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Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/54854
you have to be on top of national issues, and depending on your specific portfolio or interests global issues as well. Q: Do you use Social Media? Yes Q: How important is it as a tool for your business? I think social media is a very important tool for me. Many of my constituents now choose to contact me via social media for a variety of reasons – everything from local issues to policy queries. I am very active on Facebook and use both that and my website to ensure that my constituents have as much information as possible about what I'm doing. Q: What are its weaknesses? I cannot afford to be exclusively social media-driven in my communication with constituents and people who are interested in what I am doing. Many of them choose to communicate with me by writing letters as well as emails, and making phone calls. Q: How prepared do you think New Zealand businesses are to take their place on a global stage? There are some outstanding examples of New Zealand businesses taking on the world. One of my own constituents in Auckland Central has built a worldwide transport business that has been one of the best performing in the country in the last couple of years, largely on the back of global expansion. I think those that have the courage and the willingness to work hard have proven over and over again that New Zealand frequently punches above its weight in global markets, and we need to recognise that and encourage others to follow that trend. Q: How well equipped are New Zealand businesses to integrate an increasingly multi-cultural and aging workforce? Clearly people are retiring later and the flexibility that our labour markets now gives businesses means that options such as part- time work and working from home using new technology, can be very effective tools for business. From a cultural perspective, there are emerging opportunities with our free trade agenda particularly with its focus in Asia. I see our multicultural workforce as a strength in years to come, as some of these people are the expats who can help us better engage with these markets. Q: What examples of business innovation in New Zealand have inspired you? As a science graduate I am always very interested in the achievements of those companies that have used their knowledge to establish a beachhead in global markets. It is difficult to mention a couple without offending those I don't mention, but places like the Icehouse and some of the work that our universities are doing have played a great part in helping innovative businesses to achieve global success. Q: Which women business owners or managers have you watched with interest? I really admire Joan Withers. She left school to work full-time at the age of 16, and has had such a successful and varied career in a range of industries. Q: What qualifications do you hold? I have a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and a Bachelor of Laws from Otago University. Q: What is the most valuable training you have had in your career? As a result of the fact that my family were involved in a law practice, I had the opportunity, from a relatively young age, to meet people of varying social, cultural and economic backgrounds. It was great to be able to observe how to help people with compassion and dignity on a real range of issues, be they personal or commercial. to connect with people. We use social media as a leading marketing device. Social media is what people use to communicate, it is how we reach clientele in 2012. Q: What are its weaknesses? Customer complaints or negative comments can go viral, which often means a business' weaknesses can be exposed on a large scale. Q: How prepared do you think New Zealand businesses are to take their place on a global stage? We have been doing it successfully for years. The evidence is clear. New Zealand has been extending its business to overseas markets for a long time. We are not the type of culture that holds back – we take opportunities as they come up. We are ready, prepared and will succeed. Q: How well equipped are New Zealand businesses to integrate an increasingly multi-cultural and aging workforce? I think business's have embraced having different cultures and ages as workers. We are a multi-cultural society. We have changed for the better when it comes to cultural diversity. Our customers are multi-cultural, and they want to be able to relate to a sales assistant on a common ground. To have a multi-cultural and aging workforce is an asset to business, and I don't think business' have found it hard to integrate into their workforce. Q: What examples of business innovation in New Zealand have inspired you? The apparel industry always come up with incredibly innovative ways to use natural resources that we already have, as opposed to using synthetic fabric, and the world admires our innovative approach. We use natural resources to make clothing, for example Merino, hemp and possum fur. Q: Which women business owners or managers have you watched with interest? Annah Stretton – she is my constant inspiration in business. This woman moves fast, sets what most would call 'impossible' goals and achieves them. She constantly looks for ways to improve her business, increase sales and develop her brand. I love the way that Natalie Chan has marketed and branded her business, and I have watched her with keen interest. Q: What qualifications do you hold? as Donald Trump would say, I am street smart. My business qualifications are short business course certificates. However, my colourful experiences in life have more than prepared me for a life in business. I am a Makeup Artist, so of course I have a Makeup Diploma. Q: What is the most valuable training you have had in your career? My passion is makeup artistry so I would have to say the most valuable training I have ever had would be one-on-one makeup development I undertook with my makeup mentor.