Financial and cashflow management advice and business strategy and planning were the top types of support Auckland businesses wanted as the response to COVID-19 ramped up.
Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) surveyed businesses between March 11-30, with nearly 1000 responding, to gauge how the initial response to COVID-19 was affecting them and how they were reacting.
Increased digital marketing and social media capability and help targeting new markets, with a focus on local and domestic customers, were also high on the list.
ATEED has used insights gained from the survey to shape the business support it is providing, to ensure it is delivering information and resources local businesses want right now.
As Auckland’s economic development agency, ATEED will be looking at a range of initiatives for the future, but with all businesses now shut apart from essential services, its priority is to help businesses connect to the Government’s COVID-19 response package and other available support.
A new resources webpage, informed by the survey response, collates useful tools and information to help businesses of all sizes through this time. This page is being updated regularly.
The agency’s Business & Innovation Advisors continue to connect businesses with specialist expertise available via the Regional Business Partner Network (RBPN), with ATEED being the Government’s Auckland partner for this programme.
ATEED has scaled up capacity in this team to meet high demand, with staff from other parts of the organisation stepping in to help process queries from businesses, undertake data-entry and provide administrative support.
To ensure the resources and support ATEED provides meets the changing needs of Auckland businesses, ATEED will be doing regular business surveys.
This initial survey was conducted throughout the responses from the announcement of travel restrictions to Level 4 lockdown. Completed surveys predominantly came from small to medium enterprises.
ATEED also provides Auckland-specific data to its partner organisations, including central government to inform appropriate responses.
ATEED is committed to supporting Auckland’s regional economy be as resilient as possible in the face of COVID-19 – helping businesses of all sizes and supporting our region’s major industries. It has adopted remote working but remains open for business via digital and phone contact.