Trust aims to help Maori business

By ADAM JONES

For too long, Maori have been under-represented in New Zealand business. It's a situation the Poutama Trust wants to redress.

Set up in 1988, the Poutama Trust offers professional services to help small and medium-sized Maori enterprises.

Chief executive Richard Jones is not surprised that Maori entrepreneurship has rated so well in the Gem report and says, "The demand [for Poutama services] has been increasing every year, especially in the last three years."

He recognises that there are more people who want to start working for themselves.

Poutama has clients in many industries, from organics and software development to film and television.

Mr Jones is especially excited about the growing number of rural Maori in tourism.

Poutama focuses on building business capability. This is achieved through three broad funding options: Putea Kimihia (business investigation), Putea Whakaako (business training) and Putea Tipuranga (business growth funding).

The Poutama team looks at each business on a case-by-case basis and works with the client to develop a best-practice plan.

This can be the provision of training and expertise to overcome a business problem, research and marketing help or a small seeding grant to "give a business a boost".

Requests can be as simple as learning how to use an accounting package or as complex as getting a product to an overseas market.

Poutama took a group of Maori tourism operators to the US last year, with the goal of increasing business. The trip's success has prompted plans for more of the same.

The Poutama trust have worked with 200-250 businesses each year. They see a demand in helping finance businesses seeking capital investment in the $20,000-$100,000 bracket.

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