There’s no reason to hide from the fact that I cram a whole lot of things into my life. Some days I wonder how I hold it together – sometimes its good luck, sometimes its good management, but I like to think that most of time it is that I make CHOICES based on what’s important […]
Last week I went to a presentation from a local advertiser about their new offers for promoting businesses. They had some nice options, and some compelling reasons to use their services – lots of numbers, customers profiles and package options designed to make me feel confident and make a decision easy. BUT – How do […]
I love seeing people passionate about their business or profession so my time spent with my sister in Melbourne turned into an interesting one….. She is a TV producer/production manager for an independent TV production company. On the day that I arrived, she got called up for an urgent job for shooting a TV commercial […]
Six days in Melbourne. They can keep their traffic jams. They can keep their damp, too-close-together houses with no views and no light. They can keep their parking signs which you need a PhD to decipher. We don’t need any of those things in small town New Zealand. But…..there was one thing that I LOVED […]
If only delivering great service was always as easy as just a smile! Yes, the smile is important, but there are ways that “service” can (and should be) woven into all aspects of your business. It is this process that makes it easier for your customers to do business with you (thanks to www.thebusinessbakery.com.au for the […]
I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I have been thinking about why certain businesses, products and services resonate with us in our small towns and are successful…..and why some don’t. We even hosted a Chook House Choose Day session on this topic last week – Why do our customers Choose to do business […]
It is amazing how powerful it can be to get those problems off your chest! A growing number of local small business owners have been leaving The Chook House on a Tuesday afternoon with a spring in their step, an idea to progress in their business, and the confidence that they are not alone in […]
The countdown is on to the kids heading back to school. The holiday time is over though jandals may still be acceptable work-attire on the odd day here and there! Some of us have been struggling to work on our businesses while trying to occupy the kids, but there is no excuses left – the time to […]
A recent visit from international business guru, Dr Ernesto Sirolli, tipped our local perspective of economic development upside down. As our local and central governments focus on delivering “top down” development through implementation of infrastructure (like the RWSS), Ernesto inspired us to look at it from the “bottom up”. “The future of every community […]
In Central Hawke’s Bay we are lucky to be living the lifestyle dream. However, as we don’t have many large employers, a growing number of talented and passionate people are making their own opportunities by either working remotely for a business, or starting their own income source. As rural people, we have an approach to […]