INTOUCH : A note of caution

The recession has signalled major change to the business landscape and despite the talk of “green shoots”, the challenges will remain for some time.
That’s according to Bizzone’s managing director Sarah Trotman who warns that business needs to remain vigilant on key areas – cashflow, productivity, business culture and innovation.
“Whilst business owners are continuing to work 25 percent harder just to stay in the same place, it is the business support organisations such as the professional services, the economic development agencies, the government departments and business mentors that will offer them the help they need now and in the future as they move toward their longer term goals. Overconfidence and belief that things will get better quickly is naïve and dangerous.”
Trotman urges business owners to seek out the support they need, not to wear the struggles alone. And in that context, she also announced the 37 finalists in this year’s Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards.
In the Large Business category these include Bartercard, UniServices, Interface Financial Group, Fuji Xerox, Kiwibank and Maclean Computing, with Designworks, Video Pro and Digital Island featuring in the BDO Business $5-$10 million bracket.
Finalists in the BDO Government sector are carboNZero, EECA, Inland Revenue and Statistics NZ. Leadership NZ features in both the not-for-profit and education provider categories and the BDO individual finalists are Mike Tournier (carboNZero), Peter Meggison (Kiwibank) and Rod Oram (Evanston Enterprises).
The full list can be seen at Visited 24 times, 1 visit(s) today