Te Puni Kōkiri recently supported a business forum to assist small businesses in the Hawke’s Bay region during the tough economic climate.

The Business Growth Forum: 09 was hosted by Grow Limited and was held at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in Hastings.

The one-day forum brought together a range of keynote speakers, business leaders and carefully selected exhibitors.

The forum’s theme, “Grow Your Business During Difficult Times”, focused on three key areas: getting, keeping and growing customers, business planning and skills, and development workshops.

“This year is going to be a challenging year for all small businesses so it makes sense that the Hawke’s Bay business community has come together,” says Te Puni Kōkiri Business Facilitation Service acting manager Jim Wilson.

“The forum provided opportunities and tools to enable businesses in the region to thrive during difficult economic times,” he says.

More than 70 people participated in the forum including students from local secondary schools who are enrolled in the Young Enterprise Scheme.

The forum was supported by Te Puni Kōkiri, Hawke’s Bay Māori Business Network, Hawke’s Bay Chamber of Commerce, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Hawke’s Bay Incorporated, Workforce Development, Poutama, Hawke’s Bay Today and Ngāti Kahungunu iwi.