Idea Kit will test viability of ideas

Jo Allum says conditions for people who have the ambition to build successful businesses have never been better.

The team at Tauranga's Venture Centre has launched an Idea Validation Kit to allow people with innovative ideas to test whether they have the basis for a viable business.

"Conditions for people who have the ambition to build successful businesses - whether they are just starting out or have some business experience - have never been better," said Jo Allum, co-founder of Venture Centre, which supplies start-up, and business scaling services from the Basestation in Tauranga.

Venture Centre partners with Bay of Plenty start-up funding group Enterprise Angels, the biggest angel group in New Zealand.

Ms Allum said the kit was aimed at increasing opportunities for the local investors to invest in Bay of Plenty start-ups with global potential.

"Members of the local investment community have worked hard over the past few years to build a funding pathway for smart, tenacious people with good ideas.

"There is investment available, and Venture Centre delivers the hands-on support to step people through the business building process with the rigour needed to take advantage of the funds that are available."

She said the Idea Validation Kit provided a starting point for people serious about creating or scaling a business and included workshops, individual coaching, and an online tool with guided introduction by experienced entrepreneurs to best practice start-up business tools.

Pascale Hyboud-Peron, Venture Centre co-founder and e-learning expert, said the two-hour workshops were designed around people's busy schedules, with those taking part able to support each other and learn together in a small group.

"Ideally, people will be able to join us at Basestation for at least some of the in-person workshops, but they can also take part using online video conferencing," she said.