20 Mahurangi Matters April 15, 2015 businessfeature

young entrepreneursSetting up a business at any age isn’t for the faint-hearted, as the young entrepreneurs on the following pages attest. It takes a fair dose of courage to give up a steady nine-to-five job with a secure pay packet at the end of every week and leap into the unknown where you find yourself working long hours for variable rewards. We spoke to nine young business people about their experiences.

Starting a new business is fraught with difficulties which is one of the reasons Business Mentors NZ is now offering a programme specifically for start-ups.The programme was launched last October in response to an increase in enquiries from people looking for advice before they launched themselves into the business world.Business Mentors NZ chief executive Ray Schofield says that the organisation’s focus since starting 24 years ago has always been on providing advice to existing small to medium-sized businesses.The service works with an average of over 4300 clients every year, supported by nearly 2000 volunteer mentors and 18 agencies throughout NZ.“The start-up programme was set-up simply because of the number of enquiries we were receiving,” he says. “It’s early days yet, but we have already had 120 clients sign up and the numbers are growing.”The start-up programme is delivered over six months and is designed for

425 0399 | 0800 805500 | warkworthlocksmiths.co.nz

New mentoring programme for start-ups Advice in a nutshellMahurangi-based human resources consultant Joy Paxton offers the following tips for keeping a small business on track:People skills rule Re-think your interactions with customers, clients, suppliers, competitors and employeesCommunication reigns Speak or write effectively and thoughtfully with all of your daily contactsGood value Develop your business to match your personal valuesEasy peasy Aim to make your business easy: easy to operate, easy to interact with, easy to findPlan for people Hire right and hire before you expand and growTrain, train, train Be generous with time and knowledgeRisky business Use good mentors to identify and mitigate your risksTake charge Be decisive and solve problems quicklyDelegate? Delegate ‘back office’ tasksWant referrals? Be trustworthy, reliable, respectful, and deliver on promises.

people who have a new business idea or who are looking for help in starting a new business.Mentors with experience in business start-ups offer guidance, act as a sounding board to test the thinking of their start-up client, and give the critical support they need in the development of a robust business plan.Ray says start-ups require a different

approach from a business that is already trading and the programme has been tailored with this in mind.He says typically, clients are looking for help with their business plan so they can attract investment, need advice on their legal and compliance obligations, need confidence and focus, and want to put the right foundations in place.“Mentoring can help new business people avoid obvious mistakes, as well as providing motivation and confidence. It’s an opportunity to get critical feedback in key areas such as communications, interpersonal relationships, technical abilities, change management and leadership skills.“It can provide a sharper focus on what is needed to grow professionally and a friendly ear where you can share frustrations as well as successes.” Although mentors offer their time for free, the programme has a registration fee of $300 plus GST to cover operational costs.Info: businessmentors.org.nz or phone 0800 209 209.

Chief executive Ray Schofield.

• HR policy implementation • Recruitment & redundancy• Business growth or downsizing • Employee conflict & resolution• Employee retainment • Wage & salary guidance• Training & development • Health & Safety programs/audits

ENTREPRENEURS COME IN MANY SHAPES, SIZES, & AGES, but all need the right information right from the start!

Call Joy Paxton of People + People for help with:

Contact Joy Paxton on 425 6459 or 0274 815 155joy@peoplepluspeople.co.nz • www.peoplepluspeople.co.nz

21 April 15, 2015 Mahurangi Matters businessfeature

Curtis Eaves 26 Eaves Plumbing

Paull Nicholas 29 Warkworth Locksmiths

on Packer 26 SP Hair Therapy

I am about to enter my second year in business and although I don’t have any employees yet, it won’t be long before I do. I work about 65 to 70 hours a week, which includes being on the tools, paper work, quotes, organising jobs and stock.

My biggest challenge at the start was getting enough money to buy my truck and all the tools and van stock I needed. It takes money to make money!

Money and respect for my family’s name keeps me motivated, and in 10 years time, I see Eaves Plumbing running smoothly with me spending more time fishing and less time working. I have no regrets at all about

starting my own business.

Advice: Don’t listen to all the people who tell you how

hard it is to run a business. But, if you are not willing

to go hard and make sacrifices, don’t bother starting!

Philosophy: To me there is more to life than money.

Money is a tool to get you the toys that you want

and to make sure your family is not going to struggle

through life like so many people do. I am going to go

hard until I have enough to do this and then I’m going

to enjoy my life - you could be dead tomorrow so make

the most of it.

My wife and I started the company seven years ago on the North Shore and set-up Warkworth Locksmiths two years ago. I typically work 40 to 45 hours a week, with the odd after hours job, usually when someone has locked themselves out of the car or home.

It can be very traumatic when your home is broken in to so I get quite a sense of pride when we re-secure a premise and give our clients peace of mind, while also trying to make it harder for any repeat offenders.

Our mid-long term goal is to be the leading lock and alarm company in Rodney, and to move the workshop from the house to a retail store in Warkworth.

When we started, the quiet periods freaked me out because the money wasn’t coming is as fast as the bills were going out. But those days made me work even

harder with door knocking for new clients, which paid off in the long run.

It might have been hard in the first year but the flexibility of working for yourself is priceless especially if you have a young family.

Advice: Don’t rush into it! Write down what you think it is going to cost to set up than add 50 per cent to cover all the hidden costs. And put aside three months wages on top of your start-up costs as a backer while building the work up.

Don’t tick up expensive vehicles and equipment right at the start and keep watch of your outgoings; keep them as low as possible. Always set weekly/monthly targets, too. You will be surprised how much more you can make when you have a number to focus on.

I’ve wanted to be a hairdresser for as long as I can remember. I started an apprenticeship when I was 17 and was given great training and confidence by my first boss Jeanie.

It was my passion for hairdressing that really motivated me to start my own business a year ago plus I was keen to set up a salon with my own ideas and run it myself.

In the longer term, I’d like to grow the business so that

we could move to bigger premises with more staff, but it would be important not to lose the salon’s “family friendly” atmosphere.

One of the biggest challenges has been learning some of the tax and GST issues that go behind running your own business.

I believe any young person with a passion for something should go for it. Working for yourself is very rewarding in many ways.

021 135 6596 | eaves.plumbing@hotmail.com

425 0399 | 0800 805500 | warkworthlocksmiths.co.nz

425 41 42334 Mahurangi East Rd, Snells Beach

22 Mahurangi Matters April 15, 2015 businessfeature

Tom Roberts 34 Allens Autos

425 9363 | Unit A 18 Glenmore Drive, Warkworth

I started as a sole trader four years ago and now have a staff of four, soon to be five. I love my job and the awesome team are a pleasure to be around, which makes all the difference.

My biggest challenge was just to bite the bullet and do it. I’ve been in this trade for a long time. I think customers respect when you are honest and straight up with them. I’ve found that this is

what gets them back through the door, plus they refer other customers.

Working for yourself has its moments - I do about 50 hours a week on average - but I would encourage others to give it a crack. Not everyone is cut out to work for themselves, but I am glad I took the plunge.

Neil Taylor 25 Neil Taylor Cabinetmaker & DesignCustomer satisfaction and reflecting on what we have achieved so far is what keeps me motivated. I’ve been in business for four years and there are four of us working in the business now. I work an average of 55 hours a week.

In 10 years time, I’d like to still be providing quality cabinetry to the Rodney area and beyond. Providing opportunities for apprentices is also important to me and I’d like to update to more modern machinery to provide a more efficient service.

Setting up my own business has been a rewarding journey.

Building the business up from scratch was a struggle in the beginning, juggling meetings with sales reps, clients and manufacturing, and installing cabinetry by myself. Once there was enough work to employ another cabinetmaker things got easier.

Advice: Research your targeted market. Believe in yourself and set achievable goals both short and long term.

425 7017 | 021 070 0643 | cabinetmakeranddesign.co.nz

Rebecca (Becks) Lane 31 Bramble CaféI have had Bramble for just over a year and we currently employ seven staff, including some part-timers.

Up until recently I would work 45 to 55 hours in the business and another 10 on it. Now that I have a baby, my priorities have changed dramatically working two mornings a week and a couple of hours on weekends.

Having had a break away I am going back into work incredibly motivated. But, normally, when I have been working endlessly and start to think about working for someone else, I change something - the food, the cafe layout ... anything to make it feel new again.

422 7133 | 1 Omaha Flats Roa d, Matakana Country Park

We also have amazing staff and customers who always throw ideas into the mix so this helps keep things fresh.

Starting a business is scary, but I’m so glad I did. While there are long hours on your feet, tiredness, worry and decision-making, the flip side is those hours are yours. The tiredness hopefully will lead to success and the worry dissipates as you learn. It’s all challenging and at times it can feel like an arduous struggle, but a happy customer, having a busy day and a bit of a laugh makes it worthwhile.

Who knows where I’ll be in 10 years but I hope I’ll be lucky enough to still be surrounded by inspiring people, learning more, happy in what I do and ideally a little less breast feeding and a little more wine.

23 April 15, 2015 Mahurangi Matters businessfeatureDan Wood 28 Dan Wood Electrical

Tom Roberts 34 Allens Autos Matt White 23 TreeminatorI’ve been in business in Warkworth for the past two-and-a-half years and on average, I work 40 to 60 hours a week.

I enjoy a physical job and get satisfaction from having a happy client with a job well done. I also enjoy the fact that I am in charge of my own destiny; my success relies on me and my own efforts.

In 10 years time, I’d like to think I was still running a successful and ethical business, based on integrity and honesty.

Getting started was probably my biggest

challenge. I needed to get known, buy equipment. I know that a lot of my business comes from referrals so I go the extra step for my clients and this helps keep a steady work flow.

Advice: You must have the skills to do what you intend your business to be. You must be prepared to work hard … no more 9 to 5 days, Monday to Friday. You must also set aside time to work ‘on’ your business after you have worked ‘in’ your business. Having a mentor who you can talk things over with, good and bad, helps a lot.

021 104 8175 | danwoodelectrical@gmail.com

I’ve just celebrated my first year in business which I am pretty proud about. I do about 50 to 55 hours of electrical work a week, plus about 10 hours office work on top. My partner Bailee helps in the business and we hope to employ an apprentice at the end of this year.

In terms of motivation, we are expecting our first baby at the end of this month so that definitely helps and one day we’d like to own our own house. The goal of running a successful business and remaining self-employed is what keeps me going!

Overall, going into business for myself was a good move but there are pros and cons. It has been a lot of work and very challenging. You don’t have the luxury of being able to switch off at 5 o’clock after an eight hour day. But in saying that, it’s

awesome being my own boss, and I get out of it what I put in.

My biggest challenge was realising that the physical work is the easiest part. It’s the paper work and behind-the-scenes stuff which is the challenge! I’ve learnt about the importance of cash flow.

I grew up in Warkworth so it’s been good to already know other businesses and the community. I also joined Warkworth BNI six months ago which has been a great help through the support and knowledge I have gained from other members.

Advice: Don’t under estimate the challenge. Remember your overheads can add up pretty quickly and it takes motivation and self discipline to work efficiently and keep it all running smoothly.

021 104 8175danwoodelectrical@gmail.com

Dan WoodRegistered Electrician

021 104 8175danwoodelectrical@gmail.com

Dan WoodRegistered Electrician

021 0506 100 | matt@thetreeminator.co.nz

Monique Vujcich 25 Matakana PhysioI started working with Robyn Weston as a self-employed contractor in February. At the moment I am doing 12 to 15 hours a week at the clinic in Matakana, but I also do occupational rehabilitation work on the other days. This is the first step towards fully owning my own business so I am very excited and privileged to be learning from Robyn. As a local girl, it’s awesome to be able to put something back into the community and be working as a young health professional in an area where I grew up and went to school.

Leaving my job in Auckland was a big step. I worried about whether I would get the support I had in Auckland for my professional development and whether I could afford to become self-

employed as I have a mortgage. I had a big pros and cons list - but the pros outweighed the cons so that made it easy to make the decision, especially when I was travelling up to two hours a day - I love having a 20 minute return trip to work!

In 10 years I see myself owning Matakana Physio and bringing new treatment ideas to the practice, and I would also like to do some postgraduate studies.

Advice: If you want to do it, do it. You have to do what makes you happy and what you love, but make sure you don’t jump into it without thinking it through and ensure you have supportive people around you.

423 0295 | 027 358 4379

Rebecca (Becks) Lane 31 Bramble Café