SMEs embracing tech
Innovation and technology is essential to lifting our productivity as a nation, it opens new revenue streams and market possibilities. It also makes businesses more resilient to disruptive market forces as we have seen first-hand in the last 18 months with Covid-19.
Whether it’s the use of cloud-based applications, e-commerce or automation, many small businesses have already come a long way when it comes to creating efficiencies using online tools.
As part of the My Digital Workshop series, we speak to New Zealand SMEs about their experiences of embracing tech. They’ll share their transformation stories and tips on simple ways to boost productivity and improve your bottom line by going more digital.
The speakers
Jessica Bell
Director, Scott Brown carpentry
Jessica, and her partner Scott, own a small Renovations company and YouTube channel ‘Scott Brown Carpentry’, based in Auckland. Jessica’s role in the business is ‘Director/Everything but the toolbelt’ - a combination of management, digital marketing, administration, legal, compliance and everything in between.
Like many small business owners, the role changes and evolves depending on the day. Together, Scott and Jessica’s goal is to build a sustainable business that embraces innovative ways of working and communicating within the construction industry.
Patrick Moynahan
Managing Director, Computer Recycling
Patrick Moynahan is the Managing Director of Computer Recycling based in Auckland. Over the past three years Patrick has purchased and consolidated three electronic waste collection and recycling businesses.
Through the collection of unwanted and outdated electronics, the company has processed 1,800,000kgs of steel and mined more than 52,000kg of copper and 135kg of silver – ensuring it can be re-used and does not waste away in landfill.
As the technology we use in our daily lives grows in volume and complexity, we must look to new and innovative ways to deal with what is the fastest growing waste stream. Patrick and his company have made significant investment in both software and infrastructure to meet this growing demand.
Paul Dyson
Director, Scarecrow
Paul is an entrepreneur and director. In 2015, Paul and his wife, Alison, started Scarecrow, an Auckland-based eatery, grocery, florist.
Scarecrow is now a highly rated address in Auckland. While it looks like a simple, beautiful and inviting place, behind the scenes, Scarecrow is a complex operation with over 350 suppliers; about 20 staff; 2 locations and a web-store. Scarecrow has been enabled to grow and thrive thanks to its increasing use of SaaS and enabling technologies.
Prior to this, Paul was an electrical engineer with a career spanning more than 40 years where he contributed to a diversity of international med-tech and other companies from Australia, France, UK, USA, India and NZ. He has been CEO of start-up technology companies and, for 12 years to 2017, Paul operated a successful business in the Middle East and Africa, under contract to a NYSE-listed medical device company.
