Hawke's Bay

41% of the people who came along to the event told us they were unemployed at the time the event started.

There was a high number (30%) of self-employed people who came to the event.

One of the key points on an entrepreneurs journey is the first sale. The first time you hold that $10 profit in your hand. This can turn out to be the catalyst that drives you forward to build your business.

We do everything we can to help people reach their first sale with 50% achieving this during the course!

At the Rebel Business School we track four main figures for people before and after the event. We ask people to rate where they are on a scale of 1-10.

Here are samples of the websites that were built, launched and developed over the course.

It is amazing how having a website so quickly helps people to feel that their business is more real.

Connecting attendees to the local business ecosystem

At the Rebel Business School Aotearoa we make sure new businesses stay connected by providing awareness of business network support in specific areas as needed. These connections are all about enabling business sustainability. Being aware of the Bookkeepers Assn NZ or Business Mentors NZ, for example, can provide business input allowing the business to strengthen its foundations and/or its direction.

Hastings is a New Zealand city and is one of the two major urban areas in Hawke's Bay, on the east coast of the North Island. The population of Hastings is 49,000, with a further 14,900 people in Havelock North and 2,360 in Clive. Hastings is about 18 kilometres inland of the coastal city of Napier.

Hastings is a thriving primary sector district, with a new wave of industry and business launching from the solid economic foundations on offer.

• A base where businesses delivering products and services across the globe prosper.
• Hastings District GDP in 2020 grew 1.8% compared to New Zealand GDP growth of 1.6%.
• Hastings District had 10,155 business units in 2020, compared to 9,195 business units in 2010.
• This grew 2.2% and the national growth was 1.6%.

The vision for Hastings District is to become the powerhouse of the regional economy, ultimately leading to more high value jobs.

Te Puni Kōkiri focusses on Māori Enterprise growth as it is one of the key contributors to whānau wellbeing and socioeconomic outcomes. To this end Te Puni Kōkiri works with other economic public sector agencies to implement the Māori Economic Resilience strategy to build a more sustainable resilient and inclusive Māori economy. A key goal is to increase the number of Small to Medium Māori Enterprises.

Te Puni Kōkiri is government’s principal policy advisor on Māori wellbeing and development.

In July 2019, the Minister for Māori Development tabled a Cabinet paper focused on the role of Te Puni Kōkiri and its functions. That paper solidified the role of Te Puni Kōkiri as the principal policy advisor to the Government on Māori wellbeing and development, and identified the shifts needed to position the Ministry for strategic impact.

Napier, a coastal city on New Zealand's North Island, is set amid the renowned wine-producing region of Hawke's Bay. Rebuilt after a 1931 earthquake, the city is known for art deco landmarks like the zigzag-patterned Daily Telegraph Building. Along the tree-lined waterfront promenade the Marine Parade, the Pania of the Reef statue depicting a Maori maiden, is a symbol of the city.

Napier City Council was delighted to collaborate with other Hawke’s Bay Councils and agencies to support the Rebel Business School. Our economic development strategy goals are to encourage innovation, grow business resilience and to create a business-friendly environment where start-ups are fostered. The Rebel Business School goes a long way to helping us meet these goals, particularly as its non-traditional approach enables those who have other commitments to participate.

We were pleased to see that half of the participants came from Napier and were truly impressed by the breadth of new business ideas that the Rebel team helped bring to market. Their approach resonated with the business owners – nothing is achieved without enthusiasm and they brought it in spades. Well done to all concerned.

Making sure that Hawke’s Bay has the right climate for business to thrive and grow is the mission of Business Hawke’s Bay (BHB), a business-led economic development agency with a region-wide focus; providing business leadership and support for business and economic growth.

BHB supports the growth of Hawke’s Bay’s economy and businesses, and also contributes as a lead agency on the Matariki Hawke’s Bay regional development strategy for economic, inclusive and sustainable growth. BHB works to Attract, Build and Connect the business community through:

• attraction of business, investment and a skilled workforce;
• building sectors, businesses, capability and innovation;
• connecting the business community through BHB and Hawke’s Bay Business Hub services.

By providing a credible, business-led voice for a region that can be at times fragmented for any external business, agencies or even central government to engage with, Business Hawke’s Bay has been instrumental in bringing numerous economic and industry specific development agencies together and making it easier for businesses to grow with the right support around them.

We asked the participants what their Lightbulb moments were at the event. Also they left the messages for our partners and assessed our team’s efforts.