case studies
Working hard to get something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion. Finding that balance is not always easy but after a health crisis and a dawning that the corporate world wasn’t for her, Julie Raine is now living - and working - her dream job.
It would have been easy for Amit Jiwani to have taken the negative feedback he received about his discount voucher business idea and not gone ahead with his plan.
Alice Brown has been a clinical nurse all her working life. As an intensive care nurse on and off for 10 years, she saw more than her share of trauma, eventually taking a break from the “horrific-ness” after a couple of incidents left her on the verge of burnout.
Sarah Bowman and her husband Caleb Clarke knew they faced more than the usual challenges when they decided to set up a craft brewery on Aotea - Great Barrier Island.
Mark registered with Business Mentors NZ, when he realised that he didn’t have the confidence or business savvy to move his business forward. He was assigned to mentor Ross Kennedy, who supported him and gave him newfound confidence. Ross’ expertise, knowledge, advice and guidance ensured the couple understood the foundations of a small business so they could grow and add people to it.
When Theo Gibson discovered there was a gap in New Zealand’s Audiobook market, he developed a website selling Audiobooks by New Zealand authors. As this was his first time taking on a project of this level, he contacted BMNZ to give him guidance and support on areas outside his expertise. He was paired with Ailsa Barr, who he describes their relationship as being “invaluable”.
AnneMarie is a photographic artist, based in Otago. She specialises in historic photographic processes. Her goal was to become self-employed and make a living from her art, but, while she exhibited and sold her works through a gallery in old Cromwell, she wasn’t sure how to further progress her business. Annemarie contacted BMNZ who matched her with mentor Brian Weaver, who she has now had a partnership with for nearly four years.
After spotting a gap in the sustainability education market, Lesley used her passion for horticulture, tutoring and the environment to create her own business, Eco-Educate. With guidance from her mentor, Linda Norris, Lesley has used her skills to work with pre-schools and schools, helping to increase the level of learning around sustainability. Since joining BMNZ, her business has not just grown – “it has flown”.
Jo came to Business Mentors looking to increase her sales. With the help of her mentor, Bryan Winters, Jo changed her workshops from educational classes into “glass-making experiences”. This doubled her income in the past year. Half of Jo’s business is now dedicated to her glassmaking workshop experiences, while the other half is spent making her own creations for sale throughout New Zealand.
