12:00a.m. 5th March 2008

If you’re going to teach vision, you better have one yourself.

Enact Business Architects has been providing business consulting services since it was founded by Trevor Holmes in 2002, including advice on setting growth plans for companies they have assisted.

But even before Enact had a single customer, Mr Holmes’ own plan for the business was nothing if not ambitious.

“I started developing the concept in 2000, and realised very early on it was something that could be duplicated,” he said.

“My goal was to develop a business advisory service that focused on small business, but that would eventually go worldwide.”

Part of that ambition has now been realised, the company just opening its international headquarters in New Zealand.

Based in Auckland, the operation, headed by business counsellor, coach and author of a best-selling business guide, Heather Byrne, the New Zealand operation plans to duplicate the structure being put in place across Australia.

That involves setting up a network of agencies, essentially regional development managers who operate under a licence agreement and are charged with servicing and mentoring the business architects in their regions.

“That’s the model we’re rolling out across Australia. We’ve been in south-east Queensland since day one, and we’ve recently expanded into New South Wales and Victoria,” Mr Holmes said.

“We think it will work best because each regional manager has a vested interest in growing the business.

“Heather will roll that model out in New Zealand.”

Mr Holmes said Enact, which relocated its head office to the Innovation centre in Sippy Downs in 2005, had been “exploring New Zealand as a natural step” when Ms Byrne approached the company about coming on board.

“Enact’s network of qualified, passionate people sharing tools and training that really works are what drew me to the company,” Ms Byrne said.

“New Zealand is champing for specialists to guide its small-to-medium business boom. I’m already fielding strong interest from would-be business architects to join us.

“It’s exciting to offer New Zealand businesses new frameworks, and obviously to build major trans-Tasman links between like minds.”

Mr Holmes said Enact’s programs could be tailored to meet the individual needs of any business.

“It may be that the business just needs tweaking, however, the majority of small businesses have grown without establishing the foundation tools.

“That involves having a structure, system and measurement tools operating in each area of the business,” he said.

“Business needs to understand: what the objectives are in each area of the business, what strategies need to be implemented, how to systemise each area so it’s not reliant on the business owner for day-to-day management, and how to measure performance.”

The good news is, Mr Holmes said the new generation of business owners were keen to grow their businesses, rather than just wanting to buy themselves a job.

“I’m definitely seeing a changing of the guard. Business owners of today understand the need to invest in improving their business management skills, embracing technology and empowering their people to continually improve their processes and performance,” he said.

“My prediction is most small businesses will eventually have an external advisor as part of their management structure ... they’ll have to do that to compete.”

In the meantime, Mr Holmes said Enact itself would continue looking at the big picture, aiming to export its business knowledge and tools further abroad within the next two years.