Small business boom: Why Rotorua people are going out on their own

Julie Fiske (right), pictured with employee Ashley Smith (left), decided now was the time to chase her dream of owning her own floristry store once more. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua is in the grips of a small business boom as more people are choosing to go out on their own post-Covid.

Driven by passion, necessity or both, new businesses are cropping up in a range of fields not only in the city but across the Bay of Plenty region.

According to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, more companies were registered in the Bay of Plenty between March and October 2020 than in the same period last year.

Just over 2500 companies were registered , compared with the 2353 companies registered in the same seven month period in 2019.

While these figures can indicate a higher level of businesses being registered, it does not take into account unregistered businesses being set up.

Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said the small business boom had led to the organisation starting a business clinic to help new businesses get on their feet.

"There appear to be three broad categories of unemployed people at the present time.

"We have the long-standing categories of those who are temporarily or permanently unemployable due to things like health, age, drug addiction, or long-term welfare dependence.

"Then we have those who are actively striving to get a job and taking proactive steps to achieve this.

"However, we have seen a third category emerging since the advent of Covid. This group of people are mostly former business owners and/or responsible job holders, who have lost their former role as a result of Covid.

"This group have great aptitude, are highly employable, and many have decided to help themselves by starting a new business."

Heard said the chamber was seeing "quite a lot" of this third category in Rotorua, which is how the business clinic, aimed at helping new business start-ups with advice and guidance, came into being.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Matt Cowley added that it was common to see a number of people going out on their own on the back of a recession either because they had to or because they wanted to.

A similar trend to what was being seen now was seen after the Global Financial Crisis, he said.

Cowley said the boom was being experienced in a range of industries, from professional services to "hobby-type retailers".

"I am personally most impressed that sign-writers and marketing agencies are busy. It is a great sign that businesses have innovated and they want to communicate their changes to existing and new customers."

'I had nothing to lose'

Kathryn McAlonan set up her own decluttering business after lockdown. She is one of many locals going out on their own. Photo / Andrew Warner

Businesswoman Kathryn McAlonan is offering a new service in Rotorua that she says many people don't even realise they could benefit from.

McAlonan, who has a passion for decluttering and organising, established her new business Clear the Clutter after doing some soul searching during lockdown.

Her service involves going into people's homes and helping to sort out their possessions, giving them the tools to keep their home organised and removing the discarded items from the property.

No stranger to self-employment, McAlonan had run a building company up until lockdown.

"It was a really stressful job, to the point where it was affecting my health so I decided after lockdown that I would try something new because I had nothing to lose."

Having set up a business before, McAlonan said she had learnt some vital lessons which helped make establishing Clear the Clutter easier.

"Learning the insides and outsides of your platform, getting your marketing right and most importantly, figuring out what you're worth and sticking to your guns.

"It was terrifying starting over again, I doubted myself, wondered if there would be enough of a market to keep going but I figured if I didn't do it now, I never would."

She said the most challenging thing about Clear the Clutter had been changing people's mindsets.

"Most don't think about spending money on trades, personal trainers or beauty products but when it comes to clutter, people don't think about paying somebody else to do it."

But McAlonan said her business was so much more than just clearing out a room in a house.

"I'm there to support and guide them through the process, give them a push in the right direction and take everything away that doesn't need to be in the house.

"Throughout this process, I'm often privy to emotions and thoughts not expressed to anybody else so I also act as a counsellor and provide all-round mental health support as well."

McAlonan said decluttering could be an overwhelming job and many people didn't know where to start, which was where she came in.

"When I talk about decluttering, I'm not necessarily talking about hoarders, I've walked into perfectly tidy homes and wondered why I was there and it's not until I've open the cupboards and seen that they're jam-packed that I've realised why they've called me.

Chasing a dream

Julie Fiske (right), pictured with employee Ashley Smith (left), decided now was the time to chase her dream of owning her own floristry store once more. Photo / Andrew Warner

For Julie Fiske, floristry is in her DNA.

Her grandmother was a florist and her great grandmother owned her own floristry shop in the 1920s.

Following in her family's footsteps, Fiske had always dreamed of owning her own floristry business.

The Rotorua woman had owned and operated a florist boutique called Daisy Chain about 12 years ago but had given it up to raise her children.

When the country went into lockdown, Fiske had time to reflect and she decided now was the time to chase her dream.

Fiske opened her store Kānuka Boutique Florist earlier this month, with a focus on eco-friendly floristry, including recycling, reusing and composting.

"I always knew one day I would do it again. The kids are all grown up now and my partner was really supportive and has taken on all the business side of things.

"I've always loved flowers and with this store, I wanted to open something a little different, a bit special, somewhere beautiful people could visit.

"Our arrangements and the store is on trend, in fashion and our presentation is about letting the flowers say it all."

Fiske does a combination of dried and fresh floral arrangements and also sells candles, chocolate and honey in-store.

She said she was looking forward to growing the store's offerings and planned on doing Christmas wreath workshops to encourage more local participation.