About Networker

What's it all about

Do you have a new or existing web based project that you need assistance with, or advice on? Do you want to improve your business systems, your communications, or perhaps an interest in introducing teleworking into your business model? We can be of help. It may be as simple as a brainstorming session, managing a specific project or the development of a complete strategy. Whether you have a good business already or just don't know where to start, talk to us, perhaps our Network can be of use to yours.

What we are not is a web design studio, there are hundreds of those, and therein lays a problem already, which one should you use? We can find the right developer to suit your needs if that is all you require from us. More importantly, our interest is in working with you to develop the ideas and strategies, to find the right products, tools and systems to make your ideas a business reality. There are so many traps and mistakes repeated time and time again and we would like to help you avoid them.

If you are serious about business then Networker is about you, assisting you to create effective teams using the medium of the internet whether that be a website, or making sense of the free web based tools that will assist you in building a great businesses.

Craig Garner

The short version

Craig has had a wide and varied career that has spanned the engineering industry to the information, communications and technology sector. Maintaining a strong interest in education and community, and business development, Craig has written regular columns and articles for magazines and newspapers (on the subject of the Internet, WWW and business), facilitated education and training programmes and been engaged in several successful start-up business ventures. In addition to this Craig has also been CEO of some high profile not-for-profit organisations.

Craig says "Each stage in my career has been a progressive learning curve that has now positioned me as a skilled, experienced and respected business person who is excited and optimistic about the future of business in New Zealand.
"Whether it is a small project, start-up business or a long established model, good strategy and business planning can save you time, improve staff welfare and satisfaction, save you lots of time and heartache, and of course save you lots and lots of money. That's were I can help you, give me a call or send me an email."

The novel

My career to date has been wide and varied. Starting as an apprentice in the engineering industry I progressed to sales and ultimately management positions, initially in the media sector then to more information, communications and technology focused roles.

Being engaged in several successful business start-up ventures, both traditional and online, has honed my understanding of doing business in New Zealand and on a global platform - not from academia, but from hands on personal experience.

Having written regular columns and articles for magazines and newspapers on the subject of the Internet, WWW and business, and the development and facilitation of education and training programmes has been rewarding. It has fulfilled my desire to learn about what makes businesses successful, and in turn, given me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with others.

I have a passion for the Internet and its boundless possibilities; early use of this emerging tool in the mid 1990's motivated me to participate in the formation of a web development studio in 1997. These were early days for the World Wide Web, with many business people not even using email let alone comprehending a commercial website. My area of specialisation at this time was working alongside clients to help them understand, plan and put a website to good use. I was also responsible for the sale of several hundred domain names to worthy commercial clients before the great cybersquatting domain grab of took hold.

I was not a developer myself (coder/programmer) in these formative days of website design, my role was to market and sell ideas so our developers could keep busy. I did however dabble in some personal "hobby sites" to teach myself HTML, and so, a site called "Blink" became a labour of love in my spare time. I was blown away when this site, the unofficial arts and entertainment site for the Bay of Plenty made it as a finalist in the Netquide Awards in the category of "Best E'Zine". We were at the Awards evening, waving the flag for this emerging industry having submitted several of our commercial client sites and I had no idea that "Blink" was even nominated. It was a shock and surprise when mistress of ceremonies, Belinda Todd read out its name, along with the other two finalists being NZ Listener (the eventual winner) and Tearaway Magazine. Both these sites had the market reach of established traditional media, significant commercial backing, and teams of trained journalists at their disposal. The 1990's were near an end, the Dot Com crash was ahead of us, and "Blink" was testimony that the little guy could be a big voice on the Internet.

My strong interest in education and community engagement combined with practical business development experience encouraged me to participate in a wide range of project steering groups that represented initiatives including regional economic development, broad band implementation, Maori business development and the arts sector to name a few.

I have been fortunate to be CEO of a couple of not for profit organisations inclusive of the Chamber of Commerce Tauranga Region, one of New Zealand's largest Chambers outside the metropolitan areas. In this role I was responsible for a diverse team of staff, contractors and volunteers engaged in advocacy for the business community, business development, networking, mentoring and training programmes.

At this time I had the privilege of being on the regional Project Probe (Provincial Broadband Extension) selection committee and presented at a number of conferences, workshops and training sessions on a wide range of business topics. Examples of these include facilitating seminars for TUANZ and being guest speaker at numerous conferences. I have been a regional business awards and export awards judge on several occasions, member of the Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Cluster steering group and business representative on the BOP Regional Broadband combined councils working group (part of the Government's Digital Strategy initiative). I have been and continue to be a Business Mentor for Business Mentors New Zealand.

I have almost come full circle; I am again using my experience in business to assist people to run effective and profitable businesses with emphasis on web based solutions. With the emergence of "Web 2.0" technology we are using the internet in a whole new way. The way we share information, the way we communicate and the way we operate our day to day business is changing rapidly. I am still not a developer (though I still have some hobby and not so hobby sites) and am still learning new things daily.

Each stage in my career has been a progressive learning curve that has now positioned me as a skilled, experienced and respected business person who is excited and optimistic about the future of business in New Zealand. The difficult economic climate we are facing today is more reason to plan, to focus on growing our business and to be in the best possible position to benefit from what we can do for our existing and potential clientele, now, and when the clouds of recession dissipate.

More than ever before business people need good practical advice on how to plan and how to implement a good web based strategy. Whether it is a start-up or a long established model, good strategy and business planning can save you time, improve staff welfare and satisfaction, save you lots of time and heartache and of course save you lots and lots of money.

That's were I can help you, give me a call or send me an email (we'll limit it to those rather than the dozen other ways we can communicate today) and see where it takes us.