Everyday businesses across the Hutt Valley and our region are working so hard that it is not always easy to pop your head up and say ‘Wow, our company does a great job and I have such a great team’.
Well now that can all change and it only takes a small amount of time.
Nominations are now open for the 2degrees Wellington Regional Business Excellence Awards 2022. They will be a celebration of the businesses across the Greater Wellington region and with nine categories to choose from there is a place for all organisations to participate.
The awards are an opportunity to share stories of innovation, adaptability, resilience and growth. A moment to acknowledge achievements and continue to inspire each other to continue to be one of the most diverse and innovative business communities in the country.
The awards are open to any business or organisation within the Greater Wellington region, including Wellington, Porirua, Kapiti, Wairarapa and the Hutt Valley. It is free to enter. You can nominate your own business or someone else’s.
Entry is simple. Complete the online nomination form for the category of your choice by September 16th here: https://wellingtonbusinessexcellence.awardsplatform.com/
Finalists will be announced on the 27th of October 2022 at our Finalists Function and the winners will be announced at The 2degrees Business Excellence Awards 2022 Gala Dinner on the 18th of November at the Lower Hutt Events Centre.
The awards are a time for businesses to celebrate their efforts, their teams, their drive and determination, and equally their contribution to jobs, the economy and our communities. For more information visit our official awards page on our website or contact annette@hvchamber.org.nz.
In this edition of our Hutt Valley Business Weekly:
- National Business News
The New Government Accreditation Policy: What You Need To Know If You Are In Business
- Chamber Updates
- Welcome To All Our New Members
- Riverlink Updates
- What is RiverLink all about?
- Travel Survey Underway – Tell the RiverLink Team How You Travel To Work
- Local & Regional News
- Innovation and Hard Works Pays Off
- Upper Hutt City Council’s Annual Plan 2022 – 2023
- Sweet As Hutt’s Hot Chocolate Challenge™ Ends July 24th.
- Upcoming Events
- Trade and Export Breakfast With Panel of Industry Experts + Q&A
- Women In Business Event: Understanding Your Investment Options Featuring Sharesies CEO - Brooke Roberts & Industry Experts
- Tips For Navigating Business Banking
NZTIWF – New Zealand Trade & Industrial Waters Conference 2022
- Upcoming Free and Paid Training
- A Practical Guide To Employment Agreements With Tony McKone, Employment Relations Specialist
- Marketing Workshops From Our Digital Partners - Synthesis Marketing in Upper and Lower Hutt
- Member Offers
- Torpedo-7's Store Opening VIP night on the 21st of July
CHAMBER UPDATES
Welcome To All Our New Members
A warm welcome to all our new members!
Every few months, we take the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate these new members at our New Member's Function.
We’ve had many new businesses & organisations join up in the last few months and this week we presented some of these members with their certificates.
Glad you could join us on the night:
Lower Hutt After Hours Medical Centre, Business Distributors Limited (BDL), Carboglass Mouldings, Fitzgerald Chartered Accountants Ltd, HOWIE, Lane Street Studios, UPS Power Solutions Ltd, Time Insurance
and Hutchinson Eftpos.
Want to find out more about the benefits of becoming a member?
Click here to visit our Member Services and Benefits page on our website.
LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS
Innovation and Hard Works Pays Off
When you are doing something new and innovative it is hard work. And sometimes you are not sure just how successful your idea will be.
So it’s really great when you get some data and proof that what you have dedicated many hours too is paying off.
This is the story for the Wellington Electric Boat Company (WEBBco) which has recently received proof what they are doing is definitely on the right track, and definitely an environmental success. Their proof was in winning the Innovation Gold Award for Ika Rere at the recent Wellington Gold Awards when they were recognised for their work on Ika Rere, the Southern Hemisphere’s first fully electric fast ferry.
And Ika Rere is proving to be very special in it’s performance. In April, WEBBco reported that at a per passenger level, the cost of electricity for sailings on Ika Rere was over 70% less than the cost of fuel to run their diesel ferries!! When you can report results like this in just the second month of operation and see the immediate positive impact of going electric, both financially and environmentally, it makes for a pretty strong case.
Well done to everyone involved in this work at WEBBco and East by West Ferries.
Upper Hutt City Council’s Annual Plan
2022 – 2023
Upper Hutt City Council’s Annual Plan 2022 – 2023, was adopted at a Council meeting held on 29 June 2022.
This is now available for viewing on the Council’s website here.
Sweet As Hutt’s Hot Chocolate Challenge™ Ends July 24th.
A record 20 hospitality operators including cafes, restaurants, pubs, a bakery and a sweet shop in Lower Hutt’s City Centre, have created their own signature hot chocolate drinks for people to enjoy throughout the school holidays during the annual “Sweet As” Hutt Hot Chocolate Challenge™.
Customers will be the given the chance to vote for their favourite hot chocolate via QR codes available at each café with the winning hot chocolate declared at the end of the challenge. There are several events an options to choose from during the challenge happening from the 7th to the 24th of July 2022.
For the full list of the 2022 Hot
Chocolate Challenge participants, events and voting information visit:
sweetaschallenge.nz | https://www.facebook.com/sweetaschallenge | https://www.instagram.com/sweetaschallenge/
RIVERLINK UPDATES
What is RiverLink all about?
RiverLink is a partnership between Waka Kotahi, Greater Wellington, Hutt City Council and mana whenua – Ngāti Toa Rangatira and Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika to deliver:
- Flood protection
- Revitalising Lower Hutt’s central city
- Melling Transport improvements
What to know more? Visit the pop-up on Andrews Avenue, Lower Hutt on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays between 12 - 2pm (see below for details) or visit www.riverlink.co.nz.
Travel Survey Underway – Tell the RiverLink Team How You Travel To Work
The RiverLink team are currently asking the community how they travel to work to help them plan for changes to the transport network.
They want to hear about travel patterns and needs so they can focus on the solutions that are important to the community.
Click here to take part in the survey today!
NATIONAL NEWS
Government Expands Free Access To RAT Test Kits
The government is expanding access to free rapid antigen tests (RAT) kits. This is in response to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. It’s a good opportunity to encourage your staff to request and collect a supply of test kits.
- You don’t need COVID-19 symptoms to get free test kits
- Test kits can be picked up from testing centres, local pharmacies, current community providers, including marae.
The New Government Accreditation Policy: What You Need To Know If You Are In Business
“If you want to hire migrants in your business to supplement your workforce – you will need to become Accredited”, says Immigration specialist and CEO of Woburn International, June Ranson.
On the 4th July 2022 the new Immigration policy reset came into practice and these are the new laws for employing a migrant worker. As a Labour Government initiative if you wish to hire a migrant you will need to apply for accreditation.
You can read all about it here.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Trade & Export Breakfast With Panel of Industry Experts 2022
We are bringing together business leaders that are involved with Trade & Export across the Hutt Valley and Wellington Region.
Hear from industry exports: Export NZ, NZTE, CentrePort and 360Logistics on current trade agreements, current international trends and the government's focus and direction for growth. Joined by Minister for Trade & Export Growth, Hon Damien O'Connor.
The Minister will be joined by the following speakers in a panel discussion & Q&A.
- Derek Nind, Managing Director, Managing Director, 360Logistics
- Kristy Grant, Advisory Board Member, EXPORT NZ
- Anthony Delaney, CEO, CentrePort
- Ann Clifford, Customer Director - Central North Island, NZTE
Event supported by our Gold Partners, 360 Logistics.
When: Thursday 04 August
Time: 7:30am - 9:30am
Where: Lower Hutt Events Centre, 30c Laings Road, Lower Hutt
Price: From $55 + GST
Women In Business Lunch With Brooke Roberts, Sharesies Co-Founder
Many women in business are incredibly financially savvy but often don’t have time to ensure that their future is secure with the right investment.
Hear from Brooke Roberts, Co-Founder of Sharesies about how and why Sharesies was created and how simple and fun investing using investment platforms such as Sharesies can be.
Hear how women typically manage risk and invest plus advice for you to take control of your finances to grow your personal wealth and ask questions as part of our Q & A.
Guest Speakers:
- Karen Smart, Business Owner, NZ Home Loans Harbour City
- Joanna Newlove, Investment Adviser, Forsyth Barr Lower Hutt
- Pippa Hogg, Wealth Adviser, BNZ Private Bank
Take time out to ensure that you are investing in you and your family's future and book now.
When: Thursday 18 August
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Where: Lower Hutt Events Centre, 30c Laings Road, Lower HuttPrice: From $45 + GST
Tips For Navigating Business Banking
- Do you need help navigating business banking in the current economic climate?
- Are your transaction banking, working capital and foreign exchange solutions fit for purpose?
- Are you being priced off the correct base interest rate?
Join us to hear from Cameron Bagrie & the team from Chaperon NZ with some tips on how to stay informed, Bank fit & Bank Smart.
Understand your credit rating and how to improve your chances of accessing credit.
Hear how regulatory environment is affecting business lending and how to navigate this.
Event Sponsor, LINK Business Brokers & Chaperon NZ are helping businesses extract maximum value. Book now.
When: Thursday 30 August
Time: 7:30am - 9:30am
Where: Hutt Valley Chamber Of Commerce, Level 3, 15 Daly St
Price: From $50 + GST
NZTIWF – New Zealand Trade and Industrial Waters Forum 2022
Are you a business in the Hutt Valley that has a focus on Industrial Waters?
You might work in industrial, agricultural and food manufactures of trade waste, or work for a regional council or local council (trade waste & compliance officers) or be a regulator or liquid waste operator. You might also be employed as a process engineers or an environmental scientist, or be a student with an interest in industrial waters
If yes, this conference might be for you.
When: Thursday, Friday & Saturday - 17, 18, 19 August
Where: Wharewaka Function Centre, Wellington
UPCOMING TRAINING
A Practical Guide On Employment Agreements
Tony McKone, Employment Specialist, from Silver Partner McKone Consultancy is running a workshop on Employment Agreements
Tony McKone is Director and principal consultant for McKone Consultancy.
Before moving into Human resources Tony spent time as a line Manager and has a personal understanding of the challenges that employers are faced with.
In this session, Tony will cover the basics of Employment Agreements:
- Give an overview of the employer’s obligations
- Have an understanding of different categories of employee
- Have an understanding of what to include in an agreement
- Know how to present an offer of employment
When: Wednesday 10 August
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: Hutt Valley Chamber Of Commerce, Level 3, 15 Daly St
Price: No Cost
Digital Marketing Workshop: Driving Traffic To Your Website Through Keywords and Better Google Rankings
Websites are a vital part of building businesses, growing brands, driving leads and creating sales. Is your website doing the job?
At this session, Richard Smith from Synthesis Marketing, will take you through the key steps you can take to make your website work harder and smarter for your business.
Topics to be covered include:
- Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and the keywords that matter to your business.
- Paid online advertising.
- Writing content that works.
- Understanding website backlinks.
- The value of Google’s “Near Me” searches.
- Making gains by linking website and offline marketing.
- Resources to boost your efforts.
Synthesis Marketing is the Digital Marketing Partner of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce. Their objective is to create better businesses through smarter marketing.
When: Wednesday 17 August
Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Where: Upper Hutt Central Library, 844 Fergusson Dr, Upper Hutt
Price: No Cost
Cyber Resilience, Risk Remediation and Cyber Insurance Seminar
Protecting your business from cyber attacks is more than having cybersecurity tools or an IT team. A successful cyber attack could cost you operational downtime, loss of data, reputational damage, and lost revenue.
Being cyber resilient means knowing what needs to be protected, what risks you face, and having plans for threat detection, response, and most importantly, knowing how to recover as rapidly as possible from cyber incidents.
There will be a panel Q&A session after the presentation where representatives from IT Works, Intelligensia and Crombie Lockwood will be available to answer your questions about:
- Cyber resilience
- How to secure your environment to ensure you have the greatest protection
- How to keep your staff educated and aware of the risk
- How to ensure you have adequate coverage in the event of a cyber breach.
When: Wednesday 24 August
Time: 10am - 11:30am
Where: Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce
Price: No Cost
How To Turn Customer Insights Into Sales & Profit - Marketing Workshop
The value of knowing what your customers are thinking.
At this workshop, Synthesis Marketing will cover…
- The business value of customer insights
- Proven tools and techniques to uncover customer insights
- Sure-fire ways to translate customer insights into tangible results
- Top 5 tips for keeping customer insights front and centre in your business
When: Wednesday 27 July
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Where: Hutt Valley Chamber Of Commerce, Level 3, 15 Daly St
Price: No Cost
MEMBER OFFERS
Torpedo-7's Store Opening VIP night on the 21st of July - You're Invited
Torpedo7 is now officially in Petone and they would love for you to join them at their Store Opening VIP night on Thursday 21st of July from 6pm - 8pm.
When: Thursday 21st July
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Where: 38 Annie Huggan Grove, Petone
RSVP: No RSVP is necessary
Masks are required.
Prizes are up for grabs (bring your business card to enter!)
We have several member offers on our website.
To view our complete list of member offers, click here.
EMPLOYMENT
Do You Have A Role That You'd Like To Get Filled?
If you have a job suitable for a student get in touch with our Education to Employment Coordinator Amanda Walters at amanda@hvchamber.org.nz or call 049399821.
To view our vacancies, click here.
Thank you to all our Partners
As always, special thanks to all our Members and Partners for your ongoing support.
