Using the New Zealand business directory you might be able to target firms that you feel will be able to offer you employment. Or write to the employment agencies advertising in the newspapers. A small note of warning, New Zealanders, with traditional optimism, can at times raise your hopes with the promise of an opportunity in the near future, that never materialises.
According to statistics gathered in 1992 more than 84% of the country’s enterprises employed fewer than five staff, and about 23% of the entire workforce.
These statistics should give you some indication that there are very many small businesses here, many of whom are not in a position to hire staff. Depending on your skills you may need to look at self employment as a serious option. Builders and tradesmen in particular are often self employed. Few companies have grown large enough to take on vast numbers.
You might well take the opportunity to change careers or even start your own business and whilst you might find yourself with some capital, you will be very vulnerable and should take care. Statistics show that 90% of new businesses fail in the first year.
If you have never been self employed before, then I would most strongly urge you to do a small business course, which will give advice on how to run a business. Make sure the course covers information on how to calculate whether a particular venture would be viable and what to look for if you decide to buy an existing business.
I have heard stories of people arriving in the country and buying the goodwill of a business, only to find that the trading figures supplied by the vendor were inflated, so make sure you’re careful. To be fair, this can happen in any country, you just need to be extra more cautious, being ‘new to town’.
Another form of self employment here is commission only selling. Again a word of caution, promises of huge earnings can be unrealistic, particularly if the company expects you to pay back commission on sales that eventually fall through.
I am not qualified to suggest which are the main growth industries of tomorrow but the general opinion seems to be that export is the way to go and Asia in particular is on the lips of everyone. The home market is very small so many companies look towards exporting. Half of the export earnings come from the food and beverage industry, with lamb, kiwifruit, apples, seafood and more recently, wine, being the main products.
Man made pine forests, which grow faster than virtually anywhere else provides New Zealand with a great deal of resource such as logs or pulp and paper, much of which is exported. Forestry is flourishing particularly as wood is used for the framework in most New Zealand homes. Recent export orders for kitset wooden houses to Japan should see a continued growth in this natural resource.