Written by Andrea O’Neil

Photograph by Sabrina Hyde

GRANT Marris, Hutt Valley’s new business growth manager, is so animated when he talks about his job that several times during our conversation he trips over his fast-fired words.

His positivity rubs off on his clients, Hutt businesses of all sizes needing advice and direction. “I like to think they go away feeling all pumped up and fired up and raring to go,” Marris says.

Don’t let his high spirits fool you though – Marris is a highly organised planning enthusiast. He started with his employer, Grow Wellington, after outgrowing a series of business ventures, including nearly a decade at the helm of Porirua Motor Body Repairs.

“What happened is, I made my panel shop so efficient, it actually made me redundant,” he laughs.

His can-do attitude and business background made Marris a natural for the Hutt role, created by Grow Wellington in November last year. Marris’ mechanical background is also an easy fit for a region whose strengths lie in manufacturing and technology. And, in turn, technical businesses fit with Marris’ key objective: preparing companies for export.

The conventional wisdom that manufacturing is best done in China is “a joke”, he says. “When you’re talking about a lower volume or high-quality product, I certainly believe New Zealanders can produce a better product.”

Marris can help businesses in a variety of ways, from advice about market validation to arranging meetings with government officials, connecting with niche experts and demystifying funding schemes. His services are free of charge –“the payoff for us is watching businesses grow” – though some services he recommends do come with a price tag.

Often, the first assistance Marris gives to his clients is helping to create a business plan, even one as simple as a list scribbled on a piece of paper.  A common problem is clients who avoid the financial side of their business, which is a particularly Kiwi attitude, Marris says.

Others are “almost too scared to say ‘I’m successful’.” He tells it to these clients straight: “If you’re not making money, it’s a hobby. It’s not a business.”

He’s not afraid to tell clients how tough it can be. “Out of 10 brand-new companies that start up today, seven will fail within two to three years, two will probably make no money, will plod along, and one will be successful.”

You might say Marris is out to change that statistic.