Entrepreneur’s advice: ‘Take the gamble’

Press, 12 September 1986, Page 3

Entrepreneur’s advice: ‘Take the gamble’

“You have to be prepared to put everything into it and take the gamble.” That is the advice to budding entrepreneurs from this year’s winner of the Euterprise New Zealand Award, Mr Bill McGowan. He was speaking after receiving his Air New Zealand and Enterprise New Zealand-sponsored award at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. About SO people attended the function. Mr Stuart Judge, of Valley Computers, Lower Hutt, received the highly commended award and Angus Geddes, aged 17, of Geddes Investment, Nelson, received a commended award. Mr McGowan began his Hawke’s Bay Couriers business in Hastings with his wife, Vivienne, and a part-time helper three years ago.

“My work-load since then has seemed like a lot more than three

years worth including a lot of travel,” he said. “I now employ 150 people and have branches throughout most of the North Island and in parts of Australia. One of the keys to the company’s success has been my experience in every aspect of the work and I have been able to find the right niches in the market place.” Angus Geddes, the Nelson schoolboy who turned $l9O into $30,000 on the sharemarket, said yesterday that his success was due to both luck and research. The other contestants to reach the final were Mr Ernest Henshaw of Resinart Plastics, Christchurch, and Mr David Manton, of Durham Light Kiwifruit Wine in Tauranga. The awards were presented by the Australian High Commissioner, Mr L. R. Johnson, and the judging panel chairman, Mr Alan Shadwell.