News
Introducing Project Management – PRINCE2 Courses
In partnership with Project Results, The Southland Business Chamber is now offering the popular project management PRINCE2® courses. Why PRINCE2 PRINCE2 wasn’t just made up, rather it is the collection of the knowledge of successful project managers. PRINCE2 gives you best practice advice on how to kick your projects off, run them, deal with things that go wrong […]
New marketing ideas to lift visitor numbers to Fiordland include permanently expanding daylight hours
Fiordland Business Association chairman Nathan Benfell said the region needed to be marketed as more than just Milford Sound. Doubtful Sound was a hidden jewel, about 12 times bigger than Milford Sound, for example, he said.
Introducing the Fiordland Business Support Summit
With the support of Southland Chamber members, the Southland Business Chamber & Fiordland Business Association (FBA) bring you the Fiordland Business Support Summit. We invite all businesses to explore how to get through in the current environment. This five-day summit brings together local experts and experiences for an epic lineup of pop-up events; panels discussion, Q&A and networking, and more. Programme […]
Southland Event Organisers Anxiously Wait for Government Level Announcement
The Southland Chamber of Commerce is also hoping the South Island will move to alert level 1 next week ahead of its Southland Business Excellence Awards at Transport World in Invercargill on October 15. Chamber chief executive officer Sheree Carey said if Covid-19 restrictions prevented it from being held it would be rescheduled for November 19.
Exporter MIQ Allocation Pilot
The Government has announced an Exporter MIQ Allocation pilot, which will enable a small number of export representatives to gain access to MIQ places in November and December, to be administered by NZTE. This will allow 50 export representatives to secure MIQ places, 25 each in November and December, without having to go through the […]
15,000 Southland Jobs Supported by Wage Subsidy
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey put Southland’s low reliance on the subsidy down to the region having the highest percentage of essential workers, with 27 per cent of its workforce continuing to work during lockdown. “We had more people working so not as many places were locked down to take the wage subsidy.”
Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) Update
On Friday (10 September 2021) the Minister of Finance announced a second payment of the Resurgence Support Payment (RSP) for the Alert Level increase that started on 17 August 2021. The New Zealand Chamber Network, and in particular the Auckland Business Chamber, provided leadership and advocated on behalf of businesses for this additional financial support, […]
New Fiordland Business Association boss wants fast-tracked reviews
Nathan Benfell is fairly confident that visitors will return to Fiordland, eventually. His job as the inaugural Fiordland Business Association chairman is to help business owners access support available to make sure they're still operating when that happens.
Torpedo7 store opening in Invercargill
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey welcomed news of Torpedo7 coming to Invercargill. ”It’s great to see new retailers coming to town rather than the movement of existing ones around the town. “And I hope it gives other retailers confidence that our economy, even during a pandemic, is still doing well, so we welcome them with open arms.”
Southland drops to alert level 2 as of Wednesday
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey wanted more certainty from the Government, particularly so the events industry could plan further than one week ahead.
Covid-19 Update
All of New Zealand apart from Auckland will move to Alert Level 2 as at 11.59pm on Tuesday 7 September 2021. Auckland will move to Alert Level 3 at 11:59pm on Tuesday 21 September. It will remain at Alert Level 4 until then. The Government will confirm this decision on Monday 20 September. You can […]
Auckland lockdown affecting Southland businesses
Auckland’s lockdown is affecting a renowned Southland boat building business and many more in the south. Stabicraft chief executive David Glen said it needed various fittings from Auckland to finish their boats, but they would not arrive while Auckland remained in Alert Level 4.
Business Confidence Survey
The Southland Business Chamber has conducted the first Southland Business Confidence survey, for the quarter ending August 2021. Your business experience and insights are essential to capture and include in the region’s assessment of our current business climate. The data and results we collect will provide vital information about the current economic climate in Southland, […]
Migrant Exodus in Southland Likely with Uncertainty Over Visas
Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey called immigration uncertainty one of the biggest challenges to Southland businesses and the most complex. The chamber and others around the country had been lobbying for a resolution, she said.
Funding Now Available for Southland District (Fiordland) Tourism Businesses
Applications are now open for the government’s Business Advisory Support and Advice Implementation Grant. Great South is the lead agency for the delivery of the Tourism Communities: Support, Recovery and Re-set Plan in Southland. The plan includes three initiatives available to tourism businesses based within the Southland District Council rating area. Click here for all the details and […]
Money for Southland Tourism Businesses a ‘God-send’
Nathan Benfell sometimes wakes at 4am thinking of ideas for his struggling bed and breakfast business. The Shakespeare House Bed & Breakfast in Te Anau was 98 per cent international visitors before the Covid-19 pandemic forced borders to shut. Benfell said he was already thinking outside the square to find a way forward for the […]
Covid-19: Southland Chamber joins National Call for Business Support
The Southland Chamber of Commerce is inviting businesses to join a national call for more business support. The chamber has joined the National Chamber Network in petitioning the Government to extend its Resurgence Support Payment – a one-off payment designed to offer business support when alert levels are raised for more than seven days.
Southland Businesses Thankful for Resurgence Support Payment
An Invercargill business owner says if it wasn’t for the Covid-19 Resurgence Support Payment she will struggle to restock her cafe. Tuatara Lodge co-owner Nicola McGilvray said the fund would probably cover about 20 per cent of expenses, but she still planned to apply for it. “To be honest, I think if we didn’t have that, we would be struggling to find the capital to even purchase our restocking stuff. “I was actually quite thankful because I was thinking what on earth are we going to do, there’s no money coming in, and we’ve got to buy all this stock,” she said.
Huge Diversity Across Business Awards
A record number of businesses entered the Southland Business Excellence Awards, and the finalists have now been announced. Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey said they were thrilled to have 141 applicants received over 11 categories.
Southland Businesses Celebrate Excellence Through Pandemic
Innovation, passion and resilience shown through the Covid-19 pandemic has been highlighted by the finalists for this year's Southland Business Excellence awards. Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Sheree Carey said the quality of the finalists, announced on Wednesday, demonstrated the future of the business community was bright.
Southland Chamber of Commerce Frustrated at Lack of Lockdown Clarity
Three or four day level 4 restrictions are starting to frustrate Southland businesses. Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey said: “I think people are getting frustrated because we're not getting any certainty, if we were like Auckland, and they said 'definitely, you're in it for two weeks', people would learn to live with that, they would know what financial assistance they needed to get them through.”
Covid-19: Business Owner’s Devastation After Becoming a Close Contact
Christine Flynn had been back home in Winton for eight days, even opening her Mitre 10 store for extended hours, before she got the news. Flynn, her son, and an employee were considered close contacts and had to get themselves tested for Covid-19.
Southland Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Cautious of Drop in Alert Levels
Some people in the Southland business community are cautious about dropping down Covid-19 alert levels too quickly. Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey said a cautious approach was the best long-term option.
$1.7 million to be Spent on Southland-wide Tourism in Next 12 Months
Both the Southland and Fiordland Regional Tourism Organisations received funding as part of the government’s Tourism Support, Recovery and Re-Set Plan. Great South looks after Southland’s two RTOs, Visit Southland and Visit Fiordland. The funding is allocated for an approved work programme aligning to priority areas and the funds are required to be spent within 12 […]
Southland Resiliency Leads to Record Entries for Business Awards
A record number of entries in this year's Southland Business Excellence Awards has shown businesses have not only survived the pandemic, but found ways to thrive.