I was at a stage in my life where I started questioning whether I had been doing what I was really passionate about. The answer was a big 'no'.
In the course of having a totally different conversation in October 2012, the idea of setting up a 'travel company with a difference' struck me. I spoke to my wife Uma that same evening and we agreed it was a great idea. Instead of set itineraries and departures, we wanted to form what we call an 'experience management company', which crafts personalised holidays based on our guests' tastes and preferences.
What are some of the challenges you've encountered as an immigrant entrepreneur?
Our biggest challenge in regards to our TakeMe2India venture was a lack of first-person understanding about how Kiwis would holiday overseas. Fortunately Uma and I have integrated ourselves well with the local community and we have many close Kiwi friends.
When we asked for help, they rose magnificently to the occasion. We set up focus groups over Indian dinners at our place and probed them with plenty of questions. This really complemented the other forms of data we'd obtained through market research, giving us a clear idea of what we should be doing.
On the TakeMe2NewZealand front, the challenge was to establish our credibility as a serious player on the suppliers' side. Our first port of call was Destination Manawatu, our regional tourism organisation, where the team was fantastic. They not only put us on to the local suppliers, but also the Tourism New Zealand team.
We also decided to put all our ducks in a row and got ourselves Qualmark endorsed. This made us eligible to attend the Kiwi Link India 2014 trade event organised by Tourism New Zealand.
On the other hand, what have been some of the advantages? I'm guessing having a deep understanding of the Indian culture must be an advantage when selling travel experiences in that market? And vice versa, when selling Kiwi travel experiences in the Indian market?
Absolutely! Our roots in India help us when selling the 'real' India better to Kiwis. And our successful integration into New Zealand has given us an innate advantage, promoting New Zealand through our rallying cry of 'real experiences, not staged events' more effectively.
Also, being immigrants we're sensitive to different cultures, as much as we are curious about them. This helps us in surprising our guests during our tours.
What advice would you have for other immigrants looking to set up a business in New Zealand?
I am going to answer this question on a slightly different tangent. I read in a newspaper column recently about how displaced people yearn either for the things they have left behind or for acceptance in their new place. Fortunately New Zealand is such a wonderful place not only to live, but also to set up your own business, and I think the system here is very conducive to running a business successfully.
To capitalise on this environment, my advice to other immigrants is to put sincere efforts into better integrating themselves into the community. Stop moving only in your own closed groups, and make new friends and be part of the wider community. Network, network and network. And networking should be a two-way street; if you do it with an expectation, be prepared to be disappointed.
Above all I think cutting all secure ties and setting up a business takes huge courage. But having immigrated to a new country, you have already taken the risk. So what is stopping you?
Coming up in Your Business: I've been hearing about a few interesting local jewellery brands lately and it's got me thinking, what does it take to build a small business in this area, particularly if you're taking your brand offshore? If you've got a story to tell, drop me a note: nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com.
