Covid-19 has had a catastrophic impact on our economy. New Zealand faces predictions of up to 26% unemployment. According to LINK’s CEO, Aaron Toresen, this presents us with an opportunity to turn things on their head, all we need do is simply adjust our lens.
This week, in response to rising unemployment, LINK launched its Buy a Job campaign; this compelling campaign will challenge your notion of what it means to own a business. “Buying a business sounds scary to some people, but in most cases in New Zealand, you are buying a job, one where you are the boss,” Toresen says.
He goes on to say that “Buying an income is genius and buying a business is simple. You don’t need to be a business guru or have loads of experience as there are opportunities up and down the spectrum for complexity and difficulty.”
According to the experts at LINK, there are many reasons why the current climate is the perfect time to buy a business. With redundancies on the rise throughout New Zealand, owning a business offers income security. With very few middle management and corporate rolls on the market, buying a business can mean a secure future.
According to Toresen and the team at LINK, the Covid-19 experience presents us with an opportunity to take control of our earning capacity and unleash our potential. “You can choose to take this big change that life has handed you and make a decision to take back control of your life and determine your income level.”
Work flexibility is yet another reward of business ownership, according to the team at LINK. Working in the business as its leader and critical employee presents you with the freedom to make choices about virtually everything, including how much you work. Leverage your potential, innovate and expand the business if that’s what you desire. The direction you head is up to you! Toresen believes that “for those with an entrepreneurial bent, the total freedom of business ownership is appealing.”
As a veteran of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and the difficult two years that followed, Toresen is aware that we are facing some very uncertain times. Conservative estimates predict 13% unemployment (over 500,000 Kiwis), yet this is still higher than almost any living New Zealander has experienced. He believes that achieving financial security is paramount, and business ownership, the ideal platform.
The Lockdown experience allowed many of us to tune out to the background noise, take stock and reassess. For many, the list of ‘what’s important’ received a real overhaul. We placed our goals and ambitions under the microscope, recalibrated and found pleasure in all the ‘little’ things—a gift to humanity among the chaos and resulting economic frailty.
So, it seems fitting that perhaps the essential message of LINK’s Buy a Job campaign is that life is too short to be living someone else’s dream. This post-Covid garden is yours to sow; now is the time to ignite your passion, and reap the rewards that await!
As part of the Buy a Job campaign, LINK are running seminars online on ‘How to buy a business’. These are very practical seminars to educate first time business buyers, offering everything they need to know, as well as what pitfalls to avoid when buying a business.
