fbpx

Own a small business?
Hit a roadblock and need some help?
Talk to our experts for free!

Manaaki means supporting others, no matter what’s happening in your life. You support our country, and we hope you’ll allow us to support you.

Register

how it works

1

Click ‘Sign In’ on the top menu to make a free account.

2

Ask your question below.

3

Our experts will reply ASAP, so check in every day for updates.

Need Advice, Ask for help

Livestream
Mon, Weds, Fri
Facebook Live
2:30pm
Join Stream

Meet your SUPPORT NETWORK

Helena Gibson

view profile
industry - HR & Talent

Clare Leitch

view profile
industry - Brand & Marketing

Jada MacFie

view profile
industry - HR & Talent

Bailey Mackey

view profile
Experts186
Questions764

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

LETS GET DOWN TO BUSINESS.

Avatar

BUSINESS GROWTH

My husband and I run our own business making custom art (stone hand casts & memorial jewellery). Because I’m an artist first and foremost, business has always come second. I’d sooner create than sell, I’d sooner experiment than do admin. I currently have a FB page and website, but the two are not well linked. I need someone who understands website platforms (I use weebly), social media, Etsy etc that can market and sell our work and bring in new clients. I have a butt tonne of content, no lack of photo examples, just no time to sort through them and post them online, and really can’t be bothered trying to understand Instagram at Etsy etc. I find I waste so much time on the computer, I want to get back into the studio and create and have someone else run that side of things for me. Are there businesses that do exactly that? Or who/what do I need to search for to find the right person to take over these kinds of tasks to free up my creative time.

Question submitted by @jenniebee21 07/08/2020 @ 9:35 am
9
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

TOURISM

Ruapani ki Waikaremoana owns a small Lodge – about 35 beds. Due to lockdown we lost 3months bookings and almost went bust. To make matters worse our then General Manager took out a PG against the Trust, and that will probably lead to mediation. To save the business we quickly applied to MSD to become a provider for Emergency Housing. Caring for our people has been quite profitable and allowed us to keep our doors open. However we wish to re-open for the tourist season here, which usually starts in October and runs through to February-March. We’re not sure how this is all going to pan out, and would like some advice about a new strategic direction for the business. 

Question submitted by @anonymous 07/08/2020 @ 7:08 am
8
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

FUNDING & FINANCE

kia ora whanau,Sam here from newly Registered company true north harvest… im seeking advice for some funding and grants . i have started a market garden growing sweet corn n watermelon. i have a buyer for my sweet corn through turner&growers… any help would be greatly appreciatednga mihi  

Question submitted by @sweeties-corn 06/08/2020 @ 2:46 pm
14
VIEW
1
VOTE
Avatar

BRAND & MARKETING

Hey there, My partners and I are in the very early stages of starting a Digital Marketing and Design Company, we are looking at providing our services to small business’s in New Zealand. There are 4 of us, with 2 of us being graduates in Marketing and Communications, 1 of us Graphic Designer with 4+ years experience and Myself a Diploma in Business Management and entrepreneur. We are needing help to create some momentum in the early stages of this start up and could do with some mentor ship. Would be happy with any help we can receive.Regards Stewart MacGregor    

Question submitted by @stewymac12 06/08/2020 @ 1:31 pm
21
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

BUSINESS GROWTH

I would love some support from a coach in wellbeing area or business coach . I’m a little confused about where to focus right now – whether I keep going for organic reach to my fb groups and sales funnels or do I take some of my tiny budget and spend some money to get people into my free and paid groups ?? I’m hearing from some coaches to need to just grow organically and others I need ads ?? 

Question submitted by @lisa-f-miller 06/08/2020 @ 12:50 pm
22
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE (COMMUNITY, NOT-FOR-PROFIT, FOR PROFIT)

As the Director of The Kindness Insitute, a non-profit organisation, the core function of my role is to locate and secure suitable funding for the various programme and organisational requirements. We have a robust system to identify relevant funders and have a solid diversification of funding opportunities (social enterprise, owned fundraisers etc) and currently generate enough revenue to operate successfully but not optimally or to generate growth opportunities, which is our ultimate mission, to empower all young people in Aotearoa with the skills they need to live a happy and fulfilled life. More info on our organisation and kaupapa below. My question is: what are the best ways of securing multi-year funding, ongoing corporate sponsorships and growth funding to allow us to not only serve and support our current rangatahi but push this out to a much wider reach. Our programme is evidence-based and scientifically proven to provide positive outcomes, so we have a platform that is effective, now we seek help to push this out to communities who need it. In short, based in Auckland, we are a not-for-profit, kaupapa Māori organisation that helps improve mental health among marginalised rangatahi, and those closest to them, through mindfulness, meditation and yoga, creative arts and cultural connection. Designed to encourage self-care, build resilience and leadership skills, our programmes are guided by Te Whare Tapa Whā.

Question submitted by @brady-polkinghorne 06/08/2020 @ 10:23 am
18
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

FUNDING & FINANCE

 I am wanting to buy my own truck and continue in the road freight industry instead of making money for others and getting paid pittance for the hours i spend driving, but  i am having difficulty wording my business plan. I know what i want to do and what i have to do to get there just not very articulate with my wording. Where would i go to get help with this

Question submitted by @anonymous 06/08/2020 @ 7:55 am
22
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

COVID-19 FUNDING & SUPPORT

How can we access the services and funding that should be available via the Regional Business Partner Network?I have asked this in a reply to an earlier piece of advice but I though it might be best as a separate question.  We would love to tap into the options available via the RBPN but we have been registered for some years and despite filling out another Covid related survey via ATEED to get assistance on 29 June – over 5 weeks ago.We’re still waiting for ATEED to come back to us – there is no timeline and they didn’t even respond to our last email to see if the support they can offer is worth waiting for.  Are there other options other than going via ATEED?  We are nearing a key stage for our business so the long wait is a bit stressful.

Question submitted by @banp 05/08/2020 @ 12:02 pm
29
VIEW
1
VOTE
Avatar

BRAND & MARKETING

How can we market and advertise digitally to drive sales and grow our Jewellery retail business in Onehunga, Auckland.We are a botique jewellery store well established over 65 yearsWe have a basic website and facebook presencePlease let me know how you can help us to embrace social media marketing thanksHari Gangisetty021629993onehungajewellers@gmail.com

Question submitted by @nzhari 05/08/2020 @ 8:08 am
22
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

FUNDING & FINANCE

Kia ora and nga mihi to Manaaki for building this platform,[Context] In 2018 I left a top tier position and spent the remaining months caring for a terminally ill family member #F^*%Cancer! While it was career and financially destructive, in hindsight I know it was time well invested. In restarting my career again, the experience of my last season has really shaped me to the point where I won’t consider probable working opportunities where the workplace culture or leadership doesn’t align with their company’s vision or values. After two years, I can say that I have finally been blessed to secure a purposeful part time role (employed) while also seeing paid (contract) work starting to come through. [Question] 1) Do you have someone that could give me some advice around how to best manage my taxes with employed and contracted work. And 2) Advice around knowing when contracted work should be set up as a business with it’s own company name. Many thanks

Question submitted by @anonymous 05/08/2020 @ 5:08 am
22
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

LEGAL

Client Contracts for Business Services

Question submitted by @kateb 04/08/2020 @ 9:38 am
25
VIEW
0
VOTE
Avatar

START-UPS

Hi Manaaki.I’m not a business, just an individual with an idea and no clue how to advance to the next step of finding who to talk to about it.It’s a very simple idea that will save lives. It’s for our emergency services.The people I’ve spoken to who would use this product/service, fire, ambulance and police, have all said It’s a great idea and will definitely save lives and that I should talk to their bosses.The more I looked into it and the further up the food chain I got, the more red tape and bureaucracy I encountered. This will probably need governmental approval and implementation.All I have is an idea. It’s so easy to implement into our nationwide systems, I’ve checked. All it’d need is approval from up high and some very simple software that even I could write. All I want it to do at the moment is to save lives, and it will. That was guaranteed to me by the emergency services people I spoke with (about 40 of them across the services).The thing is, the systems that are needed for this to work, which are all there and in use already nationwide, are also used in Australia, the UK, Canada and the U.S. As well as other countries. If we get this going here then I could have a product to sell overseas to support my family. That’s my main driving force behind reaching out to you now.Thanks for reading this and I’m sorry for the cryptic wording. It’s such a simple idea that I don’t want anyone else stealing it.I need your help there too.Cheers for any help,Pete.Ps I’m in CHCH so if any of you are here too then a meeting with you would be wonderful, if you do that sort of thing.

Question submitted by @peeteey 04/08/2020 @ 9:35 am
31
VIEW
2
VOTE
Avatar

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE (COMMUNITY, NOT-FOR-PROFIT, FOR PROFIT)

Kia oraI am wanting to know if there are funding applications to allow me to offer my services to struggling families without them having to pay or pay full price so i can be paid or partner with a service that does this. I know alot of people do not get treatment due to financial strain and if I could partner with someone to finance my clinic to support whanau and communities.

Question submitted by @tekauri 04/08/2020 @ 9:29 am
27
VIEW
1
VOTE
Avatar

DIGITAL AND TECHNOLOGY

We had carried out a small amount of advertising via google and facebook over the last couple of years.  Some of this was done via an agency but the bulk of our spend went on the agency and not on the advertising itself so it didn’t make economic sense to keep it up.  Also, to be responsive, we really had to take on the advertising ourselves.We had just started rolling out a product before lockdown so when we could no longer get out to see potential customers social media became really important and we threw some time and $ at it and began to get some good results.We now need to ensure we are targeting the right people and directing them to the right products and, while we understand the basics of google/fb, we are struggling to move to the next stage.We have been badly stung by agencies in the past but really need some help – where can we get good quality training that goes beyond the basics?

Question submitted by @anonymous 03/08/2020 @ 2:33 pm
57
VIEW
1
VOTE

how it works

1

Click ‘Sign In’ on the top menu to make a free account.

2

Ask your question in the box under “Need advice, ask for help”.

3

Our experts will reply ASAP, so check in every day for updates.