mullins tyres - rosebank business association · pressure from mother nature, leaving a chapter of...

www.rosebankbusiness.co.nz 1ISSUE 127

LOCAL BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS

Issue 127. April /May 2017

MullinsTyresNiall Dow Director of Mullins Tyres

www.rosebankbusiness.co.nz

Stronger together

www.rosebankbusiness.co.nzISSUE 1272

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Mike Gibson, CEO

FROM THE TOP

Does Political Correctness keep

you awake at night? Here are

some good examples of why it

seems some Auckland Council

CCO’s are out of control!! Michelle Maitland, Chairperson

“Success is a journey,

not a destination. The

doing is often more

important than the

outcome.”

Arthur Ashe

I would like to congratulate the team at CPBA (Central Park Business Association) for the valiant effort they put in to creating a stronger western corridor by supporting a unified BID.

Whilst the BID did not get over the line, the journey to success is well under way for a unified voice in the West. The BID in itself is the fuel, however we still have the vehicle, which in essence is strong leadership and a united front, as we know fuel comes in many forms.

The BID was the initial destination however the outcomes have been the gold. There was a very short time line for the voting. Therefore as a result the process was instrumental in forming many new partnerships as well as strengthening old relationships, forming an even stronger united front for the West in a very short space of time; the journey is well under way now.

An example of that is the recent joint venture between West Auckland Business Club and Rosebank Business Association. All members including CPBA members were invited to a “show case event” presented by Step Change where members participated in highly interactive game changing problem solving challenges that created instant results within 9 minutes.

The promise of months’ worth of work being solved during this event was an understatement in my view. The value during this event was not like any other I have attended as the results were clearly evident as business owners expressed their biggest issues relating to marketing, staff, and competition to mention a few - the insights and knowledge gained during this short time were of value to everyone in the room as most of us have similar problems. However small businesses do not have the luxury of time, resources, knowledge and cash flow. What was even more evident was the extent members engaged in gifting their own expertise and insights to each other freely.

“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, “what’s in it for me?” Brian Tracy.

In essence the power of networking changes its form when we come from a perspective what value can I give this person that will forward THEIR business rather than “what can I sell them?”

Networking is not about collecting cards - it’s not speed dating. If someone asks for yours, politely ask for theirs and contact them with your details, you can not let anyone down this way by giving false expectations.

See you at the next hosting - Don’t forget members can bring up to two guests.

Michelle Maitland, RBA Chair, Managing Director, George Walkers Office Furniture Megastore

Weather forecasting, “Is it that hard?”

What a confusing precursor we had to the beautifully fine Easter weekend. On Good Friday morning it was suggested that Auckland Transport were considering closing the Harbour Bridge. Were they serious? or was it the Health and Safety regime looming large in the background with the obvious fear of the cost of liability should the bridge become unsafe.

Cyclone Debbie had been hovering over parts of Northern Queensland for almost a week. Australian weather forecasters had predicted a lessening in wind strength as the currents moved south and east, with the likelihood of it being downgraded by the time it entered NZ’s coastline and waters.

Can you imagine the traffic mayhem that the bridge closure would have created with all North Shore traffic being diverted up SH 16? The upside however was many delayed their travel plans and we achieved a limited (2 death) road toll for the long weekend. Well done, Mother Nature!!

Transport

The Northwestern motorway and local traffic was horrendous last week. I was travelling along Rosebank Road late last Monday when both lanes were stationary for about 15 minutes. There were apparently valid reasons. It seems one of these was from the closure of Great North Rd in New Lynn following severe flooding at the southern end affecting all Rosebank / Avondale traffic and at the Northern end of the Northwestern motorway where SH 16 is being resurfaced/widenend.

Apparently that Great North Road closure was caused by the inability of the main storm water culvert to handle the extraordinary water volumes surging down from the Godley Road / Titirangi catchment areas. This was recognised sometime ago as needing to be enlarged, it was decided instead of removing the old culvert completely, the Council body of the day simply framed the old culvert with a larger sized oval one over and around the existing brick structure. Curiously, no maintenance had been undertaken by Watercare, otherwise this faulty and brainless construction would have been discovered and the trials and tribulations of the flooding would have been averted.

As we now know, this construction collapsed under the extraordinary water pressure from Mother Nature, leaving a chapter of stressful traffic stops and starts.

The Northwestern Motorway was blocked for other acts of blindness. In the wisdom of NZ Transport the third lane of this motorway (near Massey) was blocked by cones for safety reasons of accommodating contracting road workers and vehicles. Acceptable given the Health and Safety rigours, but, curiously, on the days of the long weekend there were no workers on site, day or night! and the motorway reverted to it’s former state of needless congestion.

Of greater analysis closer to home is the failure of Auckland Transport’s endeavours to create two north exiting lanes down Patiki Road, designed to ease congestion. With better ramp metering timings in place, this in itself would help reduce the Rosebank Roundabout and through roundabout traffic congestion, but leveraging AT into that space is a story for another time!

Cheers and safe motoring under clear skies.

Mike Gibson, RBA CEO, Mobile 027 294 0551


7

[ CONTENTS ]

IN THIS ISSUE

3 FROM THE TOP

RBA Chairperson, Michelle Maitland

RBA CEO, Mike Gibson

6 ROSEBANK NEWS

6 BNZ Breakfast

7 Westie Food Group Hosting

8 Stump the Strategist

11 Autex turns 50

14 Mullins Tyres - 38 Years Servicing out West

16 RBA member profiles

22 BUSINESS NUTS & BOLTS

22 Thoughts and questions on business branding and communications

23 The Shared Drive from Hell

24 Escape Excel Hell

With thanks to our partners ...

The Rosebank Roundabout is published by the Rosebank Business Association Inc. 3000 copies are distributed free to approximately 1200+ businesses in the Rosebank and Central Park business districts. Editorial included in this publication reflects the opinions of the contributing authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the RBA and CPBA.

www.rosebankbusiness.co.nzwww.facebook.com/rosebankbusiness

EDITORIAL AND

ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES:

Phil Clode, Sales ManagerMobile: 027 448 7009E: [email protected]

ROSEBANK BUSINESS ASSOCIATION

Unit C, level 1/485 Rosebank Rd, Rosebank. PO Box 151190, New Lynn, 0640, AucklandPhone: 09 820 0551E: [email protected]

12

14Cover: Niall Dow Director of Mullins Tyres - 38 Years Servicing out West

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[ ROSEBANK EVENTS ]

Hosted by Service King

WHEN: Thursday, 25th May 2017,

5pm onwards

WHERE: Westend Rowing Club

26 Saunders Place, Rosebank

RSVP: to register please contact

[email protected]

Remember each member business has two complimentary tickets - if you can’t come along, please send someone else from your team!

Service King - Here to Help! Your trusted partner for 20 years are the proud hosts of the RBA Member Networking Hosting on 25th May - so save this date.

Service King recently came on board as a proud partner of the RBA and has been actively involved in the West Auckland Business community for many years. Their vision is to serve and their point of difference in the market is simply “Great Service” and “being in the problem-solving business.” Come and find out more about what this exciting and innovative business has to offer our RBA members. There is also the opportunity to network with your local business community over refreshments.

MAY RBA MEMBER HOSTING, 25th May 2017

Here to Help!

Keynote address by Tony Alexander, BNZ Chief Economist

RBA / CPBA Business Leaders Breakfast

“Outlook for the NZ Economy in an Uncertain World”

presented by

Stronger together

CENTRALPARKBusiness Association

You are invited to attend a keynote address by Tony Alexander, BNZ Chief Economist, who is joining us for the morning to give an update on the current status of the New Zealand economy and to provide insights on the most important economic issues in everyone's mind right now.

Tony has been employed as Chief Economist at the Bank of New Zealand, since 1994 with responsibilities including informing senior management about economic developments and prospects, risks and opportunities, and provision of services for the bank’s staff and client base.

He is an accomplished public speaker much in demand and

Date: 11 May 2017 Time: 6.45am-9.00am (a fully catered cooked breakfast will be provided) Venue: Quality Hotel Lincoln Green, 159 Lincoln Road, Henderson To RSVP please contact Julie Stevens [email protected]

each year delivers between 80 and 130 presentations at bank seminars, conferences, and client functions around the country and offshore. He writes and distributes the monthly NZ Observer directly to 11,000 email recipients www.tonyalexander.co.nz

Tony will deliver his presentation, titled: “Outlook for the NZ Economy in an Uncertain World” on the 11th May.

So come along and join us for topical business insights, good conversation, great company, and hospitality.

Please note: This event is limited to 100 attendees so don’t delay register to attend now!

Partners


Westie Food Group March Hosting

What an awesome turn out at our RBA member hosting last Thursday courtesy of local Rosebank business - Westie Food Group. It was great to join them in their celebrations of the closure of their existing old site and the “turning the sod” on their new site.

We were honoured at this hosting with special guest Sir Peter Leitch and loved his saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go with others.” This can truly be said of founder Stefan Crooks who has set some audacious goals - The company is #4 in the overall NZ meals and snack categories and #2 in the savouries and pie category with the goal to be #1 both nationally and globally. Sir Peter Leitch with Westie Food Group owners, Jo and Stefan Crooks

Pathways to the Future Award recipient Petra Horvatic, Josef Rakich Fitness Jennifer Wyatt Sargent, Sue Jones and Craig Bodmin, RBA Patron

Last of the Summer weather enjoyed with a BBQRBA CEO Mike Gibson Q and A’s Stefan Crooks

Greg Norman, BNZ and Vick Sharma, Service King

Caro Wedding, Crest Clean and Paul Harris, Intelligent Environments Sir Peter Leitch was in fine form

[ ROSEBANK EVENTS ]

Tony Dench, BNZ, Darrin Hewitt, Spark and Steve Allen, BNZ


[ ROSEBANK EVENTS ]

Stumped they were notAs announced in our previous issue, we had the pleasure to welcome Step Change, Sydney-based world-leading business strategists for a one-morning-only breakfast event called “Stump the strategist.”

On Mahe Drysdale’s turf at the West End Rowing Club in Avondale, the Step Change team wowed their audience for 2 hours and everyone walked out stimulated and inspired. Their goal was to tackle any business, marketing and strategy live, right there and then.

It was a great turn out from our local businesses from both the Rosebank and the Central Park areas.

After a short introduction by RBA CEO Mike Gibson reminding us about the importance of networking and learning together, we were introduced to the man who will manage Step Change in New Zealand, General Manager Sukesh Sukumaran.

Then our three strategists took stage. The first one was not only our MC for the morning but also the founder and CEO Ashton Bishop. Voted Speaker of the Year three times in a row by the world’s leading CEO membership organisation, TEC, Ashton really knows how to keep you at the edge of your seat. And he did.

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His counterpart Glenn Hatfield turned out to be a West Auckland local. Glenn is Head of Strategy and told us that it’s clarity in strategic thinking and simplicity in creative execution that drive business results.

Finally stage newbie Adrian Stewart completed the strategic set with his passion for understanding human behaviour.

To set the scene, Ashton requested the audience to think about their ‘chewiest’ marketing strategy challenges.

Then in 9 minutes each time, they attempted to solve those challenges and requested the audience to vote on their performance and they passed every time. There was no stumping the strategists that day.

The Step Change team believes that, using their wealth of experience, they endeavour to provide their audience with targeted and specific answers to any marketing question.

They aspire for everyone to walk away with insights, new perspectives and clear new steps for one’s business. They want to help.

Let’s remember that a lot of small businesses rarely have access to marketing or communication consultants as they often charge more than can be afforded for their expert advice so this type of interactive event is invaluable for most attendees.

The feedback at the end of the morning was not only positive for the strategy showcase but also about gratitude towards the RBA for putting on such an inspiring and useful event.

“You’re welcome,” we said.

Did you know Stump the Strategist is available for bookings at your next conference? Chat to Sukesh Sukumaran General Manager, New Zealand [email protected] or phone 021 949 693.


[ ROSEBANK NEWS ]

Photographer Dianne Smith captures the Waterview ConnectionBlockhouse Bay photographer Dianne Smith has been documenting the construction of the Waterview Connection since January 2013. As construction comes to an end, she’s planning an outdoor exhibition featuring a small selection of these images in the newly replanted Alan Wood Reserve beside the new Te Whitinga bridge starting late-April.

“Initially I just wanted to capture the action of the wheel wash, but the more I learned about the project the more I realised how significant the project was,” says Dianne. “I could see that linking these two major motorways would provide so much for the local community and wider Auckland.”

Documenting the construction has been a serious undertaking with four years of almost daily site visits. “I spend my days peering through fencing, standing on over-bridges, safely and respectfully watching from the sidelines,” she says.

She now has over 100,000 images spanning from the Southern Approach in Mt Roskill to the Northern Approach in Waterview. Many of the photographs were taken from vantage points in the parks along Oakley Creek and Richardson Road as well as from the official viewing stations and site tours.

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Dianne has photographed everything, from the assembly of tunnel boring machine Alice, the relocation of cranes and buildings, to the road marking, and the planting that is part of the park restoration.

Most importantly she’s documented the many men and women working on the site as they go about their labours. Her photographs celebrate these workers “who have dug every hole, hammered every nail and operated the machinery with skill and pride in their craft on this significant undertaking.”

As the project comes to an end she’s planning a small outdoor exhibition in Alan Wood Reserve in April.Courtesy of http://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Business Award timeIt’s time to get your thinking caps on to start preparing for the Westpac Auckland Business Awards 2017 which opened 1st March 2017.

The awards recognise and celebrate the excellence, innovation and success of business in the Auckland regions. There are award categories and opportunities for all shapes, sizes and sectors of businesses.

Businesses entering the awards gain extensive publicity during the awards programme. The entry process also provides a great opportunity to focus on your core strengths and competitive advantages plus review and document achievements and milestones.

The process of entering has been significantly simplified with the introduction of an online entry portal.

“We entered the business awards, I guess, firstly, to get feedback on our business. It’s great to be able to sit down with the judges and look at our business critically and take a

top down view on how we’re operating. And, then, on a wider scale, it’s great to get recognition of where we’re at with our business. And, it’s also great just to be able to build our profile.” Boardertown

The question is, why would you not enter?

For more information contact Rebecca Seymour-East [email protected] or 302 9910


[ ROSEBANK NEWS ]

Pathways to the Future Trust Awards 2017Petra Horvatic of Josef Rakich Fitness is the latest recipient of the Pathways to the Future Trust Award.

Petra was nominated by her employer for her work in keeping their fitness and nutrition software databases up to date, which has been invaluable to the business. “It is a thankless task that she undertakes day after day. It means fewer problems with our online clients and therefore better retention. Her contribution to our business is very much appreciated by myself and Josef Rakich and we want to see her do as well as she can,” said John Franich, General Manager.

She was awarded $1,200 from the Trust to undertake a Microsoft office course to enable opportunities for her to advance in the business. Congratulations Petra, we wish you well with your training!

We want to acknowledge our partner Spark Business Waitakere for their support of this program.

Nominations are now open for the Pathways to the Future Trust Awards.

If you have some young go getter in your workplace you would like to:1. Reward for their contribution they have made in your business 2. See them to develop their skills to assist your business, please contact Julie Stevens 021 940664 or [email protected] today!

Pathways Sponsor Darrin Hewitt, Spark Waitakere, Petra Horvatic and John Franich, Josef Rakich Fitness

Fabulous Fungal Foray Brighten up your Autumn by joining our Fabulous Fungal Foray at 1.30pm on Saturday 29th April at Kurt Brehmer Walkway with Landcare Research mycologist Dr Mahajabeen Padamsee.

Local company link to world championsAccelerating hard off the start line and never looking back, New Zealand’s Men’s Team Sprint track cyclists have powered their way to their third World Championships, in Hong Kong.

In doing so, Eddie Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster became the first Kiwi track cyclists to win consecutive gold medals at world championships.

Back riding their Southern Spars wheels, which were developed last year in the build up to the Rio Olympics, the team surged ahead of their rivals, the Netherlands, and powered ahead to win by 0.3 seconds.

The Southern Spars wheels, hidden by the team specifically for this event, give an advantage in acceleration to the Kiwi track cyclists due to their weight and stiffness - both of which are superior to that of other manufacturers.

Mitchell, who set a world record for the fastest opening lap ever

ridden at sea-level in Rio, again was the fastest at this event, with a time of 17.2 seconds.

The NZ Cycling Team, and the wheels, were be back in action that night with the Team Pursuit riders winnig a silver medal, the advanced aerodynamics of the wheels giving them an edge over the longer distance of 4000 metres.

Freephone 0800 4WORLD – 0800 [email protected]

ACROSS TOWN • NATIONWIDE • WORLDWIDE

Only 20 spaces so booking is essential Contact Natalie 021 295 0136 or [email protected]

For safety, children over 7 years old only please.


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Get rewarded for member referrals!Help grow your community. We offer a $20 voucher to a local Rosebank Café of your choice for referrals. All referrals for membership are appreciated. There is no limit to the number of referrals you can make or the number of vouchers you could receive. Simply send their contact details to Julie Stevens [email protected]

Shout out Vick Sharma

Shout out to Vick Sharma from Service King, another recipient for the $20 voucher for his referral. We love rewarding our members!!!

Julie Stevens, RBA, Sir Peter Leitch and Michelle Maitland RBA Chair

Julie Stevens

Membership and Business Development Manager, mobile 021 940664, [email protected]

The Juice from JulesWe recently ran our second breakfast Seminar in the Rosebank Plus workshop series and it was great to see the commitment from the attendees in their goal to grow their businesses. A shout out to Luscious Catering and Café, Columbus Café Rosebank and Rosebank Rd Pita Pit who have provided breakfast for the attendees. Also, a shout out to the team at Smetric Consulting - Warwick and Margaret Russell - who partner with us in the delivery of these workshops.

We are mixing up the pot on what we offer to ensure our business community continues to grow and be vibrant. This was seen with the recent breakfast seminar “Stump the Strategist.” We saw the strategists solve some chewy business challenges live in nine minutes. Some key takeaways from me are:

1. Whatever you do in business, make sure you are REMARKABLE

2. If you are not interacting with your customers at least 8 times per year, then they are not your customers and are ripe for the taking by your competitors!

3. A big one for me is know your purpose, your value proposition, tactics for delivery and ensure you measure the results.

To ensure you keep the dates free for the up and coming events, business forums and workshops, check out our events calendar on our new website www.rosebankbusiness.co.nz.

Did you know that our business directory that lists all our members on our website ranks highly for SEO getting 5000 plus visits pm? Often ranking more highly than the individual businesses own websites. This helps our members be found online and driving

traffic to your websites. This is a big value add for our members as if you can not be found in the first page of a google search then you won’t likely be found. Check out your business listing and you might want to consider enhancing your listing with 150 word profile to maximise your ability to be found. The enhanced listing provides keywords that can assist with the SEO. These keywords play a crucial part in getting tons of traffic to websites and it brings a solid revenue as result.

Contact me if you want to find out more.

On my final note - Small continuous steps can lead to big changes

[ ROSEBANK NEWS ]


[ AUTEX TURNS 50 ]

P: 09 828 4462

549 Rosebank Rd, Avondale

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From humble beginnings in Grey Lynn 50 years ago, Autex has grown to serve over 18 export markets, with manufacturing networks in three countries. The New Zealand-owned company has become a world leader in non-woven architectural textiles, supplying an increasingly sophisticated range of products to the building industry.

Autex’s roots lie in the highly regulated New Zealand economy of the 1960s and 1970s. What the directors lacked in capital and connections, they made up for with ambition and innovation. The family-based company - now with the third generation making its mark - has grown into one of Australasia’s manufacturing success stories, and is a leader in modern acoustic products, environmentally friendly polyester insulation and a range of durable synthetic carpets.

Autex’s expertise in needle-punch textiles goes right back to the humble jute fibre and the carding technology of the 1960s. The first directors were all British immigrants to New Zealand, coming over on the

post-war skills shortage programme. They arrived with an international outlook and adventurous spirit, and soon set up a textile enterprise on Surrey Crescent. Their first success was jute underfelt for the flooring industry, and within a few years they had developed a line of peel-and-stick polypropylene carpet tiles, obliging them to take larger premises in Avondale.

In the tightly regulated economy of the time, export incentives were closely tied to synthetic fibre import licences, which forced the men to develop export markets from the very start. Australia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore all bought the New Zealand-made product, with the Autex Module carpet tile soon becoming ubiquitous in rumpus rooms, first homes and holidays homes across the region.

Spurred on by early success, the directors tried their hand at new styles of flooring. A few poor decisions led to some difficult years, only to see them bounce back as new opportunities opened. They navigated the peaks and troughs of a volatile decade, marked by two global oil shocks and a deregulating New Zealand economy.

Undoubtedly tough, this period seasoned the young directors, and by 1980 they had made the transition from rookie to established manufacturer and importer–exporter.

Well-connected internationally, by the mid-1980s the directors had greatly expanded their carpet range; become suppliers of sound absorption and interior linings to the automotive assembly industries in New Zealand and Australia; opened a polyester line for industrial waddings and bedware; and established an electronics division - their only non-manufacturing division. But the carpet division was the backbone of the company for nearly two decades. Autex were the largest producer of non-woven carpets in New Zealand, and won large contracts around the region, cementing a reputation for their high-quality product.

The 1990s was a period of huge change for New Zealand, as cheaper imported product heavily impacted on local manufacturers. Car assembly lines shut, and imported bedware shaved any remaining margins from locally made product. Autex carpets kept going strong, but the directors had to

Autex: celebrating 50 years

Rosebank Road, Avondale, Autex head office and manufacturing plant - 1999


[ AUTEX TURNS 50 ]

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develop new products to keep the factories busy. They decided to focus on polyester, and soon launched their own brand of building insulation - GreenStuf® - first in New Zealand and then in Australia. They gradually opened plants around the four main Australian cities, until Autex became the largest manufacturer of non-fibreglass building insulation in the region.

Polyester wall textiles soon followed, where the engineering team worked with new fibres and technology to produce a whole new category of acoustic products – Composition®, Symphony®, Cube™ and

the whole Quietspace® range. They had found an immensely practical and cost-effective solution to the acoustic problems experienced in classrooms and offices of the time. This pitched the business into a new era and speciality, supporting architects and specifiers to combine their desire for aesthetic solutions with Autex’s acoustic knowledge to create better and more tailored built environments.

Autex have become a global leader in polyester architectural textiles, and recently received their Global GreenTag certification for a zero-waste manufacturing process,

and the high percentage of recycled fibre in their products derived from recycled plastic bottles.

With two design patents in place, and in-house designers, they have turned non-woven textiles into an art form. Their success comes down to a combination of ambition, hard-won experience, constant innovation and their ability to retain key staff over the long term. As Autex celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, it remains proudly family-owned, and is as busy as ever with a string of next-generation product releases.

Rosebank Road Autex head office and manufacturing plant staff - 2016

The Autex Industries Ltd. original directors and management team; Ken Durant, Norman Jones, Jim Cherrey, Bill Cunningham, David Robinson, Terry Wood, Gilbert Taylor, and Bill Hughes.

New machinery being installed at the Rosebank Autex manufacturing plant

Michael Barnett, CEO Auckland Chamber of Commerce, David Robinson and Bill Cunningham at the Rosebank Autex head office and manufacturing plant opening - 1999


NiallGREATDEAL

AVONDALE, 642 ROSEBANK ROAD, PH 828 1116 • TRUCK SHOP, 354 ROSEBANK ROAD, PH 828 1117

CARS • TRUCKS • TRACTORS • TRAILERS • FORK HOISTS

Mullins Tyres has over 38 years of selling tyres in West Auckland and Niall Dow has owned Mullins Tyres for the last 18 years, so he can boast he and his team of 10 staff do know what they are doing and are the experts in the business. They literally have fitted every possible tyre at some time or other from hand trolley and bicycle tyres to Truck, Bus and Earthmoving, even Aeroplane tyres.

Dennis Mullins established Mullins Tyres in the 1970’s. Niall worked in the business back then as a tyre fitter and wheel alignment mechanic. He then left NZ in 1980 and for the next 20 years resided in Papua New Guinea and in Australia. In 1999 the opportunity came up for Niall to purchase Mullins Tyres which brought him back to NZ. Joining Niall in the business is his wife, Rowan Dow, who is the Administration Manager plus a good number of long term experienced staff and managers that are well known in the Rosebank area.

They have two outlets in Rosebank, Mullins Car Tyres and Mullins Truck Tyres.

Mullins Car Tyres is recognised as a hassle free informative tyre shop to the locals in West Auckland. Their move to the same site as the Rosebank VTNZ outlet recently (on the Rosebank Road

Roundabout) has given their customers “instant service” for the tyre WOF and COF failed inspections. Mullins Car Tyres sell and recommend all popular brands of tyres with normally three options in each tyre site on offer to cover variations in price and loading index.

Clive Brittain manages Mullins Car Tyres and has been with them for 9 years. Prior to this he worked for Beaurepaires for 34 years. So, it would be fair to say what Clive doesn’t know about tyres isn’t worth knowing. Rumour has it his next birthday has a 7 in it. This never holds Clive back as he still manages to give the young tyre fitters a good run for their money when it comes to fitting the big truck tyres.

Clive will give you advice and prices to supply all sorts of tyre requirements:• Car tyres, private motor vehicles, and recreation vehicles• Run flats repair and replacement• Wheel alignments• Tyre pressures and wheel balancing • Nitro fills - includes 12 months Roadside Assist - free puncture repairs • Batteries, tested and replaced • Ride on mower tyres and wheelbarrow tyres

[ MULLINS TYRES ]

Simon Leckey, Owner Niall Dow and Clive Brittain

Mullins Tyres - 38 Years Servicing out West


MULLINS CAR TYRES AVONDALE642 Rosebank Road, Avondale

Phone: 09 828 1116

[email protected]

www.mullinstyres.co.nz

[ MULLINS TYRES ]

For a fixed fee of just $375* you’ll see how fast your bad debtors pay when they get a letter of demand and a friendly phone call from our experienced debt collection team.

Go to smithpartners.co.nz/debt to learn more* Includesinitialconsultation,letterofdemandandfollowupphonecall.

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Helping to develop and grow West Auckland business and community SINCE 1988

Lincoln Manor 293 Lincoln Road Henderson, Auckland

PH: 09 836 0939 EMAIL: [email protected] smithpartners.co.nz

Don’t let bad debtors hold back your business

• Truck, bus, camper tyres - new, retreads and used tyres• Lease Vehicles

Most truck drivers have heard of Mullins Truck Tyres in Rosebank. They have been fitting tyres on fleets of trucks and owner driver vehicles since 1979.Their Mobile Call-Out Fleet Services Trucks can do the repair work at your site or theirs or even on the side of the Motorway. A couple of years ago Mullins Tyres featured on the TV show Police Ten 7 where they were rescuing a truck full of horses with two blow-outs at Western Springs. They will repair, replace or recap anything from a hand truck to a 10-tonne truck or bigger. Simon Leckey manages the Truck Shop and has been with Mullins Tyres for 19 years of which 7 years he has been the manager. There is nothing Simon doesn’t know in this industry from car to earthmoving tyres.

They also supply and give advice on the following:• Truck tyres, commercial fleets of vehicles, including vans• Tyres for Lease vehicles• Campers, buses, motorhome tyres• Forkhoist tyres

• Earthmoving tyres for all sorts of earthmoving equipment• Tractor tyres and various farm machinery tyres• Aircraft tyre requirements• Van and trailer tyres• Travel lift boat hoist tyres• Vintage truck tyres• Puncture sealants

We asked Niall what he saw as the driving force of their business success. “Fleet servicing in industrial and earth moving tyres is booming with the development of motorways and subdivisions going on in the area. Keeping the “wheels turning” is what is important to our customers to keep their business moving and that is why they keep on coming back to us.”

Niall is an active member of the Rosebank Business community and and goes out of his way to do business locally. He believes in giving back to the community by his sponsoring of drivers in motor racing and off road racing, the annual SPCA hot rod fundraising event and the local schools Christmas parades. His passion is Big Machines so don’t be surprised if you see him

getting behind the wheel of the odd digger , loader or 6-wheeler dump truck on one of the many sub divisions being established around Auckland supposedly “moving it to a safer site to work on!!”

Niall says they are constantly approached by RBA members for advice on their next tyre purchase - the support and custom from RBA and the members is hugely appreciated. As a “feature” special Mullins Tyres is offering our $40 Nitro Deal for FREE with every purchase of four car tyres for the month of May!! Please bring your vehicle in to 642 Rosebank Road (on the Roundabout ) and have your tyre pressures checked on a monthly basis - no matter where you bought your tyres!! - the safety issues and fuel saving benefits are well worth it.

MULLINS TRUCK TYRES AVONDALE354 Rosebank Road, Avondale

Phone: 09 828 1117

[email protected]

www.mullinstyres.co.nz


[ MEMBER PROFILES ]

UHY Haines Norton Appoints New Director Andrew Scott

UHY Haines Norton is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Director, Andrew Scott, who joined the firm as an Associate in 2015. Andrew is an extremely skilled Chartered Accountant with a natural ability to form close working relationships with his clients to really understand their businesses and goals.

Andrew studied for a Bachelor of Business Degree at the Auckland University of Technology and was admitted as a member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2004. He has over 15 years’ experience working for both mid-tier and boutique accountancy firms in Auckland, working with individuals and businesses across a wide range of industries.

“I’ve been lucky throughout my career to have worked with great people and great clients,” says Andrew. “One of the things I love about my job is meeting new people, talking to them about their passion for business and in life, and being able to support or assist them in turning their dreams into reality.”

Andrew’s technical astuteness and ability to go the extra mile for clients has made him the natural choice to step into the role of Director and take over retiring Director Tim Livingstone’s client base. “I’ve been extremely fortunate to have worked with Tim since joining UHY Haines Norton,” says Andrew. “I’m really looking forward to taking the reins and carrying on the tradition of timely, reliable advice and delivering the quality of service that Tim’s clients have come to expect.”

Andrew is a native West Aucklander, having lived in Ranui and Henderson all of his life. “West Auckland runs through my veins,” he says, “it is very much a part of who I am and I’m excited to be able to live, work and enjoy everything it has to offer.”

• you’re NOT insured and you know you should be;• you want to make sure your present policies are right for you;• you want to discuss the range of protection packages

that modern business executives should have;• you want straight forward advice and down to earth

recommendations, then give Bernie a call.

We’re big on lifeBernie McCrea loves life. His own, of course. But he’s also passionate about his job of putting together life insurance packages that help people protect what matters most to them; namely the wellbeing of them, their families and loved ones.

Bernie’s knowledge and experience in the field of life is second to none. He delivers solutions that clients - from businesses to individuals - can bank on. Plus, more importantly, can afford.

He’s a proud sponsor of the Rosebank Business Association and offers a "street savvy" approach to developing and driving business relationships that people value and trust.

As part of the IC Frith network - established in 1983 and with offices around New Zealand and around the world - Bernie can take advantage of the buying power of a major insurance group that benefits his clients.

If:Bernard McCreaDipPFP DipBank DipBA SFFINGeneral Manager Life and HealthTel: 09 820 9710Fax: 09 820 9720Mob: 027486 [email protected]

UHY Haines Norton22 Catherine Street, Henderson 0612, Auckland

Phone: 09 839 0087

Email: [email protected] www.uhyhn.co.nz


Number Nurses West Auckland

Number Nurses West Auckland specialises in helping big or small businesses and accountants Xero clients, assist with training and all their bookkeeping needs. We tidy up any little messes, teach clients how to take good care of themselves. We are helpful around tax time, working with your

[ MEMBER PROFILES ]

Camille De Guzman Franchise Owner & Director

Certified NZBAI & Accounting Technician

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 09 390 6525 or 021 079 4884

Website: www.numbernurses.com

accountant to achieve beautiful clean data.

Our focus is to empower every business owner to run their business efficiently, teach them best practice bookkeeping and can take care of the day to day Xero admin to make accounting painless.

We are so amazing we float about in a cloud or in your office. We are skilled and knowledgeable with Payroll, Training, Xero Set-Up, Monthly Processing, Trouble Shooting, Debt Collection and much more. We are not your normal 9 to 5. You can pick up the phone, Skype, email or go online to talk to us who makes virtual house-calls, whether an accounting health crisis hits at 11am or 11pm.

We have been exposed to numerous

Accelerating sucesss.Reach more people - better results faster.

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industry sectors and we have developed strong skills in managing everything from the mildest ailment to complete business melt downs. Number Nurses has the know-how and can-do to improve the health and well-being of small and medium businesses - no matter where on Earth they operate.

When a Number Nurse works their magic - it really will stop the clock and give you your time back. So join forces with a nationally recognised brand, a fun and energetic team, our brand promise to customers is “if we can’t save you time, our time is FREE”

Contact Camille today to set up a chat, a coffee or to get started in getting the most out of your Xero.


partners who are interested in seeing only the best for our young people. Partnerships could be in the form of sponsorship, collaboration, memorandum of understandings and joint ventures.

Neil Brand is the new Youth Service West Operations Manager. Neil has been managing in the NGO space for 5 years and comes from a counselling background. He is a true Westie with a passion for the west coast beaches where he pursues his interests in surfing and kite surfing. Neil heads up a passionate and committed

Youth Services West

Supporting young people through education, training or employment

Youth Horizons West is a division of Youth Horizons providing a range of services to meet the needs of children, young people and their families/whānau with challenging conduct, anti-social behaviour and/or mental health needs. They work with young people and young parents to find the best options for education, training or work based learning that will help them build their skills and find suitable employment.

Young people are supported by Personal Advisors who work alongside them giving the support they need to achieve qualifications and working towards achieving financial independence.

Who is their service for?

This service works with two specific groups of young people:

• Young people aged 16 -17 who are not in education, training or work-based learning to support them into employment, training and/or education.

• Young people 16 -18 and young parents 16-19 who are receiving government financial assistance to assist them in meeting their obligations for receiving support.

Youth Horizons is committed to working with others to achieve the best quality outcomes for all young New Zealanders. As a result, they are always looking to form collaborative relationships with organisations, providers and corporate

Youth Services West Team

[ MEMBER PROFILES ]

Youth Service West 3 and 7 Rata Street, New Lynn

Freephone: 0800 WEST UP


www.youthhorizons.org.nz

team of 25. Working in the Youth Service West management team is Carmen Atama, Service Leader, who has been with Youth Horizons for 12 years and Youth Services West since its inception 5 years ago.


Paynes Aluminium

Aluminium Sheet and Extrusion Specialists

Paynes Aluminium Ltd is a privately-owned company established in Dunedin in 2004. In November 2015, the operation extended into the North Island establishing warehouse facilities in Auckland, Tauranga and Wellington. This enabled Paynes Aluminium to become a comprehensive Aluminium Extrusion and Sheet supplier throughout New Zealand.

In 2015 the opportunity came to set up an Auckland operation; Paynes had location as a major priority. The opening of the Waterview Tunnel along with the proximity to the CBD and motorways gave Rosebank Road a distinct advantage. “We needed a location where we can be seen and customers can easily access,” said Trevor Brown - North Island General Manager

Paynes stock and distribute a wide range of Aluminium Extrusion, Sheet, Plate and Fabricated Product along with customer own profiles with Design and Development capabilities. All fabrication work and surface finishing including Powdercoat and Anodising is produced through a high-quality network of contractors and suppliers.

Paynes has ex-stock ‘off the shelf’ sales available catering to all Aluminium industries including Windows and Doors, Wardrobes, Commercial Interiors, Scaffolding, Fence and Gate and Engineering.

All staff at Paynes are well experienced in supplying knowledge and expertise to the Aluminium Industry. Paynes Aluminium is dedicated to supply expert service, quality product and an ability to meet your Aluminium requirements however diverse they may be.

They are the specialists that can provide ‘Anything you need in Aluminium.’

Paynes Aluminium Ltd 699 - 703 Rosebank Road, Avondale

Phone: 09 820 3903

Glenn Wigley


www.paynes.co.nz

The Paynes Aliminium Crew

[ MEMBER PROFILES ]

1/2 Jomac Place, Avondale 09 828 6110 [email protected]

You shout a round of beers or cider, or a bottle of wine for your group and Rosebank

will shout some food for the crew.

T&C’S APPLY

Every Friday 3 – 7pm

YOU SHOUT WE SHOUT!

OUR SERVICES: • Latest technology using latest laser, Cad Cam technology • Crowns and veneers • Orthodontic treatment • Cosmetic

dentistry restoration of broken teeth and mouths • Bridges • IV sedation for nervous patients • Implants-crowns • Preventative

Dentistry • Take home bleaching • Dental Hygiene • Jaw problems • Oral surgery • Partial and Full Dentures

Dr Sinan Najar BDS. NZDREXDr David Crum BDS

Dr Lana Nekrutenko BDSFamily and Cosmetic Dentistry,

Orthodontics and Dental ImplantsPriyanka Sharma BOH, BSc

Dental Hygienist

Avondale Dental Centre, 72 Rosebank Road, Avondale

Phone: 09 828 7484 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.avondale-dental-centre.co.nz

AVONDALED E N T A L C E N T R E

AVONDALED E N T A L C E N T R E

There have 25 staff nationwide and 5 full time staff at their Rosebank Operation which includes

Trevor Brown - North Island General Manager Graeme O’Brien - Operations and Logistics Glenn Wigley - Business Development Manager Les Queenin and Mike O’Brien - Warehouse Supervisors.


Multi Layered Vehicle Graphics, using a mix of print and cut adhesiveSpecialist in designing vehicle graphics

Corporate branding and fleet graphics

BDR MAXVISUAL ENGINEERS

BDR MAX ARE AN INNOVATIVE LOCALLY OWNED DIGITAL PRINT & MARKETING SERVICES BUSINESS SPECIALISED IN A RANGE OF APPLICATIONS.We pride ourselves on listening and understanding what the customer needs and then “think” through what we believe is the best solution - sometimes this is not just about print... And this is why we are different.

We are a One-Stop-Shop who provides businesses with affordable well thought out collateral which includes; posters, brochures, catalogues, packaging, display stands as well as vehicle graphics and letterbox drops.

We even have a design team who can help you come up with ideas and designs at a fraction of the price, ensuring that you have a fully integrated approach.

Geometric Frost, designed and installed Clear film printed to match corporate colour tones Print or Decal application onto acrylic

BDR MAX [email protected] 71a Patiki Rd, Avondalea+64 21 390 915 bdrmax.co.nzwp

Product tags and sleeves

Create amazing spaces with floor to ceiling decals and application

*Applicable to any order over $500. For orders up to 31st May 2017. Only one pull up banner per customer. Please quote promo reference RBA

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[ BUSINESS NUTS & BOLTS ]

What is a brand?

Brand is a word that’s thrown around a lot these days but what are we really talking about and why is it important?

Very simply put, your brand is the sum total of the following ingredients:

• Who you are as a business - your values, standards, behaviours, company culture.

• Why you exist. The reason you are in business.

• What your strategic market position is.

• What people think and feel about your business.

• What people have heard about you. Whether actual word of mouth or social media word of mouth.

• What people read about you. From marketing communications through to news media.

• What people see of you. This covers all touch-points of your visual appearance, from your website and marketing comms through to your business premises and your team’s appearance.

• Your customers experience of dealing with your company - whether it be a service or product based experience.

Your brand is built over time and is composed of these various facets, some of which are internal - such as company culture - and some of which are externally generated, such as what people think of your business - based on their experience of it.

This then leads to further questions... are all of the many individual components of your brand in agreement? Is the message that your business is communicating correct and aligned to your business and brand strategy? Are you sending the right signals to the right audience or are you sending mixed or even poor quality signals?

Sending the right signals

Many kiwi businesses have outstanding products, services and a great story to share with the community, city, nation or world.

Unfortunately - by failing to communicate that offering – few manage to leverage or tap into that store of very real value, often leaving an extensive cache of business worth sitting in the ground untouched and untapped, reducing opportunities for growth.

It’s a busy and cluttered old marketplace out there, so articulating your company’s offering concisely and in an engaging and genuine way is crucial. People are time poor and constantly bombarded with impressions and information so it is vital that every second they spend engaged with your brand - via any touch-point - is as effective as possible, that the right messages are being delivered and the right impressions being made.

People judge books by covers, and people will make judgments - conscious or not - about the professionalism, value, credibility, reliability and suitability of your product or service within seconds of visiting your website or meeting your brand in any form. For example, if you appear untidy, people will expect cheap or won’t trust you, likewise appearing too high end - if that’s not your audience - will also put potential customers off in an instant.

There’s a sweet spot for every business, some of which are reasonably straight forward to locate and define, some of which are more complex, but there is an ideal brand position and expression for every business that will be the most beneficial and provide one of the foundational ingredients to success and growth.

The art and challenge is locating, defining and then communicating that sweet spot.

Thoughts and questions on business branding and communications

Grant MacDonaldHatch Studios



Once-upon-a-time marketing departments used stock images of a frazzled looking corporate person, sitting at a desk piled high with paper, to illustrate the pain of bureaucracy and inevitably to sell some sort of filing or document management system - “cue” counter image of corporate person now playing golf.

This image still pops up from time-to-time and may still be relevant for some paper-based industries. But the reality for many businesses, big and small, is that the messy desk has been replaced by the shared drive from hell.

Many gigabytes or terabytes of information loaded onto a server or in the cloud in a way that is completely indecipherable by day-to-day users. Excellent folder titles like:

• Admin• Miscellaneous• General Items• New Policies [dated 5 years ago]• New New Policies• Latest Polices• Current Policies• Archive 1, 2, 3 & 4• … and the list goes on

The Shared Drive from Hell

Jason EnnorMyHR

Well-meaning IT people or diligent administrators try to fix the issue by controlling access, until they realise all managers need access and they’re the ones making the mess!

There is an entire industry dedicated to document control, which is very relevant in certain highly regulated environments; however strict document control rules usually translate terribly to “normal” businesses just trying to keep everything together. Massively long document codes become as complex and unintelligible as the folder titles on the shared drive.

Cries of “where is that damn [insert document name]” echo across the workplace and HR departments cry-out when the “Instant Dismissal Form - 1971” is used to justify some dodgy action in 2017 and the personal grievance lands on their desk.

Like most things, the solution is simple:

1. Use software to do the work for you.

2. Use document formats that can not be edited (other than to enter form fields or sign), like pdf.

3. Store these documents in the cloud to ensure that day-to-day users cannot remove or corrupt originals - they download what they need leaving the original behind.

4. Have one system administrator (in-house or outsourced) who will make sure old documents are replaced with new.

5. Don’t have visible folders for “Old Files” or “Archive Items”.

6. Only allow meaningful folder titles - everything has a place, there are no such things as “general” or “miscellaneous” items.

Getting your situation tidied up may feel like untangling fishing wire, but this is an important piece of work, as the messy shared drive can create all sorts of hassle and risk.

Quality, up-to-date employment documentation is a strict requirement of the law and the mistaken use of old templates is no defence when things go wrong. Not to mention the loss of productivity as busy managers and employees waste time looking for what they need.

Digital Laser Copy & Print, Black & White and Colour,

Binding, Laminating, Digital Plan Printing &

Scanning and More…

436 Rosebank Road, Avondale Phone 828 6387

email: [email protected] localist.st/l/kiwicopy

Jason Ennor, MyHR Phone: 0800 MyHR NZ


www.myhr.co.nz

Creative PackagingWe innovate and add value.

Is your packaging tired and in need of a face lift? Do you need to package that new product?We are paper engineers and wemake packaging sexy!

Call Lee on 09 376 5386 - 461 Rosebank Road - www.productionpartners.co.nz


PlusRosebank

RBA

Escape Excel Hell

Warwick RussellSmetric for RosebankPlus+

Excel is used by business owners, accountants and managers everywhere to produce reports and to forecast income, expenditure and cash flow. If you want to analyse a load of numbers or do some complex modelling on a static data set, it’s hard to beat. But running a company involves using data from across the business. And that’s where using individual, disconnected spreadsheets creates all kinds of hell:

1. Spreadsheets mistakes are common

Spreadsheets require a large amount of manual data entry to maintain, making them susceptible to error. It’s estimated that 20 - 40% of spreadsheets contain errors. Copy and pasting errors, accidental deletion of cells, changing formulas, updating interrelated spreadsheets that share cell values – all too familiar? There’s no way to debug and there’s no way to track changes. Numbers get overwritten without you even knowing.

2. Spreadsheets can suck up a lot of time

You are asked to measure some key financial, sales or operational metric and the project builds momentum, more people are involved and spreadsheets get emailed back and forward and edited by many users. You wonder which version you are looking at. And errors go unnoticed, until one day… they don’t.

All RBA member companies are invited to a free 1 hour confidential business review with Smetric through the RosebankPlus programme. Whether your company is struggling, or struggling to get the support you need, visit abv8.me/4n0 to discover how Smetric can help you, or email: [email protected]

3. Spreadsheet reports

Can present a huge amount of data contained within an absurd amount of reports and can be sent out with little consideration of the readers. There is often a general lack of agreement or direction on what reports and metrics are important to the business. More is not better. Many staff can’t interpret the results from large spreadsheets and pivot tables.

4. Spreadsheets are unfit for agile businesses

With the rate at which the business environment is evolving, organisations need to be agile and responsive to changes in order to survive and thrive. They require instant access to up-to-date information so that business owners and managers can make decisions quickly and accurately. Relying on spreadsheets could mean that your organisation is months behind on reports and that you’re missing out on timely and critical information.


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For sound business advice to help you understand today, forecast tomorrow and take action for a better future tomorrow

5. Spreadsheets reports are often delivered without any

form of context or insights.

Or where comments are presented, they are often presented separately from data and charts. The resulting flicking between documents leads to confusion and irritation, so people stop looking at them.

6. Spreadsheets are not designed for teamwork

Planning, reporting, budgeting and forecasting are rarely one-man projects. Plans require collaboration from multiple parties to supply their input and analyse data together but spreadsheets are not designed for collaboration. Attaching spreadsheets in emails and passing them around takes too much time, leaves room for errors and a high chance of someone working with an older document.

7. Spreadsheet reports take time to generate each

month. Individual spreadsheets from different data sources are time consuming to consolidate every month or week. The data may be outdated before you even get the reports. The lack of real-time data may harm your business and your ability to make decisions.

8. Bottlenecks can form around key individuals

Often only a few key individuals have the skills and detailed knowledge to produce reports and analyses. If they get overloaded, go on leave etc. delays occur. And risk is increased - what you need to know today, you won’t find out until next week.

How to get out of Excel hellIf you are still using manual Excel spreadsheets, it’s probably not because you think they are the best tools for the job, but rather how it’s been done for years. Until now, the option for more powerful tools was to sell your firstborn to pay for Oracle, Tableau, Qlik or another big app.

But now there are other affordable and accessible options, even for SMEs, that will bring your dry charts to life and make sense of your data. A Business Intelligence (BI) system can deliver you what you want, when you want it, entirely automatically.

Microsoft Power BI is on track to have an equally as significant impact on the corporate and SME landscape as Excel has. This is a result of four things: cost, the ability to share, familiarity, and being Open-Sourced. Being supported by Microsoft, the

price of BI has dropped dramatically. So much so that everyone can have a Power BI subscription and reports can be made accessible across the whole business, anywhere and on any device. Users of Excel can adapt easily, and being Open-Sourced means there is becoming a big community of skilled users.

Business data can be pulled into Power BI from various internal and external sources for rapid manipulation and visualisation of that data into interactive graphs or dashboards. This data visualisation makes it easier to get fresh insight into the data, without being an Excel geek. That means managers on the ground can have access and insights into the data they need to make informed decisions.

Better still, use BI alongside a forecasting tool like Futrli

• 3-way cashflow forecasting: you can set budgets, compare what-if scenarios, visualise your performance against targets and more!

• Clear visuals empower the team and ensure that every stakeholder knows where you are going and how

• Understand the business, inside out, effortlessly so that you can turn insights into action

• You can not run a successful business without a fluid, operational forecast. It’s your navigation system in a storm.

How does it work?

• Good forecasting software should work with all accounting software. Some auto-sync daily with Xero or other systems. You shouldn’t need to wait until the end of the month for updates

• You can slice and dice your business data any way you like with flexible design options and daily, weekly, monthly or annual reporting and custom periods

• Works where you are - an app on your phone or on-line.

With an all-in-one financial forecasting and reporting application like Futrli together with Business Intelligence you can be in control of your business. You can effortlessly understand today, forecast tomorrow and take action to:

• Give better customer experiences• Increase sales• Reduce cost• Improve Profits• Increase cash flow• Create a more valuable business

www.smetric.co.nz Ph 09 522 4938 www.smetricinsights.com

• Business intelligence• Business forecasting• Business advisory services

Call us now and get $300 off any of our services by 31 May 2017

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