Business Changing

Profit and Growth Specialist

What buying a rundown mechanic’s garage taught me about business

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90 Princes Street, Onehunga

My wife Sip told me she’d found an ideal property to become the new Business Changing HQ. As her taste is impeccable (especially in husbands!), I was excited to see what gem she had found for us. I was disappointed. Sorely.

A rundown former mechanic’s garage. No street appeal. Opposite a railway track. Out of central Auckland, on a ghostly quiet road. It leaked, it smelled and old oil stains continued to seep up through the concrete. Half of the windows wouldn’t open and the bathrooms were — well, let’s not go there. There was what looked like a tombstone perched on the far right of the parking area. I wanted to turn the car around immediately. But one thing I know about my wife is that she has vision.

It’s a trait that sets the best business owners apart from the rest — their ability to see potential in things/offerings/niches that others don’t. And then being courageous enough to do something about it.

If you think about the most successful business people of our time, they’ve all spotted potential in something that others haven’t and then been brave enough to go ahead and implement it. Steve Jobs with Apple, Elon Musk with Tesla, Jeff Bezos with Amazon etc… Your vision doesn’t have to be as big as electric cars or a global e-commerce site – it just has to be different to what everyone else sees or is doing. I have vision when it comes to businesses; Sip has vision when it comes to businesses AND property.

With Sip’s vision and a few months of renovation, we now have an incredible custom-built space to work in and hold meetings and workshops at. With Japanese-sliding doors separating spaces (a TradeMe find), warm colours, high-end furniture, and two new bathrooms, it’s unrecognisable from that cold, dirty, rundown space I first saw. In fact, the things that I first saw as negatives (quiet road, out of central Auckland, no market demand for a run-down garage) are now positives (plenty of on-road parking for clients, room for a courtyard garden, immediate increase in property value).

So here’s the lesson: don’t take things at face value, look for the potential, be brave enough to follow through with your vision – and always listen to your wife.

  • 90 Princes Street, Onehunga
  • 90 Princes Street, Onehunga

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  • "Zac has also become a key enabler and contributor to us working towards the development of both our employee engagement and customer experience roadmaps. Kotahi is a new and fast-paced environment and it has been great to have Zac as a trusted advisor to both myself and the CEO. He has a no-nonsense and solid experience-based approach to his consulting style. I have enjoyed working with Zac and look forward to continuing on our engagement journey with the support of Business Changing”
    Jay Padden, HR General Manager, Kotahi
  • "Great two-day workshop that gives you a chance to reflect on your business, and focus on key points that need to be addressed to maximize your effectiveness and outcomes. The workshop was both entertaining and informative and really helped us to think about how we might navigate Covid / post-Covid, and plan out our next few years to guide the direction of the business. Food and hospitality was also great. Highly recommended!"
    Nelson Raynor, Isle of Eden
  • "The business planning workshop run by Zac is a great opportunity to challenge existing thinking in your business and take results to the next level. The workshop was well thought out and provided a structured environment to channel ideas and ambitions. Zac has the perfect presenting style allowing for plenty of interaction amongst your team and networking with other business from a variety of backgrounds. Highly recommended"
    Gray Borell, Novii
  • "Zac has given myself and the business a real sense of clarity, and a better sense of day-to-day achievement for myself and the team. Zac’s ability to ask questions that are relative and beneficial have helped me grow the business and my self-awareness and create a more enjoyable workplace. Give Zac an inch and he’ll take you a mile!”
    Mathew Phelan, New World Churton Park
  • "Zac’s business workshop totally exceeded my expectations. The two days are well planned out to ensure your thought process takes you through the various stages needed to question why you are in business, where your business currently is at and where you want your business to be. Provoking questions, explanations, stories, presentations from successful entrepreneurs and of course Zac’s personal attention ensure you walk away with a clear and dynamic business plan. The venue was perfect, the lunch and refreshments sublime."
    Rachel Kann, IQ Property Management
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    Nick Brown, Huffman Sauces
  • "Zac is incredibly insightful, inspiring and has been absolutely vital in contributing to the growth of my business. He's made me think beyond my goals and really given me the push my business has strived for."
    Bex Riley, Tosca Salome