Nelson ‘superfood’ drink maker wins kick-start at this year’s ANZ Flying Start Business Plan Competition

A Nelson firm that makes ‘superfood’-based drinks for the health conscious has taken out one of New Zealand’s top business awards after pitching its business plan to a Dragon’s Den-style panel of expert judges in Wellington on Wednesday. 

Chia Limited won the ANZ Flying Start Business Plan Competition supreme award for the best overall business plan. The award comes with a prize package worth more than $58,000 to further grow the business.

Bay of Plenty-based natural children’s products company The Little Adventure and Auckland’s Oncall Systems, which developed a revolutionary web and smartphone-based replacement for personal pagers in hospitals, took out second and third prizes respectively. Each received a $5000 cash award from ANZ.

Fourteen regional winners received a $1000 prize. (To see all the regional winners go to: www.anz.co.nz/flyingstart) 

Fred Ohlsson, Managing Director of ANZ Business Banking, says: “These are true leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship whose ambition is backed with detailed business plans to carry their ideas through to commercial success. These awards give them the recognition they deserve and will help them unleash their exciting business potential.” 

This is the third year of the ANZ Flying Start competition, sponsored by ANZ in partnership with business.govt.nz, which aims to highlight the importance of good business planning. 

“A strong business plan is a key part of building any successful business. That’s why we’re proud to continue our partnership with business.govt.nz through our sponsorship of the ANZ Flying Start Business Plan Competition. The quality of the more than 600 entries from across the country shows great promise for the future of the small business sector and the New Zealand economy,” says Ohlsson. 

 

Chia Limited produces naturally flavoured bottled drinks containing the chia seed, a natural ‘superfood’ that is a rich source of vegetable Omega 3, complete protein, minerals, electrolytes, fibre, and antioxidants. The Nelson-based firm is co-owned by father and daughter Ben and Chloe Van Dyke, who share a passion for health and sport. 

Bay of Plenty-based The Little Adventure, a natural baby and children’s products company based around a unique new wool material, is the brainchild of Blythe and Anna Rees-Jones. They aim to take their new material (trademarked as Naturesclip), and the Little Adventure products they make from it, to the world. 

Auckland-based Oncall Systems, founded by Dr Aidan Gill, is behind Smartpage, a revolutionary web and smartphone-based communication system for use in hospitals instead of personal pagers. Smartpage allows nurses to send comprehensive messages to smartphones, with immediate acknowledgment that their task is received. Messages are delivered in seconds rather than minutes, and doctors can reply straight away.