Council, iwi, regional development and business to partner with first Kāpiti pop-up business school

Kāpiti’s first PopUp Business School is launching its May programme this week, thanks to the support of Kāpiti Coast District Council, its iwi partners Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti, WREDA (Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency) and business software company Xero.

The ten-day course to run at the Whitireia Campus in Paraparaumu will be open to anyone living or working on the Kāpiti Coast.  The particular opportunities and benefits the course offers for Māori business are also acknowledged by the support of the iwi partnership forum, Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti. Joint partner-funding means the social enterprise PopUp Business School Aoteoroa offers its programmes on a limited spaces, no-fee basis.

A promotional video and online registration have opened on the school’s website.

“We’re very excited to be a big part of bringing this first-time opportunity to Kāpiti,” Mayor K Gurunathan said.

“We know there are many people out there with great business ideas who just need some additional confidence and core skills to help them tap into their personal potential to get out there and start-up.”

Building on a UK model started in 2012, the New Zealand model has already successfully delivered similar courses in Porirua, Upper Hutt and Whanganui, in conjunction with local government and business supporters.

Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency's Business Growth and Innovation General Manager David Jones says the PopUp Business School has quickly earned a reputation for achieving great results.

"Now it's time for budding entrepreneurs on the Kāpiti Coast to start building a pathway to business success. The learning environment at the school means they'll not only gain new skills but have fun while doing it."

PopUp Business School Aotearoa founder Tony Henderson-Newport says the programme offers participants everything they need to get going.

“We’re about giving course participants the confidence to start as well as the basics around financial and legal set up,” he said.

“Then it’s about a really positive step-through of everything from finding a premise to building an online presence. In the end it’s about winning customers and launching fast.”

Course registrations are now open on the PopUp Business School Aotearoa website and the course is due to run from 14 May, five days a week between 9.30am to 2.30pm each day.