Taupō businesses benefit from national mentorship

Jill Cammell (left) runs Venture Beyond with her husband Ian, taking passengers to the trails around Lake Taupō.

Taupō's small but mighty business community is known for working together, but sometimes it’s helpful to look outside the town for help.

Business Mentors New Zealand, a national organisation, has seen a similar need up and down the country and has turned to technology to connect business owners in new ways.

The result is Choose a Mentor, an online platform trial that matches mentors from all over Aotearoa to business owners in Taupō and beyond based on their needs and goals.

One local name already benefiting from the scheme is Venture Beyond, formerly known as Taxicat Adventures.

Owners Ian and Jill Cammell cast a wide net on the platform but ended up with help a little closer to home with Noel Rodgers from Active Business Support Services Ltd in Taupō.

Jill said going down the Choose a Mentor route has already paid dividends; Rodgers was the driving force behind the company’s recent rebrand to emphasise the adventure experience element of their business.

“Noel is helping us to look outside the box, to look at the big picture and to help us analyse certain aspects of the business.

“For example, the sweat equity and how to value it, especially as a start-up business finding and developing a new market.

“He is also helping us to find the essence of our business and how to both value and market it.

“Quite simply - he ‘gets us’.”

The Cammells discovered the scheme through the business.govt.nz website and say they haven’t looked back.

“We really appreciate that there is help available for those of us trying to do something new and that our mentor Noel has given up his time, helping us to reach our potential.”

CEO of Business Mentors New Zealand, Sarah Trotman, ONZM, said technology made it easier than ever to connect businesses in their early days to experienced mentors.

“Our network of mentors has always been national and with the application of digital technologies, we can broaden our offering and connect more people than ever before.

“Whether it’s been the innovation of fax machines or the evolution of email, there has always been a need to adapt to new technology that connects us and keeps the wheels of commerce turning.

“Choose a Mentor is another innovation, [but also] something we have been doing for now over 30 years.

“This is just another step in the evolution of business.”

The need for a mentorship programme showed that small businesses were opening and thriving across both urban and rural New Zealand, she said.

“Seeing the increase in businesses, outside our main centres, thrive is encouraging and a trend we want to continue.

“Regardless of where you do business, or what that business is, there will always be immense value in having an experienced sounding board, especially one that is dedicated to seeing you succeed”.

• Those interested in experiencing Choose a Mentor can register for a Mentor at businessmentors.org.nz

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