I want to move my business to NZ, need advice plz

mtbikerco

Hi,
I am planning on moving to NZ this feb. I need to know the best way of getting me overthere and then to start up my business over there.

I work from home, all computer work, but am getting sponsored by a company that contracts my services to start up a shop in NZ manufacturing protype circuit boards, not production. Or, I could be the middle man and send work back to the USA for the NZ shops. I know that NZ imports 95% of all their circuit boards and there is no way to get a 24hr turn on some protype designs. So the market is there, I just have been having trouble getting over there to start all this.

Before I can do this though, I know I have to get residency there and get a job to save up the capital to match what Short Circuits is willing to contribute to my venture.

I can support myself as long as needed without a local job, but I need a local job to get residency, right?

I have more than enough skills in computers (be it programming, graphic design, web design, networking, etc) to get any type of job of any level.

Well, sorry for the long post, to summerize:
How can I get over to NZ to start working towards opening up a pcb shop or contracting work for the US company (Short Circuits). Or, just get a good job and forget about the help that Short Circuits is offering. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

BTW, I am 20yrs old, no college degree, not married, experience in networking, CAD/CAM, 5 programming languages (3 fluent, 2 professionally), management and business ownership (going on 4 years now).

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:22 am Post subject:

Hi

If you are 20 then perhaps you could consider going on a WHV (Working Holiday Visa) to get some NZ work experience and then look at an entrepreneur route in permanently?

There are some in here moving a company over and I am sure they will respond soon - we were going to take our IT consultancy over there but we didn't feel we wanted to be "monitored" as such and, as we like working together, had no intentions of employing others - so we dropped that route.

Hang around - you'll get your answer soon enough in here! Nice One

Moorf

Timbo · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:24 am Post subject:

This one looks like a Jamie Smith special.
C`mon Jamie, where are ya lad??

mtbikerco · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 10:28 am Post subject:

Moorf - thank you.
Timbo - What?

maccies · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 6:20 pm Post subject: it consultancy

Hi Moorf

What type of IT consultancy - software development, infrastructure, support, project mgt, it strategy, product support?

I started an IT company here which has grown to 30 people over 3 years, doing very well - and I fully intend to grow the business into NZ after a period of time. But I agree with the previous comment - about rather going in on a job offer / work permit - and then getting the business started later - unless you have $1m or so lying around that's required to come in as an entrepeneur.

You'll also have time to suss out the market, the economy, your network, and the best points of opportunity.

My 2c.

Jamie Smith · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:28 pm Post subject:

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 9:18 pm Post subject:

Maccies - we specialise is software development (C++ / SQL Server / .Net) which is hubby's forte, and I look after the marketing side of business specialising in database marketing and direct marketing - on and offline. We have also been involved in website dev in the last year or so but we aren't "graphics" people!

We have run as a small Ltd company for over 10 yrs now - just me and hubby - and it really allows us to do our own thing apart from a couple of large contracts in London that were more formal - one 8 yr contract for Reed Publishing actually finishes today Clapping

In fact, that is it - we are thinking of closing down the company before we move to NZ....

BUT ... and this is a JAMIE question...

Would it be worth us keeping the company going as a possible alternative route to getting in to NZ? Our turnover isn't huge as it's just the 2 of us - approx $250 - $300K (NZ$) per year - which is just time fee really as we have no big overheads as work from home. Our only concern is that we would be encouraged to employ a NZ'er... is this compulsory?

Jamie Smith · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 11:04 pm Post subject:

Hi there

not compulsory to create new jobs but is easiest way for some of the unimaginative case officers to deal with, however being in IT may in itself compensate.

not need to keep company going unless you are going under different category Relocate Key Employee and that might be hard to prove with small business for self employed

hard to find another way around it, but it would probably help ypou in anew country to ghire someone who had the contacts, could do selling, maybe do drudgery tech work while you had client contact, some IT graduate might only cost you $35k year for 6 months before you get PR, cheap price to get PR....

Moorf · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 2:44 am Post subject:

Thanks Jamie- if we were to go the "running our IT business in NZ" could we arrange this whilst in NZ or must it be done whilst out of the country - and how long, on average, does it take to sort out?

Thanks in advance
Helen

Jamie Smith · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 11:37 pm Post subject:

Hi Helen

LTBV can be lodged from anywhere.

I had an email today from the Manager of the business branch, I think I remember him saying 5 months before they catch up ie December before July cases are assessed.

Will check my email on Monday and confirm or alter this post.

Cheers

jamie