Members of the Business Mentor Programme share their stories.

Mentoring Pays Off

Five years ago, TGM was going nowhere fast. A week ago it was the toast of the Taranaki business community when it was named as the supreme winner of the Westpac-Taranaki Chamber of Commerce business award. Earlier in the night the company won the small business category - for firms with less than 15 staff or under $3M annual turnover - and the Employer of Choice runner up. It was a stunning treble for TGM owner Andrea Leadbetter. So just what inspired the turnaround? A couple of days after the awards evening, Ms Leadbetter is sitting in the conference room on the first floor of the Audio House in Powderham St. It's neat and tidy and one of five offices the company rents. They are functional, but hardly luxurious. She is quick to pay tribute to the others involved in the company's success and therein lies a clue. "Right from the start I want to make it clear this is not about me. It is about them, the people in here", she says pointing to the other offices occupied by her eight staff. She also mentions the role of the two consultants, John Haylock from Stratagem and Wayne Boyd from Methanex. "They sit down and go through how the month has been for me, financially, operationally and in the marketing and human resources," she explains.

"The other person who has a huge influence is Marilyn Davies, our accountant. She has a huge amount of input into the direction we're going." She says, Venture Taranaki, the regions business development agency, has also made a big difference to her business. "The courses they run for small businesses have been valuable. Their mentoring programme, for example. That was how I first met Marilyn Davies. She makes a point of thanking her clients as well. "We get a tremendous amount of feedback from them, which is very special for a business. That helps us to improve." But the one critical moment of the company's development coincided with the arrival of Ms Davies, her business mentor. She is a partner in the accounting firm Busing Russell and when MONDAY Business spoke to her, she was full of praise for her young protégé. "Andrea's delightful. I was overjoyed for her winning the award. I met her through the mentoring programme after she approached Venture Taranaki because she has not had any growth. She was stuck. She had a couple of good designers, but wanted to move into the next phase. Ms Davies' advice was as simple as it was sweeping. Change premises, buy more equipment, hire more staff. "She has a huge client focus and her product has to be quality. She does not compromise. I knew her business could go forward. "We set up administrative systems and worked our way around cashflow issues at the time, and she was excellent at that. Self sacrifice would be the term. "Now it is thriving and she is getting the rewards." Ms Leadbetter tells the 15 year history of TGM with a forthrightness that is initially disarming. "I started it when I was 19, and started it incredibly badly. I was a graphic designer, freshly qualified in Wellington, trying to run a business, all on borrowed capital. That involved more than $100,000, much of which went into computers. "Now, 15 years later, with a lot of help from a lot of people, we've gone from a small business that employed me and just chugged along to one moving ahead and employing eight people." There were obstacles to overcome along the way. "We had to really push some of the bigger local companies to bring their printing work etc. back to New Plymouth, Ms Leadbetter recalls. A quick scan of their client list shows how successful that strategy has been. Clelands, the New Plymouth District Council, Olex, Methanex, Shell, Riverlands, Dow AgroSciences, to name just a few, feature among them. "We try and get as much work done locally ourselves, it's an important part of trading in the community and what goes around comes around," she says.

She says the turning point for the company was inspired by her business mentor. "Changing me from being the person who did the work to the person who set the direction of the company was so important." She never felt like quitting either. "Dad always used to say 'you make every decision the right one.' I just had to make it work. I've always kept that in mind." The team concept is a key component of what makes TGM tick. "We run a very horizontal management structure, so everyone has a role and makes decisions in certain areas. I make final decisions when required, but everyone has a place. "We talk about everyone sitting on the bus and everyone has to be in the right seat. I'm the driver, but just as important are the people sitting on the bus. Without passengers bus drivers don't have a job, so we're all as important as each other. We all talk about 'we', not 'me', so they all celebrate the successes." A sample of some of the business award judges comments show how impressed they were by TGM. "It demonstrates the WOW factor. Its business and management systems are robust and well balanced," said one. "The company has an extremely clear and focused vision, inspired by management and actively demonstrated by the team," another noted. But perhaps the most telling comment was: "Andrea is extremely passionate, inspiring and committed to her team and their successes." But the final word belongs to Andrea. She is anxious people understand just what her company is about. Simply paraphrased, she says the staff are dedicated, passionate people. TGM likes clients who want high quality design solutions and will work within client's budgets, without compromising quality while exceeding expectations.

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Salt Rock Cafe Good News Letter

Jo O'Halloran, Owner/Manager of Salt Rock Café became aware of the Business Mentoring Programme a few years ago through their television advertisements and by word of mouth, and was always intending to make contact. As is the case, there never seemed enough time in the day, but after 18 months she finally did make that call. Jo believes, today, that it was one of the better decisions she has made in business.

She was allocated Mentor Gail Wood, and since their initial meeting they have formed a close bond. Gail is not only Jo's Mentor, but is also now one of her close friends. Gail's varied business skills, knowledge and experience have been of invaluable help. In the event that Gail encountered a problem outside of her area of expertise, she had no hesitation in seeking assistance from other Mentors within the Business Mentor Programme, to provide Jo with the information she required.

Having a Mentor allowed Jo to speak openly about her business with someone she could trust and whose opinion was important. Gail was a good listener and was empathetic to the needs of both Jo's business and Jo herself. Like any good Mentor, Gail was cautious not to tell Jo what to do, but rather allowed her to speak candidly without judgement about the way forward for her business. Gail would then guide and prompt Jo to make decisions based on the Business Plan, Jo had prepared for the cafe, as well as provide her with the motivation and support, which is always indispensable to self employed people.

Since identifying problem areas in the business and areas to target for growth, Gail and Jo have worked steadily together to overcome any difficulties. Jo now has clear goals and targets for the future, has learned how to deal with any issues and knows that her Mentor is only a phone call away.

With the help of her Gail, Jo's business is now on the road to success - and who knows, perhaps further down the track Jo may be able to help someone else by becoming a Mentor herself.

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Mentoring Success for World Picture Audio Books

Philippa Ivory recently mentored Jacquie Dunn from World Picture Audio Books. Jacquie had a great product, a quality NZ book, narrated by the author and recorded on CD. She had tested the target market through librarians in the United States and interest was high. Her problems however were two-fold - how to reach her customers in a way that would persuade them to buy, and how to reduce the cost of packaging the CD's which was proving excessive. At Philippa's suggestion she used the Internet and found suitable CD cases made in Asia for only a fraction of the cost she had been quoted.

Jacquie also mentioned her brother was NZ Consul-General in LA and that she also had a friend in London in a similar role. She had also worked in radio and TV production in New Zealand, and knew people like Barbara Ewing.

Philippa proposed that she should make shameless use of all her contacts. She could also organise a "Talking Book Launch" in LA that she and her brother could host at NZ House. She could send out invitations using NZ icons like the Silver Fern, inviting all the librarians in California. At this function NZ wine and cheese could be offered through collaboration with a NZ wine seller, and a celebrity friend could 'do a reading'. Philippa further suggested that perhaps she could offer a 'goodie bag' with a signed note from the author, an order form, a 10 minute example of the book burned on to a CD with a mock-up of the CD cover, and some NZ promo material and information about the wine etc. She thought Jacquie should also talk to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and get them involved.

Philippa believed if this venture was successful she could also run a similar function in London.

When Jacquie left her that day she was walking on air and sent Philippa flowers as a thank you. She was putting it all in place when Philippa last spoke to her and she wished she could be there to see it all happen!

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Michael and Robyn Hughes

Michael and Robyn Hughes had consulted a Business Mentor in 1995 and found it so helpful that when they had some new issues which needed a second opinion, they once again contacted Business Mentors New Zealand.

Mentor Nelson Tolerton, a retired Company Director and General Manager met with Michael and Robyn and helped them to analyse their needs.

An action plan was agreed which included Nelson's recommendation that they join the Employers Federation to obtain advice over a personnel issue, meet with their professional accountant to gain a more intimate knowledge of that side of the business and analyse expenses to see where savings could be made.

Two weeks later on Nelson's second visit two urgent issues were well on the way to being resolved and Michael had had some discussions with his accountant and was learning more about that area.

Michael and Robyn were very grateful for the help they received from Nelson. "We had been feeling quite despondent about our business and had some issues which were causing us concern," said Michael, "Nelson came in and helped us to analyse where things were not happening the way we wanted and suggested a way through.

We felt extremely motivated and were able to think outside the square. We have made a lot of progress since meeting with Nelson and now think quite differently about our business."

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Skybright

Thirty-seven years in the fire service and a retirement holiday in Mexico led Wayne Monk to a business venture he had only dreamed of; manufacturing and wholesaling natural health products.

His company, Skybright Ltd, focuses on colloidal silver which is a natural antibacterial product. It is manufactured in three grades: human, agricultural and horticultural and is used externally and internally.

It is mainly taken orally by people and Skybright wholesales it to health stores throughout the country including the Healthy Living chain.

Wayne and wife Jeanette run the business from their home in Woodend, where they are building a new factory. It has become a full-time occupation after they stumbled across the idea six years ago.

Wayne became interested in mind/body healing or alternative medicines when he was running the fire service's critical incident stress team. He visited cancer clinics while holidaying in Mexico and discovered colloidal silver.

Wayne said Skybright was experiencing steady growth and branching into new products such as olive leaf for viral infections and additive-free dried cat and dog food.

Although he had the ideas and the research skills, Wayne needed help with the practical side of the business, so Business Mentors NZ supplied him with a Mentor to help guide him with business plans and advice to go forward. Wayne's comments included, "the Mentor has been great, given good suggestions and these have been followed through with good outcomes. The support and guidance was really appreciated."

And the couple loves being self-employed. "For 37 years, my life revolved around the fire service and shift work," Wayne said. "Now we're loving the freedom of being self-employed."

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Alba Cleaning Services

During a period of difficulty with cash flow caused mainly by staff exceeding their authority on expenses, Alba Cleaning Services Ltd found themselves under pressure from their banking partners who were insisting that they reduce their overdraft immediately by a significant sum. In need of help, they contacted Venture Taranaki who suggested they meet with a Mentor from Business Mentors NZ.

Business mentor Jeff Major visited the offices of Alba Cleaning Services and worked with the business owners in restoring cash flow control and relations with the bank.

He assisted in putting employment contracts in place with staff which helped control expenses and reduce the wage bill. With his previous experience he guided Alba Cleaning Services through negotiations with creditors so that their accounts were satisfied on a drip feed basis. This freed them up to satisfy their bank's requirements.

Monthly profit and loss reports and cash flow forecasts are now in place to ensure cash flow difficulties don't arise again and the owners are following a business plan as they continue to grow the business.

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Sound Advice for Business

When Maureen Clark set up her first business at the age of 55, a Mentor from Business Mentors NZ helped her put a good idea into action.

Maureen's Claritasconnect is Australasian distributor of HATIS products for the hearing impaired.

Maureen had had a long career as an occupational therapist, and is herself hearing impaired. When she bought a HATIS telephone headset for use with a hearing aid, she immediately recognised its value for people like herself and those she'd worked with.

Maureen says she didn't know anything about running a business and she soon became isolated and frustrated. "I had never been self-employed in New Zealand before, and it was a huge leap," she says.

She contacted Business Mentors New Zealand who put her in touch with mentor Ann Mayer.

The Business Mentoring Programme was established in 1991 to provide business support and advice to New Zealand small business owners who have been operating for at least twelve months.

Ann, who has a wealth of communications industry experience, helped crystallise Maureen's initial ideas.

"It is very easy when you are in your own business to focus on the secondary elements," Maureen says.

"Ann's mentoring has helped me focus on the areas that need to be looked at to make my business grow."

Ann firstly turned Maureen's attention to developing a business-support network through which Claritasconnect carved out its niche. Her industry experience also helped Maureen refine her marketing strategies and pitches.

Maureen credits her relationship with Ann with jump starting her business.

"I rewired my career and now I feel I can do this very successfully."

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A Nudge In The Right Direction

Winner of the Microsoft Office Small Business Edition 2003 Software Competition

Darryn Murray hasn't looked back since he went into business. In fact the businessman from Ohai now has two companies, Integrity Shearing and Integrity Engineering. After 18 years in the shearing industry, Mr Murray had the opportunity to buy the business he worked for, Western Southland Shearing.

"I wanted to keep it local, help it run the way it was and keep the same people."

He learned about the Business Mentor Programme and thought it would be a wise first step. "That was good," he said of the Mentor Programme. "It was good to have someone you could ring any day of the week." "I didn't know anything about business but I knew the industry, which was a big help - you soon learn the business side of it." With the guidance of the Mentor, Mr Murray was able to determine the shearing business was viable and took the plunge.

Bursting with business ideas, he was keen to turn them into reality. Enter Business Mentor Michael Lee.

With Michael's help Darryn was able to concentrate on one of his ideas - the development of an efficient crutching machine. Darryn said Michael suggested he consider a patent for his invention via Darryn's company, Integrity Engineering.

"I used to sit on my ideas. A Mentor can push you to the next step." Mentors provided the opportunity for company owners to sit down and outline their ideas or problems with someone experienced in business.

"It's good to have someone from the outside who can give you another opinion," Mr Murray said.

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VOLUNTEERS WHO FILL IN THE BLANKS FOR BOSSES

Mentoring success: Robyn MacPherson and husband Chris have been greatly helped in their architect practice by their mentor, retired print shop owner Peter Kington.

I JUST wanted to know what we didn't know, says Robyn MacPherson, who runs an architect practice with husband Chris in Cambridge.

Mrs MacPherson is one of the thousands of small business owners who apply each year for a Mentor through Business Mentors New Zealand.

Her call saw her teamed up with Peter Kington, the retired owner of a Hamilton print shop.

Mrs MacPherson says she was getting frustrated at not having anyone to bounce ideas off.

Businesses have many sources of information. Every business probably has a lawyer and will definitely have an accountant. But their role is much more formal.

As Mrs MacPherson says, they will want to address specifics, not volunteer strategic advice.

There are professional consultants to help fix some particular business problem, and there are an increasing number of people making a living as business coaches. But these often seem slanted to the "rah-rah" motivational side of business.

Mrs MacPherson says fellow architects might seem a good source of general business knowledge. Yet while they could be friends, at the end of the day they would still be competitors.

So a Mentor turned out to be just what she needed.

"Peter wasn't the sort of person who came in and said do this, this and this, and it's sure to work. It was more about a conversation."

Mr Kington could offer specific advice where needed - such as how to raise finance - but mostly he was a sounding board, a father figure. He drew the strategic thinking out of the MacPhersons.

Business Mentors New Zealand was launched in 1991 and has over 1400 volunteer Mentors available throughout the country.

Mrs MacPherson says nothing radical has developed out of her conversations with Mr Kington. But the mentoring has been hugely reassuring.

"It's just nice to have affirmation of what you're doing. It has given us the confidence to go forward and take the next step in our business plans."

Source: Waikato Times

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Good Old Wisdom

Trial and error makes a great teacher but in business some mistakes are best avoided. Can mentors make a difference? Amanda Morrall learns about a programme that helps small firms stay troublefree.

If the old adage about age and wisdom holds any truth in business, New Zealand is brimming with genius.

Flip through the Rolodex at Business Mentors New Zealand - a non-profit organisation that matches new businesses with old pros - and you will find a goldmine of experience.

The agency has on its roll more than 1400 retired and semi-retired executives.

Although occupied now by the business of retirement, these heavyweights have not quit the boardroom altogether. Instead, they are making capital transferring their business know-how to younger generations.

Since 1991, more than 40,000 small businesses have been at the receiving end of the transfusion.
With the exception of a $100 registration fee to cover administrative costs, the service is free to businesses who request it.

Beyond the obvious benefit to small businesses, Ray Schofield, the chief executive of Business Mentors New Zealand, views the programme as a real gain to the national economy.

"The concept is that large and successful businesses sponsor the development of small business," he explains.

"Small businesses are the lifeblood of our country both in generating wealth and employment in the domestic market and in upcoming exporters. If the small business sector isn't growing profitably, then they're not in a position to purchase goods and services of the larger and successful companies. And if you don't have that activity, well then you don't have an economy."

For their part, most mentors view the programme as an opportunity to give back to the community.

Christchurch business consultant John Barr has been volunteering his time with businesses since 1996 when he was made redundant by his then employer.

"I came to the conclusion you can't always do things for money, sometimes you've got to do it for your soul," says Barr of his decision to get involved.

If Barr's motivations for mentoring are any way representative of his peers, business has found its soul in Christchurch. The Garden City has one of the highest rates of mentor-client partnerships and one of the largest pools of mentors in the country.

"We have very good businesspeople and a well-connected business community and people that are actually willing to put back into the community and help," boasts John Hamilton, of the Canterbury Development Corporation (CDC), one of the 15 licensed agencies contracted by Business Mentors New Zealand to run the programme.

It was through one of the CDC's business courses that Garth Murray, of Theophany Loudspeakers came to work with Barr. Participants in the course were partnered with mentors as part of the programme.

Since August, Murray has been working with Barr on various aspects of his fledgling business specialising in high-end speakers. He found it so helpful, Murray renewed the mentorship for another year.

"It's been fantastic," Murray says of their relationship.

"His (John's) input has been invaluable in improving our business. Every part of our business has improved."

Barr, who meets with Murray twice a month, says he finds it rewarding being able to help young businesses avoid potentially costly mistakes.

"We don't live long enough to make all the mistakes ourselves. The benefit they (clients) get is they end up saving money and time by using a mentor and not making all the mistakes themselves."

Auckland mentor Eric Millar, a former chief executive with Dalgety New Zealand, says it is often a deja-vu experience for those in his position.

One of the most common problems Barr has observed is companies which have outgrown their ability to manage their own success.

"There's a lot of good stories out there. The Kiwi culture mentality is: `We don't accept no and we don't accept can't.' As an entrepreneurial people that's one of our key strengths but it's turning that into businesses - you have the key transitions, a few key sales and some traction, then it's knowing what to do next and how to manage your cash flow."

An outsider - particularly one with 30 years plus experience under their belt - can often zone in on things that might not be readily apparent to an owner, says Schofield.

"Someone who is independent, who doesn't have any issues, they're not married to the business, they can be the devil's advocate and bring the benefit of their own knowledge and skill. At the end of the day, the client doesn't have to action it, they can say, `Thank you but I disagree'."
Millar - who has mentored 153 businesses since he joined the programme six years ago - says the "biggest common denominator" among companies he has worked with is simply the desire to talk.

"Small businesses don't have boards of directors and highly paid advisers, they might employ only two to 25 people. Sometimes they think they know what they want to do but they might be stepping into risky territory and they need somebody to kick it around with, someone who has experience and has made a lot of mistakes in their own career.

"I find with almost all of them, the first station is teasing them out, listening to them, getting their background, finding out how they got into business, what their issues are ... one thing leads to another and it's usually a two-hour session and by that time you have a fair idea where things are going," he says.

Before meeting with clients, Millar typically asks them to get it all down on paper, the history, the financials, the problems. He refers to it as a "swot analysis".

What frequently comes out of the exercise is just how little businesses understand their own financials.

"I often spend a lot of time in that area ... a lot of accountants don't do a particularly good job. They produce a set of accounts every year for tax that don't really explain what the figures mean, don't produce a lot of comparative data, the figures come in way too late to be of much use beyond filing for taxes."

He says the duration of the relationship varies from client to client but the average is three to four two-hour visits. He describes the visits between mentor and client as the "true nature" of Business Mentors New Zealand's raison d'etre.

Last year, 9000 such meetings took place among 3190 clients. "That's the true value of the relationship," says Schofield.

Fairfax Media Article
3 March 2008

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Passionate Magpies - Her Magazine, June 2008

Best friends, Janine Troughton and Janine Stockley-Nygren have taken a hobby that they both love, making unique and beautiful pieces of jewellery, and with the help of a Business Mentor, have turned it into a successful business, the up and coming jewellery company, 'Magpies Nest'.

Magpie's Nest has a wide range of ready-made pieces, all created by Troughton and Stockley-Nygren , on sale in their Albany store and in selected outlets across the country. They also offer a design service, which enables customers to choose specific colours, materials and arrangements for their own exclusive piece of jewellery.
The development of Magpie's Nest has been a steep learning curve for Troughton and Stockley as neither of them had started a business before. They claim one of the smartest moves that they made was to contact the not-for-profit, business mentoring organisation, Business Mentors New Zealand, as soon as they had moved into their new Albany headquarters last year.
'Our mentor, Debra van Wyk, has been absolutely fantastic', enthuses Troughton. 'Before we met Debra, we were spreading ourselves a bit too thin and trying to do too much all at once. Now we are a lot more focussed and we are surer of our identity and where we are heading.'
'Debra is great for brainstorming and bouncing ideas off,' adds Stockley-Nygren. 'She has also taught us all about cold-calling, marketing and business planning. It has been a fabulous learning experience.'
The story of Magpie's Nest began five years ago, when Troughton and Stockley-Nygren met and discovered that they were both passionate about making jewellery. Initially they worked from the kitchen table, creating pieces for themselves. However, friends and family soon started showing an interest in the skilfully crafted necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
Word of mouth soon spread and it wasn't long before retailers approached the pair, resulting in deals with Charade Fashion, Cranfields, Smith & Caughey and a host of other stores across the country. Troughton and Stockley-Nygren use the space to work on their creations and there is also an array of stunning pieces on display, for the public to admire and purchase.
'It has been very exciting to go from the kitchen table to where we are today,' says Troughton, with a huge smile on her face. 'We can't wait to see what is around the next corner.'
To other women dreaming about starting their own business, the Magpies' advice is simple: 'Be passionate about what you are doing. Do what you love and don't be afraid of taking a risk now and again.'

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What others have said about the Business Mentor Programme

"I cannot speak too highly of my mentor's input"

"My mentor was excellent as a sounding board and provided unbiased opinions on our progress and potential business opportunities such as pricing structure modelling for different markets"

"Excellent! I have learnt a lot"

"Exceeded all of my expectations. A very caring person, very impressed."

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