Data shows growth for Bay of Plenty firms
Bay of Plenty small business sales, jobs and wages remain “solid” after a challenging few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, new data shows.
New Zealand-based software company Xero has released a special Small Business Insights update, which has been compiled from anonymised and aggregated small business data for the Bay of Plenty.
It comes as the region hosted The Xero Roadshow: Tiny Edition in Rotorua, Whakatane, and Tauranga last week, providing support for small business owners and bookkeepers alike with questions about how best to manage their businesses.
The data showed Bay of Plenty small business jobs rose 5.8 per cent year-on-year in September 2022. Sales also grew 5.2 per cent over the same period. However, this was less than the national average of 14.8 per cent yearon-year.
Xero New Zealand country manager Bridget Snelling said this was a solid result for the region, following a challenging few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Job growth in the Bay of Plenty has been behind the national average since early 2021, which is likely a reflection of the region’s reliance on agriculture and the lack of international workers being available due to closed international borders,” she said.
“Despite this, Bay of Plenty sales have remained steady, aligning closely with the national average until the recent drop this month. This is something to keep an eye on as local small businesses navigate the current economic challenges.”
Additionally, small businesses in the region experienced solid wage growth (+5.2 per cent year-onyear) and were also paid slightly faster (22.7 days) than the national average.
During 2022, wages again edged above the national average. Snelling said this reflected the region’s construction intensity, which had one of the fastest-growing wages of any industry.
Snelling said the month’s job trend (5.8 per cent year-onyear) isn’t new, as Bay of Plenty jobs have generally tracked behind the national average throughout the pandemic.
This result has been underpinned by the lack of international workers being available due to border closures, she said.
With strong ties to a range of important sectors, including construction, agriculture, healthcare, and real estate, the Bay’s diversified economy has ensured that sales in the region remained aligned with the national average throughout the pandemic, she said.
“The figures for Bay of Plenty’s small business community throughout the pandemic demonstrates how the local economy was able to withstand the challenging Covid-19 restrictions.”
Snelling said heading into summer, it was important for the local community to continue supporting small businesses in the Bay.
“Whether it’s shopping locally or paying your invoices on time, we must continue to make an effort to go out and support our small businesses wherever possible.”
$25,000 donated to Wish4fish
Wish4fish charity founder Bryce Dinneen was blown away to be presented with a $25,000 donation from the team building the new Winstone Wallboards plant in Tauriko.
The donation - from Fletcher Construction, Winstone Wallboards, and other on-site contractors - was made following a presentation
Dinneen gave at its end-of-year health and safety meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to encourage the team to take its work-based focus on health and wellbeing home with them over the summer.
Dinneen was someone with first-hand experience of why that’s such an important message. He suffered a highlevel spinal injury during a shallow-water diving incident in 2007, and has since founded the “Wish4fish” charity to give people with a physical or mental disability the chance to go fishing on special wheelchair-accessible boats.
Dineen said he was very inspired by the event.
“Like Fletcher Construction, I’m a massive advocate of health and wellbeing, whether it’s on the water or on the land.
The team on the project was very engaging, and I had some great conversations after my presentation”.
He said the $25,000 donation will make a huge difference.
“We budget around $250 per person to take people with physical or mental disabilities out on the water, so their donation will help 100 people have that experience along with their caregivers, which is incredible”.
Site health and safety manager Todd Pearce said they closed the site for the meeting, and had around 220 people gathered to hear Dineen. Pearce said the talk touched on some amazing topics.
“It was a really emotional talk. The guys were really touched with what Bryce had to say, and I know his safety message has really hit home for them. I hope what he’s shared helps to keep them all safe over their summer holidays.”
Flexible work options at The Hatch
A new commercial hub including 38 office spaces is being built in Mount Maunganui.
Construction of The Hatch at 24-32 Macdonald St in the Mount is set to get under way in mid-2023, and real estate salespeople are expecting a “very high” level of interest in the development.
The development will comprise 38 units ranging in size from 60sq m to 106sq m and will be organised into four blocks with a large car park at the rear of the site.
Colliers Tauranga brokers Simon Clark and Rob Schoeser have been appointed to market The Hatch, which has been designed by Matt Allen from Cube Architecture.
The units have been priced from $754,000 plus GST.
Clark, managing director at Colliers Tauranga, said the units will provide a futurefocused workspace for businesses that want to optimise their productivity.
“Like its sister development in Pa¯ pa¯ moa, The Hatch Mount is an innovative, design-led precinct that fuses commercial and light industrial into hybrid workspaces perfect for forward-thinking businesses.
“Whether you’re setting up a new venture, looking for more versatile premises, or simply need somewhere to store your toys, The Hatch The
Mount offers a unique solution at a competitive price point.”
Schoeser, a commercial and industrial sales broker at Colliers Tauranga, said units at the unique development have just hit the market.
“We’re expecting a very high level of interest.”
Local firm picks up national award
A Waihi Beach business has achieved international recognition by winning LJ Hooker’s International Champion Community Relationship Award for its outstanding contribution to the Waihi and Waihi Beach communities.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to win this award out of some 430 LJ Hooker offices across Australasia,” said Gary Alway, owner of local real estate firm LJ Hooker Waihi Beach, who were announced winners at a gala event this month in
Cairns, Australia.
“One of our business’ core values is supporting the local community in which we live, and we’re always striving to find innovative ways of collaborating with all sorts of people, from local schools to businesses to individuals, which now total some 40 different sponsored events.
“LJ Hooker Waihi and Waihi Beach have a progressive strategy towards community participation, which sees both large and small contributions made, underpinned by the principles of being ambitious, caring, respectful, ethical and people-focused.”
Alway’s business has supported local schools including Waihi Beach School, with the installation of a new permanent basketball hoop after the moveable one was damaged. It also supported the students by sponsoring a Skate and Scooter competition, which saw more than 40 local kids enter and compete.
“If you’re part of a community I think it’s important to give back, whether it’s via sponsorship, a donation or the giving of your time,” said Alway.
LJ Hooker Waihi and Waihi Beach were most proud of a specific donation which saw the purchase of two beach wheelchairs and the installation of beach mats to allow access for wheelchairs onto Waihi Beach, he said.
“When we heard about local disabled people not being able to visit and enjoy the beach, we took it upon ourselves to find a solution, donating funds and rallying funds from others in the community to purchase and install beach access mats that aid access to Waihi
Beach.”
LJ Hooker New Zealand Network chief Graeme Hyde said to be recognised on the international stage was a real testament to the work the team at LJ Hooker Waihi
Beach puts into its community.
“Our founder, Sir Leslie Hooker, always said real estate is about people. Gary and the entire team at Waihi Beach emulate what Sir Leslie envisioned for LJ Hooker.
Over the years, they are not just part of the community – the team are engrained into the spirit that makes Waihi Beach an amazing place to call home,” said Hyde.