One-stop shop for small business

By KIM BAKER WILSON

Sarah Trotman can barely hold back her enthusiasm. A veteran of the small enterprise sector, her latest venture sees her co-ordinating the newly formed Spring Group.

Spring, she says, is part of her grand plan for global domination of the small to medium enterprise (SME) market.

And that global domination will start soon, in true Kiwi entrepreneurial fashion, here in New Zealand with her three business partners; Mark Estall, Debbie Turner and Simon Brown.

The SME sector is widely acknowledged as the backbone of the New Zealand economy. A report released by the Ministry of Economic Development in September showed 97 per cent of New Zealand firms have 19 or fewer full-time employees.

The sector has huge potential and a host of support organisations are already in place. But initiatives from central and local government, business support services, trade associations and consultants often fail to hit their target.

The sector should be thriving. What is lacking, says Trotman, is a central conduit, a hub where all the support already on offer can successfully aid the small-business operator to a much greater level.

"At the moment there are over 1000 trade associations, large corporates, business consultants, education providers, government initiatives and various media initiatives all targeting SMEs, but SMEs are too busy being concerned with the day-to-day issues, which leaves them surrounded with impenetrable noise."

The numbers are there to back her up. The ministry research shows that of all new businesses with five or fewer full-time employees started in 1995, only 27.4 per cent remained active last year. Just 55 per cent were still in business after only two years of operation.

Trotman says the typical business owner often finds growth restrictive. Time becomes a scarce commodity and a lack of fundamental business knowledge becomes apparent.

Spring is committed to helping SME owners achieve professionalism, growth and lifestyle balance.

The organisation will rekindle the drive of the business owners with a six-pronged attack unique to Spring.

* A business expo at the Auckland Showgrounds in May hopes to attract 10,000 business owners.

* An education resource pack delivered to valued customers by business mentors has been designed to help business owners learn while they are on the job.

* "Benchmarking" tours formed in conjunction with Best Practice Learning will demonstrate successful companies' techniques to small-business owners.

* Quality assurance programmes and outsourcing services will also be available.

But Spring's biggest impact on New Zealand SMEs will be a world first, is less than two years away, and is attracting overseas attention already.

"Our focus is to build a one-stop-shop shopping mall for business. Retail, education and outsourcing are the three key issues we're going to address in our one-stop shop. It includes retail space but only if you're providing a service for business. Hannahs Shoes won't be there but outlets such as The Warehouse Stationary or Boise Office Furniture will be," said Trotman.

"A small-business person can go in and cover off all their needs in one go - buy flowers for the secretary on secretaries' day, buy the new laptop or mobile phone they're after and also engage a business consultant or learn about the Government's free business training."

Spring's business model sees the complex made up of service and product retail outlets, eating and entertainment facilities for meeting other like-minded entrepreneurs, meeting rooms and conference facilities, and a training and mentor outlet.

It's all part of Spring's goal to form a comprehensive, multi-faceted SME help facility.

"Our tagline says we're a state of mind for business. We are talking about the business people who have got the importance of working on their business, not in it, people with that x-factor, that passion for business," said Trotman.

Trotman knows it's a concept that will work. She has discussed it with more than 200 of the country's SME experts and prospective tenants and canvassed SMEs themselves.

People have pointed to similar ventures that are active overseas, but they are purely government outlets.

For Trotman, who unashamedly asks why she should get her salary from working for others instead of working for herself, the one-stop shop will be the culmination of her previous experience.

She says it's high time this concept was brought into being and her group is the one with the unique competency set to do it.

"I'm sick of people talking about the importance of businesses having a one-stop shop and no one doing anything about it. We're actually going to walk the talk," she said.

"For the five years I've been working in small business and economic development, business and government leaders have been talking about a one-stop shop. Committee for Auckland, the Auckland Regional Economic Development Strategy, a number of those initiatives have all identified a one-stop shop to get a step change in the growth of SMEs."

Trotman says they are at present talking to potential investors, but is reluctant to give much detail yet.

Although Spring will provide the overall brand positioning and lead management contract for the mall, other costs will be provided by tenants who recognise a commercial incentive to establish themselves in the premises.

Trotman says tenants are giving the project support.