Blog

 

Do our much publicised drop-offs in activities and numbers across various areas with China have more to do with market forces than concerns over perceived government relationship issues?

 

Topics: china, diplomacy, trade, tourism, exports, fta, government

 

Mindfulness doesn’t teach us to manage our stress, it teaches us to stop making it!   Through a simple and scientifically proven meditation process it allows us to improve happiness, productivity and profitability by removing stress.  Success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success, and this is true for business as well as individuals.

Topics: start ups, entrepreneurs, SME, mindfulness, employees, course, stress management

 

‘Start-ups and SMEs can be hard work when you’re sitting at the kitchen table or alone in the garden shed. That’s why GridAKL was set up to bring people and ideas together.’

 

Very few light bulb moments happen in isolation. Ideas take off by bouncing concepts around with like-minded people. That’s really the crux of GridAKL - a place and community designed to help businesses make their next move.

Topics: growing business, start ups, technology, entrepreneurs, SME, innovation

 

It’s just become more attractive for New Zealand businesses to export.

New Zealand exporters will enjoy even greater access to overseas markets from next year now that the CPTPP has recently been ratified by a majority of the member countries*.

Topics: business, export, international trade

Brand building can be one of the most significant things you can do for your new or existing business. A solid brand building process can transform your business from a small player into a successful competitor.

Your customers will develop a deeper level of trust for your brand and be more likely to purchase what you are selling. It allows you to develop a consistent message and visual identity to reinforce your mission – that’s why it is important to integrate your brand into every aspect of the customer’s experience: from your shop/office front to your website, to your personal interactions.

Topics: business, brand, brand building

The Auckland Business Chamber is a great advocate of best practice in business – such as networking with other expert subject-matter businesses. Energise is one such business that specialises in social media marketing. So when we wanted to share a blog about social media for small business, social media for business growth and thought leadership, what better resource could we utilise than our close networking partner - and provider of expert business advice – Energise.

Topics: get customers, growing business, social media

Like many business owners, you may feel you’re too busy to network while you’re running your business. But if your goal is to grow and build your business rather than just run it, it’s vital that you find time for networking. It’s an investment in your future.

Topics: networking, business, business mentors, growth, authenticity, get customers

Great mentoring will open doors, set direction and help you achieve your goals.

When you’re in the day-to-day of running your business and fighting fires, it can be hard to keep your eye on the big picture and focus on your goals. Having a mentor helps with this – not to mention giving your business a much higher chance of succeeding!

Topics: Training, Business Support, Programmes, Business planning

defining your vision, mission and position

The most important thing you need to do as a business owner is define your vision, mission and position.

• What is your vision (what you want your business to be)
• What is your mission (your purpose and values)
• What is your position (what is unique about your business and offering, and what differentiates you in the market)
  
  

You need to do this whether your business is just yourself, or you have a team. And whether you’ve just started or whether you’ve been going for years. Believe it or not, there are large, long-standing businesses that operate without one, two, or even all of these things!

Topics: Business planning, defining vision, mission statement, inspire

 

YOUR WELL-BEING - THE KEY TO A BETTER BUSINESS

Today we understand that to truly become the successful person we envision for ourselves, whether in business or family — we must achieve the essential component of any productive modern lifestyle: wellness.

Wellness, as it turns out, has always been the key to achieving and sustaining success, and it also holds the potential to exponentially grow our economy. It’s also a concept that’s driven a recent, widespread lifestyle renaissance. So how can we apply it to the workplace and your business?

 

Topics: Productivity, Wellbeing, Health, Work-life Balance, Physical Health