Business mentor: Look and learn easy way of getting started

Q. I am keen to start my own business but would like to learn how other entrepreneurs have done it and created successful companies.

A. Julian Moore, general manager marketing, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, replies.

A good place to start is to hear the stories behind other successful New Zealand businesses.

Momentum, a 13-part television series that celebrates the stories behind New Zealand's best business ideas, is now showing after Lexus Sunday Theatre on TV One and being repeated on Saturday mornings at 10am.

New Zealanders have always loved adapting, improving and inventing. The mystery for many of us is how to turn these ideas into viable business options.

The series looks inside 36 New Zealand companies and has the people behind the business tell their own story - how they came up with their idea and the obstacles they faced such as attracting capital to grow, moving into new markets, funding research and exporting.

Last Sunday's episode looked at the Christchurch company Cookie Time and the problems it had protecting its idea and preventing other people copying its business.

It also featured skincare company Living Nature and examined whether it is possible to retain the original philosophy behind your business when it becomes successful and really starts to grow.

This Sunday looks at what can happen when you spot a niche opportunity as Cuisine did by starting a specialist food magazine in an already overcrowded magazine market, and how two sisters turned a New Zealand shoe company around.

Other successful companies featured this week include Icebreaker, Minx, Neuronz and Mountain Buggy.

The series also looks at what's new in technology, examines business trends and concepts such as clusters, incubators and business life coaching, and reviews the latest business tools.

There are also two free resources available: Planning for Success - a guide for starting a business or for those with a new business; and Foundations for Growth, a guide to improving your business.

Both guides have been written specifically for small businesses.

Planning for Success: A do it yourself kit for developing your own business plan.

This resource, which is also available on CD-Rom, is designed to help businesses plan for success. It is a readable, practical guide to building a business plan, and includes a series of do-it-yourself templates.

The guide includes material on e-commerce, innovation, exporting and attracting investment, as well as the more familiar business subjects such as marketing, finance and attracting the right staff.

Foundations for Growth: A New Zealand Guide to Business Improvement: This guide to business improvement and business excellence is aimed at established businesses wanting to grow.

Engaging in a process of continuous improvement is critical to businesses survival yet there is a perception that this can't be done without the help of specialists and consultants.

The guide has sections covering key business activities: leadership and planning; identifying and working with customers; motivating and developing staff, improving products and services; understanding processes and ensuring quality; information management and developing community relationships.

Both publications are free and are available through New Zealand Trade and Enterprise on 0800 555- 888.

* Email us your small business question. Answers are courtesy of Business in the Community.