uckland is a battleground for
businesses. Blame unprecedented
population growth (between
2011 and 2016 increasing by
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with a long history of visionless
underspending on infrastructure, and a geography ill-suited for
alargemetropolis.
In 2018 Australasia’s fastest growing city is in catch-up
mode – and for business owners, this equates to even more
stress and frustration, not least of which the disruption caused
by those dreaded orange cones.
Of course, the degree of angst for businesses varies greatly
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customers, to the pressures of attracting quality employees,
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Niran Iswar, NexGen Group co-founder, told a meeting of
K Road retailers and business owners dealing with disruption
earlier this year that the biggest threat comes from angry
reactions. Where people get angry or negative, business
performance suffers, he believes, causing even greater pain.
Iswar says Councils are reluctant to engage more closely
with affected small businesses because they know they’ll face
a backlash. But both sides must accept blame.
“When interruption forces a business to close, it is often
also a failure to plan for the future; a failure to anticipate
change and to prepare.
“Some businesses hum along successfully for years and
then when interruption strikes, they have no money and no
plan. It’s not a Council issue; it’s a business management
issue,” he suggests.
Iswar, who has advice on how to prepare for Council-led
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reacts differently to business interruption issues.
“Business owners normally worry and stress and seek
professional advice and support; landlords normally
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they are not at a loss; and Council do their best toNZBUSINESS.CO.NZ 13
A
The virtual
office solution
WHEN AN AUCKLAND employee has the
option of working remotely from home, potentially
it’s taking a peak-hour vehicle off clogged roads.
Many businesses already allow employees to do
this – which explains why traffic on Auckland’s
motorways is refreshingly lighter on Fridays and
Mondays.
Who wants to start or finish their week battling
traffic?
Virtual office providers, such as Servcorp,
provide businesses with a ‘modern-yet-
professional community feel’ co-working
space on a monthly basis – complete with
trained receptionists, PAs and secretaries, and
sophisticated comms facilities. And all at a well-
appointed landmark address.
Business owners and professionals can
therefore avoid peak travel times without
compromising customer/client service – choosing
to work from the comfort of their home.
It’s a level of flexibility and convenience that
ensures minimal disruption to business, and the
least frustration to business owners.
The virtual office concept is a growing
phenomenon worldwide. Together with the
underpinning IP, the concept makes it possible for
small businesses to compete on a global scale.
And in a city like Auckland where inflexibility
quickly amplifies a business owner’s frustrations –
a virtual office can be the ideal panacea.In 2018 Auckland’s fast-growing
pressure cooker business
environment continues to throw
up trials and tribulations for
business owners. NZBusiness
spoke to several business support
agencies to gauge the frustration
and suggest ways businesses can
work through the disruption.