKIN. HER DISCOVERIES PROMPTED SARA TO EVENTUALLY QUIT HER ‘PROPER’ JOB IN H.R TO REFINE HER ORIGINAL CLAY FACEMASK AND DEVELOP TAILOR SKINCARE, A RANGE OF ECO-FRIENDLY, ETHICAL AND NATURAL SKINCARE PRODUCTS. THE SECRET INGREDIENT TO THE TAILOR BRAND’S POPULARITY? LISTEN NOW AND LEARN HOW SIMPLE BEGINNINGS SUCH AS SARA’S CAN HELP SOLVE THE WORLD’S CURRENT ISSUES:
A near death experience turned James Nowlin’s life literally into chaos, a game-changing incident that urged him to ask, “Why am I here? Did I live enough, love enough, give enough?”. In this podcast we learn how the resulting epiphany became the inspiration for James to create his mission statement (listen up to hear it!) and re-programme his brain to practice a work ethic of happiness and abundance.
Today I chat to Holly Vandenberg of NZ BERG CLUB. Berg Club is an online subscription based mens clothing retailer. I have used Berg Club myself and was so impressed with the customer experience I received, along with the business idea I just had to reach out and get Holly on the show. What a delight it was to talk to Holly. We talk all things Berg. We talk how and why she founded the company in the UK, why she opened in NZ. We talk about the different target markets in each country, and why it is important to get your concept out into the market as soon as you can so you can test if it is actually going to work. We chat about influencer marketing and even how that can yeld different results than you expect. Holly briefly talks about the other projects she has planned to look after the female and kids markets. This is an episode full of energy and enthusiasm. Love it.
Today I chat to Holly Vandenberg of NZ BERG CLUB. Berg Club is an online subscription based men's clothing retailer. I have used Berg Club myself and was so impressed with the customer experience I received, along with the business idea I just had to reach out and get Holly on the show. What a delight it was to talk to Holly. We talk all things Berg. We talk how and why she founded the company in the UK, why she opened in NZ. We talk about the different target markets in each country, and why it is important to get your concept out into the market as soon as you can so you can test if it is actually going to work. We chat about influencer marketing and even how that can yeld different results than you expect. Holly briefly talks about the other projects she has planned to look after the female and kids markets. This is an episode full of energy and enthusiasm. Love it.
Today I talk to Sue Ellson who is an Independent LinkedIn Specialist. As the title would suggest Sue lives and breaths LinkedIn. We discuss the importance of LinkedIn to connect with partners, suppliers and clients. Sue also explains how to do this. She discuss the enormous benefit LinkedIn has on Google Searches. We talk about the sort of content to post and how often. We also touch on how to set up your profile so that it is optimized so you can be found. Lots & lots of tips and tricks in this fireside chat.
Today I have the enormous pleasure to talk to Anthony Kirby of Business Growth Co. Business Growth Co help SME Business Owners with Clarity, Strategy and Growth. I really enjoyed this chat with Anthony as he is so authentic and open with his thoughts. We talk about how he has grown his business, and the value proposition he offers. We dive into his thoughts about hustle and the perception of having to work every waking hour. We talk about the fundamentals of really understanding your client so that you can best serve them. I challenge him on the perception of work life balance as he builds his brand. From this we talk about building a personal brand and them leveraging this onto the business brand. As is Anthony's nature he gives us so much value in this chat, I just know you are going to enjoy it.
Today I talk with Jane Moffitt & Zara Ryan from Venture Taranaki. Jane & Zara are Business Advisors, whose remit is to help & support Taranaki Business firstly operate their businesses better, and then grow their businesses. Jane & Zara talk about what they have learnt from helping 100's of SME, and some of the key mistakes and learning's they see business make. They talk about the advantage of having someone completely independent like themselves to talk to, and the knowledge that the can share. The also talk about all the programs and schemes available to business owners around New Zealand designed to help them achieve their objectives. This is a super informative episode, and one that all SME Owners should be listening to.
Today I have the absolute pleasure to talk to Claudia King of Automio. Claudia is a tech entrepreneur who is specialising in disrupting the legal profession. The cool thing about this is that she has every right to do so, as she a former lawyer who owned her own legal practice. The legal profession is changing (slowly) and now clients are demanding a more accessible, affordable and less stuffy way transacting their legal requirements. Claudia and her team have now built an online platform where lawyers and other professionals can automate their procedures and in doing so saving the themselves and their clients a ton of time, while also allowing their clients to have a better transactional experience. We talk to Claudia about why she has done this, how she raised finance to do this, and how she has taken the business to market. There is so much gold gold gold in this chat, I know you are going to enjoy it, and want to follow Claudia on her journey.
Lushington Jackets specialises in unique designer female jackets. Today I talk to Louise Hunt, Marketing Manager of Lushington Jackets. We dive into the story of the inception of the brand and business from the garage of the family home, and kitchen table. What is special about this story is that the fact that it is so niche, and in based in provincial New Zealand. We talk about Louise’s mother Belinda first ideas behind the idea, and the problem she was solving. We dive into why Belinda uses NZ suppliers, what makes her brand and product so unique, and how they have taken and idea and grown it into the business it is today. This is brand that is going places, and demonstrates that with a lot of passion and a little bit of calculated risk anything is possible.
It is with great pleasure that in this fireside chat I talk to Stephanie Murray of Stephanie Murray Mortgages (SMM). Stephanie has hit the ground running and experienced massive growth in her business. She has gone from start up to 9 team members in 21 months.
We talk about this growth and the tactics around managing it. We talk a lot about the all the years of toil and hard work it took for Stephanie to get the knowledge, and build the relationships that set her up to be the overnight success. Stephanie has also actively and strategically build her own personal brand, and we discuss how this again has been a great strategic move that has help her leverage the growth of the business. We dive into Stephanie’s commitment to give back to the community and some of the learnings on doing this. However one of the biggest underlining things that does come through in this chat Stephanie’s passion for everything she does. You could definitely say she is an all or nothing lady, and will never díe wondering.
Simone Vincenzi has been featured on TEDx, recognised as one of the most influential migrant entrepreneurs in the UK, and awarded Speaker of the Year 2016 by the ACPTC.
Successful from a young age (he was one of the youngest Micheline Star restaurant manager in Europe), he transitioned from working in the hospitality industry to building a 6 figure coaching business, and share tools with his client to allow them to grow from 0 to $100,000.
In this talk we dive into Simone early childhood and what it is that motivated him at such a young age. We talk about his move to the UK from Italy and the pivots that made him decide to give up on hospitality and use his skills and experience to help other build their own businesses.
Simone’s passion and enthusiasm for what he does is infectious, and you cant but help wear a smile as you talk to him.
Today I talk to Charlaine Barnfather & Marty Crafer of Safe Business Solutions. There story is interesting in that although they only started in 2013, they have decided early on that their original business plan and target market was not going to work. They made the hard decision to completely restructure and then re-brand the entire business. We talk about this pivot and why they decided to do. We also discuss the length of time it took to do this, as they were super conscious the second time around to get it right.
Safe Business Solutions (SBS) now specialise in delivering Health & Safety and HR solutions to SME throughout NZ. I talk to them about how they have managed to build a nationwide business in such a short time.
This a simple little fire side chat, but we cover a lot. Its one of those that chats where you can really learn from someones own experiences of launch a nationwide business.
Today I talk to Shane Devlin of Graphix Explosion. Graphix Explosion is a design and print company. We talk to Shane about the journey of growing a business over 20 years in what is a quite a disruptive industry. We discuss the way Shane has adapted over the years and seized opportunities to grow his business through the acquisition of other businesses. Shane discusses about being light on his feet and prepared to jump at an opportunity when is does present itself. We lso discuss some real old school techniques of marketing around networking, and how even to this day is a proven and profitable method to promote your business.
Today I talk to Linda Coles of Blue Banana. Linda is a Social Media in Business Expert. She has published 4 bestselling books on the subject and is about to launch her most updated book, Social Media For Business in Aug 2017. Linda is a LinkedIn influencer with over 500,000 followers so is well-versed and qualified to speak on the subject. She is also a trainer, freelance content writer and keynote speaker. Linda and I dive into how important it is for businesses to have a social media presence in this digital age. We discuss the importance of having a specific targeted strategy around what platforms to use and when to use them. But before a business goes into full-on launch mode we discuss both Linda’s and myself bug bear around the importance of actually looking after your front office and looking after you face to face clients. Linda shares so many great tips and wisdom built up through her own business experience, it is gold. Both Linda and I also have a great offer around her new book at the end, so make sure you do listen until the end so you can take advantage of it.
Today I talk to Lisa Tamati. Lisa describes herself as a serial entrepreneur, and is the director of 5 companies. However she is so much more than that. She has spent the last 20 years being a high performance athlete in the discipline of Ultra Marathons. She estimates that she has run over 70,000 KM in her career. She was voted Maori Sportswoman of the year in 2008. During this this time she produced numerous television documentaries, wrote two best-selling books, runs her own podcast called Pushing the Limits, and completed a business degree. She is now a noted keynote speaker in New Zealand. She also often appears as a guest on television, and guest writes for national publications. I talk to Lisa about her career, her motivation, and her transformation from athletics to a successful business career. We talk about resilience, and just how important this is in today's harsh world. She is living proof of this, after staring death in the face. This is one of my best interviews to date. Such a true inspiration.
Professional mentor, mindset challenger, transformation seeker and change igniter, Karmen Reed is on a mission to inspire and encourage women to create a positive mindset about their uniqueness and incredible value they bring to the world. She helps them navigate their way in experiencing more clarity, energy, courage, productivity and influence with each stage of their growth.
Karmen is a high performance lifestyle coach and mentor. She helps ambitious women go from being stuck, overwhelmed and undervalued, to feeling energized and excited, so they can create outstanding success in all areas of their life, with power, courage and grace.
Karmen is a creator of Rise and Thrive Programs designed to support and teach self-awareness and high performance techniques to passionate women who want to live with more clarity, focus, power and courage.
She believes that when we stop doubting ourselves and focus on building our inner-trust muscle, we are able to consistently create the energy that fuels our incredible ability to build the life and career we desire.
Karmen was named by Forbes.com as one of the Top 20 Women to Follow on Twitter and is a contributing author to Tom Marcoux’s book Full Strength Marketing.
Today I talk to Wayne Dellow. Wayne has been one of my mentors for over 10 years now. He is a business coach, consultant and general good bugger. Wayne specialises and has intimate knowledge of personality styles, and working styles. Using profiling tools, he is able to work with his clients to help them understand the dynamics of firstly the individuals within a team, and then the team as a whole. He works with business owners and managers to create high performing teams and work environments. He helps everyone to hone in on their strengths and have a better understanding of their colleagues and clients that they deal with on a daily basis. What Wayne can tell you about yourself and how you think is scary and freaky. And it is all backed up by scientific data so you can’t really dispute it. This interview is fun and insightful all in one.
Today I talk to Bryson Sask. Bryson is the General Manager of Key Innovations, and is based in Vancouver Canada. Key Innvoations specialises in product branding for your business. The business was founded by Bryson’s father 35 years ago, and Bryson has been actively involved for the last 16 of those years. Bryson talks about the things that they have made the business so successful, and able to survive for so long. We talk about his philosophy on providing amazing service. We talk about Bryson’s day, and how he a big believer in starting his day very early so that he can be super productive during the day and dedicated enough time to his staff and customers. We also dive into the dynamics of a family owned business, and how to manage the succession plan in this, which in itself is a fascinating subject.
Today I talk to Pete Baylis. Pete is a joiner by trade and successfully built his iconic joinery business Vogue Joinery up over 30 years, until he sold it in 2014. We talk about how Pete got out of thinking like a tradesperson, and thinking more like a business person. He demonstrates why he is such an advocate for creating a positive work culture and spending time to develop his staff, and how this transposes into happy customers. He also talks about the importance of delegation in order to grow the business, and to allow the owner to step back from the day-to-day operation in order to concentrate on what is really important in the business. The true message in this story is just how important personal relationships are with both your team members and your clients.
Today I talk to Karen Venables of Legal Solutions. Last year Legal Solutions was the winner of Employer of Choice in the Chamber of Commerce Awards, so I wanted to speak to Karen about this, and what she has put in place in her business that facilitated winning this award. What I found is how Karen and her fellow director are shedding the stuffy image of your normal law firm. Such things as brightly coloured furniture, open plan office, flexi time for her staff, inclusive team meetings, bonus payments for all on company performance, and so much more. What it underlines is the culture of if you treat your staff well, they will in turn treat you clients well.
Today I talk to Kevin Hight of McDonalds Realestate. Kevin is Taranaki’s leading commercial real estate agent. Comercial real estate covers a wide range of services, but today we particularly talk about buying and selling businesses. We really try and focus on what a seller needs to do and put into place in order for their business to be attractive to buy. We talk about why it is so important to plan this a long way out from an intended sale. Selling a business is never easy. Each party has so much at stake. He tells us one of the key questions he asks sellers at the beginning of the process is, “Would you buy it back in the state it is in today at the price you are asking?”…And this is often the catalysis to start working in it. This is a fantastic and insightful interview that I know you will enjoy.
Today I talk to Graham & Jacqui from Manifold Coworking Space. They explain what Coworking Spaces actually are and how they operate. We talk about the international experiences and learnings that ignited Graham's idea to create a Coworking Space in provincial New Zealand. We talk about the benefits of Coworking, and the worldwide trend around this that is taking hold. Graham also explains the movement behind the well-known Startup Weekend Initiative. This discussion is a little bit different from my normal ones, but has a ton of energy for you the listener.
Today I talk to Katherine Blaney of Assistia. Katherine specialises in outsourcing. Although only new in business she has vast international experience in helping people get the most out of their business. In the great fireside chat Katherine explains the sort of tasks that are ideal for outsourcing. She explains the big benefit of outsourcing is allowing the business owner get back some time at a low cost. It gives you the benefit of having your own assistant, without any of the obligation of having a staff member on your payroll. Katherine also gives some great insight in the apps she uses to run her business.
Today I talk to Paul & Jolene from Giggle Taranaki. This husband & wife team started their business years ago while still doing their “Day Jobs’. This is the story of their rapid growth and the learnings they have had during this time. One of the standout things you get from talking to Paul & Jolene is their unwavering and all encompassing passion for their business. What also stands out is their commitment as Husband & Wife Team to having a joint vision and the success of their business, and how they have managed to bring this to fruition while still managing to raise a young family.
Today I talk to Gordon Gower. He recently sold his business Ecomist Taranaki after 20 years. During these years, and in particular in the last 5 years Gordon mindful that he was going to sell. As such he set about systemising and documenting every thing
in the business, so that it wasn’t depandant on hm on a day to day basis. He was also conscious of exiting himself from the being the face of the business, as again the business could run without him. This is a great chat about importance of thinking about and working on your exit plan long before you either need or want to sell it.
BRINGING PLAY BACK INTO OUR LIVES: HELEN GRIFFITHS
Today’s interview with Helen Griffiths teaches us a thing or two about critical areas in business such as marketing, technology, operations, and finally, getting our business’ message understood by our clients.
Helen Griffiths finished at the Cardiff University with a degree in Speech and Language Therapy. Wales-born Helen and her then-fiancee, Hugh, got married and worked in different industries. Hugh, with his Information Technology background, worked in that industry. Helen worked for a secondary school in Southampton, managing services and giving support assistance at the institution. She was then required to do graduate studies in primary education. Then she got her second degree and qualified as a primary school teacher.
On holiday to New Zealand in 2005, Helen and Hugh, over a bottle of wine, decided that New Zealand would be a good place to bring up their children. Being risk takers, the couple decided to give it a shot. The move to New Zealand was easy for Helen and Hugh to make. According to Helen, it was an opportunity for them to shake things up in their lives. Since Hugh’s family moved around a lot when he was growing up, it was not difficult to convince him to make the move. At that time, their children were 5 and 8 years old. Helen then worked with the Ministry of Education while Hugh continued working within the IT industry.
Three years later, they decided to take another risk, opening up Rumpus Room in 2013. At the time, Hugh found himself in the position where he wasn’t getting the satisfaction that he wanted at work. Seeing that Helen and Hugh considered entertaining people their strength, the idea of Rumpus Room seemed to morph into its own identity
Initially Huw & Helen investigated franchises as a way to get into the business. However, after doing their research, they decided they preferred having more creative opportunities as well as being responsive to the needs of the community. They were determined to create a community asset unique to Taranaki and one which Taranaki could be proud of. Helen and Hugh researched around Family Entertainment Systems, which the industry is called and through their 18-month intelligence research, the concluded that there was a gap in the market and Rumpus Room was launched. Although Helen refers to it as a “multifaceted monster,” she speaks of Rumpus Room with much fondness, showing her love & passion of the business.
Operationally, the Rumpus Room is open 7 days a week from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Helen is currently being assisted by 4 core staff who have various roles in the business. This gives Helen the versatility needed by the business. In addition, they have a pool of casual employees who can provide additional help when needed. Finding the right staff is similar to diamond mining, according to Helen. Once you find them, you need to hold on to them, treasure them, and look after them. Among Helen’s learnings in relation to recruitment, she says that she would trust her gut more when interviewing people. Given the chance to do it again, she would not hire someone as quickly on the mere basis of the person’s availability.
Initially running the business as husband and wife, Hugh and Helen knew each other very well and this has helped them in terms of knowing each person’s strengths and weaknesses. Helen likens Hugh’s strength as being the left hemisphere of the brain. He concentrates on the businesses’ systems, processes, logistics, and finances. Helen is more oriented towards the right hemisphere of the brain. She’s creative, focuses on service delivery, people management, marketing, and promotions. However, in terms of decision making, Hugh had the last say as he wears the CFO hat.
One of the key challenges that Helen faces is the weather and the New Zealand culture. According to Helen, there is a direct relationship between the Rumpus Room’s revenue and the rainfall.
In addition, New Zealand’s outdoor culture has also proven to be a challenge because it is difficult to change people’s mindsets. Facing financial challenges head on has also been something Helen has focused on. In relation to this, demonstrating value takes the top spot in terms of marketing the business.
The delegation was one of the things that Helen needed to learn. When she finally found staff that she could trust and understand Rumpus Room’s philosophy and values, and inner workings this became a lot easier. Like most business owners, Helen was invested emotionally, financial and every other way possible within her business and she didn’t want to fail on the basis of someone else’s mistake. Since then, she has found that her staff has stepped up and done what they were expected to do.
Learning to communicate with her staff has been crucial to the success of Rumpus Room. She strongly believes that if her employees are happy, they are engaged. Regular performance reviews have helped Helen stay updated on things that were happening in her business. She also makes sure that when things go well, she recognizes staff as having done a good job. According to her, it’s the little things that matter to them. In addition, she also has activities with her employees such as croquet evening and barbecues, which have allowed her to create a culture of fun. This kind of organizational culture will emanate through her business processes. The right dynamics and a strong connection with her employees put her business on the right trajectory. Working as a therapist and understanding the psychology of people and relationships has helped her manage her staff well.
One of the strengths in running the business has been Helen’s connection with her market. Helen has a loyal customer base perhaps because she is in tune with them. She is able to manage her customers’ expectations in terms of the range of activities that they have within the space. According to her, the majority is supportive and understand that they’re running a business. Helen also knows who her customers are and how to reach them. Another thing that Helen is known for is idea generation. She believes that an idea isn’t worth having unless she does something with it. If you’re going to have an idea around the business, she believes in giving it a shot or investigate it.
Worrying about her business is something that Helen has learned to stop doing. She believes that it’s a waste of energy and is a negative experience altogether. Worrying about the future is a futile exercise because it’s more important to appreciate the present and enjoy it.
Putting herself under pressure has also stopped. Helen believes that you need to be aware of the struggle that exists between the head and the heart and that it affects your demeanor and affects the way people relate to you. Being authentic is important and as she says “ at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter and if she continued living her life also worrying about what other people are going to think of her, she would be under a tremendous amount of stress”
Helen subscribes to Marshall McLuhan’s belief that “anyone who thinks education and entertainment are different, doesn’t know much about either.” She believes that the Rumpus Room must be able to provide a focused mix of age appropriate, interactive play experiences. While adults perceive play as frivolous, they need to understand its importance in their children’s development. For instance, it has huge implications for a child’s motor skills, social development, and language development, as examples.
Since children are playing less, they are becoming more obese and are entering school with poor language levels. They also lack social and emotional competence. A different type of play that children are engaging in has emerged because of technology. More children are now in front of an iPad screen and playing that way, instead of being more physical and imaginative.
Some parents take the easy option and route. Sometimes, pushing your kid around with a screen while doing your grocery shopping may be an easier thing to do. As a result, children cannot be blamed for this at all. They are being shaped by the experiences provided to them. As adults, we don’t understand them as well. The play does not have to have the reason. We should not focus on the process of playing. We need to provide children a rich environment they can act upon, manipulate, and control. They need to be given the license to play and be kids. It’s all about the process.
In the next 5 to 10 years, the industry needs to revisit the whole perception of play and sell its importance in our children’s development. Grownups need to have a little bit more fun, engaging, playing, and understanding that it’s not about what’s at the end, rather, it’s about being and it’s about the process. It’s about letting go and having fun. It actually helps develop creativity. It is a form of exercise and allows for endorphins to be released.
QUICK FIRE ROUND:
BEST MARKETING TIP: Be authentic.
BEST OPERATIONAL TIP: Always be able to help or go one step further than expected.
BEST STAFF MANAGEMENT-TIP: Appreciate them
BUSINESS GROWTH TIP: Measure. How do you know your business is growing unless you know how to measure growth?
Well, Rumpus Room can be found at 151 Gill Street in New Plymouth. We have a website which is www.Rumpus-Room.co.nz and there’s always our Facebook page which is Rumpus Room New Zealand.
www.rumpus-room.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/TheRumpusRoomNZ/?fref=ts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan
MAKING IT WORK IN THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY:
AN INTERVIEW WITH HELEN GRIFFITHS OF RUMPUS ROOM
In today’s podcast, Craig of The Project Guys interviews Helen, owner of The Rumpus Room. Helen graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in speech and language therapy. Born and bred in Wales, Helen and Huw got married soon after she got her degree. Huw worked in the IT industry while Helen worked with the National Health Service. She also did a post-graduate course in Primary Education from the University of Winchester.
As fate would have it, Helen and Huw went to New Zealand and over a bottle of wine, they decided to move. As risk takers, they wanted to give it a shot. At that time, their kids were 5 and 8 years old. Nine months after they applied for residency, they started working. Helen then worked for the Ministry of Education while Huw continued to work in the IT industry. They then got to the point where they decided to get into business together to try something completely different. The Rumpus Room opened in 2013.
It always intrigues me when people from the U.K. make their jump to New Zealand and then decide to live here.
Helen: We were living in Hampshire, at that time, in a nice house, in a nice suburb with nice jobs. Everything was nice and it was a bit of a treadmill of niceness and I just asked, “Do you want everything to continue to be nice? That’s a very easy option or shall we challenge ourselves? And I don’t think it’s that bad when you see things slightly out of control. It was just an opportunity. Huw’s family had moved around a lot and his father was a consultant and just lived in the states. So that idea of moving to another country wasn’t an unfamiliar one to him, that’s why it wasn’t unfamiliar to him and the world is a much smaller place these days. Communications are very easy and to be honest, there are times when we’re communicating more often with people in the U.K. then someone else is sleeping, you know, 10 doors down the road. I mean, we have family that are living in the same town and they may not see each other for the century. You know, you make it happen.
What about the 2013 to go from doing something relatively secure and stable incomes to this Rumpus Room business which is almost a brain-built business.
Helen: Huw found himself in the position where he wasn’t getting what he wanted out of the position that he was in and we have always, as a couple, we’d always been pretty damn good at entertaining people, keeping people happy, managing, events, creating events and so therefore, it seemed to be be, “Well actually, this is something that we…together, we are good at doing this. Why don’t we do it?” There’s nothing worse than being stuck in a job that you hate. So why tolerate that? Why continue doing that? Why? When you consider how much time you spend working, why do something that makes you miserable? And at that time, he was in a position that was making him miserable and so some new positions had to be made and we did what was around and at that time, there was a gap in the market for something like Rumpus Room and that’s how we came about?
Tell us about Rumpus Room.
Helen: Rumpus Room is a multifaceted monster, really and it is essentially an indoor play and party venue. However, it has many arms to it, which in fact, could be business within that and so that’s what makes it a multifaceted monster, like you said. But that’s a necessity too. If we were just a pay to play venue, we would be dead in the water. We took on a sizeable building because the nature of the business required that and so therefore the type of revenue to keep that type of building going.
Did your business plan change in 12 months?
Helen: We had the opportunity to take on or investigate our competitors’ franchise, so we looked into that. We looked into taking out on board. However, we felt that as a national franchise, it wouldn’t allow us to have the creative opportunities and be as responsive to the community as we wanted to be. We were determined to create a community asset and we wanted to make sure that it was something that was unique to Taranaki in a sense. Rather than just being another type of indoor play but it needed to be something that Taranaki was proud of, you know.
I know that that type of venue, when we were growing up and the kids were smaller, as a parent of young kids, you know, they preach it a lot in their childhood and when we started out with Rumpus Room, I just wanted to…I guess I wanted to create something that was unique…there was a lot of research around family entertainment systems, which is what the industry is called around the fact that a center that offers a greater range of services has a better chance.
How long did it take you to do intel research? What type of intel research did you do and what sort of research were you doing?
Helen: Just setting up Rumpus Room, I think it took us about 18 months worth. We were new. We were taking a gamble and you don’t just go “Red or black. Oooh, black.” [laughs]
A lot of people would like to be more considered, so we did a lot of reading around. Did a lot of investigating about the current situation and at that time, we went over in terms of the premises. We wanted to get that absolutely right cause that was key in terms of its location and its parking and things like that. So that took a lot of time to find something with the right size and the right place. We went over to Sydney to have a look at the factory where we knew the soft play structure was going to be made and we knew it would have been very easy to have ordered something from China but in terms of the investment, you get what you pay for and we want to be sure that when you are investing the amount of money, because there’s a huge outlay in a business like that. When you’re invest that amount of money, you need to make sure that there’s durability and that after 2 years, it’s not gonna fall apart or have any health and safety issues. It’s made to a particular standard. When it comes to health and safety, you cannot compromise. So yeah. That’s what we did.
What is the size of your business now in terms of the number of staff that you have and what are your operating hours?
Helen: It’s open 7 days from 9:30 til 6. We have 4 core staff who are very versatile. They are very loyal, they’re very committed. They understand the brand Rumpus Room. They take various roles within the business, so we’re not necessarily reliant on one person for the kitchen. I think that’s important for our business, to have that versatility in the staff. We also have a pool of casuals who are available to help out weekends for birthday parties or extra staffing around holiday programs and things like that. All in all, we have 14 staff members on our books.
Improvement in Staffing is one of the biggest problems of business owners. It’s time and staff. What do you think about recruiting staff?
Helen: Okay, I always liken finding staff like diamond mining. It’s a lot of hard work, but when you do find those gems, you need to hold on to them. You need to treasure them and look after them.
Oh, polish them. Absolutely. It is, it is exactly like that. I would definitely say it’s a huge learning curve but out of that learning curve it’s meant to the value I expect from my staff.
If you were to recruit someone today, what would you make make it easier today than it did on the first day of 2013? What have you learned from the past 3 years that would make it easier to do it today? What mistake could you have avoided?
Helen: I would trust my gut more when it comes to interviewing people and just because the rush into employing somebody even if you’ve got one position. That time, I guess and this is how our facility, we had very specific goals. We were looking for one person to fit this specific goal and only one person applied and so therefore, we appointed, when in fact, we should have waited. But we were, “We need somebody now.” That probably came back to bit us a bit.
You mentioned you and Huw started the business together. Please tell us more about how you define your roles and how you manage that?
Helen: So, Huw and I have been together since 1987 so that’s over 30 years and I think by then, we knew each other very well and so that helped in terms of knowing what our strengths are and Huw’s background in IT, I always like to think that together, we’re a functioning brain. Huw’s very much the left hemisphere, so he is systems, the processes, the logistics, the finances person and I’m very much the right brain. So I’m the creative and the operational, the service delivery, people, management, that type of… that’s where I’m happiest. Marketing and promotion and so these are creative and right brain type of strengths. So, it wasn’t difficult because we knew we were bringing different things to the party and in terms of decision making, when you’re in business, ultimately, the buck stops with the dollar. It comes down to the money. So it didn’t matter how grandiose my ideas where and if ultimately, Huw said, “No, the money doesn’t stuck up.” or “The numbers didn’t work.” Then I respected that decision. So that’s how the partnerships worked.
So what’s been your biggest challenge or learnings that you’ve faced as you’re growing the business?
Helen: There were various challenges and there are some that we can control and there are some that we cannot. It’s difficult to pick the biggest challenge. We run an indoor playing party facility and weather is a huge influence. There is a direct relationship between our revenue and the rainfall and there’s nothing we can do about that apart from doing rain dances. [laughs] Or actually, there are things we can do. I know we need to look at and that we need to work to getting people to come into the business on a sunny day, you can market it all you like in terms of keep your child safe. The ultimate smart, safe venue, where children are sent between these periods or the alternative is that you can get out there with them and be part. Go out there and expand what your service is to be out in the community when people are outside.
We’ve done varied things to try and overcome that challenge but it is an ongoing challenge. We’ve just had a long hot summer. We’ve had a warm, dry autumn and in the winter, it hasn’t rained that much but we’re getting a lovely damp spring which is good for us but I’m not a fun of sunny days.
In hindsight, would you have gone for a smaller building?
Helen: Yes. You know how quickly I answered that? In a heartbeat. I would have but then it’s difficult because people enjoy the space. You’re sort of caught between a rock and a hard place. They want the space…We have a large space. We’re central and we’re not in an industrial area. We’re in a building rather than being in a tin shed, type of thing, you know. So again, you’ve got acoustics around the building, so it’s not as noisy, necessarily. Yeah. So, it is a big space and people want the space but that comes at a price and then what goes with that is if you’ve got those costs, you need to charge and then you get comments from the customers saying, “Why do we have to pay for this, why have we got to pay for that.”
It’s demonstrating that value, I suppose.
Helen: Absolutely, it’s demonstrating that value and I guess that comes with the whole diversity thing. You have to diversify and show people what they’re getting for their money in terms of the range of activities that we have within the Rumpus Room space. So, addressing those sort of customer expectations and just making sure that people understand and appreciate…I mean, our customers are great. We have a loyal customer base, they’re very supportive. The majority are supportive and they understand that we’re running a business.
So when you think of that diversity and offering of services that you’ve been asked to supply, do you see anything?
Helen: I’m not sure, yeah. It’s still coming. Someone will say something new and I’ll say, “Oh yeah. I hadn’t thought about that.” It’s really important to listen to our customers and to respond to them.
The thing with Rumpus Room is that it has the hospitality element to it and so you are dealing with people who are using your services, so you need to make sure that they know that you know who they are. It’s really important to know your customers, to use their names. If something isn’t up to expectation, to listen to them and find out what it is and to take action to address that so that they feel that they’ve been listened to. I guess an example might be, we had a birthday party a couple of weeks ago where a younger party could come in. The children were under 3 and they had a platter of food which is the standard platter of party food, pizza, cheerios, that type of thing and it wasn’t best suited to that age group. We then got some feedback that said, “Hey listen, party was great but food not best suited to their ages.” And we said, “Well actually, you’ve got a very valid point there. Let’s do something about that. What would you like to see on that platter?” And then they come back to us with some selections and as a result, we then introduced the Under 3 Food Platter. So you know, foods suited to that age group and why not because they’re paying the same rate. Just things like that, being able to listen and say, “I’m responding,” in that way.
So now you’re 3 years old, apart from the building and the weather, what are some of the challenges you’re finding now?
Helen: Okay well, last year we took part in the TSB Business Excellence awards and the reason we did that was as an exercise to get somebody to take a look at our business and say, “Okay, right. You’re doing this well and maybe these are areas you need to look at developing.” We didn’t enter to win anything and to get some feedback.
The fact that we ended up with a couple of highly commended, Brand Design, Technology, and Marketing Highly Commended and a Highly Commended in the service industry as well. So that was a real sort of moment, actually. Pat on the back for all the hard work and the sacrifice. So it was nice to have that. I think one of the things that came out of that process was that we needed as a family, Huw and I and the kids, we needed to look at Huw moving out of the business so that financially…because it wasn’t supporting us both. So Huw is now Information Systems Manager at First Gas working full-time there and it therefore meant that I’ve had to grow my left brain. [laughs]
The start of the year was a very sort of emotional time. Another thing that came out of the TSB awards was the Business Excellence Awards was maybe getting a business mentor. So we actioned that as well and my business mentor has been great at helping me grow my confidence in being able to say…I think we’ve got to a crossroads decision point where I say, “No, Huw’s come back to the safety of employment. Now here I am being stuck, being eaten alive by this multifaceted monster and what do I do? Do I just roll over and just get eaten or do I fight? Do I do something about this and pull myself together?” So my mentor was great in terms of helping me make a decision around the future of Rumpus Room and passing the tissues initially. She must have thought, “Oh my God, what have I gotten myself into?” The more sessions I had with her, the less I cried and counselor’s first, mentor second. So we got to a point where she allowed me to understand that I had the skills to do it.
So did you go looking for a mentor who was somewhat similar to Huw?
Helen: I went through venture Taranaki. We had somebody, it’s like an arranged marriage. They paired me up with her and she worked in a completely different industry. However, at the end of the day, business is business, so the issues are the same. Whether they’re selling ice creams or air-conditioning units or houses. The issues that everybody, and I’m sure with all the other people that you’ve spoken to, there are common threats, doesn’t matter where you’re working and that’s what the business mentor scheme is about. So she had been in the same profession at me. She had been in the same crossroads, so that was nice for her to say, “Right. Actually, I’ve been there, I’ve done that and look where I am now?”
So do you still speak to her?
Helen: Yeah. We do. It was at the start of the year that mentorship-relationship started. She’s still got me for another couple of months. [laughs]
Are there any challenges or learning? Are you entering the awards this year?
Helen: No, because I think we’ve had enough issues to be working on as a result of doing the TSB Business Excellence Awards. I will enter again but I will enter again with evidence of what I have put into effect as a result rather than just going on and saying, “Well, this is what I’m doing.” I want results. I want to be able to say, here’s the proof. So not this year. It does take a lot of time and effort to pay some people and do it well. I don’t tolerate mediocrity very well at all and if I’m going to do something, I do it properly. So that’s why I didn’t want to do a half-assed entry. I don’t do half-assed. Anyone who knows me knows that I don’t do anything half assed.
I know you have tried and tested numerous things with your marketing. Tell us more about this. What you’ve tried, what has worked, what hasn’t.
Helen: So we had a huge push in marketing initially. It was important for us to build our brand locally and we’ve spent a lot of money and that investment was worthwhile, in getting us known within the community and so we’ve done radio, newspapers, we’ve done rap cards in motels and hotels, pamphlets. We’ve done maps. We’ve done movie advertising, we’ve done public appearances in terms of being involved in community events, we’ve put our hands up over there try to be visible and had a loyalty program and we use social media. Facebook is big for us. Our market is Mums, young mums and they spend, in terms of their demographic, they are Facebook users. The younger, the teenagers, my kids use Instagram, Snapchat whereas the Mums and people I need to reach are Facebook users.
What’s the one thing that you’ve tried that didn’t work?
Helen: The biggest thing with marketing is measuring its effect and that’s something that I’ve gotten better at doing in terms of being able to justify my expenses and find out what is my return on investment on marketing. So in terms of something that’s fallen on its face, I know we’re talking about trying to get people into the door in the summer and I have to say February sucks. Big time. I hate February. So one year, we decided, “Right, let’s do $5 February” and let’s do that. So we did and we promoted that and topped up enterprise but the reality is people still don’t want to commence into a play land in February, you know. So all we ended up doing was freezing revenue. We lost revenue and that didn’t work. So we will never do that again. But you’ve gotta try it. You’ve got to try these things. You can’t just go over…And then there are things like, we often get approached for piggy backs and ask somebody to go to an event and get a goodie bag. The reality is, when you look at redemption rates, they are just a waste of time. I’d much prefer as a business to be doing something on its own merits than just be another heap of pieces of paper in a goodie bag.
If you do something on social media like that last week, for example, the last week has just gone and we said, “Hey, let’s celebrate end of term!” Nominate your child’s class and we’ll give them all a class pass and they can come to Rumpus Room during the school holidays cause we know that school holidays are an expensive time. Nominate your class and we’ll hit them up where each child can come to the Rumpus Room for free. Actually, what we ultimately did was we chose 5 classes. So we said we’re going to choose 5 classes, so of course it went ballistic because the reality is in marketing, there’s a push mindset. Everybody wants a discount. Everybody wants a deal. Even better, everybody wants stuff for free. But the reality is you can’t run your business on free stuff yet. You can use the opportunity to give free stuff to generate business. So, we gave away 5 classes worth, so there was over a hundred passes. But we had a 30% redemption rate and the reality is that those children came with siblings and then they came in and they had hot chips and drinks, mum had a drink, dad had a drink and so it’s that type of…I”d rather as a business be able to see…to be giving things in our own right, rather than join this collective mush of leaflets and pamphlets. Junk mail…that’s what it is, junk mail. We don’t do piggy back, we don’t do goodie bags.
The way we use Facebook, we’re very conscious of the rules around using Facebook and I think there are definitely businesses out there that aren’t and there are rules about how business should operate and so all these sharing and likes and things…you’re actually not allowed to do them and so we don’t ask customers to share posts, to share on your page and like. If you look into Facebook user terms, you can actually have your page closed down for breach of it and I don’t want to take that risk, especially since it’s our number one channel to our market. So, we do use Facebook promoted posts and we don’t promote our page. We’ve never promoted our page. The likes on our page are organic and I think if you pay to promote your page, you end up with people that you don’t need to access but we will promote a post to targeted people within the area and that can be quite useful. Promote posts for us will reach much better than a promoted event, so I don’t like promoting events but those are things that you learn when you’re dealing with social media.
As a leader, what have you learnt?
Helen: I’ve learnt heaps about business. I’ve learned heaps about my husband. I’ve learned heaps about my family. You can always learn more about each other though I love him to bits. And that’s one of the things that I think sometimes, when you enter business is tough. As a couple, we like taking risks but I’d have to say this is the hardest thing we have ever done…EVER done together. It still is. It’s not as if he’s not involved because I’ve sat there at night in my laptop at 7 o’clock going, “Oh God…” [whispers] and we have governance meetings. So he knows exactly what’s going on in the business. He’s still got his eye on what’s going on. And his background in IT, you know, means that we’ve got a damned fine system in terms of how we use technology within the business. WE are a cloud based business and having done…I don’t know if you’ve come across a website called Digital Journey which allows businesses from all walks of life to actually do a bit of a check-up in terms of where they are digitally in terms of what they use it for. We use ……Timely, Collect, iPayroll, everything. Any point in time, anywhere in the world, we can even log on and see on 5 camera who’s in our business and what’s going on, so we’ve got this real access to that data and that information which you wouldn’t have if Huw hadn’t contributed that to the business. That’s really good.
Back to the question, what I have learned? I have learned to let go a little bit. I’ve always been a bit of a control freak.
Tell us about that more about that because it’s a problem and a challenge that small business owners have.
Helen: It’s all about communication and that communication took various forms and so you can write things down in policies or in handbooks or whatever and you can make them aware of that but when it comes to staff, you know, performance management is key. You need to take time to sit with them. You need to take time to help them understand what your goals are to the business and listen to what they want at the job because if they’re at a job where they’re not happy, they’re not going to want…they’re not going to engage. They’re not going to subscribe to your philosophy or be in the same page as you.
Do you have regular meetings with your staff?
Helen: Yes. We have performance reviews every three months and I have out of the core team of 4, there is one person that I regards as my OIC. I meet with her every week and we go through an agenda-structured meeting just to update on where we are with particular things and fortnightly, I meet with the other core staff just to debrief them on where I’m at with the things that are happening. With the projects that are going on and then I’ll use deputy as another conduit in terms of messages around what staff need to know. They see what happens on social media. In terms of things that go well…In terms of things that go well at a party, we make sure that the staff member who’s done it is recognised as having a good job. It’s the little things, it’s doing the little things for the staff. And we have social events. We’ll go bowling. During the school holidays, we had a barbecue and a croquet evening. It’s just having that culture of fun. What was really lovely to see, actually is we had a photo of all 14-15 of us altogether and one of the staff members put a comment on it saying, “Family, love heart.” You know, and that’s how it should be. That’s how I feel my staff should feel that they’re part of a family and everybody’s got a role to play and everybody does it…And everybody is being that positive, then it’s only going to show within your business operations. The dynamic has to be right. The connection has to be there.
Tell me what you’ve done in the past.
Helen: No, I don’t use a plot. I might do internally but I don’t…there’s no value in going off with somebody. No value at all and I can let me know how its made me feel. My staff don’t want to let me down and they know if they’re stuffed up and they feel rotten about it, what’s the point in making them feel even more rotten by shouting at them?
I guess that comes from my background in working as a therapist - The psychology of people and relationships.
One of the things I’m probably known for is idea generation and I’m very much a believer that an idea isn’t worth having unless you’re prepared to do something with it. So, even if it’s just pursuing if to find out if it’s viable or not, do something with it. The implementation of an idea doesn’t happen overnight. It’s not instant. If you’re going to have an idea around your business, at least give it a shot or investigate it. Investigate its feasibility. I like doing that and worrying is a futile process and believe me, I worried a lot in the first couple of years. I worried I got myself into an absolute state at times, but actually, that worrying didn’t…it just wasted my energy and it was really a negative experience. So, you’ve just got to…There’s no point in worrying about what the future might bring cause you don’t know what it is gonna bring. You’ve just gotta appreciate the present, enjoy it if you can, and if something happens, then there’s usually reason for it and it might not be at that time, you might not appreciate the reason, you might not think, “Right, it’s not a very good thing to be happening,” but it all comes out in the wash.
And I think the other thing in terms of things I’ve learned is that I have a tendency to put myself under pressure and I guess I’ve come to realize that the only person that puts me under pressure is me. So I need to make sure that I control that and I come to a point where I say, “Actually, stop the press, I’m going to do something about it.” Sometimes people say, “Oh, Helen, you’re a superwoman.” I think “Okay, yes, I do a lot.” But it almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because I’m going to maintain the perception that I am a superwoman. I don’t have to. What you think of me, it doesn’t matter at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter and if I continue to live my life worrying about what other people are gonna think of me, then I’m just gonna…
If there’s anything you need to be is authentic. When people are authentic, they trust you and then they trust your business. I’m now a fan of Kyle Sees. He’s very much about the struggle that exists between the head and the heart and that you need to be true to yourself and that thing that being in the moment and appreciating here and how. It is huge. It affects your whole demeanor and it affects which way the people relate to you.
How has Huw helped your business in terms of technology?
Helen: I’m lucky Huw is an IT geek. [laughs] I guess the benefits for my business come in relation to things like the process and efficiencies that come with it. Having everything integrated and everything squirting into the thing. Collection and everything is easily accessible. You won’t find other venues like Rumpus Room with the same degree of digital competence sort of thing. I guess that makes us different in some in way.
Where do you see your industry going in the next 5 to 10 years?
Helen: There’s a quote from a guy called Marshall McLelland and he said that “anyone who thinks education and entertainment are different doesn’t know much about either. So, I’m very much a believer in what’s called edutainment. So that’s providing a focused mixed of age appropriate, sort of highly interactive play experiences, really. I think that play is perceived by adults as being frivolous and the importance of play for children’s development isn’t fully understood. Play has huge implications for a child’s motor skills development, for their social development, for their language development, and we’re seeing children who are playing less and as a result, we are seeing children who are becoming obese, we are seeing children who are entering school with poor language levels, we are seeing children who…socially, not having the right level of competence, socially and emotionally and the implications of that for the economy in terms of health…They’re not necessarily playing less, they’re playing differently. It might be in terms of technology. How many children are we seeing children in front of iPad screens and playing that way instead of doing the more physical imagination type of play.
There are more challenges, there are more are more stresses and we all just choose the easy option, the easy route. The one that’s going to not cause us as much hassles, necessarily. So we just choose the easy option and if the easy option is pushing your kid around the supermarket with a screen in front of their face rather than giving your child attention and stuff. Going to the fruit and labelling what the fruit is and stuff like that. We just don’t want to deal to the agro that comes with it. We shouldn’t blame the kids for this at all. They’re being shaped by the experiences that we give them. The other thing is, as adults, because we don’t understand them. I ran a couple of workshops when I was working with the Ministry of Education and they raised something about play and I’m really shocked that as adults…of our inability to play. We’ve lost sight of that or we have an idea that play has to have a point. Play has to have a purpose. It has to have a reason. No it doesn’t. What are we setting out to achieve by playing with these couple of boxes, you know. Let’s play with Lego and let’s build something. We get tied up with the end result and we don’t focus on the process of playing. That’s why children need a rich environment they can act upon, manipulate, control. We need to give them the tools and then they have a license to play and be kids. Rather than us trying to instil a perception of this is what play should be. We need to follow their lead. We’ve got the bouncy castle, we’ve got the soft play. We’ve got those toys but at the end of the day, I was looking at the boxes that we crushed to go into recycling. I said to myself, “Right, I want you to pick out all the decent boxes and I want you to put a stash of them, 20-25 of them in a big pile.” They did it. And the kids came in and we’ve got a quarter of a million dollar play structure and 25 boxes. It’s the whole christmas analogy. We think we know what the children want to play with but they spent hours and they loved it, you know. And again, as adults, we go, “Well, why do you want to play with boxes?” “Because it’s fun!” It was like a cardboard city! I guess that’s where I see the industry going over the next 5 to 10 years. WE need to look at that whole perception of play. We need to start selling the importance of it for our children’s development and we need to get more grownups having a little bit more fun, engaging and playing and understand that it’s not all about what’s at the end, it’s about being and it’s about process.
We’ve had an adults night at Rumpus Room and it was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. WE had a great time. That comes with a whole license thing and the costing involved with that. You don’t need alcohol to have fun. I know it can reduce people’s inhibitions. But again, you can do that without having to have a glass of wine. The extroverts might be a little intimidating to others so it doesn’t matter who turns out. You’ll be surprised, actually that that sort of whole letting go and having a laugh…we started off with a game of tag and they were running around like kids in the playground. It was hilarious. So yeah, there is potential for corporate team development but again, it’s the whole ideal of selling, the importance of playing and allowing people to understand how important play is in adults with developing creativity. If you let go of all those sort of frameworks that we put around each other and let go of those…
Exercise, laughing, endorphin releasing…but it’s getting business again to understand that investing in that type of corporate day is beneficial rather than frivolous. What relevance does Rumpus Room have to my business? And that’s something to look at.
QUICK FIRE ROUND:
BEST MARKETING TIP: Be authentic.
BEST OPERATIONAL TIP: Always be able to help or go one step further than expected.
BEST STAFF MANAGEMENT TIP: Appreciate them
BUSINESS GROWTH TIP: Measure. How do you know your business is growing unless you know how to measure growth?
Well, Rumpus Room can be found at 151 Gill Street in New Plymouth. We have a website which is www.Rumpus-Room.co.nz and there’s always our Facebook page which is Rumpus Room New Zealand.
www.rumpus-room.co.nz
https://www.facebook.com/TheRumpusRoomNZ/?fref=ts
The Art of Managing Growth: An interview with Simon Mulligan
Managing growth and aligning it with your company’s vision is a tall order for most businesses. Today’s guest, Simon Mulligan of Taranaki Civil Construction has been able to manage its processes and human resource very well. Incorporated in 2004, this company has been led to its level of success under the leadership of Simon Mulligan and Shayne Bunn.
Having a clear vision in mind, Simon has developed a business model that was born out of years of experience in the industry and taking advice from trusted mentors who have helped him along the way. Simon’s experience working in and around multinationals has helped him get an in-depth understanding of structures around CAPEX and other business activities related to construction. As tempting as it is for most business owners, Simon and Shayne have been able to keep their expenditures to a minimum and still manage to be efficient. Knowing which processes to outsource has also proven to be one of Taranaki Civil’s strengths. They have been able to build strategic alliances that have helped them grow.
Being a family owned business Simon and business partner Shayne (Brother in-law) have been able to strategically develop a unique point of difference of being able to undertake 90% of their projects using in-house resources. . Unlike their competitors, their size, capability, and flexibility give them the leverage they need to stay relevant in the market. The flexibility in their decision making processes has allowed them secure key contracts and become a well-recognized and respected force in the industry. According to Simon, the buck stopped with them and although they have an operations manager who runs the day-to-day operations, they still stay in the loop and give their support where needed.
Recognisng and maximising talent has also helped in Taranaki Civil’s growth. Clear-cut roles had already been established from the start based on each owner’s strength. The culture of family remains strong within Taranaki Civil’s organisation. They recognize that their employees have lives outside of work, and in all reasonable situations encourage their staff to maintain this work life balance. Simon knows that a happy home life produces happy and loyal employees, and thus a more productive workforce.
As part of their organisational practice, they have management meetings once a week. During these meetings, they discuss issues such as identifying opportunities and keeping track of what they currently have. They also have a four-week plan in place at any given time.
Among the challenges Simon and Shayne are facing in 2016, was the compliance of health and safety regulations put in place by the government. They chose to see this as a marketing tool to differentiate themselves from the competition. This has helped take their business to another level. As a result, opportunities of helping clients and negotiating contracts have opened up.
One of the things Simon emphasised was the importance of not being afraid to employ someone with better skills than him, and now has almost made it a requirement. This has allowed him to delegate more work, knowing that his company is in good hands. Asking the help of experience people who have been in the industry has also helped. According to Simon, they have been very good at pointing out some pitfalls or some opportunities.
In terms of technology, Simon has embraced the latest technology, an area that he has used this for has been Asset Management. Having this technology has allowed his Operations Manager to keep track of their assets at any given time. At the same time, it has allowed Taranaki Civil to be transparent with their clients. Another area where technology has helped was in the maintenance of their equipment.
The several business awards that Taranaki Civil have won, gave his the team well-deserved recognition for the hard work they do. Simon explains at that time of entering the awards, they were more focused on benchmarking to see where they were at, however the awards cemented their place in the community and that has helped their business to further develop and improve.
If you would like more information on Taranaki Civil Construction Ltd, or to contact Simon direct please visit their website at www.TCCL.co.nz
SIMONS QUICK FIRE ROUND:
Best Marketing Tip: Always be honest.
Best Operations Tip: Always get it done.
Best Staff Management Tip: Be the one who starts the conversation.
Best Time Management Tip: Whatever you think you can get done in a day, take 30% off.
Best Business Tip: Never overcommit. Keep that bit of humbleness about you.
The complicated world of insurance, and how to pick a broker to best serve your needs. In today’s episode of, From Chaos to Control by The Project Guys, Craig interviews Mike Lay, owner of Foresight Financial Planning. This particular episode is interesting because it gives the listeners a peek of financial planning. Mike brings over thirty years of experience in Financial Planning firstly in the U.K, and the last 11 years in New Zealand.
What makes Foresight Financial Planning different from the big insurance companies is that they offer personalized advice to clients on their personal insurance needs. They insure people, not assets.
Insurance is important because mitigates the risk to your business and family. If something goes wrong, it’s something you wish you had. Insurance covers certain scenarios if something doesn’t go on as planned. “It’s not about telling people what they do. It’s about providing them with information and assistance so they know where they’re potentially at risk or where their business is at risk”
A question Mike frequently gets is, “What should I do? What’s the average?” Mike doesn’t believe that there is anything in business that you can say is the average. If the business has debt, it’s important to insure that if anything happened to you, your fellow directors, or people who rely on the business, that there will be money available to get them through that. It’s having a backup in case of illness or death. If you have a backup plan, you will be able to maybe bring somebody in to run the business in your absence or at the very least, you can get rid of debt and have a business continuity plan in place.
Not all brokers and advisors are the same. One of the key differences is the agreements that the brokers have in place with the actual insurance companies. Some brokerage firms have access to the whole market in New Zealand while others financial agreements in place to work with just one or two different insurance companies. This can obviously determine and dictate which policy ends up getting sold to the client.
Likewise there are two different types of governing rules and qualifications that brokers and people giving advice have the option of working under. They can be either an Authorised Financial Advisor (AFA) or a Registered Financial Advisor (RFA). The difference is that and AFA is governed to actually be allowed to offer financial advice, whereas a RFA is only allowed to sell a certain product.
What you need to look for in a broker is finding the right person for you who suits the way you work. It has to be somebody you trust. According to Mike, trusting your gut is his first rule. You also have to ensure the quality of advice that you’re getting. You need to be talking to someone who can provide you with advise that’s relevant to you. You don’t want to work with people who are limited to one or two companies only. That person has to have access to the whole insurance market. You have to make sure the advisor or broker you’re dealing with has the right professional qualifications.
Being a small business owner has its upside. Mike is able to truly work with his clients and give them very personalized service because he knows his clients well. He regularly interacts with them through his newsletters and the social media, among others. He maintains focus on giving added value to his clients. As its downside, he believes that the playing field in the financial advisory industry is not leveled.
The downside to being a small-business owner and an authorized financial advisor is that banks don’t have to adhere to the same rules and government regulations that he does.
What the big companies don’t want you to know is that they are selling you insurance products that may not be a perfect match with your needs. When you make a claim, it might get thrown out for some specific reason because something wasn’t mentioned. When you buy something over a counter at the bank, you actually can’t be sure what you’re buying. In Mike’s experience, he even saw the small print of one of the big four banks that said a claim won’t be paid if it’s in relation to any terrorist event or war-related activity. If you happen to be on holiday and get killed because of a terrorist event, the insurance won’t pay out.
To manage this risk if you choose to deal with the bigger companies, you need to read the fine print. Or better yet, you can have a qualified professional do it for you.
A benefit of working with a firm like Foresight Financial Planning is that you get more personalized service. If you ever had to claim anything from the insurance companies, Mike will hold your hand through the process. He also works with lawyers and accountants to make sure his recommendations don’t interfere with their advice. His interest is in developing long-term relationships with his clients.
QUICK FIRE ROUND:
Best Marketing Tip:
Do something. There are businesses that don’t have any web presence. As a new generation of youngsters who do mostly everything on the internet, come through, in the future, it’s very important to engage with them as early as now.
Best Operations Tip:
Use a system called “Twenty Points to Success.” It’s about setting goals each day in order to grow your business. Mike has been using it for about ten years now. He makes sure his role in growing the business continues and that he doesn’t get sidetracked just doing stuff that’s not going to add to profitability or increase his business. That helped him get some clarity to ensure he was doing the right thing to make his business better.
Best Insurance Tip:
Regularly review your situation. Get out of that mindset that if they review their insurances, they have to spend more. Circumstances change, children grow up, and business situations change. An ideal time frame would be to do so every one to two years. That way, you are able to make adjustments based on what’s different in your life.
For personalized financial advice, you may contact Mike Lay through Facebook, Linkedin, or his website at www.foresightfinancial.co.nz
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF INSURANCE: INTERVIEW WITH MIKE LAY
In today’s episodes of From Control to Chaos, Craig of the Project Guys interviews Mike Lay, owner of Foresight Financial Planning.
Tell me a little bit about your background, who you are, and how you ended up doing what you do today.
Okay, so I’ve been in financial planning for over thirty years now. Lucky enough, the last eleven years have been based here in New Zealand, following immigration from the U.K. So, I’ve got a strong background of working with various insurance companies through the years. I’ve held a couple of different management roles including being a high network manager for a large pension transfer company in the U.K. and now, obviously, I’ve got my own business here in New Plymouth, also for financial planning.
What services do you offer at Foresight Financial Planning?
We basically provide personalised advice to clients on their personal insurance needs. That encompasses the straightforward stuff like life insurance, critical illness, disability insurance, income protection, health insurance…So we basically insure people but not assets. So for example, we don’t do business insurance. We don’t insure homes or cars. We concentrate on dealing with the people. Basically, anything to do with the person or the people, we insure.
Why is insurance so important?
I think the whole criteria of having insurance is a bit like a power board on the computer. It’s there behind the scenes. If something goes wrong, it’s something that you wish you had. So, I think that insurance is very important, whether it’s for a family situation or a business situation because realistically, it does cover a certain scenario if something doesn’t go to play. And that’s basically what we’re here for. Our business isn’t about telling people what they must do or what they should do but it’s about giving them information and help so that they can make more informed decisions themselves as to perhaps, you know, where they’re potentially at risk or where their business is at risk and then we look at the options, if they can alleviate that.
I’m in business and have a partner, or I’m in business with my wife. What should I be insuring myself against and why?
Yeah, I mean, it’s always hard and certainly in our industry, one of the questions I get asked a lot is, “What should I do? What’s the average?” I actually don’t believe there is anything in business that you can say is the average but to give you an example, if you’re in business, perhaps the business carries debt, so it’s important to insure that if anything happened to you or your fellow directors or the people that you rely on in the business, that in the event of something like death or critical illness, that there’s a lumps…that there’s basically money available to come into the business to get them through that.
I think it’s important from a business point-of-view to have a look at, perhaps, what’s your backup plan if something goes wrong? If you die, does it mean because you haven’t gotten insurance in place, that you found that there is a chance that you’re going to potentially lose the house. What’s the implication if maybe you don’t die, but an accident or even an illness means that you’re no longer able to work in the business? You know, if you don’t have a backup plan, potentially, you might find yourself having to sell the business in a fire sale, whereas you know, if you’ve got the right coverage in place, you can maybe bring someone in to run the business in your absence or at least to get rid of debt or make sure that the business continues.
Brokers are trusted advisers, just as important as accountants and your lawyer. What sorts of things should they be asking? What should they look for in a broker?
I think the first thing to look at or to understand is that not all brokers and advisers are the same. For example, I’m an Authorised Financial Advisor. So that means, that I can provide insurance and investment planning advice. So, I would always say the first thing that’s really important looking at a broker, is finding the right person for you that suits the way that you work. Someone that you trust. And trust your gut. That’s the first rule for me. I think also, one of the big things to ensure is the quality of advice that you’re getting because there are a lot of brokers out there that perhaps have got financial agreements in place to work with only one or two different insurance companies. So it’s important that you deal with someone that has access to the whole market in New Zealand. That someone who can actually provide you with advise that’s relevant to you rather than the advisor. That’s also the same when it comes to the likes of banks because as you can imagine, the banks are always recommending their own products. But that may not necessarily be in your best interests. So, yeah, I think in reality, it’s making sure that you’ve got someone with the right professional qualifications and someone that you know has access to the whole insurance market for investment.
What do you enjoy the most about being in business? And likewise, what do you enjoy the most about your industry?
I think the thing that I enjoy the most is the interaction with the clients. Nothing is ever the same. There’s no one size fits all. So I think the biggest thing I enjoy is the interaction with the clients and helping them to find the right solution for their insurance needs. We’re only a small team as you know this. And myself and my wife, and we’ve got Guinness the dog who’s an important part of our business. But apart from that, we are a small family owned business. So, we’re not looking at being the biggest. We’ve got no interest in being the biggest but we want to focus on giving the clients good quality advice. So for us, it’s all about people.
I think the beauty about what we offer is it’s very, very personalised, so we know our clients well. We know their families. We know their situation. So we’re not a corporation. If the client finds out there’s only two people in the business, that they speak to. I accept that if you’re part of a bigger organization, they’ll have a different view on how it works but for our own situation, it works well and we have regular interaction with our clients, with our newsletters, and social media, or what have you. So, it’s all about giving that added value back to our client.
So what frustrates you about your industry?
I guess the thing that frustrates me the most is probably the compliance aspects of it. I think there’s an awful lot of necessary compliance. I do believe in compliance. I do believe it’s important that people are adequately protected. Equally, I think that the regulations are in place don’t always necessarily achieve what they were supposed to do, which is make things safe for the clients. I think there are still a lot of rogues out there. I think one of the biggest frustrations we have is that there doesn’t appear to be a level playing field between the different types of advisor. So as an authorised advisor, I have to abide by a code of ethics. I’m directly responsible for the advice that I give, for the actions that I take compared to, for example, somewhere like the banks that tend to self-regulate and don’t have to really act in the client’s best interest. So, that frustrates me. I think there was a level playing field and we were all treated the same, then that’s something that I think would benefit everyone.
Where do you see your industry going in the next five to ten years? Every other industry’s changing and there’s also a trend?
Undoubtedly so. I mean, there’s been a lot of financial crossover the last few months about financial advisers, about the earnings, the commissions, that advisers received. I think that’s a very one-sided argument. We earn commissions on the advice that we give on our insurance products and we’re happy to do so. Equally, if a client wanted us to work on a fee-basis for them tomorrow, we have a fee-structure in place for our clients. I think the thing is that we are in one of the industries that unless you’re in one of the big cities like Wellington or Auckland and you’re on a fairly phenomenal salary, people don’t want to actually see me for their insurance needs and they don’t want to be presented a bill to pay a few hundred dollars yet a lot of the regulators and the financial bodies are saying the commission should be outlawed and everyone should work on a fee. But I don’t think it suits everyone. So, if the regulators ended up going down that route, then what’s the…where do people then go to get quality advice?
I think the direct route is going to grow, especially with the new generation coming through. Equally, I think if you buy something more direct and you’re choosing what you buy, you are effectively making that decision yourself and then very much comes a “buyer beware” situation. So, I think that will probably happen to some degree. If it does, there will also be a negative side to it further down the line when maybe someone goes to make a claim direct on an insurance product and the claim gets thrown out for some specific reason or because something wasn’t mentioned. So, maybe it’s because I’m old and I’ve been in this industry a long time. But I always advocate face-to-face advice and that’s how you build up a relationship and with us, we truly value that level of advice and then with our clients, for example, if something goes wrong and they need me to make a claim, they’re not doing that on their own. They contact us, we deal with the whole claims process all the way through. So, yeah, in answer to your question, I think when you buy direct or you may go buy something over the counter at the bank, you actually can’t be sure what you’re buying.
Wasn’t there a sign in your industry that said, “we put the proof in the pudding.”
Absolutely right. I think it is. I saw one of the big four banks on their life insurance in the small print, actually says that a claim won’t be paid in relation to any terrorist event or war-related activity. So, you would imagine, if someone take out life insurance with a bank, happens to go abroad on holiday, like London, they get killed, then potentially, the insurance won’t pay out because it’s a terrorist activity. So that’s the thing where it’s that buyer beware whereas if you actually get advice from a qualified individual who can do that research and make sure that sort of provision aren’t in your contract…
Absolutely and one of the big things we do which we also give clients a lot of advice around income protection and what have you. As you know, ACC can be a minefield on their own. So, we not only offer that advice free of charge but we also work with the clients or a business’ accountant or lawyer to ensure that anything that we do or any recommendations we make don’t interfere with anything that perhaps the accountant and lawyers advice.
You have to understand the big picture.
Absolutely and I think that’s really, really important and that’s the difference perhaps between an adviser who wants a good long-term client as opposed to someone who just wants to make an insurance sale and then you won’t hear from them again.
I think with anything like that, it’s important that you protect what’s important to you and if you get the right sort of advice, it doesn’t have to cost the earth.
QUICK FIRE ROUND:
Best Marketing Tip:
Best marketing tip is to do something. I see so many businesses out there that don’t do anything. They still don’t have websites. Still aren’t on social media, etc. And as a new generation of youngsters come through and ultimately will end up starting their own businesses, in the future, I think it’s very, very important to engage with those people.
Best Operations Tip:
My best operations tip that I swear by is I use a system called “Twenty Points to Success,” which basically means that I have to make so many phone calls and client contacts each day in order to grow the business. So I’ve been using that system now for probably round about ten years. It makes sure that my role in growing the business continues and I don’t get sidetracked just doing stuff and ultimately something that’s not gonna add to the profitability and increase our business. It’s something that I picked up along the way years ago and perhaps I picked it up at a time when I was busy but I wasn’t doing things that actually helped grow my business. So that helped give me some clarity to ensure that I was doing the right thing just to make my business better. And I’m still using it. You’re busy being busy but you’re not actually doing anything.
Best Business Growth Tip:
Business growth tip is number one is see the people. Number two is see the people and number three is see the people.
Best Insurance Tip:
Regularly review your situation. Everyone thinks that if they review insurances, there’s going to be a knock on their door and they’re gonna spend more money but quite often, circumstances change, children grow up. For example, business situations.
Yearly would be fantastic but let’s be honest. With families, business, day-to-day life, it’s not going to happen. Equally, I’ve come across people that don’t know what they’ve got in place having reviewed insurances for five to ten years perhaps even longer. Ideally, every one to two years you should have a general review. Look at what’s changed. Look at what’s different and then you can make the necessary adjustments.
For personalized financial advise, you may contact Mike Lay through Facebook, Linkedin, or his website at www.foresightfinancial.co.nz
Rampage Fitness: The Couple behind its Success
In today’s episode, Craig talks to Allan & Fiona Ross of Rampage Fitness. A husband and wife team, they have grown their business into a mini empire and have made their mark in the fitness industry in New Plymouth.
Allan and Fiona moved to New Zealand from Scotland. At that time, Allan was working in the Oil and Gas industry while Fiona was a midwife. Fiona kept developing herself as a midwife and eventually decided to branch out into the fitness industry. She started teaching aerobics but trained to become a personal trainer. During that time, she did Post Graduate courses in Sports medicine, so she was able to combine the medicine side of things with fitness. Fiona has embarked on a journey of self-development.
Eight years ago, they ventured out into the fitness business. At that time, the business was bleeding and the previous owners decided to offer it to existing shareholders and employees. Fiona was already training clients there. It was a massive undertaking for husband and wife. They had to do some major revamping from Day 1. Initially, they worked on the gym at night and Allan got by on a few hours’ sleep. Little by little, he then scaled back his hours at the oil and gas company he worked for.
Working together has been a breeze for Fiona and Allan. One thing that’s obvious is the respect they have for each other. They also enjoy working with people and have different roles. Allan does the work Fiona is not interested in. He works on sales, maintaining the computer systems, and management of their people.
To get a better feel of how it is to run a gym, Fiona and Allan have travelled all over New Zealand and worked out in different gyms. They were then able to get different concepts and integrated those with their current model. They constantly see what improvements they can make to their current business model. It was setting up their first gym where they had to do most of the hard work. They made sure their systems were in place. Once they ventured into their second and third gyms, things were much easier for them. Part of their strategy was to partner with somebody who can run their business and have ownership. This has also helped take off the pressure from them.
Being in the industry, there is a focus on making a lifestyle choice. People need to integrate working out into their daily or weekly routine. The approach must be more holistic and targeted towards the mind and the body. Rampage Fitness also offers medication and other classes such as Yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi. Going to the gym helps their clients feel good mentally and emotionally.
Fiona was nominated to be among the Top 10 fitness trainers in the world. Although she didn’t win it, she was still at the 1op 1%. She was chosen among 1,800 candidates. When asked what the opportunities are in the industry, Fiona mentions the importance of focusing on self-education and learning because she believes that if you understand yourself, you can help other people better.
Fiona also stressed the importance of knowing your industry, your client, and your staff. She also emphasized Allan’s role in the business. She mentioned that she could never have done this on her own. She and Allan have different skill sets and Allan has filled in the gaps to ensure that their businesses are successful.
For Allan, it’s about being able to focus on growing your business and making sure that the business is something he enjoys.
To contact Allan or Fiona, you can jump into their website at www.rampagefitness.co.nz.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:
Best Marketing Tip:
Fiona: Putting your business on your car for advertising.
Allan: Give the best service with a smile on your face.
Best Operational Tip:
Allan: Understand your business and your accounts.
Fiona: To turn up everyday and give it your best shot.
Best Staff Management Tip:
Allan: Making sure you have capabilities in your staff that will allow you to take a step back and reflect on what you’re trying to do with your business.
Fiona: Knowing what’s going on with them so she can support them. She works with them.
Business Growth Tip:
Allan: You have to want to do it. Know what your goals are for your business. When it becomes too stressful, you have to rethink it and figure out what you want to do.
Fiona: Know what’s happening in the world and identify opportunities to see what people need.
LEVERAGING THEIR TEAM: THE ALLAN AND FIONA ROSS SUCCESS STORY
Today’s interview is with Allan and Fiona Ross, joint partners of Rampage Fitness. Their team has proven to be formidable as they have successfully grown their business in just 8 years using some great business modeling.
So first, tell us a little bit about your backgrounds and how you started your business for yourselves?
Allen: My background has nothing to do with fitness. My background is in the Oil and Gas industry. That’s why we moved here from Scotland. I have been an electrical engineer for 18 years. Fiona has been a trainer and was previously employed as a midwife. The two of us have separate skill sets and didn’t really come together until about 8 years ago when our first gym started.
Fiona: I came as a midwife and a general nurse. Around about the time before our son was born, I started teaching aerobics and enjoyed that aspect of fitness and helping people in a different way from being in the hospital. When we first came to New Zealand, I still worked as a midwife and I kept developing myself and branched off in the business world. I first taught aerobics and trained to be a personal trainer. Then, I did a Post Graduate course in Sports Medicine. I combined the medicine side of things with fitness. At the end of the day, you’re working with different people. So I got challenged when I came across something I didn’t know anything about. I’m continually self-developing. So I was learning and growing with the industry.
What motivated you to just buy the gym?
Allen: When we decided to buy the gym called Club Health, the shareholders made the decision that they could no longer keep pumping money into it because it was basically bleeding heavily. They couldn’t shut the door because they had a long list of clients. They offered the business to existing shareholders or the people who worked. There. It was a giant step for us because I had an idea and nobody ever is ready. We spoke to the accountants and that was it. Fiona was already training clients there, so we know the nuts and bolts of running the gym. It was a massive undertaking for us. We had to do some major revamping from Day 1. It was pretty strenuous for a couple of years, as most businesses are. We continued on because we needed the income. We could have stopped and borrowed massive amounts of money but we tried to battle it from a different angle.
During that stage, were you involved at all? Did you quit your day job?
Allen: I worked through the night doing renovations to try and cover things the next day for the staff in the gym. Those days, it wasn’t open for 24 hours, which it is now. We did try and do renovations through the night. I was existing on a few hours’ sleep, which I’m pretty good with but after a long time, it took its toll.
How many years did it take for you to quit your day job and work in your business full-time?
Allen: It was only about three years ago. Five years, I continued on but I was contracting, so I lessened my hours a little bit. Then, I was working half days and eventually, the Oil and Gas Industry disappeared.
You both had different roles in the business. How did you define those?
Fiona: It was quite easy, in some respects, with the staff and my clients. Allan is basically in the background doing roles I don’t want to do. Truthfully, there was never, ever a point where I stepped on his toes or vice versa because we knew what we needed to do and what’s best for the business. That’s what’s helped massively. At the end of the day, we enjoy working with people but we have different roles and it’s very easy because there’s things I don’t like doing.
Allan: Probably the idea that Fiona won’t do sales or bother with the nitty gritty or anything that has to do with computer. I like to know everything that goes on and how people think in their little environments. I make sure I know the nitty gritty and appreciate what they can and can’t do and figure out how they can help.
Who keeps the other one accountable? Is there an overrule boss to make those hard decisions? Is it a joint effort? Or do you have a third independent director?
Fiona: I think it’s pretty much joint. We talk about anything and everything and there’s never been a point where we’ve disagreed.
Allan: It’s always been a natural progression. We’ve had staff issues, which we discuss about, ultimately. I get the great job of sorting it, which, to be honest, in 8 years, has been minimal. We’ve inherited a lot of it and we have a lot of people but we don’t have a lot of those issues.
You’ve gone in business now and have three separate gyms under the same brand. You have a unique business model, from my understanding.
Allan: It definitely has its uniqueness. We’ve probably grabbed concepts from different gyms and in the end, put one up. We’ve done a lot of travelling in New Zealand and we work out in the gyms in the places we’ve visited. We look at ideas and picked out things we can improve in our gyms. These are not massive changes but trying to work it out so all three are working together but are slightly different. They’re all unique. We purchased the World Gym which was going to be shut down. We were going to buy it and saw it as a stepping stone and to integrate it with the second gym was a good idea. That was a natural progression as well because it was our competition.
Was it a long-term strategy for you?
Allan: It was for me but it wasn’t for Fiona. I was always thinking because of our experience with the first one at the start. We put all the systems in place and worked on areas which were challenging. The second one was not as hard. The third one was a lot easier because we are always tweaking and we had staff that helped us. It was a brand new building and a brand new facility. That was a new opportunity but that’s become the model we want to use.
You JV modeled it, right?
Allan: The second one is a fifty-fifty partnership with someone. We actually phoned him first before we decided to buy the gym because that was a critical thing, finding the right person. We needed him on board from Day 1. It was pretty much different from the West Gym. Kurt is managing the gym there. It’s an opportunity for us and him because he will look after it. He has ownership.
Using that model, what has worked and what has been challenging around that model?
Allan: I suppose you’re always trying to help out or you use some ideas that you still have to discuss because two or three heads are better than one. So more often than not, you don’t regret your decisions. It takes a lot of pressure off trying to run three facilities with the managers and staff. Other people may not think that with their business but this is something we follow.
What are the challenges you’re faced with in your day-to-day running of the business?
Allan: The fitness industry is a massive industry and it’s growing in a fast pace because people are going to use them. There are more gym fitness outlets these days than there was when we first opened but it’s helped grow our business and our ideas.
We grew so much our first year of business because they did so much sales and marketing. They made people aware of going to the gym and then they shopped around and they got some deals. You can’t saturate obviously, but it’s still a growing industry. It’s in the top 3 fastest growth.
Where do you think the industry is going in the next 5 to 10 years?
Fiona: It’s more a lifestyle choice. When people realize that it’s going to have to be part of their daily and weekly or even once a week, whatever works for them, that will be maybe more holistic and that approach of the mind and body. We’ve got meditation in the gym and classes that are pretty popular this year. We’ve got Yoga, Pilates, Taichi and people are realising life need balance. They need the exciting the sweating and the pumping and the quietness as well. People use the gym for different reasons and I just think the bigger growth with the gyms and that it makes them feel good mentally and emotionally as well. I think that’s what mind body connection sort of tangent sort of expand a little bit. Since I started teaching, we did step and slide, the spin class, the rpm classes have become popular. The crossfit thing but pilates and yoga have been in the background. So there’s always something new that comes in.
Allan: There are fads but there’s an integration of mind, body, and soul. The age group we’ve got from the time we opened to now, we’ve got teenagers to 80+ which is great. It’s fantastic. I think it’s about making your general community and making it a fun place to be.
In hindsight, what would you do differently?
Allan: You use experiences, good and bad to your own benefit. Until you’ve done it, you learn by your mistakes.
Fiona, you’ve won some industry awards. What has it meant to you personally and as a business?
Fiona: So, a couple of years ago, our gym equipment was bought from life fitness and the rep a couple years ago suggested that we go for the personal fitness trainer of the year. Life fitness is an international competition. Unbeknownst to me, he put my name forward. To cut a long story short, there were 1800 applicants over 43 countries in the world. There were 10 people nominated, I was one of them. Life fitness put us up for the day in New York.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect because this is an interesting industry where people have egos. I sometimes we don’t think enough where we come from and what we’ve achieved. There were 10 of us and the Brazilian guy won it. It was a big process.
You were in the top 1%. What’s they key to the success thing?
Allan: Fiona’s success? She’s a great achiever, she’s always learning. She leads by example, especially the staff. She’s very humble about it but she never stops learning. She’s always learning and she passes on that knowledge to others.
What are the opportunities in your industry?
Fiona: Personally, you’ve got to start with your self and that’s why I do self-education and learning so that if I understand myself, then I can help other people. That’s the only place you can start, in a sense. There’ll always be people with different agendas and the industry has people with different intentions and egos and so I just think we have to do the best we can with what we’ve got and the staff we’ve got and it is about being leaders but not creating followers. It’s about the creating more leaders. So within our umbrellas, we’re one of a few gyms, we’re seeing our staff, one of our trainers is about healthy food. One of our trainers has gone to football academy and cricket academy. We supported one of our trainers to open a cross fit aspect of our gym.
You’re constantly learning, constantly engaging with your clients so that you can add more value to what you’re offering and get back to your tribe of trainers instead of contractors.
Allan: I think what people think. Personal trainers in New Plymouth, it’s about getting them into the gym. We should call it a life extender because that what it does.
Fiona: You know, the real estate agents get in a buzz and go down to the new houses and see which ones are up for sale, well, we kinda need a bus to take people who have never been to the gym and just tour them around the facilities and different things and say, “you know what, we’re not that scary.”
What advice can you would you give a startup or an established operator?
Fiona: Know your industry and know your client. Know your staff. Allan does all the different things that I don’t like doing and I could never have done this on my own because I’ve got a skill set that I can really work with. Allan really pushed me to do things I’m capable of doing, so Allan fills that role really well.
Allan: I think that’s a longstanding thing. You get help and get involved and try to run the business.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:
Best Marketing Tip:
Fiona: Putting your business on your car for advertising.
Allan: Give the best service with a smile on your face.
Best Operational Tip:
Allan: Understand your business and your accounts.
Fiona: To turn up everyday and give it your best shot.
Best Staff Management Tip:
Allan: Making sure you have capabilities in your staff that will allow you to take a step back and reflect on what you’re trying to do with your business.
Fiona: Knowing what’s going on with them so she can support them. She works with them.
Business Growth Tip:
Allan: You have to want to do it. Know what your goals are for your business. When it becomes too stressful, you have to rethink it and figure out what you want to do.
Fiona: Know what’s happening in the world and identify opportunities to see what people need.
To contact Allan or Fiona, you can jump into their website at www.rampagefitness.co.nz.
In this episode, Craig speaks with Andrew More, Owner and Managing Director of More CA, a chartered accountancy firm. Andrew has set out to add value to his services by not just helping his clients with compliance but also offering them real world advice, assistance, and guidance.
When asked about the kinds of problems Andrew helps his clients with, he explains that his practice puts an emphasis on the ethos of collaboration. This involves brainstorming with his clients to solve issues and problems they are faced with. They work with technology to facilitate processes and ensure accuracy in the figures, along with other specialists to help improve their clients’ businesses.
Unlike the run-of-the-mill accounting firms most business people see once or twice a year, Andrew is more hands on. He engages with his clients on a more regular basis and encourages them to ask questions no matter how simple they may seem.
Andrew has had to differentiate More CA from the rest of the traditional accounting firms by adding more value to his clients. One way More CA has done that was by educating the practice’s clients on what they must expect from their accountants. As he starts to work with his clients, he asks four basic questions such as
- What is your structure?
- What are your issues?
- How do we contact you?
- What are your goals?”
More CA’s purpose in asking the clients what their goals are is to determine whether their personal goals and business goals are in alignment. Once they understand what their client’s goals are, they can advise them on the manner of which will be relevant to helping them achieve their goals.
When asked about what he enjoys about being in business, Andrew mentioned that he enjoyed working with his clients. In his previous job, he knew he could offer them more than what the same old accountancy model offered.
Andrew feels that he has succeeded in what he has achieved. However, he says his goals are constantly changing. These goals push you to be better and not content with who you are. He reviews his goals about once a year. His assistant, Claire, holds him accountable for his goals. Sometimes, his friends and family do the same. Most of the time, he engages in introspection and what he calls “self-review.” Bouncing ideas around with a trusted friend or colleague. From these discussions, he is able to get clarity and allows him to identify what to prioritize and what not to prioritize. It comes back to the Paretos Principle, also known by other monikers such as the Law of the Vital Few, the 80-20 Rule, and the Principle of Factor Sparsity. Basically, it states that approximately 80% of the effect comes from 20% of the causes.
The one thing Andrew has been able to uphold in his professional demeanour and personality has been developing his empathy. It’s about putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and trying to understand where they are coming from in terms of their matters, issues, accidents, and failures. This hit home for Andrew because it made him realize that nobody comes into work to do a bad job. In the same manner, none of the clients are out there to harm you as well. You cannot be judgmental. Things need to be taken from their intentions that were made.
Turning his clients into aspirational go getters takes a lot of work as well. The clients need to understand what their preferences, their approach to risk, whether conservative or moderate, and what they want to achieve.
Andrew’s advice for small business owners in New Zealand is that if your accountant hasn’t asked you what they’re trying to achieve or what your goals are, then you’re not getting your money’s worth and you probably have to look around. He advises small business owners to work closely with their accountants and allow them to help the business owners achieve their goals.
When asked what the difference was between bookkeepers and accountants, Andrew says it really comes down to the price. Accountants are now sharing a lot of their business with bookkeepers. Chartered accountants, however, have more to offer in terms of knowledge, educational background, and experience. Offering value added services to the clients sets More CA apart from the rest. When the client needs advice, wants to do anything important, wants to grow, has plans to grow and succeed the business, and the like, he or she would need a chartered accountant.
Mistakes that are regularly made by business owners include budgeting for tax. Many people don’t do that. Some businesses have gone under because of their failure to budget for taxes. Second, business owners need to have goals or connect to something. These goals need to be written and shared. This starts that collaborative movement in your business and in life. It also allows you to achieve or realize something that was totally unreachable.
One way to do this is to collaborate. Andrew considers that as the key. With the help of specialists, business owners will be able to focus on what matters to them .
THE PROJECT GUYS PODCAST
ANDREW MORE INTERVIEW
WHAT WE NEED TO BE ASKING OUR ACCOUNTANTS
Craig Oliver: Welcome everybody! Craig here from the Project Guys once again. Today, I’m talking to Andrew More, who’s the owner and managing director of More CA. More CA is an accountancy firm. Andrew set out the business and the frustration with the traditional accountancy firm model. He really wanted to be able to partner with his clients and offer a bit of value for their money. So, rather than just doing compliance for his clients, he wanted to be able to offer real world advices, assistance and guidance their financial health to help achieve their goals. So, I’m really excited to have Andrew here as a philosophy on what we should be asking for our accountants and what have them move forward with us with things. So, welcome, Andrew!
Andrew More: Thanks, Craig. Thanks for having me along.
Craig: So, let’s start off. Tell us a little bit of your background, how you got to where you are now… obviously, you’ve got a funny accent, how did that all come from? (laughter) I mean, why did you decide to go into business? Elaborate on that a little bit more.
Andrew: So, I’m not from around here. I’m from Edinburgh, Scotland but I grew up in the family business and my best friend, they were in a family business as well. So, yes..I was influenced by that in an early stage. My education, I attended towards math and physics and ultimately accountancy. I tended to have a natural flair for those sorts of things and hey, I love autonomy. I love doing this my own way. So, I think a natural progression to business was where I was gonna go and when we’re expecting our first child, I decided it was time to risk everything and go out on my own. Maybe not best for the partner but it gave me enough time with the family and it let me do things the way I wanted to. So, it was a pretty good move.
Craig: Cool. So, tell us more about your business. What is it you do? What problems are you solving for your clients?
Andrew: Okay, so my firm, More CA, is substantially a chartered accountancy practice and a small one at that but we have an emphasis on an ethos of collaboration. Now, by collaboration, I simply mean people getting their heads together and solving the issues and problems which are facing the business people. So, we do this and we collaborate with technology to make things easier, make things more accurate, re-collaborate with specialists such as accountants, lawyers, business advisors and all of these sorts of things and we involve ourselves, as specialists in our own wee way and also obviously the business owners because they do a lot of the work and they make their business the best.
We do all the basic compliances. You’ve mentioned earlier, the kind of financial reporting, the tax returns but our main emphasis, as I said is, collaboration. So, the problems that we tend to find are quite varied. So for instance, yesterday, I was dealing with a restaurateur, guy owns a quite successful wee restaurant and what he’s come to know is that he’s made such a success of himself. He doesn’t have any time.
Craig: Roger.
Andrew: So, he’s asked us to take all his admin work off him. So, we freed up a lot of his time to progress other projects by helping him out by putting out flexi-time payroll. He’s doing all this rostering and we’re helping him do that. We’re putting in a lot of add-on apps for zero in order to take care of the necessary paperwork and then we’re doing the book keeping and we packaged it all up into a nice monthly bill that he’s happy with. So, he’s now focusing on what he wants to do. Other areas, other problems, we routinely get around growth. We help people kind of, work out their plans towards growth, set targets, those sorts of things and work towards them. Some people have succession issues and we try to help them out. Succession is always best dealt with early on.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: You set out what the goals are and work towards that plan.
Craig: So, you’re really getting involved with these businesses. So like, collaboration, partnership…you’re not just an accountant you might see once or twice a year. It takes time. It’s sort of, understanding your business and working with them to help them achieve what they’re trying to achieve and their little personal goals. Isn’t it? Like you said.
Andrew: That’s correct.
Craig: It’s a real hand on type philosophy.
Andrew: It’s very much hands on. It’s very much based around engaging with our clients regularly, giving them the confidence to be able to ask those question which they might feel that are silly. So, we’re making them comfortable within themselves and yeah, we appeal to people who have that sort of idea.
Craig: Cool. So obviously, that a different way of thinking about accountancy services, no doubt when you were started off, you came out of wide-eyed and bushy-tailed and gung-ho about it all. Tell us a bit about of some of the challenges and learnings you’ve had on from the early years right through now, the different challenges, different things that you have learned.
Andrew: Okay, so I think that the major challenge or the major hurdle which I had to overcome as being an outsider in provincial New Zealand and this might sound a bit strange but professional service operators such as accountants, lawyers tend to be passed on down the family chain like heirlooms.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: So, really just getting my foothold in this province and actually appealing to people that I’ve actually got the skills and services that they require has been a challenge. Nowadays, it’s getting people to understand that as a charted accountant, I offer more than the traditional accountants you store from.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: So when I say traditional accountants, I mean, maybe the big, big firms when they’re dealing with small business have tended to just give their clients a set of accounts, a tax return, a letter and a bill once a year.
Craig: Yup, yup and we’ve been guilty of that.
Andrew: Yeah and that’s not very enjoyable for anyone and there’s very little added value and so we’re trying to step away from that and teach our clients that, that’s not all we do. That’s very much the first stepping stone of the first foundation stone in regards to actually being involved in helping them get ahead, achieve goals.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: We’ve never had that conversation because charted accountants are never offered. They’ve dictated terms and nobody came to step ahead and show that we would have a lot to offer.
Craig: So, I dare say some of the challenges would have been around perhaps, educating the market place, educating the clients to almost expect more and teaching them “This is what you can expect and these are the sort of things you should be asking for or demanding” type of thing, rather than going to an accountant or your lawyer towards a scary time, going down to the dentist at a scary time. It’s actually someone who can help you progress your business
Andrew: Yeah, so we’ll probably ask her routinely and we have our contact chief that we fill in with our clients and it goes through a whole various kind of, “What’s your structure?”, “What’s your issues?”, “How do we contact you?” All of these things.
Craig: Cool.
Andrew: And the major point of it is our goals section. We ask our clients what they’re goals are. If we don’t know their goals, we can’t advise them appropriately. So, if we understand our goals or if they don’t have goals, we’ll help find their goals.
Craig: Yup.
Andrew: They might not be goals based on business, they might be personal.
Craig: Yup. I’ve always had to look out for that. You got your business and your personal, yeah.
Andrew: Yeah, at some point they’ve gotta converge. You can’t have personal goals which are tangential from your business goals because then you’re gonna be at a constant state of hating yourself for being in business.
Craig: So, often the business funds the personals
Andrew: Correct.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: So, everyone’s got goals. It’s just the case of documenting them and if we can understand their goals then we can advise them on the manner of which will be relevant towards to actually achieving these goals.
Craig: Yeah, cool. Awesome. So, what do you actually enjoy about being in business? What is it like to expand your wills? What do you enjoy about your business or your industry? What do you base your success at?
Andrew: Okay, so, what do I enjoy about my business?
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: I like doing business my own way.
(laughter)
Andrew: One of the main things with getting at and going out to business by myself is that I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing for our clients and the firm that I was working for. We were just giving that same old accountancy model of no added value and I knew we could do so much more. So that’s why I went to business by myself and that’s why I like to plow my own lawn thoroughly as they have warned me against and I’m not trying to be a disruptor. I think I’m naturally disruptive and the fact that I am offering a bit more .Key to my success, I could say that my success is moderate so far.
Craig: C’mon!
Andrew: And I guess if you, if I still look at where I am now compared to when I’ve first started out, I’d say yes, I’ve succeeded in what I have achieved. But the thing about goals are, we are constantly changing them.
Craig: Yup.
Andrew: So, you look back in it now and you look at yourself now and you probably think, “Oh, I’m only a moderate success because I’ve reassessed my goals.” And I think that’s probably one of the keys, you’ve gotta have goals. If you don’t have goals, you’re probably just gonna plod along, doing things that you may just be content with who you are. Nothing wrong with that.
Craig: No.
Andrew: But I’m fairly aspirational. So, I set goals and I review them.
Craig: So, how far would you review your goals?
Andrew: I would review them at least once a year and well, I’d reassess myself on it once a year. I think it really comes down to what your goals are and how quickly you need to respond to maybe adverse events. That’s how quickly and how often you review them. If you got projects and you’ve got a short time scale. You’ve obviously need to review your actual milestones regularly but my goals have been pretty much annually based on two-year, three-year, or five-year goals. I’ve got milestones placed along the way to six months annually.
Craig: Do you review them yourself or do you bring advisor parties to help you play devil’s advocate or a third party influence or external…do you know what I’m saying? Like, with your clients, do you bring in your professional…
Andrew: It’s always nice to be held accountable. (laughter) Sometime though, I don’t personally do that. I have done with my assistant, Claire, she knows what my goals are and certainly used some people to bounced ideas off. So, I do use that devil’s advocacy and that could be friends, family and those sorts of things.
Craig: Yup. Yup.
Andrew: But a lot of the time, I’ve done self-review. I’m searching for doing this for others like I can do it for myself. I write loads of business plans.
Craig: Okay.
Andrew: I write loads of them with these great ideas I conjure up over Christmas time. (laughter)
Craig: Over Hanukkah
Andrew: And I review them on the second day and I go “Oh, that’s rubbish.”
Craig: [incomprehensible] One day, there’s going to be a great idea in there and you could be the next great Mark Zuckerberg.
(laughter)
Andrew: Yeah, you understand it right? You need tough collaborators and for small business people, it’s pretty hard to find collaborators.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: So even if it’s your partner, your colleagues, your friends, share your ideas. And hey, if one of them is happy to be a devil’s advocate and maybe just to help you ask those questions that justify your own ideas, hypotheses, your philosophies, just have them justify it.
Craig: And sometimes, it’s just like and all in fairness as well, you have so many ideas in your head, so many businesses plans the clarity as to which you should follow and which ones you should bin.
Andrew: Yeah, just like your goals.
Craig: Yeah. Yeah. And I just went through the process myself, last week, I had lots of little projects on the go, not quite sure if they were gonna amount to anything. So, I had a meeting with someone I trust on Friday, bounce my ideas around. This was a big mess of brains from this section down, got massive clarity out of it, know which ones to prioritize and which ones are not. Yeah.
Andrew: It comes back to that whole paretos principle of that 80-20.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: So, what are you trying to achieve? Figure out your goals? If this project doesn’t actually fit in with your goals, what you’re actually trying to achieve? There’s probably no point of taking it on.
Craig: No.
Andrew: If you’re wanting to have a lifestyle balance and you take on a project which is gonna consume a hundred hours a week and you’re not gonna do it.
Craig: No.
Andrew: You’re not gonna achieve it. So, you need someone to go, “Hey, Craig. That’s a massive project, you’re not gonna do this as well as you actually want to.”
Craig: So, work out your genius. Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. So later you might not think yourself as a leader but as a leader in at sort of industry or community, what have you learned personally and professionally, perhaps of yourself in the last few years, being in business for yourself rather than working in the cooperate?
Andrew: Okay, well. I guess even working in the corporate world or doing any sort of thing, you know in a business leader, you gotta have certain things. You gotta have a sort of, systematic process driven. You gotta have some sort of discipline, those sort of things that are pretty much standard. Probably the main thing, I’ve learned, which I’ve tried to uphold in my professional demeanor and personality is empathy.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: And really by that I mean, putting yourself in that predicament of the other person and trying to look at matters and issues, accidents and failures from their perspective. This kind of hit home to me was dealing with the staff in my previous and realizing that nobody comes into work to do a bad job.
Craig: Yup.
Andrew: Likewise, none of your clients are out to harm you, none
Craig: None.
(laughter)
Andrew: Would you say that your clients are the few you deal with that set out] to harm you?
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: And so, when things do go awry and things do fail and accidents happen, just step into their shoes and understand what their intentions were and more often than not, you’ll find that they’re well-intended and they’re good people. It just wasn’t the right call. So, I hold hese beliefs and I hold myself to them in a professional manner. Personally, unfortunately, as I take to the football field, my fight club fever comes around and I become a horrible, mouthy center forward. But I… (laughter)
Craig: There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s where you take your aggression out. So long as you don’t do it with a client.
Andrew: Yeah, so empathy would be the main thing there.
Craig: Yeah, now that’s a good thing to have there, empathy. Like you said, it’s often…people having a bad day but it’s been a build-up of all sorts of things. It’s like the straw that breaks the camel’s back in the morning. It’s totally irrelevant with what you’re doing with them. But you just, felt it rough for the day.
Andrew: Yeah. So, when have people have issues as well.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: A lot of people have far greater issues or hang ups than you will ever have.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: So, you’ve gotta just take time. Don’t be judgmental.
Craig: Yeah. Cool.
Andrew: Take everything from their intentions that was made.
Craig: Cool. Cool. So, the majority of the listeners, listening to this will be small to medium business owners in New Zealand and Australia. In your opinion, what sort of things us, as business owners been asking in and or demand you from our accountant?
Andrew: Well, I’m guessing that all accountants will be offering the same thing. So…
Craig: Yes, let’s assume that.
Andrew: …pretty much the traditional model that I was talking about.
Craig: But that’s the bare minimum though, there’s the expense and the expectation.
Andrew: That would be the bare minimum but really , it comes down to what you’re trying to achieve. So, if you’re happy and content with what you’re doing and that’s probably all you’ll ever need. And so, maybe you’ll differentiate between providers and price. If you’re looking for something or if you’re aspirational or goal-driven or you have ideas of who you want to be then what you’re really wanting is somebody to be interested ,to show interest, to maybe document with what your interests are, to know what your goals are and ask these questions.
If they haven’t asked you that, then how can they possibly try and give you professional advice which is gonna ba appropriate for you if you don’t know what you want to achieve. So, I’d say if for a small business owner in New Zealand , if your accountant hasn’t asked you what you’re trying to achieve or what your goals are then you’re probably lacking and you probably need to look around.
Craig: Good. Good. That’s good. I haven’t thought of it that way. I thought it was the other way around with the push-demand stuff but like you say, often you don’t know what you don’t know. At least, they’re asking you their questions and you’re willing to share them as well and then you know you’re on the right track, don’t ya? Yeah.
Andrew: Well, the thing with accountants is that if one character came and had this great amount of knowledge and experience and education. But we’ve tended to use our dispense the advice purely for the bigger corporates, the really big clients who pay huge fees.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: And it’s never actually filtered down to small businesses. So, the small business person comes in and they dictated what they’re getting.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: The thing that I can’t say is that tax returns, they don’t really get the opportunity to sit down and say, “Hey, Mr. Jack the accountant. You got all this knowledge. Can you get me the benefit of it?” and when the client is sitting right across the table from this old school chartered accountants, dictating terms. They don’t feel comfortable enough to ask those questions. They don’t feel comfortable enough to ask what the previsions is, “What’s provisional tax?”, “Why are you sending me these bills?”
Craig: It’s an intimidation factor, isn’t it?
Andrew: It’s an intimidation factor. So, if they could have broken that down over the years and actually given some real value to their clients, we wouldn’t be having this issue that we’re currently having.
Craig: Yeah. Cool. Awesome. So, how often should we be reviewing our accountant’s offerings? Let’s face it, men today, we just walk around, new financial year, is it too late to ask my accountant these question or do I have to wait next year? What should I be doing? Does it matter?
Andrew: It really doesn’t matter. I would say that with anything, you should review the value in it. The problem being that a lot the cases we take on or a lot of the clients we take on do have goals or issues. They’re not issues and goals that can be fixed in a silver bullet. There are some things that might take a year or two to gain the understanding, embed the knowledge, empower the individual to make decisions, understand their goals and to progress. Let’s say if you’re reviewing once every one or two years then that would be fine. However, it comes back to the fact that, “Has your accountant ever asked you these questions?” , “What are your goals?”, “What are you trying to achieve?”, “How can we help you?”
Craig: “Why are they in that business?”
Andrew: If they haven’t asked you that then they aren’t putting the right amount of effort in. They’re not interested and why would you have a business adviser that wasn’t specifically interested in what you’re trying to achieve?
Crag: I guess also, it’s very well that they could ask where in your goals you’re at because it’s sort of a new way of thinking. But this is actually following through with taking interest in those goals. It’s easier to say, “Oh, what are your goals in your business?” and then they go “ Oh! I’ve never been asked by that. I don’t really know what I wanna share with you today, Mr. Accountant.” But they need to follow through that. They need to say, “Oh, well. Tell me more about that. How can I help you achieve those?” or “What do you need from me?”
Andrew: You ask what their goals are, you ask them how they could be most of help so you can follow up and ask people right there who are stuck in that mindset of traditional accounting.
Crag: Yup.
Andrew: They still come to us, on price or efficiency or convenience and we get from that basic compliance but are happy with that and we wouldn’t change that if that’s what… we’d want to make them some aspirational goal-getter when they don’t want to be so understanding that, understanding what their preferences are, understanding their approach to risk, whether they are really private or whether they are gambling-oriented, whether they want to take risks or whether they really came to shine retiring. If you know all this, then you can better meet their demands, meet their requests and fulfill or satisfy the clients
Crag: Yeah. Cool. Lovin’ that, lovin’ that. So, maybe we can identify say, maybe our current accountant is not doing as much as they could be possibly doing but like changing banks, changing lawyers, changing dentists, it’s a pain in the bum. How to change your accountant? I don’t know. That’s perception would be, wouldn’t it? It’s almost as if breaking up with a boyfriend or a girlfriend, ain’t that though?
Andrew: Yeah, man.
Crag: It’s a big move.
Andrew: Unfortunately, text messaging doesn’t work.
(laughter)
Crag: No. No
Andrew: Or not calling her back
Crag: Facebook messenger
Andrew: And you still get the bill for their blah
Crag: Yeah. Yeah.
Andrew: So, it’s always been an issue that we’ve come against as well. We had previously told our clients, “Hey, just give your accountant a call and tell them that you’re moving on” and that courtesy that was shown was never, very rarely, reciprocated by the accountants.
Crag: Yes.
Andrew: Our position nowadays is to leave it to us and provisions within our ethical guide which require new engagements to ratified or disputed and for information to pass within seven days.
Crag: Okay.
Andrew: Most accountants will adhere to that and that’s all that’s required. We do find people, especially in provincial New Zealand have deep seated relationships with their accountant and has been passed on to them. They’ve had a long standing agreement and they may find that changing and having that conversation’s really kind of awkward, really uncomfortable.
Crag: Yes.
Andrew: So, if they don’t want to do it then that’s where we step in, doing it in a professional manner. If they do still want to do it then they’re perfectly allowed to do so. But they are under not required to justify their decision and it really comes down to “But the accountant was such a good friend.” Then friendships are reciprocal. So, you’re paying them a fee to do a certain service for you and you’ve asked for extra help and they’ve taken their fee on their in their arm, giving you that extra help. What kind of friendship’s that?
Crag: Yes.
Andrew: It’s not your issue, it’s the accountant’s issue and they probably deserved to lose you.
Crag: Yes.
Andrew: We see the same way with our services. We don’t tie people up because we want them to be comfortable enough to say, “Andrew, you’re not doing a good enough job. Stand up and give us our service or we’re gonna cut of our monthly installment of our fee.”
Crag: Yes.
Andrew: And that will give me moving. Unfortunately, we don’t have that.
Craig: And the consumerist of the client saying, “Oh, I don’t see… I’m struggling to understand the value of what I’m receiving from you.” And then as the supplier, they need to justify that or lift the game or or whatever
Andrew: Absolutely, just life their game. As we talked about earlier, transitioning to an accountant, dictating terms…the power is now moving to the consumer.
Crag: Yeah.
Andrew: The subscription-based packaging, the ability to shift between different packaging, different accountants. That’s how it should be.
Crag: Yeah.
Andrew: That should be the flexibility that a small-business owner should demand. So, we are offering it, there’s other people in the market that are offering it and moving between accountants should not be difficult and it doesn’t need to be.
Crag: Yes.
Andrew: We can do that all for you.
Crag: Awesome. So, on the more personal note, now that you’re a big advocate of good work and life balance which is why I guess is one of the reasons why you went into business for yourself.
Andrew: Uh-humm.
Crag: Since you’ve been in the business, you’ve become a father to two.
Andrew: Yes.
Crag: You’re also a husband and now a business man, obviously.
Andrew: Yeah.
Crag: So, how do you manage? How’s your work-life balance going? What’s the tip? What’s the golden nugget about that?
Andrew: Well, I had so many diminished. (laughter) Having no business in the first year was great
Crag: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Andrew: I couldn’t pay the bills then.
Craig: But great for the golf swing.
Andrew: Got two holes in one.
Craig: There you go.!
(laughter)
Andrew: Yeah. Sometimes you gotta fill up some holes in. It is becoming more difficult, my business is growing. I’m very happy with it.
Craig: Yep.
Andrew: What’s demanded is our systematic and process-driven approach and if you invest upfront in these sorts of things then you can actually still achieve it. Technology, we’ve put out on stuff like receipt bank. We’ve got zero-running. We’re doing all these sorts of stuff. We’ve got different portals in our website where our clients can engage with us routinely. They can set up their own meetings and they do everything. We use Skype so our clients don’t have to suffer traffic or parking things. We’re able to get across the country. So, we are working on work-life balance for both us and our clients.
Although our own work-life balance may have diminished since the early days, I still play sports and I still drop my kids of at daycare, I pack them up most days. I’m normally home to make dinner. So, I’ve still achieved it. It’s really just about having a plan, understanding what you’re requirements are ,understanding what your resources are required and working towards your goal. You can achieve it.
Craig: And I guess, it comes back to reminding yourself as to why you did it in the first place, isn’t it?
Andrew: That’s true.
Craig: I’ve seen too many people start off with having this idea of a good work-life balance but then the work is 60-70 hours a week, forget why you’ve ever done it. Then once again, work in a job. Back to the first job.
Andrew: Correct.
Craig: Obviously, you’ve embraced technology. How has technology changed the industry since you walked out of the University so many years ago.
Andrew: I walked out of University at ’99.
Craig: Oh, there you go.
Andrew: So, it’s been a while…
Craig: 18 years ago.
Andrew: I was looking at this recently, it took me back to my first job. I was working as an auditor at Edinburgh, Scotland and in 2001 and 2002, I was senior auditor on a job in Edinburgh, it was one of our bigger clients. They were manufacturing in home sale, you know one of those paper products, lever arch files, different kinds.
Craig: Yup. Yup.
Andrew: It’s a huge turn over though, but they’re full accounting system was purely manual and I mean hand written. Like, volumes upon volumes, libraries of books, day records and ledgers, trial balances, the works. So, they employed our financial director who’s a chartered accountant on a ridiculous salary and he was doing what we regarded these days as, menial tasks…
Craig: Right.
Andrew: And taking days over them because that was what was required.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: So, what you were spending days over can now be done automatically through inventions such as zero…
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: Fantastic new invention and to produce a trail balance report is a click of a button. To balance, to reconcile your bank is probably 20 minutes work in a week.
Craig: Yep.
Andrew: So, we’ve moved from days of work done by a skilled individual to minutes of work done by a layman or somebody in business who has probably never done accountancy papers.
Craig: And has got no interest in it whatsoever.
Andrew: So, we’ve seen a massive shift in technological movement of huge disruption and that has men that are time-involved has reduced massively and the accuracy of the work that has been prepared or the reported that have been prepared are far more accurate than what was done previously. So that has given, I think this has probably been the basis whereby governments kind of deregulated those.
Craig: Right.
Andrew: Allowing people to do it a lot more themselves, allowing more bookkeepers in the market at the expense of chartered accountants. So, that’s a real problem for our industry and as chartered accountants but we’re our own worst enemies. We never gave out enough information away, we never engaged enough with small business when they needed it. The traditional accountants just profit those for years.
Craig: So, obviously, technology we know has taken over the world, so to speak. It’s not going away. So what do you think the industry is going the next five to ten years?
Andrew: I personally think it’s probably a bleak future. It will probably take a backwards step for a point, for a certain time.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: But in the short term, it would be very beneficial for the consumer because there’s currently a price war. When you look at the services of a traditional accountant gave compared to what bookkeepers today giving, they are substitutable.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: So, for their easily substitutable services, because financial statements by one is roughly the same as financial statements of another. You’re just pressing button to create them and it comes down to price. So, people are going towards the cheaper one and the bookkeepers are charging a third or a fifth of the price of a chartered accountant.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: And they’re just small business people. After all, you have to be very savy when it comes to cost. So that’s what’s happening in the big firms, sharing a lot of business with the bookkeepers.
Craig: Right.
Andrew: The problem with that is, the chartered accountants do have enormous educational backgrounds, huge experience. They have wealth of knowledge which bookkeepers just do not have.
Craig: No.
Andrew: Bookkeepers are very good bookkeepers which I think is a very good business advisers. The problem when it comes to small businesses is that they’ve never given advice and are probably blah with small business. So, now they’re losing out because they’re substitutable products and book keepers are getting in. So, come to tipping point where people are realizing, “Hey, I could do a lot more for my clients.” like we are.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: And we’re telling people, “Hey, we’ll give you this advice and we’ll patch it up with the same sort of price as a bookkeeper.”
Craig: Yeah,
Andrew: “And we’ll give it routinely for you.” We’ll engage or we’re going to avenge the end up by the dumbing down of our profession and I think, more likely, we’ll get the dumbing down of the profession first of all be fore anyone can take a stand to exchange things.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: It tends to be a compromise of convenience, price and quality. Probably, the most evident one of recent time is journalism.
Craig: Right.
Andrew: When was the last time you bought a newspaper? For me, probably a couple of years, maybe more and that’s because I can log into my iPad and I can read the news in the morning and get a gist of what’s going on in the world and never have to go to news and I’m quite happy with what it is.? The photographs are awful, they’re better from an iPhone. There’s no artistic merit. The grammatical and spelling errors are deplorable. These people struggled to get through school and they’ve chosen a profession where they’re writing English. So, we’re seeing them dumbing down as people go for convenience, quality and price.
Craig: Yup.
Andrew: Over here, we got technology that’s running these reports and could be creating what the accountants used to do and they are accurate and they are, 90% is good, maybe? Maybe just as good in some cases then are easily substitutable. So, it’s easy to see why the consumers are going down that way.
Craig: I guess it comes back down to educating the market place. There’s a bookkeeper who can do your work, your account in just a push of a button. But now we’re gonna educate, you actually need more than that and here are some service providers who offered the value and this is sort of something the account has shifted from being a compliance to adding value to your business. As a key partner to your business, isn’t it?
Andrew: Okay.
Craig: Like you said, transition and re-educating to market place.
Andrew: Bookkeepers are great bookkeepers. If you’re wanting advice, you’re wanting to do anything important, you’re wanting to grow. You want to have plans on how you want to grow and succeed your business and how you sell it and how you value it whether the business you’re buying is actually making sense. You’re going to need a chartered accountant.
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: If you can get that information and you can get that sort of engagement, and that interest from someone then you should take every time because otherwise you’ll be with a bookkeeper and hey, if you’re content just kind of pottering along and doing the things that you want to do, you’ve got a lifestyle that you’re very happy with then a bookkeeper is the way to go.
Craig: Yup.
[33:40]
Andrew: . If you want something more important or you want someone to advise you and collaborate with you and you really need someone who is going to give you that. But not off track the
Craig: There’s gonna be no
Andrew: There’s gonna be a few of those. Try not to get some bad ones. We see ourselves as more of collaborative.
Craig: I guess also, in a way, it’s good that a small business like yourselves and there are other people with the same size as you that can change in a whim. But the corporates can’t have that flexibility. They can’t change overnight, they can’t adapt overnight, can they?
Andrew: We’ve invested the last 6-7 months getting our review of our business up and running. Getting it done, understanding what we’re trying to achieve and reconfiguring our mindset around, “What does our client base want?” and we’ve invested our time and quite significant resource in getting our website up. So, we engaged a portal where people can ask questions, drop information, set up appointments. Engage over us with media and over Skype and all of these sorts of things. So, it’s not so much of a web…but I do agree that bigger firms have, if they wanted to undertake this, they would have a huge made up of systems and process to set up, maybe some staff to lose, maybe staff to be brought on, huge up scaling coming a lot longer.
Craig: Yeah, you got the flexibility to make change and we can see what you’ve just been through yourself in the last 6-7 months. It’s that sort of thing that could potentially help your clients to do the same thing. Nothing happens overnight but you can help walk through that procedure, that exercise because you’ve done it yourself.
Andrew: Yeah, absolutely.
Craig: And if I had a big pocket full of money there to implement these sort of things, you’d realize that it takes time to implement things, it takes time to redesign our website because that costs money. It doesn’t happen overnight.
Andrew: We’re very happy sharing our thoughts and these things because really, that’s what we do. We give advice and when people are saying , “What portal should we use?” We’ll say, “Well have a look at blah. It’s been great for us. ”
Craig: “Better stay away from this one because this was a nightmare for us.”
Andrew: Yeah. You’re going to have to pass on this knowledge because that was what we really suppose, we are collaborators. Similarly too, I started my business myself, I started it worth nothing, like 3 climbs(?). I’ve had to build my own business myself. So, if you’re starting a business, why would you go to someone who is fourth generation inheriting a chartered accountancy firm, who’s never started a business?
Craig: Never been but yeah
Andrew: How can they advise you?
{36:00}
Craig: How could they know the pain of not being able to or pay the groceries that week?
Andrew: How could they not know what the hurdles are?
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: They might know from a theoretical standpoint but are never gonna know from a practical standpoint because they’ve never done it.
Craig: No. Exactly. Exactly. So, from your experience, what are some of the mistakes that you see business owners are making? And what advice would you give both established and start up small businesses?
Andrew: I guess when we look at the mistakes which are regularly made which was really made to put into effort to emphasize when taking on clients. First one is, budgeting for tax. You’d be surprise how many people don’t. We had businesses go under simply because they don’t budget for tax. But it’s very easy to actually get your mindset the right way that you could actually put money aside and never have that problem. The other one is you’ve gotta write down goals or connect to something. Write it down, it’s far more powerful than just keeping it in your head.
Craig: Do you think that you could share those goals?
Andrew: Absolutely. Sharing your goals, sharing your knowledge, sharing your dreams.
Craig: So, writing them down and sharing them.
Andrew: It’s very important because as I said earlier, it starts that collaborative movement. You feel that you are being held to account by even if you tell your partner. She’ll go, “Oh, how are your goals going?”
Craig: Yes.
Andrew: “How are you actually achieve these?” “When are you going to achieve this?” Or your friends, share them. We see it with startup businesses and startup land with who is next door.
Craig: Yup.
Andrew: And they had a lot of people putting up different ideas and sharing all their knowledge and by doing so, they’re actually moved their businesses forward to their business ideas. If you keep your dreams to yourself then you’ll probably never realize it. If you share them then you might find that there’s a movement. You might find somebody and they go, “Hey, that was a great idea. Let’s push this forward. I can help you here. I can get someone else to fill the void here and then we’ll move forward. ”
Andrew: So, very true there.
Craig: What’s a good advice would give them about these sorts of things?
Andrew: I would say, write them down. Have a plan. Be mindful that your plan might change. Be mindful that if you set a goal now, in three years’ time you might have achieved it or you might have realized that it was totally unreachable. So that would change your path too.
Craig: ..to a moving target sometimes. Yeah.
Andrew: And let’s say, “Yeah, we’re very essential to this and we emphasize this.” Collaboration is key.
Craig: Cool.
Andrew: Use specialists. We do. There’s no point in trying to reinvent the wheel and trying to create your own resource where are resources out there which are free. Even look at the tools of business on the IRD website. Very useful, it’s like, given in layman’s terms and answers all of the question that you have about your accountant. IRD gives you free GST classics. So, sign up for them.
Craig: Yeah.
Andrew: Otherwise, you’ll pay for your accountant, $600-700 to teach you the same thing that you’ll get for free. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Use the people who are meant to give you these stuff.
Craig: Awesome. Awesome. Hey, that’s been awesome, Andrew. Thanks very much for your time. I got some really cool tips from that and especially around the need to collaborate either friends, family, other business advisers, other business people, networking…just find some people. That’s great stuff. Seek advice. Expect more from our accountants. Ask what value are they providing you apart from just compliance. Big one, obviously is set your goals. Write them down and show them to some key people that you can keep in touch. Like what Andrew said, “ You share your goals with them and they’ll share your goals with you” and you can review them for each other with a beer or something and keep in touch with your accountant.
So, if someone wants to talk about the products and services that you provide, how do we get a hold of you, where could we find you?
Andrew: So, we’re at www.moreca.co.nz so that will give you direction as to how to engage with us.
Craig: So, that’s more with one o or with two?
Andrew: One. m-o-r-e-c-a.com That’s our platform. That’s our new website. There’s a lot of free resource on there.
Craig: Awesome.
Andrew: It’s pretty basic. It’s meant to start a conversation or to help you understand where you’re at. If you need more specific or particular advice…contact us through the portals. There’s plenty of them there. We offer a free consultation. Go by skype meeting if you’re outside the province or you can pop into the office but you can book that online as well.
Craig: Awesome.
Andrew: So, really, really became a helpful tool there to start the process and we’ll try to expand our blog in time. If you have any particular questions that are coming up, send them in. We might add them to the blog and add some feedback.
Craig: Throw in an email if you need help.
Andrew: Absolutely.
Craig: Awesome. Now, we really appreciate it, Andrew. Thanks very much for your time.
Andrew: Thank you, Craig.
In today’s podcast, Craig Oliver talks to Kayleen Schoeman of Business Mentors New Zealand via Regional Development Agency Venture Taranaki. Kayleen, acts as the Program Coordinator in, Taranaki, she has helped 100's of business owners find mentors for the challenges that they face.
Kayleen has worked with all kinds of businesses including, Liqourland. The mentoring program has helped its owner, Amie Murphy build a customer base. As a result, she is able to find the right focus for her business. For Green Meadows beef, their mentor helped them manage cash flow through growth, build a new production facility, and establishing a growing a market in a new business.
For Kayleen, this program is similar to a professional matchmaking service. Her role is to manage and recruit mentors to the program. She then matches the businesses with the new mentors. When the clients come in, she interviews them and finds out what their challenges are. She also sizes up their personality and finds out what the client’s expectations are of a business mentor.
Her current target market consists of startup small-to medium-business owners who are interested in a six-month accelerated mentoring program that may need that extra push and guidance in putting a comprehensive business plan together.
The other main target markets are for businesses that have less than twenty five staff members. She also manages a community mentoring program designed for community groups and non-profit organizations.
Typically, most of Kayleen’s clients press for marketing because that where they feel they need the most assistance. However, she has found that strategic planning and staff management were some of the other main challenges that she has been approached for. Often once the work with the mentor has started and they have peeled back the layers of the business, they find that other factors come into play.
The benefit of having a mentor is that clients are able to have a sounding board with somebody who has no emotional connection to their business. Mentors are able to brainstorm with them and even give their unbiased opinion. Having a fresh pair of eyes to take a look at their business model helps.
For a one-time registration fee of $225 plus GST, businesses get free mentoring services for twelve months. However, not all businesses may need these services for that long. It usually varies. Sometimes, the relationships formed become so strong that the business owners continue to meet with their mentors long after the period is finished.
Business mentors work as volunteers who just want to help and give back to the communities. They are very special people who share their time and knowledge with others. Most of the time, they get a buzz from just being able to do so because it’s something they have been able to accomplish in their own businesses. It’s about giving back and also learning. Clients get the most value from their mentors when they are committed to getting some guidance and help.
There have even been clients who have gained so much value from mentoring that they were able to make positive changes in their businesses and become mentors themselves. For those who decide there’s a lack of synergy with their mentors, Kayleen helps them find somebody who may be a better fit without any extra cost.
For more information on Venture Taranaki, you can go to www.businessmentors.org.nz or if you would like to contact Kayleen directly, you may contact her at Venture Taranaki at (06) 759-5163 or email her at kayleen@venture.org.nz.
They also have a website at www.taranaki.co.nz.
THE PROJECT GUYS PODCAST
KAYLEEN SCHOEMAN EPISODE
In this episode of Chaos and Control for Small- to Medium-Business Enterprises, Craig Oliver interviews Kayleen Schoeman of Venture Taranaki. Kayleen has been matching small- to medium-business enterprises with mentors.
Tell me a little bit about your background and how you ended up doing what you’re doing today.
I grew up in a small town of Eltham, the cheese capital of New Zealand, just wanted to put that in. After finishing my high school education, I was offered a full-time position working for a well-established photographer. I assisted her with running the day-to-day activities at the studio office.
I was young but keen to learn all the ins and outs of running a small business. The most valuable skill I learned was face-to-face working with customers and I loved it. I was in that position for seven and a half years. It was an awesome avenue for face-to-face client focus.
I made the move to New Plymouth in 2000 because of a man who’s now my husband and we’re actually celebrating our thirteen year wedding anniversary today.
In 2000, I applied in a reception role in Taranaki and I was offered the position. This was a huge leap for me and again, it meant honest dealing with clients face-to-face and getting involved in the community, which was awesome.
Seven years later, I went on maternity leave to have our daughter. I thought that it would be easy to get back after 12 months. When the time came, my husband and I decided to watch this little girl and enjoy the time while she’s little. I was very fortunate to be a stay-at-home mum for 5 years. I was lucky for that.
When my daughter turned 5 and went to school, I wasn’t needed anymore. That was my opportunity to get back into the business world. As it happened, they had a part time role available for the Business Mentor Program. So I came back here for three years.
Can you tell us a bit about the Business Mentor Program? What was it about?
Venture Taranaki is the Business Mentor’s New Zealand agent for Taranaki that provides access to experienced mentors to business around the mountain and all over the country. It’s a charitable program funded by the Business and the Community Trust. They have sponsors and various funding sources.
There are seventeen agents throughout New Zealand and are positioned with different economic development or chamber of commerce agencies. We are the agents for Taranaki.
So Business Mentors operate nationwide and has helped more than 70,000 small- to medium-enterprise owners. It is supported by over 1,900 volunteer mentors. It works by enabling small- and medium-sized business owners to access the skills and knowledge of experienced, successful business people, and helping them achieve their goals.
My role is to manage and recruit new mentors to the program. I also match businesses and new clients with the appropriate mentor. So it’s like a professional matchmaking service.
Tell us about that process. How does that work?
So when a client registers for a business mentor, they come in and we have a chat and we have a bit of an interview and talk about their business and discuss maybe the challenges that they’re facing. I get an idea of the type of person they are.
The matches aren’t only skill-based. It has a lot to do with personality as well, so it’s really important to get that match of skill base and personality when I’m doing the bridging. So from there, basically, once we’ve had that little discussion, I go away and I go through my mentor pool and sort out who might be the appropriate match.
I have various mentors who, some of them are you know, very straight up and too the point and some clients really like that. Other clients just need somebody for just a little bit of gentle nudging and so it’s really important to understand who the client is. What their challenges are and we match them properly.
Who is your target market for clients and what would be their most common challenges that they have been when they come to see you? What do they want help with?
There’s three programs offered through the Business Mentors New Zealand Program now. So we have our start up program which is a six month accelerated mentoring for people who maybe have a new business idea that are not sure how to get off the ground and maybe just need the initial guidance to get a comprehensive business plan together. We also have the business mentoring program which is for those small to medium business that have less than twenty five staff members that have a challenge or just need assistance of guidance in one particular area and we now have the community mentoring program which is specially designed for community groups and not-for-profits.
So, it totally varies from case to case, most of them press for marketing because everyone thinks they need marketing advice. [laughs] Which isn’t always the case but strategic planning and how to manage staff are the key areas often a client will think they need a particular skill and once the mentor comes in and the mentoring relationship sort of continues and the mentor is able to peel back the layers of the business, often there are other factors coming into play. So sometimes, the client will sign up with an original request but really they need someone else.
But generally, the clients are looking for that sounding board from somebody that has no emotional connection with the business that they can just brainstorm with and can give their unbiased opinion. It’s that person to talk to. Those who run their business on their own might not have anyone to talk to about it apart from their spouse or family members. So it’s really important to get that outside opinion, you know that fresh pair of eyes.
How long does your typical match up last? How long do they sign up for? How does it work?
Signing up for the business mentoring program is a twelve month registration period. There is a one time registration fee that they pay. It’s just a one-off recruitment cost.
That’s $225 plus GST and that gives them free mentoring services for 12 months. So, some clients find that they actually only need three or four meetings with their mentor and that is enough to get them to that next stage and away they go. Others are able to continue a mentoring relationship for the 12-month period and even after that registration period is finished, sometimes, they still continue to meet with their mentor because they can form a nice relationship. It does vary from client to client. Sometimes, a client would have a couple of meetings and that’s it. They’ve got everything.
So, the mentors aren’t paid, are they?
The mentors are not paid. They are volunteers.
What do they get out of it?
Okay, so first of all, our mentors are very special people. They are volunteers. So they don’t get paid. They give out their time and knowledge to pass on to others and they’re just a sounding board, a guide, you know, that brand to pick. So the mentors tell me that they get a real buzz at the fact that they’ve been able to pass on their skill or some knowledge to help somebody because it’s something they’ve been able to apply to their business. The mentor is not there to do any work for the client. But something they do is help the clients come to the conclusion of where they need to be.
It’s all about being part of the community. You know, giving back to the community that’s been good to them and they get real value out of it. I mean you’re a mentor.
Yes. It’s being able to give back. I found also that it actually helps me practice my skills on someone and I want to try something to make a little bit of a difference, different strategy, different ways present themselves and it’s almost as a mentor, you get value, which they are. It helps with the practice.
What are some of your success stories?
Okay, so we’ve had some cool success stories. Especially where the client has gained so much value from the mentoring to make some really positive changes in business. But also, we have some cases where the client who’s got so much value added from the program that they are now mentors, which is awesome as well. And on the other hand, we’ve had clients who with the help of a mentor, have been able to exit you know, their business in the best and most dignified way, which can also really be a positive outcome.
Is there a shortage of business mentors with a particular skill?
Marketing. Everybody wants a marketing mentor. They want to know the best way to make their business stand out from everybody else. So, marketing is huge. A huge one. But again, everybody thinks they need a marketing mentor and not always the case but we can never get enough of them. So always on the lookout for mentors we shoulder tap. We contact accountants and lawyers and that sort of thing but it’s a lot about who we know in the community and cause there are some awesome people out there. Some of them think, “How could I be a business mentor? What can I add?” But just being the sounding board for somebody, you know, you might have gone through something. You may in your business at the moment and things might be going really great or you know, you can be able share your knowledge, maybe some mistakes that you’ve made. Maybe that would be great. [laughs]
What’s another thing that is challenging dealing with a mentee?
So, you know, when they’re coming for their interview, I like to stress to them that the mentors are volunteers. They don’t get paid. So they are giving up their time freely. I like to make sure that the client is ready to commit to a relationship because the more the client gives to the relationship, the more the mentor is willing to lead the client so there’s a level of commitment here. I think it’s really important for them to understand that the whole giving up their time making you turn up at meeting if you’re really invested in getting some guidance and help, this is a great program but make sure you’re committed. But don’t waste anybody’s time. The mentors don’t want to waste your time and the client doesn’t want their time wasted. So, you know, be committed. And if it’s not quite working out, that’s fine, you know. They come back to me and we can rethink and rematch, whatever works but be committed.
Both the mentor and the mentee have the right to come back to you and say, “Look, I don’t think the synergy’s quite right here.”
Absolutely! And nobody gets offended, you know. It doesn’t always work and so we can come back and go back to the drawing board and have another look and the beauty of the program as well is that the client isn’t restricted to one mentor during the period. So, they might start off with a marketing mentor and then along the way, they might find, “Oh, I actually need something else and this mentor can’t help me in that area.” So we can actually add another mentor into the mix and it’s fine as well.
And it doesn’t cost them any money. It’s just the same.
So, we can add others into the mix. Not a problem at all and that’s the beauty of it as well. But often, we will match with a mentor that can cover all the bases. It’s an awesome program and I’m really glad and proud to be part of it because I see the value and when it works well, it works really well and I really appreciate the time the mentors put in. We’ve got awesome mentors.
So if somebody wants to talk to you more about the service or if someone from the other seventeen different agencies, where do they go to find more about this program in New Zealand?
Jump on to the website, www.businessmentors.org.nz and you’ll be put through to head office and they will put you in touch with a local agent. If you want to talk to me here in Taranaki, you can contact me at Venture Taranaki Trust at (06) 759-5163 or you can email me kayleen@venture.org.nz and don’t forget to visit our website www.taranaki..co.nz
Green Meadows Beef is an unique family business providing grass feed beef direct to the consumer. This is the story how the Carey family have built their business of providing raw materials to the end user and the way they have used social media to take it to market Today’s guest is Nick Carey, Director and General Manager of Green Meadows Beef based in Taranaki. Green Meadows Beef is a unique family business who have built their business primarily using online and social media platforms. The business has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years. Craig and Nick talk about what started as an offbeat idea that has become big business for his family.
In 2012, his family decided they wanted to add value to their products. This propelled them to launch a paddock to plate system. This involved shipping products from their farm through their own processing and distribution channels. Their direct-to-market through online sales has formed a big growth part of their business.
Nick’s father, suggested for them to try and market their beef product directly to the consumer. They sat together as a family and formed a new way to get their products to the market, and soon, they recognized the opportunity of selling online. This propelled them to launch a paddock to plate system. This involved shipping products from their farm through their own processing and distribution channels. Their direct-to-market through online sales has formed a big growth part of their business.
Nick started his career as a commercial lawyer in Wellington and New Plymouth His role in this new family business was in the development, branding, and logistics. Soon enough this was taking most of his time and he eventually decided he needed to quit his job as a lawyer.
That was a leap of faith for Nick, who has had to adjust to being an entrepreneur. There were four key problems Green Meadows Beef was solving for the consumer. These were
(1) Time saving
(2) Ease of purchase
(3) Quality assurance,
(4) Provenance.
Nick and Craig also talk about how wildly successful My Food Bag has become. It is a website that allows it’s customers to order a food bag for a varied number of people. It is also customized for them in terms of the number of people and their diet. My Food Bag has revolutionized the industry. Countdown eventually came up with a similar concept of online selling. There was a big shift in the market of people being more open to purchasing food products online. That assured Green Meadows Beef of its market.
In terms of marketing research, they were lucky that Green Meadows Beef was nimble enough to adapt their offering as well. This included having to tweak their operations on the way. They started out selling bulk-frozen packs and delivering them through chilled or frozen trucks. However, it has now evolved to a point where they can customize their own products and deliver them the next day, chilled, through a courier.
Nick’s journey has not been without challenges. One day, his company’s freight company informed him that they were no longer going to deliver Nick’s frozen meat packs. As a result, he was forced to change his business model, which led to better results because they are now selling fresh produce instead of frozen produce.
Another challenge Nick has had to face was the price of raw materials. Over the last three to four years, the price of raw materials has almost doubled. At the same time. One of the things that has raised the price of the raw product is the price that it can otherwise be sold elsewhere. Export of demand has been high.
They now run their farm as a separate business from their meat processing. Each company has different governance, advisers, and processes. Ensuring that the two businesses were independent of each other will help with succession planning and will force each one to be profitable on its own. . However, with the easing off of demand in the United States, the farm gate prices have been affected.
Nick learned to focus on the role of governance and the value of the right independent advice. Another crucial area that Nick has focused on is being able to get accurate and timely business information, dealing with changes in technology and how scalable that is, and finally, achieving a profitable core business before evolving into other paths.
Another thing that Nick has focused on is learning how to work with his people. Getting the right staff onboard has been a good learning experience for him. He makes sure his employees have clearly defined roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines so that he could focus on working on the business and growing it. Nick has been able to retain his staff for 4 years now. He hardly needed to do cold hires because he utilized the benefits of his networks.
As for online selling, Nick uses mostly social media such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with people and to build an audience. They do mostly paid advertising now. He initially did everything in-house but has started outsourcing it already using a marketing consultant who works remotely for them.
In terms of content, Nick suggests that you keep it personal, relevant, and fun to keep his customers engaged. With competition sprouting up more, there is a need to ensure that you get heard. Nick’s friend once said that content is king but engagement is queen and she rules the house. You need to be able to engage your followers.
Currently, they are on Pinterest and Instagram but it has been a challenge to maintain everything. They use third party tools to help with the marketing side. They also use cloud based systems that help cut costs and get things done.
What Nick enjoys about being in business is building something from the ground up, seeing the evolution of that business, and having a chance to enjoy its success.
As a lawyer, Nick had a structured and disciplined career. At the moment, he says he has very little structure in his life now. Working with creative types, for example, causes him to work longer hours and deadlines extended. He deals with it by communicating well with his people. He says that if you spend a good portion of your day through communicating, it makes the day go so much better.
This goes back to having structures in place so the rest of the team can function harmoniously while you’re communication with them.
Nick’s challenge working with his family is ensuring that there is regular communication in terms of what’s happening in the business as well as asking for feedback. He suggests that there has to be a clear distinction of business and family time. It is important that everyone gets their chance to have a say but at the end of it, they are able to sit down and have dinner together.
In terms of having external professionals and mentors for his business, Nick says that one of the critical things is finding the right independent advice. His solution has been to persevere until you find exactly what you need at a particular time. As your business continues to change, so does the levels of advise. Nick has found that having an independent director has helped him fill the skills gap. Engaging the services of experts can be beneficial to his business as well.
Nick does not dwell on the past. His company has a year end review where they identify what worked and what didn’t so that in the future, they can learn from these experiences. Nick says that in hindsight, he would have focused on margin analysis in his business and having a better handle on his cash flow and budget. This has become one of their strengths and has allowed them to diversify the business for a more consistent cash inflow.
Being content in terms of business and the industry that you’re in is a mistake that business owners make. As an example, the evolution of online selling has had an effect on traditional purchasing. Nick suggests that you need to stay on top of things and not rest on your laurels because you don’t know what’s around the corner.
Strengthen your core business and ensure that it is profitable and sustainable before you venture out into other business opportunities. At the moment, there is a need to develop relationships with consumers because people want to know where there food comes from, how it’s produced, and what’s going on.
Visit www.GreenMeadowsBeef.co.nz for more information.
TRANSCRIPT
NICK CAREY
Craig: Hi guys! Craig here from The Project Guys. Today in our podcast, really happy to introduce Nick Carey. Nick is a Director and General Manager of Green Meadows Beef based here in Taranaki. Green Meadows Beef is a unique family business who built the business primarily using online and social media platforms. They specialise in suppling New Zealand consumers’ grass fed premium beef, where you online, and delivered to your door in twenty four hours. And their business has experienced tremendous growth over the last five years. What started as an offbeat idea and working from home office is now having their own dedicated butchery and retail premises and offices. So, welcome Nick.
Nick: Thanks Craig. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to tell a little bit about our story.
Craig: No drama at all! . Tell us a little bit about your background and why you decided to go into business.
Nick: Well, my background was as a commercial lawyer for a few years both in Wellington and New Plymouth. We as a family, I guess, back in 2012, decided that we wanted to add value to the products we were producing which was mainly meat or beef and as a way to, I guess, cement the family farm and those plans through a formal succession plan, we decided to launch an integrated pallet to plate business which is shipping products from our farm through our own channels and processing channels, as Craig mentioned, direct consumers New Zealand wide through the different channels we utilise it at supermarkets, restaurants, and caterers and of course, direct-to-market through online sales, which is our biggest growth part of the business.
Craig: So, you’ve mentioned that you were a lawyer and then from a lawyer to an entrepreneur, it’s not a traditional path, was it your idea to do businesses with family? How did it all sort of evolve?
Nick: Yeah. Evolve is probably the right thing to say. It was my father’s idea to try and market the products. Obviously, we soon recognised online was a much easier path than let’s say the traditional paths of standing at farmer’s markets or carport sales or whatever it may be where other people are maybe trying to sell similar products. So it’s at that time, all of us, I’ve got two siblings. We all became involved to help form a plan to get the products to market and I helped here on the side with development and branding and things and arranging all of that and then once we launched the business, it became pretty evident that I wouldn’t be able to continue in my day job and helping out with the business. So it was about, I guess, 3 months in that I gave up…
Craig: Oh, that quick! Yeah. Yeah.
Nick: Yeah. Yeah.…full-time paid employment to jump into the business.
Craig: To be poor for a couple of years.
Nick: Yes! Yes!
Craig: [laughs]
Nick: Forever.
Craig: Forever. [laughs] Yes! Yes! So, when you started, obviously, it was just quite a bit different and there’s a new concept. Get away from the farmer’s markets or selling to a wholesaler, direct….did you guys do any market research and that actually work out where you had a legitimate market and business…
Nick: Uhm…
Craig: And what are the problems you’re solving which are and I suppose were time saving and ease for the purchaser, wasn’t it?
Nick: That and also quality and provenance. So those are I guess the 4 key messages or key problems we’re solving for the consumer.
Craig: Yeah. Yeah.
Nick: In New Zealand, at that time, there was a limited range of producers doing what we were doing. Certainly that landscape has changed now and more and more are coming on board to be…whether it’s in meat or other ___ farm products or whatever. The launch of things like MyFoodBag and you know and the whole…
Craig: Which is wildly successful.
Nick: Exactly.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: And a great example of success in this market.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: So I guess in…when the business was in its infancy, there was only a couple of competitors in New Zealand. I don’t even think Countdown had really launched their…
Craig: Right.
Nick: Online sales at that time so obviously, we’ve noticed a big shift in the market and people being far more open to purchasing food products online. So, with our research, it was really based on looking at producers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, seeing what they were doing, what offerings they had.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: And obviously, because we…we were selling online, just online only at the start, it did allow us some chance to scale as time went on so there was no pressure of having products ready to go with no markets.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: So I guess, we…we are currently on to building website number three.
Craig: Right.
Nick: So there has been multiple chances to refine the offering based on our own learnings…
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: Rather than…than doing too much…
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: market research at the beginning, I guess, which potentially a pitfall…
Craig: Yeah. But…
Nick: that were fallen into but we’ve been lucky that we’ve been nimble enough to be able to adapt that offering to…
Craig: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah…
Nick: to see that…what does that mean?
Craig: Yeah. Oh, it’s a case sometimes of getting that ___ to market and then work out having to… and having to tweak everything on the way, isn’t it…
Nick: Exactly. We’ve started out in our industry selling bulk frozen packs and delivering it via the chilled or frozen trucks…
Craig: Yes.
Nick: all over the country where it could take anything from a week to two weeks.
Craig: Right.
Nick: To be delivered to the model that we have now and it’s evolving as you can customise and pick and choose your own products…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: …and it’s delivered the next day, chilled via courier, so…
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: You know, there’s different challenges that come at you and one of that for example was the freight company telling us, “No, we’re no longer gonna deliver your frozen meat packs.” So…
Craig: Oh, is that right?
Nick: So your business if often forced to change…
Craig: Yes.
Nick: …which can obviously lead to better results…
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: …because the consumer appreciates…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: fresh produce versus…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: frozen produce.
Craig: So there. So tell us a bit more about the challenges and the learnings you had in those early years and maybe also the challenges you’re facing now and how that evolved?
Nick: Definitely. I guess the critical challenge for us been the price of our raw materials.
Craig: Alright.
Nick: Just to put them in a little bit of context and background, we run the farm as a totally separate business from the meat processing…
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: Different governance, different advisers, everything and we thought that was a critical distinction from a…
Craig: Uhm…
Nick: …a governance point of view particularly in the family situation so that we had two separate business which were hopefully, hopefully independent of each other, both supporting…
Craig: Uhm…
Nick: …themselves. So…
Craig: Also that. I guess it also helps with succession planning too. Exit strategy is one [incomprehensible]…
Nick: Exactly. And obviously that’s what we’re focusing…
Craig: Uhm…
Nick: The meat processing business now is taking on a life of its own with contract manufacturing…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: …and things like that so…obviously anytime, I mentioned it at the start that the farm is very much part of the succession plan but if there were something that caused the farm to go, well, we’ve got another business…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: And vice versa, we could always onsell the meat processing side of things.
Craig: Uhm…uhm…uhm…
Nick: …and keep the farm…
Craig: That’s right.
Nick: But so…part of it is that the farm must obviously make a profit…
Craig: Yes…
Nick: So we have to purchase the animals that we’re using through the Green Meadows Business from the farm at the prevailing market rate…
Craig: Yes…
Nick: Over the last three to four years, that price of raw materials has almost doubled…
Craig: Oh sh….
Nick: Without a corresponding rise in meat prices at the consumer end…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: There’s still a certain barrier at the consumer end as to what a sausage or whatever may cost so I guess that’s been the critical challenge that we’ve face and we’ve had to really adapt and change our product offering. So…
Craig: So what’s driven the price of the raw product up? Is it the price on the farm to produce that product?
Nick: No, it’s the price that it can otherwise be sold elsewhere...
Craig: Oh, okay.
Nick: So, export demand, primarily out of the U_S where ground beef, easier ground beef is exported…
Craig: Okay…
Nick: …to the U_S and it’s been in quite high demand in particularly out of China as well…
Craig: Right.
Nick: So, depending on what’s happening in those markets, I’m assuming we’re seeing an easing off in the United States at the moment on demand which, of course, is then having a…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: …a correlation back to farm gate prices here.
Craig: Cool…
Nick: So I guess with that challenge, we learned quite a lot and kind of like it’s focused a lot on what’s happened in the business so there are a couple of points off the top of my head…
Craig: Yes…Yeah…
Nick: I guess the role of governance and the value of the right independent advice has been a critical things that we’ve taken from it, I guess the information we’re pulling out of the business in terms or accurate and timely…
Craig: Yup…
Nick: …business information, technology and how scalable that is, what machines can really make our day better…
Craig: Right.
Nick: Versus culling out some of those manual processes, cause obviously, bearing in mind making food can sometimes be a relatively manual process…
Craig: Yup! Yeah…
Nick: And then it all comes back to achieving a profitable core business before evolving into other paths. So, we’ve really focused over the last year or two on what is our core business, how to make it profitable before launching into some other opportunities as well.
Craig: So how do you take yourself out of the business to work on the business around those things you just…
Nick: Yeah, well, as the businesses continue to grow, we’ve been able to put staff into roles that I was otherwise doing, so for example, we’ve just taken on an operations manager who is handling most of the day-to-day production and supply side of the business whereas I’m just handling the demand side and obviously everything else. So the finances and working on the business so, I guess that’s been a good learning is getting the right staff on board, making sure that they have clearly defined roles and responsibilities and reporting lines so that that then frees you up to do as you say, “working on the business,” and growing it. So we have that clearly…clear definition of okay, operations manager was gonna focus on the supply side and production, I was gonna handle the demand, so that’s where my focus is now…is on the demand side and when you’ve got the right people and the right positions, everything is fine and it works well.
Craig: So, you’ve gotta run on a fierce podcast business and about staffing. How’d you go and find the right staffing? How’d you know? Do you know? [laughs]
Nick: I guess, that’s a good question, “Do you know?”
Craig: Cause that’s critical, isn’t it?
Nick: It is and we are fortunate that in nearly 4 years, we’ve retained all our staff which I guess, obviously speaks of our environment also. The direction that we’re pushing the company. It…it’s…I guess it comes down to clear jobs…just clear job descriptions when you’re going so you know exactly who you’re looking for so when you find them, you know, they tick all the boxes and utilising the benefit of networks because all of our staff have been knowing to….
Craig: Someone…someone…
Nick: Yeah.
Craig: Someone who knows somebody…Yeah…
Nick: Exactly, so now I’m doing that thing with cold hires but I can see that the next thing we’re already looking for our next staff member, which is scary…
Craig: Yeah…
Nick: But I can see that that will be a cold…a cold hire so I guess that will come down to getting clear…clear pre-employment checks and questions and also making sure they’re the right fit for the…
Craig: thing…
Nick: Exactly.
Craig: Cool. Awesome. So, you have used a lot of online tools and platforms that you’ve touched on before to build the business to where it is. Tell us about the strategy and has that changed over the years and if so, how or….yeah…
Nick: Yeah…It’s a different __part obviously with online selling. You wanna connect with customers in real time and I guess social media in particular is great for that. We’ve primarily used Facebook and Twitter for the connecting with people and building an audience at the beginning. I guess how that’s changed is we’ve now moved from just connecting with customers and building that brand and that relationship through the more paid advertising now. So we do a lot of online marketing in terms of ECO and pre marketing and also direct marketing through the likes of Facebook. So, I guess it’s building a network and a platform, which would then turn into an opportunity to market, so…
Craig: Did you do all that in-house, or do you outsource it?
Nick: We did start all that in-house but now I’ve outsourced it. We have a marketing consultant who works remotely for us, who handles all that ECO and ECM marketing.
Craig: And what about all your Facebook engagement? Cause I know when you first start your business, you’re massive on engaging with your audience, you do a lot of that at the start. Is that still done in-house? Or…
Nick: It’s still done in-house and obviously that’s been one of the challenges I found is that I handle that role as the businesses grow, keep it…personal, and keep it relevant and keep it fun which is how we engage with our customers and perhaps that’s something I could be doing better.
Craig: [incomprehensible]
Nick: I think as we came and set the so high with using that as a focus, it’s kind of…you can easily fall by the way, so…
Craig: That’s so much of a big challenge, isn’t it because that’s how you built the brand and showing you some of the loyalty stats.
Nick: And I’m definitely seeing that with other influences that I follow that they came out with a good solid two years of social media engagement and then now it’s sort of dropped back…
Craig: Yes…
Nick: And I don’t know whether that’s just the maturing of the market and there are a lot of these platforms now and monetising, they’re successors, so it now makes it difficult to instigate…seen whereas in the beginning it was relatively easy but I think you raise a good point about engagement because a lot of the focus on social media a few years ago was all about content and posting the right sort of content but now, I know a person who writes and used to podcast a lot of Facebook. She said that content is king but engagement is queen and she rules the house.
Craig: Yes…
Nick: And it’s sort of something that’s always always stuck with me because you can have great content but if you’re not getting anything back from the people you’re publishing it to, what’s the point?
Craig: Yeah, you could have 100,000 followers but if you’re not engaging them, what’s the point?
Nick: Yes. So I think, you know, that’s a key thing to keep it at the back of your mind because it’s not a question of numbers because it’s like you said, it’s how they’re engaging.
Craig: You said when you sell your products you use Facebook and Twitter, yet have you tried the other platforms at all?
Nick: We do have a little bit on Pinterest, obviously we’re in a food business and Instagram, but it’s again, it’s the challenge of maintaining everything. We do use a lot of third party tools to push the marketing side of things which we find works well and we obviously into the day to day side of things prefer to use online tools for managing the business, whether it be accounting software, our website is all run on a third party CMS which is obviously cloud based and what else do we use in the cloud? Design tools and everything like that that’s all accessible now which really help (a) cut costs and (b) get things done.
Craig: So what do you enjoy most about being in business? What strokes your ties?
Nick: Tough question, but I guess it’s with building something from the ground up and seeing the evolution it’s having the chancing to leap at success. There are days obviously that I don’t enjoy leading.
Craig: You wish you were a follower there mate? [laughs]
Nick: Yeah. Exactly. When you bring in HR and customer issues and things like that. Obviously, you want to do a good job, whether it be your staff or your customers but I guess that’s the critical thing is having that chance and opportunity which I do feel fortunate for that you know, we’re in a position that I was able to leave my fulltime employment to follow something which I could see working and it…with just a few challenges and refinements. We’re now well on a path to making a success.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: So that’s pretty special and something that I hold dear and try not to abuse really but it is a bit of a privilege to do this so if I can keep looking at it like that, then it’ll keep me focused and also keep me grounded.
Craig: Grounded, which is what New Zealand ___ is all about. Cool, you hear that?
Nick: Yeah, I guess we at the start to kinda pushed the business and I do believe in it is we did a lot of PR work which is obviously the opposite to the grounded because you’re having to put yourself out there and tell your story and that can be difficult at times especially when you get…things like TV involved, so yeah, I think that’s a good balance to have.
Craig: So, ____ what have you learned from you know, five or six years ago, when you left the safe little confines of a lawyer’s office…
Nick: To me, just by one and a half years…whatever it was…
Craig: You were very structured and disciplined to doing this. What have you learned as a leader? Here, professionally and personally?
Nick: Yeah, I guess a couple of things, you do mean structure, I have very little structure in my life now.
Craig: [laughs]
Nick: Just by trying to plan things, you know, obviously things never really go to plan. So that’s been difficult in terms of deadlines and things like that as I’m understanding how things work in the real world versus a lawyer’s world where 5 o’clock Friday was your excellent deadline and you wouldn’t dare go past 5 o’clock Friday whereas when you start involving perhaps creative types into the mix and deadlines can often extend.
Craig: Yes.
Nick: So that’s been one challenge for me personally and also from a managing or leadership type of thing. Communication and understanding the importance of communication internally and externally and you can never really over communicate particularly with staff and things of concerns.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: I guess that’s another that I’ve really learned is you spend a good portion of your day through communicating and it makes the day go so much better.
Craig: Yes.
Nick: But then it comes back to what I mentioned earlier about having the structures in place so that the rest of the team can function harmoniously while you’re communicating with them…the team…
Craig: Yeah. And what about the family dynamic, isn’t that communications is key? Sometimes, the family businesses, they can either go really well which is good or goes real bad because one of the first rules of business is don’t ever do business with family members, isn’t it?
Nick: It is.
Craig: Yes, back to the question. Sorry about the rain everybody! So I asked Nick about the dynamic of working with some family members. One of the first rules of business is don’t go into business with family. So I guess it has worked here. From a leadership point of view, the communications point of view, have you managed that?
Nick: Yeah, it has been both a benefit and a challenge to go into business with family. On a daily basis, I work with both of my peer, so on a day to day to basis, I mean, both of my brothers work externally from the business so two problems obviously, or challenges working with family day in day out but also having family interested in the business but not having the experience or benefit of seeing what’s happening day to day so we have pretty regular communications between in terms of what’s happening in the business, asking for feedback that they’re both very helpful and useful, these are my brothers who don’t work in the business.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: But balancing that you also have a clear distinction of what’s business time and what’s family time because there’s always that tendency to make family time always business time and I think that’s critical particularly in terms of my own domestic situation as well, I’ve got a partner who doesn’t work and the person that’s end to end in terms of say my parents with their grandchildren and things like that. It’s still got to operate in a normal situation and we are very open with each other so there’s never any issues in terms of overstepping lines or boundaries.
Craig: Yeah.
Nick: And I think it’s really important that everyone gets their chance to have a say but at the end of it, we still sit down for dinner.
Craig: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. Cool. So you’ve always had external professionals and mentors for your business and I believe now you’ve got a Board of Directors and an independent director tell us about what made you decide that you needed this and the benefits of using these strategies and advise that is out there around using mentors or Board of Directors, etc.
Nick: I guess one of the critical thing is finding the right advice, independent advice and it can be a struggle at times, so I guess what I sort of found is keep persevering until you find exactly what you need at that particular time and your levels of advice and who can advise you changes as the business continues to change…and…
Craig: Evolves. As the business evolves…
Nick: Exactly, so I think the best thing you can do is get out there and take advice as step one but then if you’re not getting the right sort of advice is going out and looking for some different advice.
Craig: Yeah. Yeah.
Nick: So, we’ve had, as you mentioned, a range from formal strategic planning with our accountants through the business mentors through to now an independent director who I work with closely on a daily basis and they’ve all had their uses and purpose but having an independent voice daily looks like some of the skill gaps that we have or that I have as well is really important and I guess that’s what I see the benefit…the main benefit of the independent board is to plug the skill gaps and I mean we are looking now at maybe bringing another independent onto the board who has some different skill set that none of us have secure around dealing with marketing to the end consumer…
Craig: Right.
Nick: And events cg and things like that so it’s…
Craig: So it’s skill gaps or experience gaps?
Nick: I guess both are incredibly relevant because you get the skills from experience so I think yeah. I think both are intertwined.
Craig: And you said before that when you first started out your sort of a range of advisers, I mean, it’s the right advice. When you start out were you ever nervous and scared about what’s going on. So how do you know if you get some right advice? If you’re speaking to for example an accountant and they say you should be doing this strategy, how do you know, is that the gut instinct or it is…how do you know if it’s the right one or the wrong one?
Nick: Yeah, it’s a good question because I guess when you go into business you’re always confident and pigheaded and you don’t really wanna take advice.
Craig: No.
Nick: And then to sit over the table with someone and, no offence when you’re listening to maybe to sit over the table with someone, no offence to any listeners who may be in the accounting profession or something.
Craig: Someone’s profession…
Nick: Who’s telling you you’re doing this wrong, you’re doing that wrong. You know, it can be difficult so I think it’s not a case of knowing or choosing what that right advice is at the start but getting a lot of advice and really going out there and getting as much in as you can and taking bits and pieces from different sources to kind of form that plan because you and only you, I guess will know exactly how the business is going internally or what your dreams and goals and things are but it does help to get as much advice from them.
Craig: So that could be what we’ve talked about accountant, but there could be other business owners that could be lawyers, other professionals, and that’s where networking comes in, isn’t it? You realize that when you network, you understand that same…your peers to having the same issues you have even if they might be in a different industry.
Nick: Exactly and as many people you can speak to as possible. You know, whether it’s just a friendly ear or someone that you admire, in your industry or a different industry. It can be really beneficial to have that engagement.
Craig: Awesome, so the benefit of hindsight, we all do this. What would you do differently?
Nick: Hindsight, oh yeah, it’s a great thing.
Craig: No, it’s not. It’s a terrible thing!
Nick: I guess that’s one thing our plan is not to dwell too much on the past. We do a year review the end of each year and pick out the points of what went good and bad and then put it together and then don’t really dwell on it too much because again, it’s what you’re looking into the future that really controls things. So I guess with hindsight, what I would do it has been more of a focus on margin analysis in our business, so which products work well, where we can extract the most value and also a better handle on cash flow and budget so that financial side of the business from the get-go. I spend a lot of focus now on cash flow and planning cash flow a couple of months in advance and…
Craig: So you turned into an accountant?
Nick: Yeah, well, I…
Craig: [laughs]
Nick: I think maybe I’m turning into an accountant but that was a chance to really tighten the skill gaps that I had.
Craig: Right.
Nick: In the financial management side of things and now that’s one of our strengths where a lot of similar sized businesses I see don’t have a handle on cash flow, which in my business, can actually be quite difficult with online selling because we don’t know when people are gonna bulk buy meat packs and what’s gonna happen which is why we’ve diversified the business from just straight online sales to other traditional sales so that we’ve got consistent cash flow coming in.
Craig: A little bit of advice to people. Look after your cash flow and mind your budget, sounds like you’re good at. A couple of hours a week takes to analyse what else has happened that week which is critical.
Nick: I guess that’s one thing that having an independent director allows me to do because we have a phone call every Friday afternoon, which…
Craig: Hi guys, so from your experiences, what are some of the mistakes that you see business owners are making. So, we talked a little bit about cash flow. Anything else that…
Nick: Yeah. I guess, something a little different and that I can see out there I see is that they are content both in terms of their businesses and their industries and not pushing their boundaries and or doing the… trying alternative ways to do things and obviously in the retail side of things. I guess something else I am saying is people being content in terms of their…inside their businesses and in terms of marketing their businesses as well so obviously, the example is that the evolution of online selling and the effect it has on traditional purchasing, and brick and mortar stores and it kinda seems like…to some of them that it’s come out of nowhere whereas the evolution of online selling has been happening in time over the last ten years or so. So I think, I see that both as established businesses and the traditional business being content can often come back to hurt them later on. So, i mean, that’s something else we noticed and why we’re doing things differently as well.
Craig: So, the moral of the story is don’t be scared of pushing the boundaries and thinking outside the square box, just give it a go.
Nick: And also staying on top of things and not just resting on your laurels because you don’t really know what’s around the corner.
Craig: Don’t be scared of what’s around the corner.
Nick: Yeah. That’s just saying a little bit no matter how established you are.
Craig: So is that the sort of advice you’d give to…if you were to mentor for a better general word, either both established or a startup…what other things would you…
Nick: Yeah, it’s different keeping on top of thinss, looking overseas, seeing what’s happening whether you’re selling shoes or cats, or whatever. It’s…there’s a lot to…we’re fortunate in this part of the world that we’re a little behind as well.
Craig: Yes, yes…I was gonna ask that.
Nick: So, it’s kind of a good thing I think for us because we can have a look and see what’s happening overseas.
Craig: You think sometimes, people fall into the trap of going overseas either to Europe or America, seeing something, trying to do it New Zealand but they’re too soon
Nick: And obviously given our market size as well as the other key issue here, and also how spread out the market is. It’s a long way from the top of the North Island to Steward Island. Yes, I know, I definitely think that’s true and that’s where the difficulty, I guess comes in with what I just see is…do you become an adopter or do you follow…
Craig: Become second tier.
Nick: Yeah and there’s lot of risk, in obviously going out and being an early adopter and it falling in your face which…
Craig: But then fortune favours the brave and…
Nick: But again coming back to what I mentioned earlier on in the podcast is that’s where you’ve got a profitable and sustainable core being you’ve got those opportunities to go out and expand and you’ve still got that core business to I say loosely, to fall back on but you know…
Craig: Yeah. To pay the bills…
Nick: Yeah. Yeah.
Craig: Yeah. Cool. Awesome. And so where do you see your industry going in the next five to ten years?
Nick: Yeah, well in the markets, the direct food market, there’s differently more choice for quality and more relationships with…between consumers and producers so I definitely see that as an important step in what we’re trying to stay ahead of because people increasingly do want to know where their food comes from and how it’s produced and what’s going on so I think it’s only gonna get more and we’re gonna see return as one kind of crystal ball return to a lot traditional ways of doing things because the end user or consumer’s putting a price on all those so in our case, it’s manufactured products and more real products and people are prepared to pay more even though it costs more to produce but that’s where I see it headed.
Craig: Alright. Cool. Awesome!
Nick: And you’ll be more disrupters, I’ve already talked about MyFoodBank and seeing markets online so we find those disrupters coming into the market so I guess, listening to my own advice that’s where I need to stay ahead of and say exactly what’s happening in the market and what trends are coming up.
Craig: Awesome. Awesome. Hey Nick, we’ll wrap it up. Thanks very much for your time. . How do we find you?
Nick: Yeah so we are an online business. Our website, so you can check out our products at greenmeadowsbeef.co.nz and find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with our page will get you there.
Craig: Awesome! Right. Thank Nick! Good stuff!
Nick: Sure!
In today’s episode, Craig interviews Charlotte Ward, the owner of Silk Spa, an award winning beauty therapy clinic in New Plymouth, New Zealand. Awarded New Zealand’s Top Salon in 2014 and a finalist for New Zealand’s Best Clinic/Spa for 2013, Westpac Business Excellence Award winners for Employer of Choice and Service Excellence. Silk was also the regional winner of the North Taranaki Supreme Top Shop Awards for 2012/2013.
Charlotte has an interesting story to tell as a business owner. She started out working part-time because she was a mother. She had a skill set she knew she could use and she went for it. Her awards didn’t come immediately. She strived towards them. She never rested on her laurels.
Among her biggest challenges and learnings was trying to juggle her time in between her baby’s needs. She worked on the floor and had someone assist her with her baby. She also woke up at 4am to do some work. In the last couple of years, she has been able to pull out of giving treatments herself and focusing more on running the business. She is now concentrate of the marketing of the business.
Charlotte has an interesting take on her own transition from being a mum to being a business owner. She describes running a business and a household to be similar, except that her staff was more reasonable than her children. However, she was constantly faced with juggling her time between her children and her business.
The Silk Team is composed of women who have a strong passion for what they do and for Silk. Working in a fast-paced industry, Charlotte says that she and her staff focus on keeping up with the latest developments. Being in the beauty industry no longer means that painting nails is enough. She says that there are new treatments out and it’s constantly evolving.
Silk has won several awards, and Charlotte credits her team for these. She explains how awards highlight the need for processes and systems in the business, and that this even related to the service awards. It is all about the client receiving a consistent experience. Saying this the winning of the awards didn’t come overnight for Charlotte and her team, there was a lot of trial and error to find the best solution.
For Charlotte, many business owners need to have structure in the way they run their businesses. Charlotte was told, “Great story, great vision. But you’ve never really told us how you’re going to get there.”
AS a result, Charlotte signed up for the New Zealand Business Mentor program and asked for help. According to her, this has helped her keep her focus. She has also learned how to write her thoughts and plans down. AS a result, her bottom line improved as well. She also suggests that they go through the exercise of asking themselves why they’re in business.
Charlotte stressed the importance of letting her team know what her goals are. She says that it is the owner’s responsibility to them that they know where she wants to be. By herself, Charlotte mentioned winging it and loving it. However, having a team has changed her perspective. She believes in giving them security.
A tip Charlotte gives is not to be a spend thrift. Don’t try to grow your business too fast. When she first started, she only decided to hire somebody when she and her partner could no longer handle the work load. As a result, her growth was done slowly but surely.
When asked about her industry, Charlotte believes that her business is not affected by economic downturns because people need treatment and will find money to get it. FULL INTERVIEW WITH CHARLOTTE WARD OF SILK SPA
Charlotte Ward has brought her business, Silk Spa to the next level in the last 6 to 7 years. Her business has won several awards like The Best Spa in New Zealand, The Best Business Model in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Beauty Therapy Industry Awards. Charlotte doesn’t rest on her laurels. She continuously looks for ways to improve her processes as well as her knowledge about the latest beauty treatments.
How did you end up where you are today?
I was born and bred in Taranaki. I’ve gone and done quite a bit of travelling, so I came back to my roots. I’m a farmer’s daughter at heart, so I’m a practical person. I came back had my family and started working for somebody else doing a few hours a week and that the juggle started with children, working. I had a pretty good idea of what to do and I’d like to think I did [have an idea of starting her own business]. I learned very quickly that I didn’t. So, I decided to give it a go and started a very small beauty therapy clinic. Basically, I just really wanted to get into business. So then, I could be a little bit more flexible with the hours I worked and as a mum.
How long ago was that?
Six or seven years!
How is it being a business owner? Was it what you expected?
I think they’re quite similar things. Running a business is very similar to running a household and a family. Having staff is similar to having children. [However] I can reason with my staff a lot better than I can with my children [laughs]. My team is just a phenomenal group of ladies and everybody has a strong passion for what they do and for Silk. I’ve also worked quite hard. I’m quick picky with who I pick.
I think what I didn’t realize with owning a business is how it’s ongoing. You might be successful, make enough money to pay the bills, or win an award but tomorrow, you have to wake up and you have to better than the one down the road. There’s just no time to relax.
You’ve won The Top Shelf Awards and other business awards.
Yes. It’s really nice. Because we’re in the service industry, we deal with the public all the time. When they have expectations, you’ve got to exceed them. When you’ve won awards, those expectations are pretty high. So you’re always on your toes and you’re always looking for the next best thing and trying to decide what’s the next best thing and what is actually just a clinic. In my industry, there’s a lot of gimmicks and a lot of time is spent researching and learning in addition to being a taxi driver for my children.
Over the 7 years, what were the biggest challenges and learning that you’ve had during the early years?
Probably, it was the challenge of fitting in. My children were very little and so I was getting up at 4 o’clock in the morning, often to try to get work done before they woke up. Once my youngest got off to the kindy, at least I had a few hours to myself during the day. Initially, there was no time during the day by myself and so, you know, I just do it when my baby’s sleeping. It didn’t actually work.
Did you have staff at that stage?
I didn’t. It was just myself and I did work on the floor as well. While I was working, I just couldn’t justify working on the business while I had a hungry child. That is something I would do different. I would put more importance at the beginning when working on the business and just have more time and focus and think and get it done, instead of having to get up at 4 o’clock in the morning.
Nine times out of ten, every business owner, at the start, think they can do it themselves, rightly or wrongly. It’s wrong. The don’t ask for help because of Kiwi pride.
Yeah. Excellent.
So now, what are some challenges and learnings over the last couple of years?
I’ve pulled right out of treatments and I think that’s where I’m lucky. I think that’s where some small business owners [have problems] because we all know, most of us set up a business in an industry that we love and we might not necessarily enjoy the business side of it. Luckily, I really like the business side of it. So for me to pull out of treatments was quite easy and I don’t really miss them. I miss that connections I had with my clients but I don’t miss the day-to-day grind in the treatment rooms. I love doing the marketing and I quite like doing book work. So I think that’s where a lot of small businesses struggle because they don’t particularly enjoy the business side of the business and they still wanna work on it as much as they can.
So you’ve had a mind shift change. When did you figure out that you needed to slip away and let my staff do stuff?
I think it was kind of luck. I moved to London and worked as a beauty therapist for three years. I really didn’t enjoy working in London as a beauty therapist. It’s quite different and quite a different job there. I sort of stayed in different industries in London and just learned as much as I could. So, I got out of there and worked in different industries. Way back then, I started to hone my business skills. Initially [when I started my business], I still had to work in the rooms until I could actually afford to pay somebody. I was already thinking of what I can do with having kids and wanting to be a mum as well. It was a natural progression. Once we were earning enough money, I could start pulling out.
That’s a massive tip in itself. It says to stop and think about why you got into business.
I hadn’t really thought about it before. I didn’t know if I had a plan either. I was happy to lead the change in the industry but I wasn’t prepared to train from scratch. So I was like, “Well, what can I do to get the best of both worlds?” So I thought, “Well, if I stay within my industry and what my skill set is, that actually means all my actions should work.”
So what do you enjoy about being in business or what do you enjoy about being in this industry?
It’s a really fast paced industry so when I joined the industry in the nineties, it was more superficial. It was more about beauty and it was more about the fashion lipstick color and all of it. It was very fluffy industry, not overly scientific. Nowadays, the industry is insane! You know about the skincare that’s available. when I did my training, we used to work with a modern machine with the new products for the skin and all that. We don’t need to use anything now because the products should do it on their own. They’re so sophisticated and just the knowledge we have now on skin health is so determined by what you’re born with, with your DNA and what you eat. Nutrition is such a big word at the moment and you know, at the end of the day, our skin is just an organ, so we eat for our heart. We eat for our liver. Why aren’t we eating for our skin? It actually does make a difference what you eat? So, on the beauty therapist side, if you spend a billion dollars on products, you still might not get your results, if you’re not actually eating properly. You’re always gonna be fighting. So you need to do both. And just that knowledge, you know, it’s just phenomenal. All the new treatments that are out and it’s a really fun industry to be in.
It’s constantly evolving.
Constantly evolving and now also too, women earn their own money. They’re very busy people and they’re the ultimate jugglers so they do spend their money and time on themselves. Now, it’s more about self-empowerment and self work and actually, just making people feel better about themselves.
So what frustrates you about the industry?
The beauty side of it. So when people ask me, “What do you do?” and I say, I’m a beauty therapist. They say, “Oh, so you paint fingernails!” I’ve got nothing against against people who paint fingernails. They are now technicians. Their talent is phenomenal. What they can paint on that tiny little nail is actually amazing. We do the equivalent of seeking the health of your nails and the anatomy side of it. Beauty therapists are actually quite intelligent people to pass and we’re not known as such and I think that’s something I enjoy being in business on here as well. When you say you’re a business owner as well. I feel like you have more respect from the general being. When you say you’re a beauty therapist, it conjures up all the wrong images for our industry cause the industry is more about making people feel better about themselves. Not so much necessarily looking better. You’re just making them feel like a person. So at Silk, we try to make people feel comfortable when they walk out. It can be quite an intimidating place. It’s like me trying to go into a tire shop or a mechanic shop. I’m just out of my comfort zone. It’s a bit more real. It’s more just real and our girls are all gorgeous and beautifully made up but they’re not…they’re not fake. There’s nothing fake about it.
What does it mean for your business to win these awards? And what’s the one that’s the most important to you and why?
Well, the business. The award means something for the business. But for me, personally, I suppose you know, when we won the top shop, it was…I’ve always said the top shop award is my team. People are saying the Taranaki award comes from the top and so be it but at the end of the day, I’m not the one who is here at eight o’clock in the morning and still smiling at the clients at eight o’clock at night. So the team works really, really hard and so it was just a really nice recognition for the team to show that they actually won…they won that themselves and then one year, I won the Service Industry awards at the Taranaki Business Awards and so that was also the paperwork or the background work. I had to show our customer policies and all of those sort of thing, and so I said to the girls, “That’s my award.” So, the Customer Service Excellence awards, quite a long title, was about all the processes and then the Top Shop was putting those processes into place. So winning the two on the same night was super. I’ve got two favourites to win. One is the Best Business Model and the Spa because that’s the biggest you can get in New Zealand. Because it is our industry that judges itself, an association is the New Zealand Industry Awards, they only give that once every two years and I don’t know how long they’ve been going on. They’ve been going on for a long time because I know as a young therapist that is something I always thought, “Just imagine! Just imagine if I would be able to do it.”
What was it that made you win in 2015? What stood out in the judges’ eyes that gave you that win? What was the key to your success each year?
They were awesome! So I think it’s just where my business was just to young to actually really win. We didn’t have the procedure manuals. Now, a phenomenal piece of work, we tick all the boxes, for a small business, sort of don’t do it very often. They think “Oh, I’m just a small business. I don’t need a Health and Safety Policy.” and “We don’t need this and we don’t need that.” You probably can get away with it sometimes but and sometimes, you do get inundated by the paperwork. I do think the paperwork is ridiculous in this day and age for what you have to do as a general rule but I learned along the way, because I’ve always had big dreams as you know, I’ve always known we were gonna be big but I’ve never quite known how to get there. So one of the comments from the judges three years ago was, “Great story, great this, what you’ve promoted. Great vision, but you’ve never really told us how you’re gonna get there, that’s why I actually you’re probably quite right. So I actually revisited the New Zealand Business Mentor Program and got myself a mentor and said “Help! This is where I wanna be, how am I gonna get there?” And he was great. Awesome. And he just helped direct and just teach me structure and get some. And I think what was missing was that real structure because I’m a wing it girl and I just deal with what was documented on paper, how I’m gonna do something. To me, it feels like I’m limiting myself.
It’s boring but what I had learned is that structure doesn’t limit you at all. But what it does is it just keeps you focused and you can change. My business plan has all these structures and plans and I change it quite often. But I write it down instead of keeping it in my head. And so I think the structure. So where we wanna be hasn’t really changed but there was a lot more depth on how I was actually gonna get there.
You think by having that structures, those policies and procedures, have they helped your business financially?
Hundred percent, yes! Because also, when you have a team, you have a responsibility to them that they know where you want to be. They want to be in the same place. You’re all gonna try to hit the same goals and everybody who knows me knows that that is not my strength and so you know, for the girls, my team, we go like, “How are we gonna do that?” “Oh, I know, let’s work it out.” It’s just not fair on them to have them in a workplace where it’s all a bit windy. Give it a go! If it was just me? I’d be still winging it and I’d be loving it but I think when you do have a team, it’s just a responsibility you have to take to give them security.
It’s the culture and the team not necessarily having the best members of the team. It’s having people who share their vision and becoming successful.
When I employ somebody, the first greeting is for coffee. So, I’ve already seen their CV, obviously. They’ve sent it to me but the CVs don’t come out in the meeting at all and that literally is a personality catchup and it’s very hard for them to relax. Poor people, I always feel sorry for them. But it’s really in a small team, especially, you do have to. But in the first half, you get a good idea. When you say, “That’s the right personality,” you get them back in and we do the skill set and all that sort of stuff.
How do you feel about getting recognition in your industry for what you’ve done?
It’s more of a pat on your own back. But it’s quite a competitive industry, so it’s more about self-pat on the back. Know that you’ve done it. I do like the shiny trophy, I have to say. Because of what it’s done for me too. I really believe in my industry and our industry is going through a lot of changes at the moment with all the qualification as New Zealand, you know the whole of New Zealand qualification process is changing. And so what it’s done for me is open up doors for me to be on some advisory groups. And so just to make a bit of a difference in the whole industry as a whole has been really exciting. I’m enjoying that part of it.
From your experiences, what are some of the mistakes you see others in your own industry making or even business owners in general?
All businesses are run similar, right? I think people start off too big. And I think people want the fancy car to start off with. So for example, I started Silk with me and one other therapist. Between the two of us, we worked thirty hours a week. On the floor, there was thirty hours a week available between the two of us and so I part timed and Shelly part timed. Now, we’ve got a hundred and fifty hours a week. Every time we couldn’t fit everybody in, we would employ somebody else. We didn’t have the make up range back then. Once we had enough money and we had enough savings, I bought new equipment. So I slowly but surely…whether or not this is right or wrong. It’s really old school and I’m not saying it’s right or wrong but personally, it’s what works for me. So, it does mean, it’s a little bit slowly but surely. They put all their money and energy into everything and they rise really quickly or they’re gonna fall really quick.
So your advice would be just to slow down.
You don’t have to have everything now. And I know somebody who has to go on quite a few business trips, which they do. They often go business class because I can just charge it up. To me, it’s just ludicrous. It’s just money. When you can afford it, go first class. Don’t even go business class when you can afford it but I think too much money is spent of perks before you’ve actually earned your perks.
What about somebody who’s been in business for 7 to 9 years? What advise would you give them?
I don’t think there is advise. I think advise is at the beginning to say you’re still trying to build your business and you’re still trying to compete and you’re still trying to just find your way until you know where you’re going.
Where do you see your industry going in the next five to ten years?
Crikey! It’s a crazy industry. Who would know? I think the industry is going to hold back in a way but get more sophisticated. Now what I mean by that is I think all the things…the knowledge on all the products/ingredients these days. Customers are very aware and with the internet, what’s good and what’s not good for them I mean there’s so much information out there. It’s the person using the Google. It depends what they’re looking for. People come in and ask about this ingredient and this product. They see levels of that ingredient.
You think it may be becoming more niched?
I think the products are gonna get more organic. That’s what I mean by pulling back, so there are already perfumes and colorants and all of those things are slowly but surely disappearing and I think the organic movement…you don’t get results from them because you are limited to what you can put into them but with science, now that I’m discovering that different plants can actually do what other ones didn’t and ends what they didn’t know two years ago.
So, I think it’s going to get more and more about holistic health and anti aging. It’s always going to be that. That’s never going to change. New Zealand and the world went through a crisis and money crisis and New Zealand a bit but Taranaki, everybody has their own opinion about our world in Taranaki. But Taranaki, at the moment is struggling a little bit. We’re not. People will always spend money on themselves and they will find the money for it and it’s good. I don’t think it’s selfish because we’re busy. We need to spend money on ourselves or we need to spend time on ourselves so be in our beauty service salon or be it at least take time to sit on the beach. Whatever works for you. So we’re quite lucky in that one.
If you would like to get a hold of Charlotte Ward of the Silk Spa, you can find her on her website at www.silkspa.nz. If you would like to email her, you can do so at charlotte@silkspa.nz.
Today, Craig Oliver of the Project Guys, interviews Sam Tyson of Climate. Climate are plumbers, gas fitters and HVAC specialists. In 2015, Climate was awarded New Zealand Master Plumber of the Year. Sam and her husband, Lee, a former police officer, took over the business six years ago. Both had no previous experience in the plumbing or HVAC industries but were able to perform well.
Sam had a business development role and was working with the previous business owner of Climate. It came to a point in his business where he wanted to sell off a part of his business, and over a cup of coffee, convinced her that this would be a good opportunity for her to purchase. Six weeks later, they were in the throes of it. Sam and Lee felt they were quite a good team and that they would work together quite well. This has proven to be true.
What appealed to Sam was the concept that everybody needs to be warm in their homes. She also saw that there were areas where they could grow and expand their business. They started with 7 employees and over the years, their business has grown and now has 27 employees. There have been some highs and lows and realizing that they needed a more balanced income through the years, they bought a plumbing company and made a planned integration into their business. This has worked really well for them. In 2014, another plumbing company approached them. They did the negotiation dance with the owner and within a month, they purchased the company and integrated it into their systems.
Dealing with domestic plumbing issues became their battle cry because it threw them and everyone became very active. When Sam and Lee first purchased the business, their main focus was to get their under the table, get into it, and learn it from the ground up. She also had to learn the sales side of it. Their first year was about survival. Sam equated it to having a new born baby and having no idea what she was getting into. She then got through it as best as she can, putting one foot in front of another.
Being a woman and being new to the business has been helpful because she came into the business without her ego and was able to ask the guys what they should be doing. It was a change for them because they were used to having somebody in charge, telling them what to do rather than somebody asking them what they should be doing. They had to change their thinking and put more ownership into their work.
Sam has been successful integrating her softer side into the business as well. She has been able to get her guys on board. She describes her team as being engaged, communicative, open, and honest.
The key to being awarded Master Plumber of New Zealand is her team. They all work together. Everyone in the business wants to take care of their customer and doing the right thing. Taking advantage of their synergy has helped her business a lot. Their marketing strategy is also about being different. Sam ascribes to Seth Goden’s book, The Purple Cow.
Embracing technology has also been another move that Sam and her team has had to make. To get over the challenges, Sam buddies her people up. The younger guys teach the older guys and vice versa. They help each other and teach each other what’s going on and the new way to do things. Sam doesn’t force this on her employees in one shot. She does it slowly and in small increments. Once again, she uses her soft approach to achieve this.
Sam strongly suggests that as a tradesman, you need to think about what you want at the end of the day. You work long and hard on the business to build it up but if you are not able to sell your business, you may be forced to shut the doors down. One of the ways you can do this is by seeing yourself as a businessperson rather than a tradesman.
Some of the challenges in the plumbing industry is working with apprentices who don’t work with your for a long time. Another challenge is dealing with clients who need your services but who balk when they get the bill. Third, Sam mentions that there is going to be a shortage in trade staff in the net five to ten years. There are many opportunities for young people coming out of school to do everything else besides doing a trade. She sees the cost of plumbing to be increasing. A solution for this problem is for the government to get involved and putting the trades back in high school as career opportunities. Finally, health and safety issues have come into the picture as well.
Sam sees technological advances affecting the heavac industry rather than the plumbing industry. But Sam has found her business’ purpose. She mentions that if it wasn’t for sanitary plumbing and safe gas work, we would be full of disease and living unhealthy lives. Being energy wise, putting healthy and safe places has been her mission and her goal.
Contact Climate at (706) 769-6410 or www.climate.net.nz for more information.
Sarah Lee, General Manager of The Job Squad, runs a company that recruits potential employees for businesses During the Dot Com Boom, Sarah came to New Zealand as an IT employee, working on a project in Toys R Us, designing a system for them. Then she thought she could make some money putting some contractors there herself.
In the bigger cities, recruitment is based on job descriptions and finding the skills to match them. However in provincial areas such as Taranaki, 85% of the jobs go through word of mouth and shoulder tapping. However, Sarah warns that this is not a good practice. Personalities have to match the job.
There are three types of people, according to Sarah. The Firestarters, Lawnmowers, and Well Poisoners. A Firestarter is someone like her where nothing is a challenge and everything is possible. A Lawnmower comes in and is behind a Firestarter. Well Poisoners can go in and poison the pulp of a company within three days. As an example, on Facebook, Firestarters start the thread. Lawnmowers like and share the post. Well Poisoners make the negative comments. You would want to hire a Firestarter for a startup company and trust their instincts.
On working with family, Sarah advises against it. She says it is one of the worst mistakes you can make and it’s going to be a nightmare for employees to deal with.
When writing a job description, be very, very specific. Do not cut and paste from templates. You need to be honest because people respond to honesty. Her job descriptions have a different flavor. She avoids clichés. Her title for an advertisement for a bath company was “Is the Bath Half Full?” She also put in a lot of terms common to the industry. As a result, she is able to screen applicants. The ones that get the meaning or the message are clever enough to have worked out it’s for a bath company. They’ve read the ad and are bright enough to pick up her little messages in there. Her screening is done. If she gets a lot of people from overseas or foreigners, they don’t get the humor or the sarcasm or any of that, so they screen themselves out. There’s a method to the madness, according to Sarah. If you cut and paste someone else’s job as most people seek and try to do, you’re always gonna get what you’ve always got. If you want a real person to fit your business, you have to stand out.
One of the main mistakes employers make is not giving applicants feedback, even if it’s a no. It is not good PR for them because these applicants will tell ten people who will tell ten people. These applicants also have mortgages to pay and other concerns, so Sarah believes that informing them is the decent thing to do. You can even do it through email.
For small- to medium-enterprises, Sarah advises you to get a clever ad and advertise where it’s free. Forums work. So does Facebook. Trademe is also a possible place to advertise but you won’t find the good stuff there.
People look for flexibility these days. Allowing flexibility for your people in the workplace is huge and if you give it to them, they’ll give it back to you tenfold. For those who hold jobs in manufacturing, job sharing is a way to go.
Managers are sometimes the main reason people leave their jobs. Some of them don’t have people skills and lose the company’s talent. In one instance, Sarah got a bunch of CVs of people working with a Telco. She informed them that they may be having a problem because their people were looking for jobs.
Companies should never poach employees themselves. Going through a recruiter will shield them better. The company will never know who she’s taking them from because I was the one who approached them. So you can’t actually blame the company at that point.
The trouble with companies is they go out there and look for someone that’s good at sales. The really good sales people are already with good jobs and this is where it is. Check it out with recruiters cause they’ll know who’s in sales who may not be happy, maybe they’re making the money but they may be willing to shift and then she can talk them into leaving. They’re not on trademe.
A really good tip for employees as well, if they’re interviewing sales people and their top salesmen are bringing in x amount of dollars, so okay, can you prove it? Cause they’re salesman, chances are they’re lying and one of the best ref checks was a sales guy and we went through and it looked like fine, fine, fine, and then I said, “Have you got anything else to add?” And he said “yup! That guy is a pathological liar. He couldn’t lie straight in bed.” So, all she does is ask to see their bank statements with their commissions reflected in them.
One of the key things employers need to look for if they’re looking to fill sales or operation roles is a person’s body language, they should learn to read more about body language. Everyone blinks on the lie word. People can’t help it. They can’t help themselves. If people are looking up to the left, chances are there’s a lie coming. If they look at the right and it’s due to the different sides of the brain the creative side versus the logical side. If they look down, they’re looking to their emotions so chances are the truth’s coming out.
Inviting them for coffee is also a strategy Sarah uses. People are relaxed over a cup of coffee cause they think you’re their friend. They just tell you the truth. They’re more likely to tell you what’s really going on in the background, why they really want to job or you know, “Oh yeah, I’ve got divorced.” They will tell you all about stuff which is actually you want to know before you hire them but you can’t actually, under the law, ask them. So if you go have a cup of coffee, you’re their friend.
Things to look out for in a recruitment consultant are:
How long they’ve been doing it;
How wide their networks are;
Their interview process; and
How much they charge.
For Sarah, what’s more, important is getting her applicant a job. She also gauges how much her clients can afford because there’s no point in charging them too much and not get paid.
Sarah knows the ins and outs of the recruitment business. Her experience spans over 15 years and she has many satisfied clients. For more information on The Job Squad, visit her website or find her on Facebook.
www.jobsquad.co.nz