David Irving

BCA Victoria University, ACA

Honorary Professor

Founder The ICEHOUSE

The Right Connection

The medium sized business sector matters

3500 firms with turnover

between $10m - $150m

Total Revenue $120 billion

1/3 New Zealand revenue economy

Or several times the size of the NZSX

Yet this engine room of the economy and its

owner managers are overlooked

At a time when big business damages the reputation of business, the

medium sized sector is populated by UNDERSTATED HEROES

Bernie Crosby Prolife Foods to become > $200m

Trans Tasman food business in

three years.

Brent Archer Aucom Electronics: Christchurch

and New Zealand's next ‘Tait’

Tim and Dan Alpe Why not the Richard Branson ‘s of

the Southern Hemisphere?

Each of these understated heroes are alumni of The ICEHOUSE

These transformations come from inside the firm yet our Government is

obsessed with outside the firm characteristics

Outside Inside

Skills = Education

Investment = Money

International = Access

Tax = Public Sector

Leadership and Management

Right People Knowledge

Organisation Attitude

Skills Judgement

Processes Connections

It is these ‘inside factors’ which translate to

economic growth

Leadership and Management capability

X

Leadership and management practice

Enterprise

Innovation

Investments

Improves Business

Performance

The Firm

Xx all Firms = Economic Growth

Armed with new insight on private enterprise –

then create challenges that connect

‘Top ½ of the OECD’

What do these mean to

the owner manager and

entrepreneur?

‘Match Australia by 2025’

And the connections need to become meaningful at regional / local

Community level.

Regional Economic Performance

Food Marine Arts Total

Private Enterprise

Revenue ____ ____ ____ ____

Contribution ____ ____ ____

Public Sector Costs

Health

Education

Welfare

Energy ____

Regional Surplus or deficit

____

And at School levels

Bring an understanding of the role of private enterprise into the

classroom:

• Regional economic performance

• Activity of management

• Investment risk and opportunity

By partnering with business owner managers in the community.

The Idea:

Create CONNECTIONS that enable good business in Heartland New

Zealand

Create an UNDERSTATED HEROES FUND that enables NZ ers to invest

in multiplying The Icehouse learning for owner managers of medium sized

firms.

Translate country economic targets into meaningful objectives for owner

managers

Require regional authorities to inform their community of the contribution of

private sector industry segments

Bring the practice of business into secondary school learning by requiring

every school to have three business partners from their community.