Business news

New business excellence awards announced for Gisborne

The Gisborne Regional Business Partner Group is proud to announce new Business Excellence Awards for the region launching in 2012 – a joint initiative with Westpac New Zealand.

The 5 partners of the Gisborne Regional Business Partner Group, comprising Gisborne Chamber of Commerce, Te Runanga o Turanganui a Kiwa, Gisborne District Council, Te Runanga o Ngati Porou and EMA Central, will run the Awards, supported by Westpac, the major sponsor of 17 business awards programmes around the country.

Ian Blair, General Manager, Westpac Business Banking says the new Business Excellence Awards will be significant for businesses in the region.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for Gisborne businesses, both big and small, to recognise their own hard work and achievements. As proud supporters of national, regional and local business, Westpac is thrilled to be associated with these inaugural awards and the development of business growth in the region. We look forward to building on this new partnership in the future.”

Sharon Maynard, the Gisborne Regional Business Partner Group says: “With support of the local Chamber of Commerce, Te Runanga o Turanganui a Kiwa, Te Runanga o Ngati Porou, Employer & Manufacturers Association and continued support from our local District Council, we have a solid foundation to make this a success, and having Westpac's support ensures credibility and longevity with value to our stakeholders and business participants.”

The Westpac Gisborne Business Excellence Awards will feature several excellence sector categories, including Tourism, Service and Trade and Primary Produce, which businesses can enter as their skill base allows.

Businesses will then qualify for three Business Excellence Awards for large, medium and small businesses, with winners qualifying for the major award, Supreme Business of the Year sponsored by Westpac.

Entries open in May 2012 with workshops taking place to assist businesses in the entry process. A comprehensive judging process with local business leaders will then be held, culminating in a Gala Awards event in September 2012.

 “This initiative will celebrate and recognise outstanding local business people and businesses,” says Sharon Maynard, the Gisborne Regional Business Partner Group. “It will provide a competition that celebrates our successes and provides value to both entrants and the economic profile of the region.”

See our business training calendar for upcoming workshops to understand how simple the completion of the entry form can be.
You can also find more information on the Gisborne Chamber of Commerce website. 

29 and 30 May 2012 - Amora Hotel, Wellington

The agricultural and horticultural industries form the backbone of the New Zealand economy.  How do we ensure that these industries continue to outperform our competitors, and what strategies need to be implemented to keep New Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural industries at the forefront of the global produce stage?

This summit will focus on the outlook for the New Zealand Agricultural and Horticultural industries; where these industries are heading in the next five years; and what needs to occur to ensure that New Zealand remains a key player in the international agricultural and horticultural markets.

Special price: Register 2 people from the same organisation at the same time and the second ticket will be half price.

To book online or for more information, go to the Conferenz website.

Are you a 'Clean Energy' company?

Gisborne District Council has been asked by NZ Trade & Enterprise to help them identify clean energy/clean tech companies who are already exporting to Australia, or have an interest in exporting to Australia.

NZTE is offering a clean energy “path to market” programme which bundles a range of services from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) with expertise from the private sector to support capable, proven companies to fast-track their entry into Australia. The programme will include participation in Clean Energy Week in Sydney, July 25-27.

If you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested, the first step is to complete a brief online survey here.

Vital business information for small businesses

Available free from Business Toolbox

Are you updating your business plan or working on a sales strategy? Statistics New Zealand's Business Toolbox is an interactive tool available free from Statistics NZ.

A time-saver from Inland Revenue

Pressed for time? You may not always be able to contact Inland Revenue when it suits you.  The answer is to go online where Inland Revenue explains what you can do when you visit their webpage.