Key takeaways

Before you move your business to a new location, talk to the local regional development agency about support for small businesses and start-ups.

If you’re starting up your business in a new town, find out about co-sharing workspaces where you can find support and camaraderie.

In the past few years, after Covid, New Zealanders have moved all over the country to places they truly want to live, able to work remotely in some cases.

But when you’re a business owner, it’s not so easy. If you move your business, will there be the workforce you need in this new part of the country? Is there a supportive business-owner community there? And is it a place the family will be happy to move to, so what’s the price of housing like and so on.

In this series on relocating your business or starting up somewhere new, we began with the mighty Taranaki, where regional development agency, Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki was happy to talk about how welcome they make new businesses to the region.

Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki deputy chief executive and GM Investment, Stacey Hitchcock, says the region has a very skilled workforce. And while the local economies have traditionally been dairy and energy, renewable energy is an emerging sector.

“The approach is about “let’s explore” let’s branch out and find new industries,” says Stacey.

“New businesses in new emerging industries are coming here because of that skilled workforce and available land and the incredible lifestyle,” she says.

Taranaki has a burgeoning start-up industry, adds Stacey. And there is a wide choice of homes for businesses whether that’s the South Taranaki business park or a co-sharing space like Manifold in New Plymouth.

The regional development agency has good resources for small businesses looking for inspiration and support. Venture Taranaki’s PowerUp Programme is a connected entrepreneurial ecosystem which offers masterclasses, and accelerator workshops to start-ups and early-stage businesses.

And as part of the Regional Business Partner Network, Venture Taranaki gives co-founding support for eligible SMEs to grow their business management capability.

How business owners to to Taranaki are finding the new location

We spoke to two business owners who have moved to the popular location, one from Auckland, one from Wellington.

Small business owner Ian Cooper and his family moved from Auckland to Taranaki officially 18 months ago after buying medical manufacturer, Tasman Medical Trolleys, a 65 year old Taranaki business.

“It was the business opportunity that led us to the move,” says Ian, although the family liked the area too.

Venture Taranaki has opened the business owner up to some grant possibilities for the business. He and his wife and managing director, Philippa Emanuel, would like to make their factory more intelligent.

“One of the upsides about being a small player in a region like Taranaki is you can still get some good assistance. If you were in a larger region, like Auckland, you may be just one of many small players,” Ian says.

Another relative newcomer to Taranaki from a big city, is urban winery owner, Jules van Costello, who moved his business from Wellington after his wife got a job with TSB, a major employer in the area.

Jules, who also has a bar and off-licence in New Plymouth felt very welcome to the city.

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“There’s very much an ethos of small businesses supporting each other, particularly the food and drink sector,” he says.

Earlier in the year he collaborated with 16 food and drink businesses to create the Taranaki Taste Map, showcasing producers to visit, and an updated version, with 19 is being published in November.

“We all worked together on that, there’s a real desire for people to support other local businesses and that’s really vital in the current economic climate,“ says Jules.

For the full article go to:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/350451125/choosing-place-move-your-business-or-start-one

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