Masterton District Council Celebrates Milestone for ‘Taking Care of Business’ Support Service

Masterton District Council is celebrating a milestone as the Taking Care of Business (TCOB) initiative has its first birthday.

TCOB is a free service that was the brainchild of the Enviromental Health Team. Services Manager Terri Mulligan knows council processes can be complicated.

“The team saw a way we could make it easier for new businesses to navigate the various rules and regulations that apply when they want to open, and for existing businesses that might be moving location” she said.

By completing a simple TCOB form, business owners are connected with a dedicated council Business Support Advisor who guides them through everything they’ll need from building and planning to health and licensing requirements.

“It gave us a great start” says Zoe Paris, co-owner of Brown Butter café which launched last year.

“It was an extremely useful tool setting up our food business. We got all the information we needed before opening. The service was prompt and made the next steps clear to follow, with the right people to contact.”

Kev and Trac of TK’s Gourmet Kitchen were also pleased with their experience.

“Taking Care of Business, what an awesome service! Got us connected to the right people and information straight up. It was very easy and user friendly.”

Felicity Reidy, the Business Analyst who built the new process, says the initiative is all about making life easier for business owners.

"We’re here to support businesses. Getting a coordinated response quickly means they can get their doors open faster.”

“We’re focused on being a district that welcomes businesses – and this is a way we can take away a little of the pain for owners.”

To learn more about Taking Care of Business, or access the service, visit www.mstn.govt.nz and search ‘setting up a business’.

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