SMES making a difference

SMES making a difference

Small and medium businesses should be taking advantage of their size to do well during the downturn, Bizzone’s Managing Director, Sarah Trotman says.

Small and medium enterprises at the Bizzone Business Expo are positive about the future, acknowledging they are much more nimble than their larger business counterparts many of whom are spreading the ‘doom and gloom’ message, she says.

Trotman urges smaller businesses to look for opportunities to grow market share while their larger competitors have their foot on the brake.

“Small and medium businesses are the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy making up 96% of the economy,” she says. “They should be mindful but not fearful of what’s happening in the world right now, enjoy their ability to be flexible, focus on staying on the right track and take advantage of all the fantastic business support offerings out there to keep their companies buoyant.

Christchurch based ISP Snap Internet, an exhibitor at Bizzone, is one local firm who is growing in the downturn. “We are a business that achieves national coverage, with a close knit team, who can provide expert tailored service for each of our customers,” Oliver Richardson, National Sales Manager for Snap says. “We are not tied to any one form of Telco infrastructure, we are agile and can treat each customer in a unique manner.”

“Customers want choice and transparency, they want a good deal and as a small business we are in a much better position to work with customers one on one to make sure they only pay for the services that they want.”

“Expertise and service are our focus.”

With service the focus, Snap Internet have exceeded their forecasted growth and support some of the region’s largest internet users including universities New Zealand wide. “Where Telecom retail doesn’t have a network we do and have customers from Stewart Island to Kaitaia.”

Christchurch business Synchro keep business buoyant by putting together the different pieces of the puzzle from cashflow to happiness. They help SMEs create their picture of success by aligning business plans with life plans, business values and goals with life values and goals.

“We make sure business owners don’t become something that they’re not.” Julia Osselton from Synchro says, “There is not point being a quality, perfectionist plumber and then competing on price.” After a month with Synchro “people are more directed, focused on their business, happier, proactive and less stressed.”

Spin Advertising and Design who host the Smart Marketing School at Bizzone have experienced an influx of new customers over the last 6 months. Alex Mann from Spin says, “A year ago business people were a lot more random around how and where they spent their advertising dollars, ignoring the value of market research and marketing support. Now they are having to get smarter with their spend. There is the famous saying that 50% of your marketing dollar is wasted, people are now willing to invest in marketing support so that the waste is kept minimal.” Both Spin and their customers are experiencing solid growth by doing their homework first and then rolling their sleeves up and making it happen.

Bizzone in partnership with The National Bank surveyed business owners this year to find out their biggest challenge. Trotman says she was heartened by the many positive responses from the survey.

“While the main issues dealt with cashflow, sales/marketing and employment, we also received many comments like: ‘all good out there’ and ‘Life just doesn't stop because the gloom merchants say so’.”

“Without denying it’s more challenging out there, with ‘smart marketing’ our new expo theme this year we are very positive about the outcome for 2009. We expect the SME sector to grow as more people become self employed and all of these business owners will need quality business support – exactly what is provided within the dynamic Bizzone Business Expo environment,” Trotman says.

ENDS

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