Great time for SMES to make a difference

18 March 2009

Great time for SMES to make a difference

Small and medium businesses should be taking advantage of their size to do well during the downturn, business support specialist Sarah Trotman says.

Small and medium enterprises should be positive about the future; they are much more nimble than their larger business counterparts many of whom are spreading the ‘doom and gloom’ message, she says.

Trotman urges smaller businesses to look for opportunities to grow market share while their larger competitors have their foot on the brake.

“Small and medium businesses are the lifeblood of the New Zealand economy making up 96% of the economy,” she says. “They should be mindful but not fearful of what’s happening in the world right now, enjoy their ability to be flexible, focus on staying on the right track and take advantage of all the fantastic business support offerings out there to keep their companies buoyant.

“There are so many positives out there – like lower interest rates and the lower NZ dollar which is better for exporters and more attractive for tourists. It’s time to embrace the positives and dismiss the negatives and seek out opportunities that proactively address the changing market we’re now facing.”

Trotman, whose company was listed at 29th in the 2008 Fast50 growth index, runs Bizzone whose products include the country’s largest event for business the Bizzone Business Expo, NZ’s largest circulating business magazine and the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards.

Bizzone in partnership with The National Bank surveyed business owners last month to find out their biggest challenge. Trotman says she was heartened by the many positive responses from the survey.

“While the main issues dealt with cashflow, sales/marketing and employment, we also received many comments like: ‘all good out there’ and ‘Life just doesn't stop because the gloom merchants say so’.”

Trotman says entries were up for the 2009 Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards which will be presented by the Prime Minister Hon John Key during the Bizzone Business Expo in Auckland on 28 May and exhibition bookings are on track for each of the three expos.

“Without denying it’s more challenging out there, with ‘smart marketing’ our new expo theme this year we are very positive about the outcome for 2009. We expect the SME sector to grow as more people become self employed and all of these business owners will need quality business support – exactly what is provided within the dynamic Bizzone Business Expo environment,” Trotman says.

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