Shaken Not Shattered

Like a phoenix rising from the settling dust, the business community of Christchurch begins a process of rebirth and rebuilding; determined to soar higher, stand stronger and prouder than ever before.

With hundreds of business premises destroyed or damaged by the February 22 earthquake many employers have been faced with the reality of letting staff go and closing permanently. But the Council of Trade Unions (CTU) continues to urge Christchurch business owners not to make hasty decisions, to take the time to assess their situations and to make plans on a fully informed basis.

The Government’s emergency wage subsidy payments and support programme has allowed employers a margin of time to do this. While there will be a premium demand for premises, there are areas in the city that are operational and many businesses will continue to operate. Small Christchurch retailers, who traded from the CBD, may be forced out to fringe areas like Riccarton, Addington and Sydenham, which have the space for buildings as, reports suggest, it will take more than 10 years to rebuild Christchurch.

This is the story of a group of ambitious, creative and unwavering entrepreneurial women who, through their combined strength, support and fortitude, have the will to re-create and continue their businesses despite the challenges faced by the city on a daily basis.
Like so many Cantab stories, this one begins in the shocking days after the September 4 earthquake, when Facebook and text messages of support became the lifeline of many. School was out, businesses were shut and many were contemplating the rubble that had once been the strong foundations of their businesses.
Moral was low and the exhaustion had set in, but not one to let an opportunity pass, Jody Worsfold, Chief Cupid at Romantic Gestures invited a group of business girls away for a weekend to relax and recharge.

The cocktails flowed, business associates became trusted friends and a renewed determination to return each individual business to a state better than before became the focus. And, like every good girls’ weekend, a cunning plan was hatched … the group would fly across the world and spend time with Sir Richard Branson, a man held in high esteem by all. The group was even named after his book, ‘Screw It, Let’s Do It’ (SILDI).
February 22 was the third SILDI meeting. At 12.51pm, as a single entity, the group threw themselves under the boardroom table as Mother Nature again vented her fury upon Christchurch.
Shattered and broken buildings, like the shattered and hurting hearts, are a reality for two of the group; meanwhile, others had been operating from locations locked away in the red zone, previously known as the CBD.

For Phillippa Jacobs, director of Mega Advertising, this was the second time in a matter of months that she would have to re-home her team. “We should just be focussing on growing our businesses, not rebuilding them every six months,” she says.
However, as with every hardship, this is a woman that looks and will continue to look for the silver linings. These last months has made Mega a ‘smart business’. One, which now has robust backup systems with IP and physical storage of data spread across various Christchurch locations. Insurance is equally important, stresses Phillippa.
“What enables a business to be able to just move offices?” she asks. “It comes down to backup of work, insurance, and thinking outside the square.”
September 4 now seems like a dress rehearsal for what was to come on February 22, and the Mega team, like so many others, shake off the dust, pick up their screens, massage their mojos and dive back into work in a temporary premise.

But with the city temporarily on its knees – where does the work come from? “With well over 1500 clients, it means the load is spread, however, the team is working on the out-of-town work, so as to not pressure our Christchurch clients. But we will be here and ready when they are.
“I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination,” she adds.

Kathy Nicol, director of the Cohen Lifestyle Clinics New Zealand, was sitting in Queenstown airport when the quake hit. She was en route to Christchurch and the tragically infamous CTV building where she would film another local TV spot. Her Manchester Street premise now resembles a mountain of doom, but, from the rubble, her quiet determination is rock solid. Like hundreds of others, she will seek and find new premises and continue to grow her dream.
Cilla Hegarty, founder and chief executive of NZ Tax Refunds didn’t win her plethora of awards for nothing. She has created a team, which, despite everything, has enabled her nationally thriving business to continue near uninterrupted through both earthquakes.
In those dark and early days immediately after February 22, the NZ Tax Refunds ‘normality’ was sloshing through the office in gumboots. Like so many, Cilla’s team now have intimate knowledge of liquefaction.

“They worked among smelly, dirty carpet which was being lifted up around their feet. They worked with a portaloo two doors down the street and survived on takeaways. Who could wash a lettuce with no water? The daily wipe down of dust and silt off their computers never fazed them,” Cilla says proudly of her team.

The sheer process of getting to work in those early days was an ordeal. Car rides that only days before took 15 minutes were now a two-hour, arduous journey best tackled by four wheel drives with a hard hat for added security. Cilla, however, on the day of the quake, after checking the safety of family members, acquired an old gearless bike, adorned with a wicker basket and rode tandem (skirt hitched high, heels held up out of the muck) as her husband cycled them through the broken streets to get to her building to check her staff.

Their resilience and dedication to the culture of the business still astounds her. She shares the tale of Tina, who ran back into the shaking building after the quake hit to ensure refunds to be paid that day were processed. “This reflects the true culture of a winning team, above and beyond, and business as usual.”

Cate Grace launched Leap Fitness and Motivation only last year and the journey has not been an easy one, but among the SILDI group and her many clients she has earned the title, ‘Ms Motivation’. Her personal battle with her health adds an intuitive edge to her empathy, enabling her to deliver a service unobtainable to many. But now, with her fitness studio well ensconced in the heart of the red zone and a husband who is working day and night for one of the emergency services, the task of keeping herself motivated is tough. “I was ready to throw it all in,” Cate says.
But, like the entire group, Cate is made of much tougher stuff and once the initial shock wore off, Cate, like the Phoenix, will rise again.” There are so many opportunities to help our community and for Canterbury to rebuild.”

Cate’s motto for 2011 was, ‘I Can’ – tweaked now to ‘CANterbury Can’. She describes herself as ‘just an earth angel’ ready to leap in and help.
Another angel is Jody Worsfold of Romantic Gestures whose office is home based and, thankfully in a part of town relatively unscathed by the latest quake. Unfortunately, this does not mean life and business  carries on as per normal. Jody had just taken that big leap of employing her first team member, enabling her to take the young but successful business to greater heights.



For the new team member, dealing with a house that is unliveable will consume her in the short term, so Jody’s plans have gone on hold. “Your first instinct is to think, this is the end and it’s all doom and gloom. It feels like starting over again, but when the shell shock wears off, you adjust your headspace and carry on.”
Jody advocates celebrating the good days. And among the bad days, when your emotions yo yo, there are many good days.

For Melissa Haberfield, the earthquake has meant a huge change of short-term direction. March 8 was to be a big day for the Christchurch owner and event manager of the Her Business Christchurch networking group. At the Ellerslie Flower Show, she was to launch her new venture with a glamorous cocktail event.
Like the flowers from the show, the petals of this dream droop somewhat, but her tenacity and indomitable spirit will prevail.
Melissa is well known as a connector of like-minded people and was about to launch Dream Bigger Media, a company that will host events, publish a series of books and create an online environment where all New Zealand business people can connect, be inspired, grow and flourish.
Melissa, like all the girls, attributes much of her strength and will to carry on to the support of the group.

Vicki O’Fee founder of the V for Hair group, which comprises of V for Hair Boutique Hair Spa Salon, Vj Barbers – Grooming for men and V For Hair Products, worries about marketing to her 30,000-strong database. She wants her clients to know she is thinking of them, but has no way to know if they are all safe. “I’m so scared I am going to be sending messages to people who are no longer here?”

Like the entire group, Vicki experiences emotions that swing from gratitude, despair, hope and sometimes even guilt.
“I’ve had my staff off for two and a half weeks and that’s hard, but being in Merivale it might look bad, but it’s not. We have taken in another salon and possibly have another coming on board.” These businesses will come under the V for Hair brand, helping to build her business presence. Would this have happened without the quake? Possibly not.”
But as the saying goes, when life chucks you lemons, make lemonade and for Vicki the opportunities are coming quicker, from necessity, than for others in the group.

The businesses that soldier on are some of the unsung heroes of this tale and the sentiment to buy local has never been stronger as business owners all do their bit to help prop-up and eventually grow the Canterbury business culture.
Sandy Galland
Your Story Communications


Mother Nature are you listening? 
How do we heal our hearts that are broken?
Mend the holes that this tragedy has opened? 

You’ve shaken our buildings, broken our earth.
Destroyed families and made us question our worth. 

You’ve taught us life is precious and we must live for each day.
For at any time you might take it away. 

For those you have left to grieve and to mourn,
We will stand tall and weather the storm. 

In our red and our black through one eye you’ll see,
The Canterbury spirit re-build, our much-loved city. 

Jody Worsfold


Christchurch Small Business – where to find help:
• The main earthquake info page from the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce www.cecc.org.nz
• Recover Canterbury is showing links for business-to-business support www.recovercanterbury.co.nz
• Details of the Government employment assistance package can be found at www.workandincome.govt.nz
• EQC’s main earthquake information page is www.canterbury.eqc.govt.nz
StopPress is running an ‘Open for Business’ directory for marketing and media companies in the Christchurch area www.stoppress.co.nz
• Requests and offers of help for businesses in Christchurch can be found at www.business.eq.org.nz or www.nzbizhelp.co.nz