By ELLEN READ
Marketing and business development specialist Troy Hazard will be the keynote speaker for this month's Microsoft speaker series at the Spring business expo.
With over 108,000 small and medium-sized businesses based in the wider Auckland region, the expo organisers are hoping to attract several thousand visitors to the three-day
show that starts on April 29.
Hazard will present a one-hour seminar on developing marketing strategies for small business, relationship marketing and developing a marketing culture.
He has founded nine businesses over the last 15 years and presented on marketing strategy to hundreds of groups in 19 countries. He also wrote How to Get the Edge in Marketing Your Small Business.
Hazard said he was excited to be returning to New Zealand for the event.
He said small companies faced huge challenges in the commercial environment, but they had advantages. The key was to unlock their points of difference.
Small businesses were limited in resources but could still maximise returns by building better relationships, attracting new business through existing relationships and getting their team behind their marketing plan, said Hazard.
Sarah Trotman, director of Spring Group, said marketing was one of the top three concerns that business owners had.
"The trusty old 'but we have no marketing budget' line will become a much harder excuse to roll out once business owners have heard this presentation," she said.
Hazard will speak from 1-2pm on Friday April 30. The talk is free, with gate entry, $15, at the Auckland Showgrounds.
BizExpo
Troy Hazard
