Talented pair win innovative award
Not wanting to completely ‘‘settle down’’ after having children, two Southland-based accountants have won an award for their innovative business.
Hammond Davidson Chartered Accountants directors Kylie Davidson and Emma Hammond won this year’s NZI Innovative Enterprising Rural Women Award for their business, which was set up in March 2011 when the two mums returned from maternity leave.
Since then the business had grown and now has seven staff, all of whom are mothers.
Hammond, who has two children, said the business already had plans to expand in Riversdale with a purchase of a new building in the works and new employment opportunities in the new year.
Even though they had children, they still wanted to carry on their professional careers, she said.
The pair had worked together in the past as well as making their own successes working for other accounting charters in New Zealand and Australia.
Davidson, who has three children, said it was not planned for their staff to all be mothers, and in fact, they had never advertised the positions.
The women saw the company as flexible, which was ideal if they had a sick child and needed to work from home, and staff that worked together, she said.
But Davidson also mums as ‘‘good talent’’.
Mothers could juggle work loads, be organised, focused and able to achieve more in fewer hours, she said.
‘‘You learn to work smarter and better.’’
When they started the business they only a handful of farming clients but the business has grown substantially.
The majority of the client base is farmers or farm support businesses.
The business had the capabilities and experience of a big firm but with a small firm personality, she said.
After the win she was really excited at the recognition of their work, Davidson said. saw the
They won $1000, as well as having travel, accommodation and their meals paid for at the awards.
Other winners include: Agrisea New Zealand Love of the Land winner Kiri Elworthy and Jenny Bargh, of Tora Coastal Walk, Martinborough, RWNZ Emerging Enterprising Rural Women Award winner Jo Kempton, of Happy Belly Ferments, Greytown, and SWAZI New Zealand Entrepreneurial Enterprising Rural Women Award winner Debra Cruikshank, of Tannacrieff Wines, Cromwell.
The supreme enterprising rural women award will be announced on November 18 at the Rural Women New Zealand national conference at Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill.