Jason Watkins outside The Cube headquarters at the Cell, on Helwick Street.

CAROLINE HARKER

When Jason Watkins was interviewed for the position of Business Development Manager at the Cube, not one of the interviewers recognised him, although he had been living and working in Wanaka for five years.

He must have impressed them because they gave him the job, and one of the first things he started working on was doing something about the isolation of like-minded people in the local business community.

The Cube (Centre of Unique Business Evolution) was set up to maintain the momentum generated by the Wanaka Gigatown campaign. Jason’s job is to help develop opportunities for existing local businesses, attract new businesses to the area and help the local economy grow.

Initiatives include a business mentors scheme and presentations, seminars and workshops for anyone who is interested. Both have done a lot to bring self-employed small business owners together, Jason said. He estimates the population of Wanaka is now around 11,000, and with 2,200 GST registered businesses in town, there’s a very high proportion of self-employed people here.

When he started the Cube’s Business Mentors Initiative in April, more than 50 people applied for mentoring in the first two weeks.

"We had to pull our advertising. The demand was huge.” Jason has a pool of 26 mentors available and is always looking for more. They are all volunteers and between them have a huge range of experience.

Some people are completely new to business when they apply for a mentor, others are quite experienced. For example, a businesswoman who produces skincare products which she sells around the country wanted to move into the international market. Jason has teamed her up with a mentor who has experience in marketing around the world. He says the breadth and depth of experience and talent in Wanaka is extraordinary.

"If the Cube model wouldn’t work in Wanaka it wouldn’t work anywhere,” he said. "The town is full of people who excel in all sorts of areas - from intellectual and business acumen to sporting talent.”

Jason himself has had a broad and varied career. He works half-time at the Cube and the rest of the time he runs own sports management consultancy business which takes him all over the country. He has also worked in tourism, education, and science and technology.

Jason and his wife Irenie decided to move to Wanaka from Christchurch about a year after the earthquakes. "The aftershocks seemed to go on and on and caused us so much stress and anxiety. Luckily I could be flexible with my work and we moved here in 2011.”

They and their three children, aged two, seven and 11, are loving living in Wanaka and Jason has no regrets about the move. He’s been his own boss for most of his working life, and the combination of running the Cube and his own consultancy business suits him well.

The Cube provides him with lots of contact with local people, and the challenge of providing ongoing business support and advocacy is keeping him busy.

Jason is half-way through running an entrepreneur speakers series (with more sessions coming up in October and November) and is developing a Wanaka investment network. He’s also working with Peter Harris, QLDC’s newly appointed economic development manager.

An important goal is to help Wanaka develop a diverse and resilient economy, extending far beyond tourism, hospitality and farming.

"Wanaka’s an exciting place to be,” Jason said.

PHOTO: Caroline Harker