Business leaders plan ‘drop in-type’ centre
Business operators in Nelson and Tasman affected by the coronavirus pandemic should soon be able to get one-on-one support.
The Nelson Regional Development Agency (NRDA) and the Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce have combined forces to help businesses cope with the effects of the global Covid-19 outbreak.
NRDA chief executive Mark Rawson said the organisations were trying to co-ordinate government resources and their own services ‘‘for a drop in-type centre’’.
‘‘If you’re looking for support . . . or if you’re feeling lost, come to us – we’ll listen,’’ Rawson said.
The organisations’ intention was to provide someone for business operators to talk with, and to connect them with people or networks to help them with issues they were facing.
Banks were likely to be the first point of contact for many with financial concerns, he said, but the NRDA and chamber wanted to be a place for those operators who wanted other support or did not know where to go.
‘‘From next week, we’ll be a response place, somebody to talk to and understand where you’re at and connect you with the right people.’’
Rawson said the need for a oneon-one-type service was identified by a survey last Friday of 285 businesses. The main issues they highlighted were concerns about reduced sales and customers, shortterm cashflow, ongoing financial viability, and the wellbeing of staff.
‘‘I suspect the issues would only be amplified if we sent out the survey today,’’ Rawson said.
The businesses surveyed had indicated that financial support was ‘‘by far’’ the main requirement. This included cashflow planning and advice. Strategy was also high on the list of support required, along with managing staff and HR issues.
Many respondents wanted the delivery of those support services in a ‘‘one-on-one environment’’ rather than an online workshop or forum, Rawson said.
The situation was ‘‘uncharted territory’’, he said, with many businesses already in a ‘‘reasonable state of discomfort’’, so a one-on-one environment made sense.
Although many businesses were adversely affected, there were some positives, he said. Food producers seemed to be ‘‘in a reasonably good space’’, as was the supply chain from the region to markets.
The organisations were also hearing of jobs available in the production sector, particularly in horticulture and fishing, he said.
Many people had returned to work in China, and ports were clearing previously stockpiled products.
However, many other businesses, such as those in the tourism sector were ‘‘dealing with a whole lot of impacts’’ and had been affected quickly, Rawson said.
As part of the combined NRDAchamber Covid-19 response plan, the organisations were also focused on gathering good business intelligence in the region, which would also be fed into the government systems.
Rawson said it felt as if information about the pandemic was coming ‘‘almost hourly’’. The organisations were try to communicate ‘‘solid, consistent messages’’ clearly every couple of days to help businesses ‘‘cut through the noise a bit’’.
Recovery planning was also a focus of the response plan for the post-pandemic phase, he said, to position the region as a place to visit as well as ‘‘a place for talent to want to reside’’.
Rawson urged Nelson and Tasman residents to support the region’s businesses and employers. ‘‘One thing we can all do is support our local community.’’