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Presidents Viewpoint August 2009 |
I have one message this month and it’s an important one:
ENTER YOUR BUSINESS INTO THE BUSINESS AWARDS! We had great attendance at the workshops with a lot of enthusiasm for entries. Many businesses Fraye has contacted since, say they are doing some development, have made or making some changes, not quite ready yet, will enter next year... you may have an award winning business right now without even knowing it. Enter this year, even if YOU feel you or YOUR BUSINESS is not quite ready yet, you may win, or worst, next year you will be well ahead of the competition. Wanganui needs to celebrate winners!! ENTER!
This month I stepped back a bit from Chamber events as I committed to complete my final assessment material for my Bachelor of Applied Management Degree, majoring in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Management. I flew to Otago to present before an assessment panel and was probably more nervous about that, than I have ever been about anything. However, I had prepared well and knew my subject matter, so it was a case of articulating and demonstrating that knowledge before the academics and business representative. As I settled into the process and relaxed the four hours went quickly, following recess I was delighted to receive feedback from the panel that I ‘had far exceeded requirement’. It was a perfect spring day in Dunedin, with cherry blossoms, spring flowers, blue skies and snow capped ranges, made even more perfect knowing all the hard work had paid off. I go back in December for graduation ceremony at the Dunedin Town Hall. So it has been an especially busy year for me but well worth the effort.
Any business person who has applied the right skills and knowledge into their business performance management can achieve what I did and it’s not as difficult as you might imagine. Majors include Innovation & Entrepreneur Management, Strategic Management and Human Resource Management. You are demonstrating these skills every day. Otago Polytechnic is a world leader in the pioneering approach to CAPL and working with an expert facilitator, it’s a matter of unpacking that knowledge and applying it to a level where it can be assessed against the whole qualifications criteria. Anyone interested in learning more about this, I encourage you to give me a call.
Allan MacGibbon, Wanganui District Council Economic Development Manager initiated a meeting of Wanganui business leaders to discuss Wanganui Future Business Development. The aim is to develop a group of pro-active business people, with the ability to collaboratively work together to grow and develop the interests of Wanganui. Past efforts have been made to bring like minded groups together, but the spark has fizzled before results could be realized. I learnt a lot from that meeting and not all of it good. Wanganui has a long way to go to be more business friendly but by exposing the obstacles, then working to find the solutions is a positive step forward. As Chamber members, if any of you are facing barriers to move your business forward, that’s what we are here for. Let me know and Chamber will do whatever possible to assist. If we don’t know we can’t help. Business being a strong collective voice carries weight and your voice counts. A big pat on the back to Allan MacGibbon, for taking the step forward to making sure ‘Wanganui IS Open for Business’.
Have a great month – and ENTER THE BUSINESS AWARDS it could be your year!
Bronwyn Paul
President
Quote 'The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.'
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