Getting on-line, EDA - getting on-line

Opportunity Hamilton

The Internet is no longer new, and customers expect you to have an online presence. Just as we expect every business to be able to accept EFTPOS and credit cards, customers will be expecting to be able to find you online.

It is not only for convenience – new start up businesses often struggle with credibility, as they don’t have any customers or track record. A website allows you to talk about your business from a position of strength, so the better the website, the more credibility you are likely to have.

It does not need to be a fully transactional website. As a minimum, it could be a ‘brochure’ site explaining what you do.

Being online doesn’t just mean having a website. It could cover how you accept payments, order products and services, deliver to clients, access and store information, share business information, and market/communicate with clients.

If you have never been online before, the best place to start is the E-business guide from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Read more here.

Hamilton will host the New Zealand round of the prestigious V8 Supercar Championship in the city for the fifth year in 2012. The inaugural race in April 2008 attracted 172,000 attendees plus 5,000 people associated with the running of the event. The event generated $28.3 million of new money into the local economy in the first year and is estimated to generate $156 million over the seven years that the event will run. Over 100,000 people annually visit New Zealand National Agriculture Fieldays held at Mystery Creek (10 minutes south of Hamilton), which is the largest agricultural event held in the Southern Hemisphere. Each year generates around $290 million sales. As the centre of the thoroughbred industry, Hamilton has an excellent racing venue at Te Rapa. A national trotting track is 15 minutes drive from Hamilton in Cambridge. Raglan is 40 minutes by road from Hamilton and home to one of the world’s longest left-hand surf breaks. Hamilton Zoo is home to over 600 native New Zealand and exotic animals, set in 25 ha of tranquil surroundings. Hamilton Gardens are a free, 58-hectare walk-able wonderland attracting more than 600,000 visitors a year. The natural resources surrounding Hamilton - including its forests, lakes, rivers, and mountains - provide opportunities for tramping, bush-walking, and other types of outdoor recreation. The borough of Hamilton was established on 27 October 1877 and Hamilton became a city on 13 December 1945. Hamilton’s Maori name is Kirikiriroa meaning long stretch of gravel. New Zealand’s longest river, the Waikato, flows for 16km through the city. Mild climate and moderate year round rainfall keep the city and surrounding area very green. Mean temperatures - 18C in January (summer) and 9C in July (winter). Hamilton has135 parks and gardens and 58 sports areas and more than 1,000 hectares of open space. Hamilton has 3 public swimming pools and over 55 kms of walkways in parks and reserves.