Business/Advisory
Services
Our usual method of gathering information is based on a 3 month Initial Business Diagnosis which allows us to gather information to find your Critical Path.
We develop and deliver Strategic Action Plans tailored to your business needs.
During the time of our engagement you have unlimited email and phone access to me.
Into the Blue NZ Limited is registered with the Regional Business Partner Network (NZTE) to provide services with the RBP Voucher Funding Scheme.
We can help you with any of the below and more!
A list of our current government co-funded services listed here.
Programme 1 - COVID-19 Crisis: Business Support and Continuity Planning
Covid-19 Crisis – Business Support and Continuity Planning
We are working with owners and senior managers (owners) to provide one-on-one advice and support on HR, Health and Wellness, Business Continuity Planning, Finance and Cashflow Management, etc. We will also be looking to test both the owner’s and their business’s resilience and to provide coaching and advice on how to increase that resilience to cope with the 4 week “Covid-19 Alert Level 4” lockdown commencing 11.59pm 25th March 2020 and the potential event of a more major significant Covid-19 lockdown our outbreak in New Zealand. This support can take place way of video conferencing such as Zoom or Skype, or by telephone. This support and advice will cover the effect of the current longer-term restrictions being placed on New Zealand i.e. closing of our borders and potential longer-term restrictions on gatherings of more than 100 people, the 4-week “Covid-19 Alert Level 4” lockdown and the potential impact of a more significant long-term lockdown. We will work with you to come up with potential ways to manage and minimise the financial impact on your business. This support and advice will be fully funded up to an amount as agreed with your local Growth Advisor. Many businesses have already been affected by the closed border restrictions including the tourism, hospitality, entertainment and events sectors. This has also affected suppliers of these sectors such as caterers, cleaners and printers. The 4-week lockdown will affect most New Zealand businesses including several businesses which are classified as an “Essential Business” as the majority of their customer base may full into the “Non-Essential” locked down category. This support and advice will cover the below with an aim to increase both the owner’s and their business’s resilience to the effects of a significant Covid-19 lockdown or outbreak in New Zealand:
- Human Resources – includes identifying all key staff and to provide cover for them if they cannot work, making plans to allow staff to work from home, how to cover mission critical activities, any redundancy plan, etc.
- Health and Wellness – covers the need for business owners to stay in contact with their employees while they are working from home and during lockdown periods. It will also include the setting up of employee networks to check and stay in communication with each over. And most importantly, it will include helping the owners to set up or join networks to ensure that they are able to cope with the effects of this crisis on their business. As a Business Advisor it is also one of our duties to stay in contact with business owners during times of business stress.
- Business Planning and Business Continuity Planning – short, medium and long-term plans which include how to cope with the immediate issues, the potential of a significant Covid-19 lockdown / outbreak, and a recovery plan once New Zealand comes out the other-side of Covid-19. This will not be a quick recovery.
- Financial Planning – this will include the impact of a downtown in your business from both reduced production (staff shortages) and a decrease in demand, the cost of changing your market strategy, cost cutting, cashflow management, refinancing loans, staff redundancies, etc.
Cashflow Management will include full cashflow planning including refinancing loans at lower interest rate, interest rate holidays, the use of Government subsidies and tax deferments. The combat of Covid-19 in New Zealand will not mean an instant return to business as usual as our borders will stay closed until there is a global all-clear.
- Potential Government Funding and tax relief – checking what funding is available and ensuring that you can provide the required proof of eligibility. This is currently a moving target in favour of businesses.
- Financial Review and Analysis – this will show how the business is currently operating (good or bad), allow for the implementation of key drivers to better understand the business and provide the basepoint, if required, for any potential Inland Revenue claim.
- Identifying your competitive edge / advantage – this is key to building both your own and your business’s resilience. What do we do well and what do we do better than anyone else?
- Market Analysis and strategy – identify every sector that you currently operate in and any new sectors that you could operate in. Analysis the effect of Covid-19 on each sector and then implement a strategy to target the least affected sectors.
This programme will be tailored to the specific needs of the business owner (no two businesses are the same). The cost of this programme, which will be fully government funded up to an amount as agreed by your local Growth Advisor, is worked out on a time and materials basis of $200 + GST per hour plus any other agreed costs. Download this information
Programme 2 - Covid-19 – Business Support including Continuity Planning, Marketing, Digital Enablement and Cashflow Planning & Modelling
We are working with business owners (owners) to provide one-on-one advice and support on Employee Relations, Health and Wellness, Business Continuity Planning, Marketing, Digital Enablement, Finance and Cashflow Management, etc. We will be looking to test both the owner’s and their business’s resilience and to provide advice and support on how to increase that resilience.
This support can take place by way of video conferencing, telephone and face to face meetings. It will also cover the effect of the current longer-term restrictions being placed on New Zealand i.e. border closures, restrictions on gatherings and the impact of a reintroduction of lockdown periods. We will work with you to come up with methods to both manage and minimise the financial impacts and stresses of running a business.
This support and advice will cover the below areas with an aim to increase both the owner’s and their business’s resilience to the significant effects that Covid-19 has had and will have on the New Zealand economy and its social fabric:
- Digital Enablement Services – Alert Levels 3 & 4 have illustrated the need for a digital presence to survive whether by video conferencing to hold meetings or online sales to provide a level of turnover. We can help you to update or create a digital market presence including websites and social media to promote and sell your products and services; setup online newsletter mailouts; implement video conferencing to hold remote meetings with clients, suppliers, work mates, etc to reduce travel costs and lost time.
- Human Resources – includes identifying all key staff and to provide cover for them if they cannot work, making plans to allow staff to work from home, how to cover mission critical activities, business restructuring i.e. redundancy plans to allow businesses to survive in a smaller market, etc.
- Health and Wellness – covers the need for business owners to stay in contact with their employees while working from home and during lockdown periods. It includes the setting up of employee networks to check and stay in communication with each over. And will include helping the owners to set up or join networks to ensure that they are able to cope with the effects of this crisis on their business. As a Business Advisor it is also one of our duties to stay in contact with business owners during times of business stress.
- Business Planning and Business Continuity Planning – short, medium and long-term recovery plans which include how to cope with the immediate issues i.e. additional Covid-19 restrictions; the longer term issues of the significant impact on the economy, people’s health and social conditions; plus the recovery plan once New Zealand comes out the other-side of Covid-19 restrictions. This will not be a quick recovery and strategies will need to be developed to reinstate critical business activities in the shortest possible time frames.
- Financial Planning – this will include the impact of a downturn in your business from reduced production caused by staff and material shortages plus decreased demand from a slowdown in the economy from lost or reduced market segments. Additionally, the costs and benefits of changing market strategies, cost cutting, cashflow management, refinancing loans, staff redundancies, etc.
- Cashflow Management will include full cashflow planning including refinancing loans at lower interest rates, mortgage holidays, use of Government subsidies, loans and tax deferments. The combat of Covid-19 will not mean an instant return to business as usual as our borders will stay either closed or tightly controlled until there is a global all-clear.
- Potential Government Funding and tax relief – checking what funding is available and when. This is a moving target in favour of business.
- Financial Review and Analysis – this will show how the business is currently operating (good or bad), allow for the implementation of key drivers to better understand the business and provide the basepoint, if required, for any potential government claim.
- Market Analysis and strategy – identify every sector that you currently operate in and any new sectors that you could operate in. Analysis the effect of Covid-19 on each sector and then implement a strategy to target the least affected and fastest recovering sectors. Keep an eye on what your competitors are doing. A competitor analysis is key to keeping your competitive edge and developing a competitive advantage in a smaller marketplace plus building your business’s resilience.
This programme will be tailored to the specific needs of the business owner (no two businesses are the same). The cost of this programme will be fully funded up to an amount as agreed by your local Growth Advisor. Our costs are worked out on a time and materials basis ranging from $50 + GST per hour for basic digital enhancement services to a maximum of $200 + GST per hour for Business Continuity Planning. Call now tel:021 625 871
Business Strategy / Action Plans
- Identify the long game and establish a strategic plan
- Align business model to strategic plan
- Write Action Plan to meet strategic plan objectives which includes identifying and committing the required resources
- Take required actions as identified in the Action Plan
Business Plans
Writing multipurpose business plans to:
- Help business owners better understand their businesses
- Provide robust forecasts which can be used to help raise capital for the purchase of new or replacement plant and other assets
- Develop employee incentive schemes based on business profit improvement
Process Improvement / Critical Path
- Analyse and identify efficient systems that link all parts of the business together
- Analyse all business / workflow processes for potential improvement
- Identify any missing processes and or systems for incorporation into the business
- The elimination of duplication, inefficiency and waste (rework)
Health & Safety
- Review current Health and Safety systems and policies to ensure they are aligned with relevant standards
- Establish and embed processes for regular review and assessment of Health and Safety issues.
- Develop a culture of personal responsibility with regards to Health & Safety
Financial Management
- Create clear management performance indicators and identify key business drivers
- Ensure there is integration between the financial systems and the day to day operation of the business
- Establish a monthly reporting function around financial targets aligned with the business objectives
- Establish monthly staff meetings either formal or informal to gain feedback on how the business is performing
- Establish procedures and systems to check for irregular payment
- Establishment of segmentation gross margin reporting to easily identify product/service mix and under-performing areas of the business.
Cashflow Management
- Create clear management performance indicators and identify key business drivers
- A cash requirements plan including timings to ensure that either the required cash or facilities are in place when needed
Exit Strategy / Succession Planning
- Establish a framework to allow all parties to achieve desired results
- Define financial ramifications
- Articulate defined exit strategy program
- Identify opportunities and the viability of each
- Monitor progress
Health and Wellness
Covers the need for business owners to stay in contact with their employees while they are working from home and during lockdown periods. It will also include the setting up of employee networks to check and stay in communication with each over. And most importantly, it will include helping the owners to set up or join networks to ensure that they are able to cope with the effects of this crisis on their business. As a Business Advisor it is also one of our duties to stay in contact with business owners during times of business stress.
Pricing & Quoting
- Ensure quotes contain a breakdown of all components so that these can be used for future accurate quoting
Sales & Marketing
- Establish a marketing program / plan to align with identified channels to market
- Develop a target list and strategy for attracting new high value customers
- Ensure the market knows your full product / service offering
- Identify every market that you currently operate in and any new sectors that you could operate in
- Competitor Analysis – this is key to keeping your “competitive edge” and helping to develop your “competitive advantage”
Human Resources Strategy
- Cultures and leadership practices – are they aligned?
- Is the Team aligned in its work practices and culture?
- Establish any HR requirements
- Align employment contracts towards both the strategic plan and business model
- Staff training and development to align with individual staff requirements
Procurement and Inventory Control
- Work with suppliers to make it easy for you to do business with them and for them to do business with you
- Develop procurement strategy
- Know product lead times
Business Startups
- Develop a feasibility study to determine whether the business idea is practical and achievable.
- Develop a 5 year plan which can also be used to form the basis of a project plan and help to obtain a banking facility and other investment requirements.
- Provide specific investor information requirements to raise capital.
- Establish financial management practices including how to setup and read Profit & Loss and Balance Sheets to help you manage the business.
Capital Planning
- Review capital requirements if required
One off Projects / Issue Solving
One-off client-initiated projects to solve specific client related issues such as:
- Rewriting / updating a one-sided supplier contract to make it a more two-sided contract.
- Feasibility studies on new, replacement and potentially redundant resources i.e. buy a new piece of plant, replace a truck, employ a new staff member, etc.
- Capacity planning.
- Feasibility study on moving into a new market segment.
- Conducting cost benefit analysis (feasibility studies) and writing cost benefit models to either support or disprove a potential business initiative.
Branding and Digital Enhancement
This coaching and training will cover how to:
- Identify if your brand is still relevant to your products, services, and customers.
- Design a brand that is up to date and relevant.
- Ensure the market knows your full product / service offering.
- Design and write an up to date website or provide a website developer with the requirements to complete this task.
- Keep your website fresh and up to date including a blog page.
- Write blogs / newsletters that can be sent to customers via Mailchimp.
- Linking digital messages and articles for Facebook and other forms of social media.
Find out if your business is working for you.
Client Successes
All businesses – develop key business drivers to help business owners to make more informed financial and management decisions.
Develop or improve business processes using critical path solutions to either eliminate or significantly reduce waste and duplication including rework.
Most businesses – restructure of management / financial accounts by business segment to identify gross margins by segment and rework costs. This instantly identifies both product / service mix changes and individual segment issues.
Import / export fashion business – cashflow forecasting models including flow charts and timelines by country of manufacture from overseas manufacturer deposits through to receipts from both New Zealand and overseas customers.
This allows the bank to fully understand the cash timings which can be 6 months+ from initial payment to final receipt and so provide the appropriate loan facility.
Haulage and Contracting (including site works) type businesses – full costing model by individual truck or plant item to work out new charge out rates based on agreed margins.
The costings include all individual truck or plant costs, all driver / operator costs and all other support costs. If the business is using a GPS system, the model will calculate either an hourly or kilometre rate.
IT company – developed and wrote a business plan and business processes for the restructure of the Finance and Administration Departments to facilitate a significantly reduced month end reporting cycle and to free up the Finance Department to allow them to become involved in value added projects plus provide value added management reports to both the Directors and Business Managers of the business in order to help them make more informed decisions.
