Launching a business enterprise isn’t a simple thing. To start you need the desire and the drive. Guts and determination are next, along with a willingness to do the work. Ideally before, but if not, very soon after you launch your venture you realise it, and you, require support too.

You might need a helping hand to do the bits you don’t do well. The services of an accountant or designer for instance. And you’ll definitely need support from customers to buy what you sell.

Less obvious, in the early stages, is harnessing the collective intelligence of the people around you who are already in the process of building enterprises. Taking time to learn from their experiences – successes and failures – hear about the tools they use to make decisions, choose strategies, plan tactics, and how to use them.

It sounds complicated and time consuming, particularly when you’re knee deep in work which must be done right away. But it could be one of the most valuable supports you can acquire for your enterprise, and have a long-term effect on your success.

Paul Slatin, CEO of Speech Council, based in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand – a business conceived and launched at Tauranga’s Startup Weekend in 2013 – had an opportunity to harness local knowledge through prizes he won at the event.

Paul took advantage of fee-free time from local accountancy and legal services. He also took a place on bootcamp the first iteration of what is now known as the Instigator programme.

"I attended bootcamp in Tauranga, starting in October 2013. Tina Jennen, Venture Manager of 'Plenty of Innovation’ for Enterprise Angels led the initial sessions” says Paul.

"It consolidated a lot of the learning I received during the market validation and prototype development phases we went through at Startup Weekend and it gave me some clear concise templates for the work we needed to do next.”

"The Road Map approach, and practical application of a very broad variety of planning and testing tools have bought me to a confident position from which I can talk to investors and stakeholders on the “why”, the “what” and the “how” of the online business model we are pursuing."

"The programme also opened the opportunity for me to have regular and focused interaction with entrepreneurs and mentors from around the region. It helped me to more fully appreciate that no matter the technological or human nature of a business, solutions to the core challenges will only be found through a disciplined approach to my commercialisation efforts."

"I benefited from the important focus on physical resources and tools but the connections, the learnings, and commitments to self, and the business journey, were as valuable if not more so."

Paul lists the following top five things he got out of his Instigator experience:

- An initial positioning statement and value proposition
- A strategy to succeed at commercialisation
- Priorities identified and training on how to find and sell to early adopter customers
- Actionable tools and templates
- Access to contacts and resources

Instigator, the new name for bootcamp, is powered by the Central North Island’s largest Investor Group, Enterprise Angels along with Wharf42, New Zealand’s first Incubator in partnership with Silicon Valley's Plug and Play.

To apply for a place for yourself and take advantage of local knowledge, or just find out more, here’s your link.

The Bay of Plenty, New Zealand, in 2014 has well and truly engaged in a world-wide movement. Co-working and collaboration have been seen as buzz words, part of an American inspired ‘craze’, to some people until very recently. Today they are a very real and vital part of the working lives of a growing number of professionals in the Bay.

Shared work-spaces such as Ignition and Studio 64 in Tauranga, The Junction in Mount Manganui and Flair space in Rotorua bring sole-agents, freelancers and remote-workers together to share attractive, flexible city working environments, the company of other professionals – motivating each other and meeting new people in the process.

Collaboration spaces such as Newnham Park Tech Precinct, in Te Puna and Basestation Communication and Technology Space in Durham Street, Tauranga bring more established businesses and similar individuals together who share complimentary skills to intentionally share technology, resources, knowledge and projects to support new business creation.

If you are looking for a way to grow your income, your capabilities and your opportunities for success and haven’t already checked out co-working and collaboration in the Bay of Plenty then now is a good time to do so. But make sure you do it sooner rather than later. When the rest of the world realises that you can have all the benefits of co-working, collaboration and live in our beautiful Bay to boot, everyone will want to live, learn, work and succeed here.