The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment report has found that small businesses contribute almost 30 per cent to the national GDP, yet 97 per cent operate with less than 20 employees and 69 per cent operate without any employees at all.
To help ease the load for small business operators – and to make it easier for aspiring business owners – OfficeMax developed the BusinessCorner, a one-stop-shop full of tools and templates to help people navigate the world of business plans, human resources templates, and profit and loss sheets.
The Ministry’s 2014 Small Business Sector Report shows the path of a small business owner isn’t an easy one. Of all new businesses started in 2010, one in four enterprises didn’t make it past the first three years of trading.
Managing Director for OfficeMax, Kevin Obern, said small businesses have an important role in the New Zealand economy, but due to the complexities of people working in their businesses, it leaves little time for them to work on their businesses from a planning and administrative perspective.
“OfficeMax created the BusinessCorner in order to address these problems and to make the task of running a small business less troublesome for the small business community.
“The contribution small businesses make to this country is extraordinary – with them our economy is boosted,” Mr Obern said.
“People often have plenty of inspiration and creativity, but it’s the lack of business knowledge or time to plan and prepare that makes the failure rate so high.”
The OfficeMax BusinessCorner is the online destination for budding and established entrepreneurs looking to start or expand their small businesses this summer.
An expert collation of tools and resources makes this website a necessity for those needing assistance or guidance regarding anything small business.
“By founding the BusinessCorner we wanted to do our part in helping current small business owners and those looking to take the leap as a start up,” Mr Obern said.
“The expert and qualified information available is practical, easy to understand and digestible, meaning you don’t need to knuckle down to read it – you can access the BusinessCorner from just about anywhere, relax and take in all the tips and suggestions.”
Mr Obern said the BusinessCorner is invaluable for anyone in small business, as well as those contemplating starting up their own company.
“The BusinessCorner would have been so useful when I was setting up my first small business 30 years ago,” he said.
“The OfficeMax BusinessCorner gives you everything you need to know, making it so much easier to focus on the things your business needs to improve.
“From building your business knowledge to solving a problem, this online resource would’ve been great when I was starting out.
“We’ve also had excellent input on the website from the New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, who are an invaluable partner of the BusinessCorner.”