Entrepreneurs to share secrets

Four of New Zealand’s most successful entrepreneurs are teaming up to share their secrets with Kiwi business owners across the country, thanks to the Building Smarter Business project. The 2degrees initiative aims to equip businesses with practical tools and advice to foster long term success for Kiwi brands in the ever competitive local and global market.

Chef, restaurateur and author Al Brown, fashion designer Kate Sylvester, CEO of Moa Brewing & Chairman of Trilogy Group, Geoff Ross and ex-cricketer and Triumph & Disaster founder Dion Nash, will front the project and travel to meet small business owners in their home towns, offering one on one, personalised mentoring sessions.

Recognising that 97% of New Zealand businesses are defined as small, the 2degrees initiative aims to better equip Kiwi enterprises for profitable and sustained success. Currently, only 50 percent of small New Zealand companies remain in business after 10 years*.

2degrees’ Senior Marcoms Manager, Rhona Clark, elaborates, “Our chosen mentors have each excelled in their individual industries, both here and on the world stage, inspiring start-ups and small business owners to follow suit.

“With 2degrees having supported the mentors’ business operations, we can now facilitate the mentors to support other small business owners, sharing their insights and expertise via Building Smarter Business.”

The project will see eight lucky businesses win a workshop during September with their chosen mentor, where they will hear first-hand the entrepreneur’s personal stories and learnings from their journey to business success.

“Having been a small business owner myself, I’m excited to share my experience with other Kiwis who are trying to make their mark. There’s a lot to learn when trying to balance where you want to take a business creatively and the realities of making sure you’re running a profitable and successful enterprise,” says 2degrees mentor, Kate Sylvester.

Business Mentors New Zealand, the only volunteer business mentoring service in the country, who will accompany the 2degrees mentors to offer personalised, tactical advice, tools and solutions, hold firm that mentoring advice has proven to help businesses achieve success.

“We work with 4,000 business owners across New Zealand every year and although they have the ideas, work-ethic and drive, what many lack is practical advice and experience from a business mentor. Sharing expertise and problem solving is imperative to a successful business,” said Ray Schofield, CEO Business Mentors New Zealand.

Entries are now open for small businesses to take part in Building Smarter Business. For more information and a chance to win a mentoring session thanks to 2degrees, head to www.stuff.co.nz/2degreescompetition.