Chamber turns focus on small firms

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stan Gregec said it was time to recognise the small businesses of Tauranga. Photo / John Borren

The Tauranga Chamber of Commerce's new strategic focus for 2016 will be on the small business sector, says chief executive Stan Gregec.

The chamber is setting up a new internal division called Small Business Tauranga, utilising existing chamber resources, to drive the new strategy, which will draw on support from the business community. The initiative will be launched at an event on February 10 (see story below).

"It's time we started to recognise and put a face to the small businesses of Tauranga who make up the majority of business activity," said Mr Gregec, who estimated the sector accounted for 70 to 80 per cent of businesses in the region and within the chamber membership.

"There's a long tail of small businesses that make up the bulk of our membership. We want to be a lot more involved in targeting the small business sector and will be using new ways to recognise and value them through things the chamber can do."

The new division will be similar to the existing Business Women's Network and Rocket! Young Professionals groups.

"BWN and Rocket! have been very successful examples of segmenting engagement. We think there's the same opportunity to do that with small business."

Mr Gregec said the new focus would also allow the chamber to engage with small businesses that had recently set up or relocated to Tauranga, which might see the chamber as part of a traditional old boys' network.

"This isn't just about refreshing the membership, it's about the chamber having a stake in the whole of Tauranga's small business sector. We will be organising a number of initiatives that will hopefully draw in a much wider audience than our own members."

These would include more events tailored to the small business sector.

"The average small business owner is incredibly busy and can't always attend a Business After Five event, or spend the afternoon at a training workshop. We will be coming up with more one-hour early morning/breakfast events."

The events would also be hosted more widely across Tauranga and in areas such as Tauriko, Papamoa, Katikati and Te Puke.

Mr Gregec said he floated the concept with a group on Linked In just before Christmas and already had 150 people signed up.

Stuart Pedersen, managing director of Clevercare, a next generational medical alarm business, said he welcomed the chamber initiative.

"Tauranga is great for small business and more support for the sector has to be a good thing. I'd like to see more small business networking functions where I could meet peers and potential suppliers and distribution network."

Zita Cameron, who runs networking special projects company INfuzed, is working with the chamber on a sales training event focused on small business.

"I'm excited about the new focus for the chamber," she said.

"There are a lot of small business owners who are new to town. To be able to engage existing and new business is a really powerful way for the chamber to bring these people into the fold and help them succeed."

Small Business Tauranga Launch:

* When: 7am, February 10

* Where: Classic Flyers, Tauranga

* Speaker: Stan Gregec, Tauranga Chamber chief executive