Porirua

39% 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 (22%) 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 56% 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.

Porirua City's economy has been surging ahead and outstripping the national economy in most indicators we monitor. The March Infometrics Quarterly Economic Monitor saw Porirua's economy grow by 3.2% in the year to March 2023, up 1.9% on March 2022. Maintaining that momentum of growth will be a challenge. Porirua City Council's approach is to grow the business sector with a particular focus on the small business and start-ups.

Post Covid, Porirua has seen a change in the job market with more people working from home. The city has also seen an increase in the number of start-up and those entering into self-employment. Supporting these groups will be key to ensuring sustainable growth into the future. Porirua city has been working closely with Maori and Pasifika business communities to ensure they are well represented and receive the support to enable growth.

We are pleased to have Rebel Business School Aotearoa back in Porirua for the fourth time to support these initiatives. Their ethos and mission of 'changing lives and communities through sustainable small business' fits well with the vision that 'Porirua City will be a great place to live, work, and raise a family.'

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.