It's easy to get caught up working in your business instead of on your business - but the facilitators of a zero fees Whangarei business course say taking time to upskill is helping Northland businesses grow.
Linda Marsh is contracted to co-ordinate the business programme at the Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Whangarei, which is now enrolling for its 24-week certificate in applied small business growth and development.
She said the aim of the Wananga was to provide affordable, accessible whanau transformation through education.
The Wananga, based at Raumanga, provides two other business programmes in Whangarei; a level three 20-week certificate in money management for financial literacy for anyone looking for a healthy understanding of finances, and the 36-week level four certificate in small business management.
The courses were delivered with Maori, holistic values and were for people of all ethnicities and backgrounds with up to 25 participants on each of the seven programmes run each year.
Ms Marsh said course costs were often a barrier for people, but the Wananga removed those barriers by providing fully funded courses. "We also have a fresh approaching to learning - opening and closing classes with a karakia," she said.
Business tutor Barbara Jaques said the courses helped increased confidence and skills, as well as better sector awareness.
She said her courses were full of people who approached the course with just a "sniff of an idea" about how to grow their business or start one from scratch.
"The answers do not always come from the top of the classroom. There is enough diversity and experience in the class for students to offer perspectives to each other."
Ms Jaques said there were only three hours of class work but the bulk of the course work involved practical work.
"Business people often have grand plans swimming around their heads. It might be to start a website, blog or social media site, or to relocate or grow some part of the business.
"But so often service delivery is a priority and leaves business owners time-poor."
The certificate in applied small business growth and development was ideal, she said, to help project manage one of those grand plans.
"The course gets the project plans in place, offering seminars and classroom time to help business owners get to a point of completion with their projects."
"There's a lot of cramming and jamming involved in completing this course and we do ask that participants only apply if they can commit to finishing the programme," said Ms Jaques.
She said one graduate had written and launched a book, another started a website, while another had planned the relocation of their business.