Business Mentors New Zealand has announced a new initiative
to increase business mentoring support to rural businesses throughout New
Zealand, which are facing increasing levels of stress worsened by the aftermath
of the recent drought, tighter regulations on health and safety, and
environmental controls.
The new initiative supported by the Ministry of
Business, Innovation and Employment sees the $150 Business Mentors’
registration fee waived for businesses in areas where a medium-scale drought
was declared. The country’s 17 Business Mentoring agencies are being encouraged
to place greater emphasis on supporting rural enterprises.
Ray Schofield CEO of Business Mentors New Zealand
says: `We know that your
typical Kiwi guy won’t ask for the help that could help him take his company to
the next level.
The purpose of this initiative is to assist rural
businesses affected by the drought in those areas where the medium-scale
drought has been declared. The funding is specifically to enable free client
registrations that normally cost $150. Funding of these registration costs are
seen as a means of removing any real or perceived barriers to business owners
accessing support from BMNZ.’
Rising pressures on farmers and recent statistics that
show stress and depression is a real issue in rural communities, which has
serious economic consequences. Ministry of Health data shows the suicide rate
for those living in rural areas is 16 per 100,000 people, compared to a rate of
11.2 per 100,000 people in urban areas
Lack of support for farmers in particular leads to poorer
decision making on farm, affecting animals and the whole farm system.
This often leads to poorer farm productivity and profitability.
Ray Schofield explains: `A business mentor is unique
one-to-one, confidential and highly experienced in the trials and tribulations
of running a small to medium sized enterprise. One of the big things is the
isolation which rural businesses are often faced. A business mentor takes that
away and provides a sounding board to take the company to the next level.’
Business Mentors New Zealand is the country’s only
national volunteer business mentoring service. The not for profit organisation helps around 250 businesses find a mentor every
month and has assisted more than 65,000 small to medium-size enterprise owners
in New Zealand in the last 22 years. Business Mentors provides access to over 1,900 volunteer mentors (who give
their experience, skill and knowledge free of charge). The $150 registration
fee allows mentoring for up to two years.
Rural businesses who
wish to apply for a mentor under this new initiative are advised to call 0800
209 209 to see if they meet MBIE criteria for a registration code.
For more information please visit www.businessmentors.org.nz
Peter
Boyes, Boyes PR - 0275 540 500 peter@boyespr.co.nz
Ray
Schofield, Business Mentors - 027 473 5435
