‘Taking New Zealand to the World’ NZ Chamber of Commerce Conference was held in Wellington end of November, 2006 and was jam packed each day with guest speakers.  Your CoC Council has been briefed and I know many of you will be interested in a nutshell view how you can take your business to the world.

Firstly, it was confirmed the top 20 companies in NZ are members of Chamber of Commerce!  Small to medium enterprises are the main source of innovation and progress in NZ of which 17% of 334,000 SME’s are exporting and developing world-class infrastructure efficiency.  However, NZ'ers need to internationalise views of them selves.  A high level of economic engagement is vital to NZ’s future economic prosperity and the absence of low capital for growth investment slows companies striving for international success.  Unfortunately NZ is not well integrated into the global economy compared to other developed countries.  Both China and India are examples of countries who have developed niche markets with IP, branding, outsourcing production and global communications, here in NZ we need to think global and communication based businesses are under utilised.

Employing our brightest, most qualified and promising people should not threaten businesses.  We all need to develop kiwi global champions.  NZ is 5th in the OECD in Olympic medals but 5th lowest in financial performance.   NZ has the highest number of entrepreneurs in the OECD but the highest failure rate.  This failure rate has to be stopped.  Students from year 10 & 11 at school need to be encouraged to think as entrepreneurs with grants and scholarship programs developed to make promising students, tomorrows business leaders and innovators.  NZ has an aging community and needs to be ‘wage attractive’ to keep NZ’s brightest and most qualified.

To sustain and prosper, business must adapt to continual and sometimes rapid change.  Environmental sustainability is a business imperative, NZ is in a prime position to take advantage of the new wave of business sustainability initiatives to improve their business practices to take NZ’s natural advantage to the world.  Icebreaker brand is an example of homegrown and internationally marketed as Pure NZ.  NZ is trusted in the international market for food products and bioscience is an opportunity market.

Al Gore’s movie ‘Inconvenient Truth’ highlights the effects of climate change that cannot be ignored; resource scarcity, increased temperatures, rising sea levels, more rain, floods, all impact on the cost of raw products; agriculture, horticulture, forestry and fishing.  Water is fast becoming the world’s most valuable resource.

2007 is Export Year and focus should be on international markets.  Its time to stop thinking locally and think internationally, where does your product or service fit in the global marketplace?

“Look after the world, it’s the only planet with chocolate”
“An executive will always return to work from lunch early if no one takes him”
Bronwyn Paul