Engaging Tauranga

I think I am going to change my mantra.

Over the past few months, a lot of my focus has been on 'things global'. That perhaps reflects the fact that since December, I have been out of the country for almost three months. In that time, Pingar has begun to establish itself in the UK, built on the foundations of its relationship with the UK Trade & Invest Global Entrepreneur Program and of course been accepted into the Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program.

In seeking to constantly think 'global', I had almost totally stopped thinking 'local'. A series of meetings over the past two to three weeks has I hope begun to address that.

It is easy to forget the opportunities that exist in the Bay. Perhaps it is the diet served up of constantly depressing economic news that helps disguise some of these opportunities. Ironically, it is perhaps the plight of failing finance companies, a falling stock market (NZX) and the general malaise in the property market that are creating some of these new opportunities.

I have been speaking to people who are now becoming 'creative', thinking outside the square and beginning to look at a different set of investment opportunities. Entrepreneurs outside these traditional investment sectors, take note. There is a shift in focus.

Later this week, I will be in Auckland speaking to others who are adopting the same mantra. There are opportunities opening today that have not been available to ICT businesses for some time. De-risk the opportunity and the potential upside now offers real value. And not only for the traditional angel sources. There are a whole new set of individuals who are looking to review their traditional investment portfolio. For potential high growth businesses, the opportunity today is real.