The Orchard Business & Event Hub is based in Whāngarei. Photo / Supplied
It's another busy week in The Orchard Business & Event Hub, with the hustle and bustle of our resident businesses and entrepreneurs, meetings and events underway, and in the midst of this, party planning is in full swing to celebrate The Orchard's sixth birthday.
When The Orchard Business & Event Hub was launched in Whāngarei by Northland Inc six years ago, it was as a place mostly for entrepreneurs and start-ups, with Northland Inc and NorthChamber in the mix for support to help them grow. Looking around at the businesses here today, there are some big changes from when we started.
In the past two years, we've welcomed much bigger businesses and agencies from around the country who had previously had no one based north of Auckland. Joining us at The Orchard when they first get to Taitokerau Northland means they can hit the ground running here without the logistics and cost of setting up their own office straight away. They can focus on important things like growing their teams, building their networks and getting stuff done. And this approach is working for them, with a few having already moved into their own well-branded spaces around town.
Along with the start-ups and entrepreneurs we are home to, we spend a lot of time with the people of the businesses who set up shop from The Orchard. We celebrate with them when they hire new staff, win new contracts, and their client base is flourishing. Their growth is so exciting and we are stoked for them, but with this comes the knowledge that the day will come when they will move on to their own dedicated space. This part is bitter-sweet, it is exactly what is meant to happen, it shows The Orchard model is working – but gosh we miss them when they go! Lucky for us they are often close by, and we can pop in for a visit and a cuppa.
These bigger organisations bring with them a lot of things we get excited about: more investment and more skilled job opportunities for our rohe. They are moving here with their sights set on talent attraction – and they are looking locally. National organisations branching out into our corner of the country is a testament to how much Taitokerau is growing, it is tangible proof that economic development is happening here and there is huge potential. We are a beautiful region with a lot to offer, and we can pride ourselves on the economic and professional opportunities available here.
It's not just the big organisations that are bumping up membership numbers at The Orchard - we're becoming home to more satellite professionals, too, with the growing trend in hybrid working. Many of our co-working members are now remotely working for, or running, organisations based nationally or globally. While hybrid work gives them flexibility to work anywhere and anytime, many miss the community vibe of working with a team and in a space with other professionals, that is what brings them here.
Our regular social club get-togethers give everyone the chance to bond, coming together over kai, board games or my personal favourite, birthdays, so we can adorn their desk with confetti and treats and muster an impromptu Happy Birthday choir to sing off-key and with gusto.
Shoulder to shoulder with this social calendar, we host a dynamic calendar of business development sessions and initiatives put on by business support agencies covering everything from online marketing strategies to tender-writing to lean manufacturing.
This week's birthday event will celebrate six years of change, business growth and networking through The Orchard, which continues to go from strength to strength. If you're interested in joining us at The Orchard, visit us online at www.theorchard.co.nz or pop in to say hi!
• Andrea Primrose-Netzler is a Growth Advisor at Northland Inc, based at The Orchard Business and Events Hub.