Here’s a conversation I sometimes have with civilians (people who aren’t performers) when I step off stage after a comedy gig. “That was great. So… what do you do for a living?” I point at the Michele- shaped gap I’ve just left behind at the microphone and say, “Well… pretty much… that.” “But,” they say, “what do you do during the day?” “I run a small business.” “What’s the business?” they ask. And I reply, “Me. I am.”

Since I started making a living as a freelance writer and performer almost two decades ago, I worked out pretty fast that “show business” is as much about “business” as “show”. You could be the funniest comedian in the world, or the finest writer on the planet, but if you don’t own a diary or know how to keep a receipt, you could still get stuck doing something other than your passion to get the rent paid.

Being a comedian is about invoicing, taking briefings, juggling dates, arranging travel, making contacts, having a business card, marketing and promotion, negotiating contracts – and keeping a paper-trail of it all in case any of that goes wrong.

I’m not good at all of those things, so I pay people to do the bits I’m awful at. I have various agents who hunt down different kinds of work and write up agreements, and I have an accountant who fine-tunes my GST and tax returns.

Though I like the money stuff. I like earning it, I like spending it, and I like fiddling around with it on spreadsheets. Adding up columns for gross and net income and GST provides me with one of the few moments in my life when there is a ‘correct answer’. And I like being able to write down on a piece of paper what my work is worth to someone. I like that one so much, I do it in triplicate.

Though I have to say it feels true that the business bits and the creative bits of my work use different sides of my brain, and it’s hard to switch from one to the other quickly. I can cheerfully do a gig when I’m tired, sad, anxious or sick, but I find it very hard to flick into performance mode after a day playing with my GST return. So it’s different sides of the brain, sure. But it’s still the same brain. And like everything else in show business, that’s just about timing.

And I find it hardest to work when I’m broke and hungry.

Transforming the centre of Wellington into a car and bus-free zone is “common sense, not nonsense” according to Sir Robert Jones. The polarising entrepreneur is turning his hand to local government, and assembling a team to contest the 2010 Wellington City Council elections on a platform of banning buses and other traffic from the “Golden Mile” between Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place.

Instead, free trams and bicycles would be provided. Cafés and kiosks would be encouraged as well as a Saturday market, and water fountains and other attractions would be installed along the central city route. 

Describing Wellington as a “shabby city with potential”, Jones claimed his suggestions would cause a surge of apartment construction and a massive economic boom. “It is not hard – it is simple.”

Citing examples of successful projects in Brisbane, Budapest, Copenhagen, Vienna and Barcelona, he expected a Wellington CBD transformation could easily be completed in a matter of months.

“Other buggers will be saying, ‘vote for me’, but we’ll be saying ‘vote for this’.”

Fresh Films has been going for just over six months, but owner Claire Alderton has been in the business much, much longer.

With an impressive past client list that includes Microsoft, Ernst & Young, Burger King, and Holcim, she has now gone out on her own and is determined to keep Fresh Films true to her own values.

“I think people find it refreshing that we are upfront and honest,” she says. 

“If a potential client wants to make a film but I know they won’t see a return on investment, then I’ll tell them the truth. For me, business in New Zealand is all about forming long-term relationships and I won’t jeopardise that for a quick sale.”

Fresh Films specialise in high-quality corporate films, TV commercials and web video. 

Last week they launched a new cost-effective web video product which enables businesses to have an interactive presenter on their website in just three days.

“The opportunity for audience engagement is massive,” Alderton says. “Presenter-led web videos increase the amount of time customers spend on your site, and provide visitors with a unique and memorable experience.”

Her goal is for Fresh Films to be one of the most sought-after production companies in New Zealand within three years. 

Once one of the youngest first assistant directors to work on major feature films in Hollywood and the UK – think Ocean’s Eleven, Starlight Express – she’s all set to take on New Zealand.

An ambitious venture between two pioneering Wellington research institutes has substantially boosted capability within the capital’s innovation industry. The collaboration between the internationally-renowned Malaghan Institute and the world-class IRL research enterprise was brokered by Victoria Link Ltd (Viclink) with the aim of creating a revolutionary cancer vaccine.

Victoria University’s Professor of Entrepreneurship Mark Ahn had identified the long-shot potential for IRL’s chemical adjuvant, PIM 2-ME, to significantly enhance the effectiveness of Malaghan’s cancer cell vaccine, creating a life-saving vaccine with worldwide commercialisation potential. But, when finally combined after six months of preparation and testing, the adjunct actually suppressed the vaccine.

Viclink Commercialisation Manager Sophie Dalziel says the turbo-boosted cancer vaccine hypothesis was sensible, based on the highest quality science, and had the potential to reap huge benefits, but all the parties involved knew they were committing resources to a long shot. Dalziel says the experiment may have failed but it’s clear the initial stages of the collaboration significantly boosted the level of expertise within Wellington’s innovation industry.

Viclink is a technology transfer company wholly owned by Victoria University. It draws on the research, innovation and talent for invention within the university’s academic staff and student body to develop investment opportunities. The entire project used only New Zealand suppliers.

Dalziel says Viclink’s partners, including a relatively new Hawke’s Bay company called Valley Animal Research Centre, developed best practise science, testing and funding management packages to deal with the commercialisation challenges on the cancer vaccine project and those international standards could now be implemented on other ventures.

Malaghan will continue to research its science around a vaccine that can recognise and eliminate cancer cells, and IRL will continue to develop potential uses for its immune adjuvant technology. Both organisations’ programmes have been strengthened through the product development process.

Half the world lives in cities and the best cities are those that plan CBD’s to suit the people rather than vehicles. Hot- shot cities around the world have plazas and malls, lets make Wellington a hot shot city too by transforming parts of Lambton Quay, Manners Street and Courtenay Place into pedestrian malls.

These are some of the points made by Sir Bob Jones at a recent NZ Property Council event held at Te Papa . And you know, the more he said the better it sounded. Imagine a skating rink in the middle of Courtenay Place (roller in Summer – ice in Winter), a vibrant cafe culture, central commercial sites along Lambton Quay and best of all……no buses!

We’re interested to hear what you think of this proposal – email info@in-business.co.nz

At Trilogy, a Wellington-based skincare company, that question would result in a $5 fine.

Sisters Sarah Gibbs and Catherine de Groot, who run Trilogy, have banned the word from their office.

They have put up tongue-in-cheek posters warning against use of the word and each time someone utters it he or she must put $5 in a swear jar.

The money raised will go towards an office lunch.

Borne of a frustration with the world’s pre-occupation with being gloomy, the concept was originally intended only for the company and its trade partners.

Ms Gibbs says it was to encourage everyone to “get on with it and try and have a bit of fun”.

But after high-profile media coverage, Trilogy has been approached by several large New Zealand companies all wanting to use the idea, Ms Gibbs says.

When she sent an R-word pack to the Prime Minister’s office, he congratulated her on her positive initiative.

The concept has been such a success that it has even been adopted in the UK by the Boots pharmacy chain and in Australia by Myer department stores, Ms Gibbs says.

While the campaign has undoubtedly raised the company’s profile, it is more about philosophy and was never intended as a marketing strategy.

“It’s very typical of the way we like to think around here. We think a little differently, we think positively,” Ms Gibbs says.

She admits the worst offender in the office is in fact herself, and says while it is a bit of fun there is a serious side.

“We just hope we won’t need to ‘D’ proof our office.”

Sempre Avanti Consulting is a Wellington business benefiting from taking a green approach to recession. They were recently awarded a trophy for their involvement in the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Climate Neutral Network (CNN) as one of the first 100 participants.

“We’re told when you’re in a recession and in cost-cutting mode, the first thing you cut is costs not attributing to the bottom line. – Some say that green issues and initiatives are the first to go as discretionary spending and are difficult to attribute to bottom line savings,” says Gordon Shaw, Manager of Sempre Avanti Consulting.

“But by taking a systems thinking approach to being green and look at sustainability initiatives with a process improvement angle, you’re likely to get a different result. In a recession it makes good sense to take a systems approach to the review of your processes. You can review with an aim of reducing cost, resource intensity and improving efficiency – which all end up being sustainability initiatives by default.

Look at your energy bill and set a goal to cut your energy consumption by 15 percent, you will save on your energy expenditure and be green at the same time, through undertaking a lighting audit, changing to CFL’s and installing motion sensors,” he said.

At the UNEP meeting in March, Executive Director Achim Steiner said, “The CNN was born in response to the growing need to federate the many bold and inspiring initiatives being taken the world over to address the global climate change challenge and embrace the opportunity to de-carbonise our economies and societies.”

www.sempreavanti.co.nz

Don’t be fooled by its title, this isn’t an event for teenagers with too much time, adrenaline and playstation addiction. In August, Gadgets, Games & Geeks (GGG) showcases leading edge gaming technology, connectivity, multimedia, software and technologies.

Next to Webstock this is the biggest techfest in the Wellington IT calendar and is now into its third year running. It provides an annual opportunity for anyone in the creative and IT industries to network with the people who create, develop, and deliver the innovation keeping Wellington in the entrepreneurial spotlight. Unlimited Potential is keen to hear from speakers and exhibitors who are passionate about their gadgets, games and geek status. Contact events@up.org.nz for more information.

New Zealanders already know Wellington as a ‘top destination’ city to visit.  David Perks, CEO of Positively Wellington Tourism (PWT), now plans to focus on wooing the Aussies to our city.  David and the team at PWT have set attracting our biggest neighbour as a priority.

But why Australians? – Potentially because one third of all our international visitors come from across the ditch.  Australians spend 917,000 visitor nights and $152 million in Wellington per year.  According to PWT, Wellington looks to cash in on Australian visitors who clearly are our ‘bankers market’ – and the Australian marketing team at PWT have been campaigning hard.

Twenty percent of Australians who are planning to travel overseas in the next 12 months identify NZ as their preferred destination.  “We want to make sure Wellington delivers the best experience in New Zealand and we need every Wellingtonian to help us achieve that,” says David.

For more info contact: Angela.Moriarty@WellingtonNZ.com

For start-up businesses finding information on websites and from the experts, can be a mine field. BizChat is a new NZ business community website, for sharing information and experience. BizChat’s RUTH McDAVITT talks to IN-Business about the latest online community.

Bizchat's Ruth McDavitt

“There is a lot of good information already out there for Start-ups, but government sites can be overwhelming with too much information. Corporate sites have gems of usefulness, but it soon becomes obvious they’re trying to sell you something.  And while they’re potentially useful solutions, they don’t necessarily connect or engage with the person, or come across as accessible or transparent.  If you’re in business, you probably want to know things like – how to pay less tax, or who’s a good accountant in my town, or what’s the best online accounting system”, says Ruth McDavitt, who founded BizChat with friend and business journalist Ben Kepes.

“The main focus for the site is the Forums, where business people ask questions and discuss issues. If you can’t find an answer to your specific question in the resources, it can be fired out to the community, – someone out there will have been there, done that, or have a great solution for your issue”.

BizChat is a non-profit initiative, designed to build and support the business community by providing a platform for information sharing.  It has received endorsements from people like Andy Hamilton at the Icehouse Business Incubator in Auckland, and Grow Wellington has come on board as a content partner, as has IN-Business magazine.  Experienced people are already active in the forums, sharing their wisdom from the real world school of business.

McDavitt is very pleased with progress so far and positive about its potential, “we hope to become the pre-eminent NZ business community website.”

For more information www.bizchat.co.nz