Expats look for contacts

Small businesses are among those the Kiwi expatriate association is targeting with its new website, launched this week.

The association, Kea, hopes the site will help the businesses tap into its membership base to establish commercial or professional contacts in global markets.

Kea managing director Ross McConnell said 500,000 New Zealanders were putting their talents to use in other countries. The international market knowledge and expertise they gained overseas meant they were among the best placed to give local companies a helping hand with their initiatives.

The site would work like a global alumni network - linking the skills, knowledge and opportunities of its 5000 members to New Zealand. For small businesses, the network could help them find someone in their target export market to work with.