Stephen Lynch, chief operating officer of NZ business consultancy firm Results.com, has spent the past 15 months setting up the Calgary office and is now in LA setting up the firm’s first US office.

His overseas experience has been captured in the article Expanding your horizons – work overseas by Gill South in Heraldjobs, NZH.

Stephen shares his insights to working and expanding a business overseas.  A young company, it is a far cry from taking a secondment with your well established international business, he says.  “We are boot-strapping our way on to America, paid for by clients we have picked up along the way.”

The business’s focus is on helping companies execute their business strategy, which it has been very successful with in the NZ market.  “What we learned is that what we have done in New Zealand can work in a global context, and you need to think bigger, on a much grander scale,” he says.

Now in LA, chosen for its proximity to New Zealand, he has already tapped into various relevant business networks. Results.com is already working with clients in Texas in a virtual way. “We find the US market highly receptive. We are already working with firms throughout the US.”

Click here to read the full article about Expanding your horizons.

February has been a busy month for Switch Business, which featured in three articles,  each one focusing on harnessing opportunity.

First, Switch Business is pleased to announce that all-American burger chain Johnny Rockets plans to enter the New Zealand market with the help of Switch founders David Newport and Paul Devcich.

The introduction of the iconic brand to the South Pacific provides a plum opportunity for would-be buyers to purchase their own business and possess a slice of feel-good Americana.

Featured in Business to Business (12 February), the Switch team discusses the area development projection of 10 Johnny Rockets restaurants to be established around the country over the next decade.

Second, David discusses business sale strategy with Gill South in the My Generation pullout.  Serving up food for thought, Newport provides his perspective on selling now, how to prepare and who to target, revealing a market you might not have considered. 

And finally, David’s New Zealand Herald opinion piece on baby boomers as new-age business owners was published on 15 February. He discusses the burgeoning business desire among baby boomers as they approach ‘official’ retirement age and discover their inner entrepreneur.

Switch Business has also gained recent coverage in the NZ Retail magazine, March 2010 which mentions the expansion of the classic burger chain Johnny Rockets to NZ.

Campaign Overview

Social networking, once new and alien, is now part of everyday life. However, what many people still don’t realize is that applications are not only prominent in our social lives; they have become integral to the professional world. 

Blue Banana Principal Linda Coles introduces us to the corporate world of social networking…

A social media trainer, LinkedIn specialist, and SEO consultant, Linda approached Alexander Communications to assist her in building both her personal and business profiles. She wanted to position Blue Banana in the corporate sphere and demonstrate her social media expertise. 

We were pleased to take on this project: with social media being essential to public relations, the team could relate to and understand the project and its complexities..  Working with a clear brief from Linda, AC knew which direction to take and which business contacts to target. 

The background information and examples Linda provided allowed AC to create media releases and key opinion pieces. We were confident that, because of the niche topic, we would be able to convey and leverage Linda’s expertise and past experiences in a still-emerging market. 

Outcomes
Our business contacts were keen to meet the face behind Blue Banana; they were curious and enthusiastic to learn more from a professional social networker.

Business publication Unlimited.co.nz, characteristically quick on the uptake, was first to publish an opinion piece by Linda. The piece discussed the impact of word-of-mouth on businesses and how invaluable networking is within corporate structures – the message was that businesses are so busy trying to buy into spaces, they forget (or don’t know how) to use the powerful online tools at their fingertips. 

AC also secured articles with the  New Zealand Herald and business columnist Gill South. This featured in the Business Herald print pull-out and online at www.nzherald.co.nz.  Linda was also profiled by Glenn Baker in the March issue of NZ Business in an article ‘It’s networking but not as you know it’.

These articles reaffirmed the untapped opportunities of social networking for businesses, and reminded businesses and executives that this could be a stabilizing tool following a turbulent 2009.  

AC successfully raised the profile of Blue Banana and positioned the company strongly at a corporate level. In addition, AC improved Linda’s position as a social media expert and opinion leader; in providing simple communication tips, Linda has become more accessible and transparent as the principal of Blue Banana, and has secured several new projects for 2010.