“We have been working with Matt James from North Canterbury Business Services as a Business mentor over the last 18 months. He is professional, knowledgeable, and easy to discuss the highs and lows of business ownership with, especially during the challenges that COVID has given ups. Matts continual support has allowed us to grow and develop as business owners helping us to create business plans and budgets and supporting us in having difficult discussions with our staff and ourselves about our business. I would recommend Matt to anyone looking for some extra support and advice as a business owner.”

“I would absolutely recommend Matt from NC Biz to anyone looking to make improvements in their business. I found Matt to be extremely knowledgeable and able to communicate this knowledge in a user-friendly manner. Above all though, by the end of our meetings I felt like I had taken a leap in the right direction. I had goals, recommendations, a plan to action my goals and the knowledge that Matt would provide support should I struggle. The knowledge gained and changes I have made through my time with NCBIZ have generated quantifiable and substantial improvements to my business. I will be continuing to work with Matt at NCBIZ and would recommend you all do as well.”

“Matt regularly provides an invaluable mentoring and support service for my growing business. He offers a consistent level of professionalism, sector knowledge, commitment and energy that helps me to stay focused and motivated, even when the inevitable challenges pop up from time to time. I cannot recommend Matt highly enough to anyone who is looking for someone who cares about your business success as much as you do!”

“Matt’s wealth of business knowledge gave me exactly the confidence I needed. It helped me crystallise all of the loose ideas I had into a firm vision and strategy. Belinda is only ever too happy to help with accounting matters and always has fantastic advice. I would very much recommend them to anyone thinking of starting out on their own.”

“SCE decided to outsource our ISO 9001 Quality Assurance Managers role to provide a more independent and objective perspective to this position for our business.  Matt has been in this role for 15 months during which he has quickly grasped the key aspects of our Quality Management system, and equally important, the key aspects of our business. He has also built very effective relationships with the key stakeholders, tailoring his approach to suit the needs of our staff and their roles in the Quality Management System.

 His is a very capable communicator, responsive with a very empathetic style. Matt has used these skills to great effect in helping SCE with both internal audits and external audits with Telarc.  Matt also brings a wide range of industry experience which he shares to add further value to our business. The outsourcing of this role has been a real success for SCE and I would have no hesitation in recommending Matt for similar roles.”

“When I first took the leap into the unknown from a relatively secure job, it was Matt and Belinda who cushioned my fall.  I was uncertain of what to expect and I am so pleased that Matt was there to help me.  Setting up a new business is daunting and even more so when you feel uncertain of how to manage the business side of things. Belinda helps keep me on track with my accounting requirements by providing good sounding advice and support. Matt helps me with growing my business by encouraging me to be the best that I can be and giving me good honest criticism.  The future ahead looks even more promising with these two at my side.”

“Matt has been a pleasure to work with, providing me with some well needed focus when I was beginning to feel overwhelmed. He made me challenge my way of thinking and pushed me slightly outside my comfort zone to provide solutions to meet both my needs and my company’s long-term goals.

Sometimes you need an external set of eyes to let you see past the trees!!”

“Having owned Wee Kiwi Kidz for 11 years we were at a loss knowing how to go about moving forward after such trying times in retail and we had kinda lost our way. Matt quickly took charge and helped us prepare to refresh and re-focus on the business. No time for sentiment; quickly getting down to business Matt gave us the tools to re-invent and move forward with Wee Kiwi.

 We followed Matt’s guidance to the letter. The results are proving them self and we knew it wasn’t going to be an overnight fix but Matt provided us with the knowledge needed to do this confidently!

 Matt’s a professional and knows exactly what he is doing. Trust and listen to his advice - he will make sure you get the results you want.  We are now looking forward to building our “new” business footprint. We can’t recommend Matt highly enough.”

“We have been working with Matt for the last 6 months in our beauty business. Matt has really given us an insight into how our business can run more efficiently and become more profitable. He has helped us with problem solving and has provided some really valuable insight into how we can improve our marketing strategies. He has provided a fresh perspective, he is extremely professional approachable, friendly and we can have a good laugh with him. We would highly recommend him to anyone who wants to take their business to the next level.”

“Belinda helped me set up Xero, gave me training and continues to give ongoing support. Her knowledge of Xero and her friendly manner, made all the difference, I would have no hesitation recommending her to others.”

“Matt’s greatest strength is his ability to keep projects on task and on time.  Coupled with excellent communication skills he also understands the link between the work he undertakes and the overall strategy of the organisation.”

“Matt James was engaged to review FOSTERRA HR & Recruitment’s Business after 10 years in operation.  Throughout 2018, meeting once a month, Matt provided a great sounding board and sound governance advice.

With a background in both corporate and small business ownership roles, Matt has a strong base of business knowledge and experience which he readily applied to our business.  What we liked about Matt’s approach is that he can work unscripted and pick up in the areas where we needed assistance rather than need to start with revisiting our vision and strategy.  

He utilised his market knowledge to assess how well we were performing, question how we compared with our competitors, and provide direction on how FOSTERRA HR & Recruitment should be positioned in the market.  Not only did he offer advice, he asked us questions which aided us in finding our own solutions.  Matt has given us the confidence to develop and take our business to a higher level.

Matt comes with our recommendation.”

“If you’re feeling a bit lost and not sure how to take your business to the next level Matt James is the person for you! We have been in business for 3 years and needed help with our direction. From the first visit to the last Matt was amazing. He increased our revenue and helped us make smart choices. If you’re a small business like us and need help, just do it! I wish we had a lot earlier.

Thank you Matt”

“Matt is great. I refer a lot of SME’s towards North Canterbury Business Services and the feedback I get back is always exemplary. Matt works with empathy and understanding to really help businesses become more profitable while helping the owners to make sure the business meets their personal goals. Matt is especially good at practical strategy, really looking at the opportunities the business has and putting steps in place so those opportunities can be achieved.I know that if I make a referral that doesn’t quite fit Matt will be honest about it and make sure that they go to the best place to help them.Matt is honest, knowledgeable, empathetic and is a coach because he wants to help people. I have no hesitation in referring business owners to North Canterbury Business Services as I know they will benefit from the interaction they have.”

“Matt was so cool to work with. We had a big challenge ahead, but Matt was able to break things down into manageable tasks and kept me accountable with our weekly catch ups. He gave me the confidence to approach some very high-profile people in a bid to promote my service and gain funding. Matt was able to give me invaluable tools such as what language to use when approaching different hui and showed me the power of follow-up phone calls or emails. If you want to take your business to the next level, I cannot recommend Matt highly enough. Thank you and Kia Kaha! ”

“Matt James gets my highest recommendation as a Business coach and mentor. His unique ability to recognise, understand, and explain complex business opportunities has revolutionised my thinking, and most importantly, my actions. The improvements and future growth of my business are a million times brighter since working with Matt. If you want someone to work with who genuinely cares about you and your results, is exceptionally capable, that will hold your hand when you need it and push you to go bigger and get excited with you - choose Matt. I name Matt as one of the top contributors to the success that I enjoy as a business professional today.”

“Matt has been an invaluable source of advice in starting up and running Murihiku Pounamu. We started out with next to no knowledge of running a business and it’s with Matt’s guidance we now have the beginnings of a successfully growing one. We found him easy to understand and very encouraging - the confidence he has helped me gain as a business director and owner has been extremely valuable. Not only has Matt been a business mentor to us but at times he has been a guidance councillor and someone I have been able to discuss business issues and worries with on a personal level.

We would not hesitate to recommend the services of Matt and Belinda at North Canterbury Business Services Ltd and will be keen to engage their services in the future.”

“Matt feels like one of my team. His ability to slot in, take the reigns where appropriate and deal with issues outside of my area of expertise has been impressive. Not only has Matt given great all-round advice, he also follows this up in writing, giving me an action plan to be accountable for, which when I am busy working in the business keeps me on track. His ability to look at the big picture and his vast knowledge of business along with the tools he uses has enabled me to look at aspects of my business that a) I did not feel I had time for and b) had little idea of how to implement,  has given me more confidence and made me feel so much more in control of my business and where it is heading. I cannot speak more highly of Matt and the value he has added.”

“We were very glad to have decided to work with Matt on a review of our business. He understands small business operations and tailors the review process and questions to this. The results of the business check were clear and with enough direction to get into improvement actions straight away. We are definitely improving how our business runs and will seriously consider to have another review at some stage in the future. We highly recommend Matt.”

“Working with Belinda James from North Canterbury Business Services is like getting a much needed breath of fresh air. I find Belinda very easy to work with and she is always providing professional, reliable and timely service. The type of person that I can depend on 100% - all of which allows me to keep my sanity intact. To anyone that has a need for a very competent, dependable and knowledgeable person to assist them in their endeavors, I strongly suggest you get Belinda James on your team. Through her efforts she will save you time, frustration and most of all money!”

“Matt has been working with me for one year now. He listens to what I have to say, is fast thinking, and always has many great suggestions to contribute and keep me focused on my end game. He goes above and beyond and is there to offer support via phone or email any time I have a question. Running a small business is a very big learning curvefor me and it is easy to get overwhelmed with to-do lists and ideas. Matt helps me prioritise what’s important, and set goals that are realistic and achievable. I would definitely recommend Matt to anybody looking for guidance and support.”

“We engaged North Canterbury Business Services initially to help us with our book work as our small business was growing quickly.  Within a very short period of time, Belinda understood our business, set up systems to improve tracking, budgeting, tax and invoice procedures.  In a very short time we have saved a significant amount of time and money through outsourcing our account administration to NCBIZ.  Belinda is an excellent communicator and we have a better understanding of what our requirements are and where we can save money.  We feel more confident now that NCBIZ are managing the financial side of business  -  and we can get on with what we do best.

Matt’s advice and guidance has focused our business and ensured that we are developing a clear strategy for success into the future.  With his help we have more clarity about our direction, where our risks are and potential for growth.  Having Matt as a critical friend to discuss inevitable business decisions has been invaluable - we value his advice and have acted on his suggestions, which has resulted in positive changes for our business.

With both Matt and Belinda working with us, we feel that we have a team approach to ensuring that our business is as successful as possible with a clear strategy for sustainability and growth.  Working with Matt and Belinda is investing in our future success and building our capability as business people.”

“As first time business owners, we decided to approach Matt and Belinda at North Canterbury Business Services.  Matt and Belinda have provided us with and continue to offer invaluable business advice, guidance and support in so many areas.  They are only ever a phone call away.  We would highly recommend NCBiz to other business owners.  Thanks, Belinda and Matt.”

“Our work with Matt James from North Canterbury Business Services Ltd aimed to highlight key constraints within our business. After working through our business model and operational detail it was pleasing to be assisted to a solution. We appreciated Matt’s ability to understand our business being applied so early on in our meeting. While we are only a small business, we do have a large customer base and ultimately the result is an improved service delivery back to our customers. We will have no hesitation in using Matt’s services in the future to help us achieve our business goals.”

“When we were faced with re branding from a well-established brand, only one person came to mind - Matt James. Matt facilitated a team strategy evening for us to come to grips with where we’d come from, who we are and who we are going to be. This was not an easy task for a team who had been working together under one brand for several years and were and are a fined-tuned working model. Our ultimate goal was - we needed a new name - not easy when everyone has their own ideas. Matt through his unique skill set was able to focus our minds on the task at hand and fine tune what we believe we stood for, what our vision is and finally we were able to settle on a name that everyone could live with and feel positive about. In one session Matt was able to lay a foundation and pathway for our voyage ahead from which we’ve never looked back.”

“Matt and Belinda have the experience we need and the positive, flexible attitude to make a real difference to our business. We appreciate their friendly and knowledgeable advice and help.”

“Matt regularly provides an invaluable mentoring and support service for my growing business. He offers a consistent level of professionalism, sector knowledge, commitment and energy that helps me to stay focused and motivated, even when the inevitable challenges pop up from time to time. I cannot recommend Matt highly enough to anyone who is looking for someone who cares about your business success as much as you do!”

“Matt’s effective, objective and empathetic assistance is proving invaluable as we develop a more professional focus in our business.  He understands our long term vision and has put his considerable wide ranging skills to work to help us achieve it.”

“I have known Belinda for many years now and we have several mutual clients.  As a Chartered Accountant, to receive client’s end of year information in a tidy, accurate format with supporting work papers means I can spend more time and energy in assisting my clients’ with other important issues such as dividend policy, trading trends and other financial matters.  I would highly recommend Belinda for her bookkeeping services, providing a cost effective solution to your ongoing accounting needs.”

“North Canterbury Business Services Ltd has provided a professional service to my business. With them I never have to worry about missing important business tasks or deadlines.”

“Belinda has been supporting me to learn to use Xero. Her kind and patient coaching style has enabled me to switch to this tool, which saves me a lot of administration time each week. She goes above and beyond for her clients and is always there to give you a quick hand over the phone or show you how to do something over coffee. Belinda is much more than a bookkeeper and I would recommend her to any new or small business owner who wants to gain a better understanding of their finances.”

“Matt’s wealth of business knowledge gave me exactly the confidence I needed. It helped me crystallise all of the loose ideas I had into a firm vision and strategy. Belinda is only ever too happy to help with accounting matters and always has fantastic advice. I would very much recommend them to anyone thinking of starting out on their own.”

“Matt provides a great service based on his sound personal experience. He is able to focus on the important aspects and give direction based on tried and proven methodology. I can recommend his services to all with the confidence that he will add value and provide an objective view point.”

“I became an insurance broker three years ago after being a school principal for many years. As part of establishing my business, I quickly identified the key roles and responsibilities that I would need to outsource to make my business function effectively. Consequently, within a month of beginning my new career, I appointed Belinda James from NC Biz as my bookkeeper. Belinda’s accounting skills and depth of knowledge around financial compliancy has ensured that not only do I have no worries about “my books”, but I have a comprehensive financial picture of how my business is growing.

Having established my business over two years, I have now contracted Matt as my business coach and sounding board. Matt is able to take my financials’ and cast a critical eye over them to identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. The robust discussions we have around his “snapshot” report is both welcomed and appreciated. As a sole trader, I believe that the services that both Belinda and Matt supply to me are an absolute necessity to ensure that my business maximises its potential. I would highly recommend the skills, services and expertise that both Matt and Belinda bring to any business. ”

““Matt’s skills and knowledge are incredibly helpful; he has a professional yet personable manner which makes navigating the world of running a business that much easier. He guides and challenges you to make changes within your business to become more efficient, more productive and ultimately more profitable. We couldn’t recommend his services more; whether for a one-off
project or as a weekly/monthly WOF for your business, you need the team at North Canterbury Business Services Limited!””

“I have been working with Matt for the last 6 months. His ideas, inspiration, friendship and support through that time, has made starting my business feel exciting instead of daunting.

Matt has a real knack for putting things into perspective. His forward-thinking approach jogs my mind towards success instead of confusion. Matt has the confidence to ask the hard questions, which really makes me think for myself. He picks me up when I’m feeling isolated and he pushes me to make decisions and holds me accountable to the outcome. This accountability is where the true magic of what Matt does happen. Matt is a true business hero and I am forever grateful for his wisdom, support and friendship. I could not have done this without him.

I highly recommend Matt as a business coach. He is so personable and will make your business shine.”

“Matt has been a Whānau Ora Enterprise Coach working with Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu since 2016. The extensive business knowledge and skills that Matt brings together with his affable person-ability allows Matt to engage with a range of individuals and whānau to inspire and assist them in achieving their dreams and aspirations. Matt has been identified by whānau as being professional, trustworthy and very supportive. We would recommend Matt to anyone wanting to start a business or realise a dream.”

“I have worked with Matt for over 6 months and found his business knowledge & experience invaluable for evaluating strategies to move my business forward. Our sessions are always constructive & I feel listened too. It has been good to have someone to bounce ideas off and to discuss a different perspective on business matters that arise in our meetings. I would be happy to endorse Matt as your next business coach.”

“Matt has been helping me and my business for over 6 months now. His diverse skill has made a big difference in my business! He has caught my vision for the company and can see my areas of weakness. His suggestions and goals that we set are always measured and achieved. I love that I can now track my progress with the analysis Matt does each month. He is also not afraid to jump in and help do the practical things that are not my strong point. Thanks Matt for your help and support so far.”

“I have found Matt’s strategic business coaching to be extremely beneficial in developing new directions for my communications and public relations consultancy. He has also provided expert guidance when I have put together government tender applications which have all been successful. I would recommend Matt’s services to businesses which are looking for guidance and support as they develop and grow their brand.”

“Matt James has been my business coach for a couple of years now. And of the numerous issues he has pointed out where I could be doing better, having a business coach is not one of them. Matt has enabled me to work on the business rather than continually working in the business with no real thought for tomorrow - apart from paying the bills. Now I have a much clearer strategy not only about where I want to go but how to get there. Thanks Matt!”

“Matt has given me the ‘oomph’ I have been needing to move my business to the next level. It has been great to get a different perspective and reflect on things I had not considered. I now have a clear action plan moving into 2021. Thoroughly recommend.”

“Personally, I have really valued collaborating and working with Matt. Highly recommend his wisdom and support... a must have for anyone that is looking at having strong wise direction with your business”

“We have been dealing with Matt and the team for almost 5 years and found him to be reliable, straightforward, engaging, and can’t recommend NC Business Services highly enough!”

“Matt is a great professional and really cares about his client’s success. He is able to take a step back and see the big picture providing sound advice and strategy.”

“Starting a new business, I needed someone who would guide me through the process step by step. Matt has not only provided me with this but has given advice that has allowed me to learn and grow my own business. I find Matt easy to work and get along with while valuing his experience and knowledge, I definitely recommended his services for anyone who wants to push their business to the next level. ”