• Jane and Jeremy Bain
  • Phil Brosnan
  • Steve Taylor
  • Lester de Vere
  • Michelle Leonard

Riding out the Covid turbulence

Feature: Post Covid Positivity

Like many enterprises that rely on events and people being able to interact, Channel Magazine has been challenged by this Covid-19 period. Along with many other business enterprises we have risen to the challenge and worked hard to ride out the turbulence. It’s called resilience. Along the way we have done everything we can to assist local businesses and not-for-profit entities to do likewise. 18 months on from the start of this Covid-19 challenge we thought it was time to catch up with some of our business people to probe them about their own experiences through this period and to share their learnings. Local people in the hospitality, logistics, building, construction and business sales sectors. We’ve called this our 'Post Covid Positivity’ feature.


Steve Taylor – Taylors on Hurstmere

Steve Taylor has been in hospitality all his working life, working in London, Melbourne and Portugal. He is the proud owner/operator of Taylors, a much-loved local Takapuna wine bar and eatery that has been operating for four years on Hurstmere Road, near The Promenade and Bruce Mason Centre. Steve talks to Channel Mag about getting through the initial Covid lockdown, the support of family, friends and regulars and the importance of staying calm during unprecedented times.

Channel Mag: Looking back to March/April 2020, did you think that Covid-19 would be still playing this part in our lives 18 months on?
Steve Taylor:
I think no one knew exactly what was happening and for how long, but it felt this was going to be around in some way for a few years.

CM: What helped you get through the initial Covid-19 lockdown period of March-May 2020 and come out the other side?
ST:
Great support from family and friends and our amazing regulars, constant social media interaction and an online voucher system for small businesses called SOS where you could support by buying vouchers in advance. The support as soon as we opened back was unbelievable.

CM: The up and down uncertain nature has been a real challenge for business. What key things have you implemented to keep your entity focused on the challenge?
ST:
Being a small team and having an understanding landlord certainly helps! We built up a loyal customer base before Covid which helped us bounce back better, and we are still thinking ahead and positive with events and functions etc.

CM: What have been the positive things to come out of this challenge?
ST:
It makes you appreciate how things can change so quickly. I managed to spend time with family over lockdown which is hard to do in the hospitality business.

CM: If you had one key learning from the period that you would share with others, what would that be?
ST:
Stay calm; a lot of things are out of your hands and positively work on the things you can control.

CM: Why are you feeling positive about the future for your business and the North Shore?
ST:
I believe the Shore is going through some transition at the moment, the high street and related businesses are finding it really tough but I believe this summer will be better than ever for those that stick at it!

CM: Complete the following… When we have beaten Covid-19 I am going to…
ST:
…take a well-deserved holiday to somewhere hot!

Taylors on Hurstmere, 168 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna Beach, Phone 09 489 9510 or visit: www.taylorsonhurstmere.co.nz


Michelle Leonard – LC Designer Homes

Michelle Leonard has a background in corporate architecture and has joined her husband Adam in his building business. Michelle leads the architectural team, designing and documenting their clients new homes and significant renovations, Adam then manages the construction of the homes Michelle has designed. The couple believe that the collaborative way of working gets the best outcomes for their clients. Michelle also works with clients on their interior fixtures and fittings, colours and finishes to create cohesive homes inside and out. She talks to Channel Magazine about the business, weathering the Covid period and positivity about what’s ahead.

Channel Mag: Looking back to March/April 2020, did you think that Covid-19 would be still playing this part in our lives 18 months on?
Michelle Leonard:
Not at all.I think we were all so focused on how we were going to get through the next three to six months.

CM: What helped you get through the initial Covid-19 lockdown period of March-May 2020 and come out the other side?
ML:
Microsoft Teams. It meant that we could catch up with our team, third parties and clients remotely and discuss what we were working on, what we needed to focus on etc. It took a bit of getting used to, but it now allows us to work remotely when we need to. Meeting clients online was natural for us as we were just finishing a new build with a client who was living in Hong Kong at the time so we had that sorted! In addition, with two young children to manage, it was Adam that got us through! Because our sites were not operational, Adam was home and could look after the children as I worked.

CM: The up and down uncertain nature has been a real challenge for business, what key things have you implemented to keep your entity focused on the challenge?
ML:
While we could work remotely, we found that we much preferred working together in the same space, so in February of this year we bucked ‘working from home’ trends and moved into our studio space in Sunnynook, where we have a purpose-built space to have design workshops with our clients. This change has really re-focused our business and stepped up our level of professionalism. The team love having a customised space to work in versus being jammed into our basement home office!

CM: What have been the positive things to come out of this challenge?
ML:
We used the time so productively and re-branded (from Leonard Construction to LC Designer Homes), rolled out a new website and built our own customer portal. Had we not had the lockdown period these would have taken us a lot longer to implement.

CM: If you had one key learning from the period that you would share with others, what would that be?
ML:
Just go with the flow! You need to be flexible. At the start of our lockdown we spent the first few days not doing too much work, giving our staff (and ourselves) time to find their new normal and daily schedules with families before we got stuck into our projects. That was really useful.

CM: Why are you feeling positive about the future for your business and the North Shore?
ML:
The North Shore is humming. There is so much going on. The Unitary Plan is allowing for more intensification, and it is happening with great fervour. As our housing stock gets older it sometimes makes sense to remove it and build new than extend and renovate, which is where LC Designer Homes can help.

CM: Complete the following… When we have beaten Covid-19 I am going to…
ML:
…we took a well-timed 2019 European trip with the kids and had a ball so when we have gotten on top of Covid-19 we will definitely be off for an adventure with them overseas somewhere.

LC Designer Homes, visit: www.lchomes.co.nz


Jane and Jeremy Bain – Pack & Send Takapuna

Jane and Jeremy Bain are the local Pack & Send franchisees. They are the owner/operator of the retail packaging and freight logistics business based in Barry’s Point Road, Takapuna. They offer a broad range of freight and courier services sending anywhere around New Zealand and the world. They speak to Channel Mag about their journey, building resilience in the way they operate and the place they’ll visit once Covid is a thing of the past.

Channel Mag: Looking back to March/April 2020, did you think that Covid-19 would be still playing this part in our lives 18 months on?
Jane and Jeremy Bain:
Yes. Seeing Italian hospitals overrun and with no cure or reliable treatment available at the time, it was likely to have a massive effect on the world population and economy for some time.

CM: What helped you get through the initial Covid-19 lockdown period of March-May 2020 and come out the other side?
JJB:
Support from family, friends and local business groups. Talking to and supporting each other. The Government financial support package for businesses being implemented so quickly certainly provided some breathing room.

CM: The up and down uncertain nature has been a real challenge for business. What key things have you implemented to keep your entity focused on the challenge?
JJB:
Good communication and support within the business. Executing operating plans at different alert levels. Building resilience in the business to cope with sudden changes.

CM: What have been the positive things to come out of this challenge?
JJB:
There is no ‘business as usual’ so need to build resilience in operations and have broader product options to service more customers to move where demand is.

CM: If you had one key learning from the period that you would share with others, what would that be?
JJB:
Build key relationships with staff, suppliers, bank managers and especially customers. Be sure to provide a high level of customer service and get to know your customers to help maintain and grow our business as well as theirs.  

CM: Why are you feeling positive about the future for your business and the North Shore?
JJB:
We have a strong supportive local community. It is heart-warming to see local businesses adapt their operations to service and support their customers. In turn, it has been good to see the community support our local and small business. The heart of Takapuna is rejuvenating and the growing population living in Takapuna itself is boosting the community.

CM: Complete the following… When we have beaten Covid-19 I am going to…
JJB:
…have a Fijian holiday.

Pack & Send Takapuna, 77 Barrys Point Road, Phone 09 486 3355, email: takapuna@packsend.co.nz


Phil Brosnan – Brosnan Construction

Phil Brosnan moved to the Shore from Dunedin in 2004 to build a construction business for a national contractor. Together with wife Michelle, Phil has gone on to found two construction businesses: a commercial construction company, Brosnan Construction, that is focused on remediating buildings and a carpentry subcontracting business, Bettabuilt, that makes life easy for main contractors. Phil’s role in the group is Managing Director and he focuses on supporting the CEO and CFO to run these businesses. Collectively Phil’s businesses employ around 300 people with offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown. Phil gives Channel Magazine an insight into riding the highs and lows of Covid-19, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and his view of the long term implications of the pandemic on our economy.

Channel Mag: Looking back to March/April 2020, did you think that Covid-19 would be still playing this part in our lives 18 months on?
Phil Brosnan:
Like most, the initial reaction was that this was an offshore problem, but I quickly came to think of this as our modern plague. While our understanding of medical sciences has increased beyond proportion since the 14th century, I think we will be fighting with this for most of this decade and the economic effects will be felt for a long time after that.

CM: What helped you get through the initial Covid-19 lockdown period of March-May 2020 and come out the other side?
PB:
I look back on that period with a sense of pride. Pride in our team and what we achieved. We worked so hard and achieved so much during that lockdown period. In short, the thing that helped was the unwavering support of a loyal and hardworking team.

CM: The up and down uncertain nature has been a real challenge for business. What key things have you implemented to keep your entity focused on the challenge?
PB:
We are fortunate to have a very focused strategy driven by our CEO, Geoff Nash. When Covid hit our shores we were very clear about the path we were on, and while we didn’t get everything right, that strategy was an unwavering guide.

CM:  What have been the positive things to come out of this challenge?
PB:
Our group has always been highly mobile with almost everything in the cloud. The pandemic taught us all how to work remotely and now ‘working from home’ has become the norm.

CM: If you had one key learning from the period that you would share with others, what would that be?
PB:
Have a good strategy, by all means when the unexpected happens, question relevance but otherwise, follow it toward your own success. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are and capitalise on their individual strengths.

CM: Why are you feeling positive about the future for your business and the North Shore?
PB:
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we have a good strategy and a high performing team.

CM: Complete the following… When we have beaten Covid-19 I am going to…
PB:
…be old!

Brosnan Construction, visit: www.brosnan.co.nz


Lester de Vere – ABC Business Sales

Lester de Vere is in his sixth year as a Business Broker with ABC Business Sales. He says the role is about sitting down with the vendor and understanding the business they have been running and what they are selling. Lester says the stories are always interesting, and finding the right fit between vendor and purchaser is incredibly important. The pandemic has been an interesting time for the business sales industry. He talks to Channel Mag about the quicker than expected bounce back, selling on Zoom and feeling positive about the future.

Channel Mag: Looking back to March/April 2020, did you think that Covid-19 would be still playing this part in our lives 18 months on?
Lester de Vere:
I think this pandemic has taken everyone by surprise, both in the length of time it’s had a global effect and the ensuing lockdowns, without having a clear and concise pathway back to what used to be called ‘normal’.

CM: What helped you get through the initial Covid-19 lockdown period of March-May 2020 and come out the other side?
LDV:
I actually quite enjoyed the sense of ‘back to the future’ where nature was left to recover and air pollution was not a feature along with listening to the quiet and adjusting to a slower pace of life where time was no longer the pressing issue. In business broking, we went through a stasis field where pretty much everything was on hold with a wait and see approach to what length of time it would take to recover.

CM: The up and down uncertain nature has been a real challenge for business. What key things have you implemented to keep your entity focused on the challenge?
LDV:
The obvious businesses that suffered the most have been hospitality and tourism related. At ABC Business Sales, we kept in touch with our vendors to see how they were coping, some well, others not so well, relative to the nature of their operation. Seeing month by month changes was incredibly interesting... the majority bounced back quicker and stronger than any of us expected.

CM: What have been the positive things to come out of this challenge?
LDV:
Kiwi business owners by and large are prudent, they know how to watch overheads and are good at managing through an unexpected crisis. Their preference was to hang on to staff as much as possible, many doing so by reducing hours and all parties agreeing to the adjustments to make it work. As the bounce-back was a lot quicker than many expected, being cautious without throwing out the bath water was better in the short term for most business owners.

CM: If you had one key learning from the period that you would share with others, what would that be?
LDV:
It was a unique time. As we were all on the same new page, there was a lot of tolerance given between parties in all aspects of business. In business sales, we sold a business using Zoom and that was a transaction between a Kiwi buyer based in Queensland and vendor in Takapuna... all done and dusted without having actually physically met each other.

CM: Why are you feeling positive about the future for your business and the North Shore?
LDV:
You will have gathered reading through this, that business hasn’t just got back on track, the majority have beaten expectations and many exceeded expectations. The sales of business is again in a unique position, there is a shortage of quality listings and a surplus of buyers, mix this with extraordinarily low interest rates and it's without doubt a sellers’ market.

CM: Complete the following… When we have beaten Covid-19 I am going to…
LDV:
…enjoy the concept that I have the freedom to go wherever I wish, whether I choose to or not.

Find out more about Lester and ABC Business Sales here: www.abcbusiness.co.nz