Event driven by need to change

Doing things differently was a theme at the launch of the 2012 Wanganui Business Workshop Series.

The workshops were happening this year instead of the usual business awards because a review process after last year's awards showed change was needed, Whanganui Employers' Chamber of Commerce (WECC) president Jenny Duncan said.

"For the massive amount of effort and hours the benefit and return was not significant. Some people didn't use what they learned."

The chamber didn't want to lose the awards momentum, and the workshop series would set businesses up to succeed in the awards next year.

"It's going to be wider and deeper than anything in the past."

The principal sponsor is the ANZ Bank, and regional manager Scott Lee said the bank was doing things differently too.

"We've been reinventing and simplifying our business for the last while, to make it easier for customers and staff."

The Whanganui Regional Primary Health Organisation was another sponsor, and CEO Judith MacDonald said its non-profit Gonville Health business had embarked on a critical review of how health care was delivered.

"We've turned the whole model upside down."

Wanganui Mayor Annette Main chimed in with change in the way her council is to deliver economic development, through a new body called Whanganui and Partners.One of its first projects would be changing Wanganui's image to "the place where you can do business and still have a life".

Guest speaker Jason Trembath told three stories about his time in the New Zealand Police. They were full of drama - with guns, drug dealers, gang associates, a two kilometre chase on foot and a dog that bit the wrong person.

The common denominator in them was drugs, and Mr Trembath's new business is the New Zealand Drug Detection Agency. He said work-related accidents had reduced by 36 per cent since drug testing began in the workplace.

He got a lot of benefit from a part-time business acceleration course in 2009.

"It's amazing how much help is out there if you want it."

WANGANUI BUSINESS WORKSHOP SERIES

11 workshops

No 1: Why businesses fail

Nos 2-6: The five business basics

Nos 7-11: Practical follow-up

Inspirational speakers

$200 for WECC members

$400 for all other businesses

Subsidised - real cost into 1000s

Four people from each business can go

Starts July, finishes November