Roger Gordon can give about 20 reasons, straight off the cuff, why Rotorua is the best place in New Zealand to do business.
The Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive came to the city 20 years ago and says there's plenty for local business people to smile about.
"For a start, Rotorua is in the centre of things, geographically. There is very easy access to Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and other big cities."
The fact Rotorua is not a city on the scale of those centres is another factor in its favour.
"It's a good-sized provincial city. It has a much nicer atmosphere here."
Business confidence in Rotorua has been consistently higher than elsewhere in New Zealand in recent years and the most recent local survey found people in business here expect things to improve even more over the next six months.
The survey found 36 per cent of Rotorua businesses were positive about their current situation, compared with just 23 per cent in Auckland.
Mr Gordon says there is a definite feeling of optimism and that's because there's so much happening in the local economy.
Networking plays an important role in business and Rotorua has an advantage there.
"Rotorua, as a community, is quite small. You can easily get to know a lot of people involved in a lot of different areas."
Mr Gordon reckons Rotorua is also an attractive place to set up in business because it's a great place to live. Rotorua is a very child-friendly city with good schooling, and the cost of living is attractive compared with many other centres, he says.
Positive attitude sets city apart
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