Unbiased business advice to help you grow
Running a business is a journey of constant improvement. There’s always something new to learn, a new challenge to overcome, or a fresh opportunity to find.
Along that journey, it helps to have like-minded people on your side. People that are willing to share ideas, talk through the challenges, and help you plan for the future. That’s exactly what the Regional Business Partner Network is all about.
Whether you’re just starting out in business, or you’re ready to grow to the next level, we’ll help connect you with the right people and resources to help your business thrive.
Who is behind the network?
The Regional Business Partner Network is an initiative of the New Zealand government. By drawing together 15 Regional Business Partners throughout the country, we're building an even stronger eco-system of support for New Zealand businesses.
Is this for me?
We encourage small-to-medium sized businesses to register with the network. It's free to join.
It's up to you how you use the network, and which services you want to access – there are no minimum requirements. You've got nothing to lose by taking that first step.
What kind of help will I get?
When you join the network, we'll put you in touch with the many other New Zealand organisations that support businesses like yours. Our goal is to help you access the full spectrum of resources, tools, advice and support that's available to you. Many of these are free of charge.
What's more, you won't have to navigate this by yourself. We understand you're busy running your business. You'll have a dedicated growth advisor to point you in the right direction and support you along the way.
You may also be eligible for funding that helps you access specific training and advice that would benefit your business.
We'll help you identify the needs and opportunities within your business. From there, we'll provide you with targeted advice, information, referrals and connections.
Funding may be available to help
Your growth advisor could suggest subsidised training to help you.
The subsidy is only one of many services that the growth advisors can connect you with to help grow your business.
How to register
It’s a simple online sign-up process that takes 5-10 minutes to complete.
You’ll need a few bits of information about your business, like your New Zealand Business Number (NZBN), your GST number, the number of employees, the annual turnover, and an idea of your goals and ambitions.
You’ll also need someone in your business who’ll be the main point of contact in your dealings with the network. You can choose who this will be – it might be your business owner, a manager, or office administrator. This same person should complete the registration.
Once you’ve registered, a growth advisor from your local Regional Business Partner will be in touch within 5 working days.
Register with the Regional Business Partner Network
The only criteria to join the network is that you will need a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN).
Any business can get an NZBN, including sole traders, and it’s free.
Your journey with us
Once you’ve registered with us, one of our growth advisors will be in touch to set up a discovery session. The purpose of this is to get to know you and your business – to both identify your needs and uncover new opportunities.
From there, your growth advisor will come back with an action plan. This can include any mix of things – and will depend on what’s most relevant to you. It can range from simple things, such as introducing you to a useful new contact, through to helping you into some key management training, or even facilitating your new research and development (R&D) project.
Your growth advisor will be your main contact person, and your new business champion. They will check in regularly to see how you’re going. And they’re always just a phone call away if you need them.
About our growth advisors
We have more than 60 growth advisors located around the country. They come from a range of different professional backgrounds, but they've got one thing in common – they love working with New Zealand business owners and seeing them succeed. And because they're local, like you, they're also passionate about growing the prosperity of your region.
Your growth advisor will be your main point of contact. From there, they'll help you access support from a range of different people and organisations. Many of these organisations provide help and resources free of charge.
Your business could also be eligible for funding that you can invest in training and upskilling. For this, you'll be working with companies with training expertise in specific areas.
The great thing about working with a growth advisor is they can show you all the options, help you decide what's right for you, and then make the introductions.
Culley's rise
Culley’s rapid rise from local producer to global brand began with marketing support from a growth advisor, followed by access to The FoodBowl’s facilities. Soon, founder Chris left his IT job, got Culley’s into supermarkets, and scaled the business for international success.
Update your New Zealand Business Number privacy setting
Make sure your data is complete and public on the NZBN register.
If your organisation has its name set to private in NZBN, our team will not be able to identify your organisation inside our platform. This will mean we may not be able to help you to the best of our abilities.
- Log in to New Zealand Business Number using your RealMe login details.
- Click the pencil icon to edit your details.
- Tick the box next to ‘name’. This will make it public.
- Save changes.
Got any questions? We'll be happy to help.
Learn more about how the RBP Network can help you. Contact the team
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