Tell us a bit about BizDjo Takapuna.
Bizdojo Takapuna is located in the heart of North Shore and provides a perfect blend of business amenities with a laid back beachside location. It offers the spectacular and one of the most un-obstructed best views of Rangitoto Island. We have office solutions for all kinds of businesses and we pledge to help people have a great day at work. Just 15 minutes away from Auckland city centre enjoy a modern beach-side workspace in Bizdojo-Takapuna!
How have people’s office working habits changed since Covid?
People’s office habits have changed pretty significantly over the course of the pandemic and the root of this is the accelerated adoption of hybrid working, which gives employees the freedom to split their time between the HQ, home and a local flexspace. While this approach was already gaining traction before Covid-19, the pandemic really brought to life the benefits of taking a more flexible approach to how and where people work, and people began to question old habits that no longer seemed logical. An example of this – and perhaps the most significant change – is that hybrid workers are no longer expected to be in a city centre HQ five-days a week, cutting out the expensive and time-intensive daily commute. This new way of working is helping people to spend more time with family, friends and doing what they love. That’s not to say office HQs aren’t important anymore – they will still remain vital places for connecting and collaborating with colleagues on some days, with employees free to split the rest of their time between home and local flexible workspaces according to what suits them or the tasks they have on that day.
What are things that small businesses should be focusing to get through another turbulent year?
It goes without saying that the last couple of years have been incredibly tough for small businesses, and while they continue to focus on recovery from the pandemic, they will also be coming up against rising inflation and living costs. The hybrid work model can help businesses reduce their overheads significantly. In fact, Global Workplace Analytics did a study a little while ago that found that businesses can save NZD $17,000 for each employee who works in the hybrid model, per year. This is mainly down to the fact that they no longer have to commit to long and expensive office leases, with flexible workspace giving them the freedom to scale up or down according to their current business needs, as well as scaling back on the costs associated with running offices such as electricity, heating and so on.
People are also happier working the hybrid way. The headlines around the 'Great Resignation' say it all at the moment – people have new expectations around how and where they can work and they are willing to quit if they don’t get that flexibility. Our own research found that 50% of office workers would quit if asked to return to the office full-time. Adapting to this new way of working is a win-win – it gives employees the flexibility they desire, and a happier workforce is also a more productive one, helping to boost performance and growth.
How do you look after the wellbeing of your team in a changing Covid environment?
With hybrid working, employees can work wherever is best for their wellbeing. It ultimately empowers them to decide what is best for them and where they can be at their most productive, while ensuring they can still connect and collaborate with colleagues or like-minded individuals, whether in an HQ or a flexspace. Investing in mental health, employee wellbeing and improved lines of communication is essential in this new world of work, especially when employees aren’t all necessarily going to be in the same place at the same time. Structuring work around collaboration and connection, ensuring regular in-person and virtual check-ins is paramount to ensure no one is left feeling isolated. Setting out and maintaining a clear hybrid work policy is also going to be key for businesses. In reality, the mass rollout of hybrid working is still in its early stages, so while there’s lots to be tested and learned, it’s important that leaders are intentional about change and set clear boundaries and expectations for their employees to follow and be guided by.
What is a passion of yours that keeps your wellbeing tank full?
My passion is people and our product. People as in working with and surrounded by like-minded people whether it is the team I work with or teams (establishments) we help to have a great day at work.
Product: pioneering in the industry of flexible work space; I love to be part of the process of bringing the change in the world of hybrid working or providing best solutions for flexible workspace.
Tell us a bit about Hi Ho Digital and how you started it
I’ve been in advertising all my working life and previously ran a print-based agency for 20 years which created catalogue campaigns for clients in New Zealand and Australia. I loved print and the campaigns that we generated around it. However, they weren’t 100% accountable, and an accurate ROI could not be gained. Taking brand awareness aside, catalogue print campaigns have a low ROI and generally ran at conversion rate of 1.75% to 7% if the right offer and call to action are presented. I wanted more accountability with a higher ROI for my clients, so out of that came Hi Ho, my new digital marketing agency.
Hi Ho develops and implements automated digital marketing strategies and campaigns, that channel relevant traffic with high conversion rates to our customer's websites. An automated digital sales funnel enables our customers to talk with relevance to their target audiences. It also allows second by second analytics on conversion and ROI. We know what is working and what isn’t at any given time.
How has peoples media consumption changed in the last two years with Covid?
Covid has forced more and more consumers to change their shopping habits. Instead of visiting a bricks and mortar store, they have now got used to researching, analysing and purchasing online. The fear or perception of receiving the wrong or inferior product via e-commerce has almost been eliminated. This has been achieved partly out of necessity and partly from good seamless e-commerce experiences. With e-commerce, the consumer is no longer limited to a geographic location for shopping. They can almost shop from anywhere in the world. And that’s not Aucklanders or New Zealanders purchasing products offshore, but also people from the other side of the world buying products from New Zealand.
What are things that small businesses should be focusing to get through another turbulent year?
Expand your market with a well thought out e-commerce experience coupled with an automated inbound marketing funnel. Not only will local customers adapt and not wander off to the competition, which is only one click away., it will also help your business target consumers who want your product from all over New Zealand and the world.
How do you look after the wellbeing of your team in a changing Covid environment?
Without a doubt, Covid and lockdowns have been tough on everyone. But one thing we learned at Hi Ho over the last two years is that we can work from anywhere. We quickly learned who liked working from home or in isolation from the office environment and those who needed the office environment to stay productive. Hi Ho now operates an open office: staff can either work from home or at the office, and it’s up to them to decide what works best for them. This has worked well for us as we now have staff in different locations throughout New Zealand. Productivity has never been higher.
What is a passion of yours that keeps your wellbeing tank full?
Wilderness and photography, and when I mean wilderness, I mean adventures up mountains and deep into valleys that take days, either on foot or on my mountain bike or gravel bike. These adventures recharge my soul with fitness, creativity and time away from the inevitable rush of everyday tasks and expectations – a mind and body reset.
My most recent adventures included:
Disappearing with a good friend into the back of the Nelson lakes for five days. We ventured up to Rotomairewhenua (Blue Lake – which has the clearest water in the world) and Rotopōhueroa (Lake Constance). I was on a mission to find the source of Rotomairewhenua and capture it in an image, as well as continue my image study of the Sabin River.
Cycling the Old Ghost Road for the second time but this time adding the Heaphy Track onto it. Why? To see if I could do it. Eight hours a day for five days with everything you need on your bike over some of the most challenging mountain biking terrain in New Zealand. Fantastic!
