Schnappa Rock Bar and Restaurant is a Tutukaka Coast icon – up there with Dive Tutukaka’s blue and yellow boats, the Pacific Rendezvous motel up on the hill – and Sandy Bay’s Polar Bear Surf Competition.

Nick Keene and Esther Eves have been at the helm for the past four years.  But it’s not easy operating a successful hospitality business in a place like Tutukaka.  The crowds are seasonal with fishing, diving, surfing and holidays bringing the numbers on-season – and the much smaller local community forming the mainstay through the rest of the year.

If the tourist season lasted a full 12 months, anyone could do this, right?  But the challenge is wearing two different hats; giving the visitor population what they want – and also keeping the local community coming back regularly.  This creates a balancing act, as these are two very different markets with different requirements.

So what is the secret to Nick and Esther’s success?  Well we reckon it boils down to this:  they are obsessive about three things.  One, their role as great hosts.  Two, their team.  And three, their part in the local community.

The obsession with hospitality is obvious from the moment you walk into Schnappa Rock.  Nick will probably greet you himself and show you to the bar or to a table.  And if Nick isn’t there, the crew is impeccably trained and one of them will be right there doing the job with just as much style as Nick.  Nick leads from the front as a host – and he makes sure his relaxed and genuine style permeates through the whole operation.

Nick, Esther and Schnappa Rock are also very much a part of the local community.  If there is an event happening locally, Schnappa Rock will be part of the action whether it’s a fundraiser for the local Ngunguru School – or sponsorship of the Polar Bear Surf Competition.

Margins are tight and fixed costs are high in businesses such as these – so keeping a sharp eye on the numbers is essential.  Nick and Esther take a very close interest in the key numbers in their business – but not at the expense of a quality experience for their guests.

We believe that in a business that operates in a seasonal location and which is forced to satisfy two very different target markets, getting the basics absolutely right is even more critical than usua

Nick and Esther enjoy the visitor trade when it’s there – but they also maintain their strong local following by never compromising on their role as being great hosts, keeping the whole team at the top of their game – and being a big part of the local community.

You can check Schnappa Rock out online at www.schnapparock.co.nz

RJ Don Panelbeaters have been on Auckland’s North Shore for 50 years now – and for the second half of that time, Chris Kelly and his family have been at the helm.

The smash repair industry is a tough one.  The powerful insurance industry is the source of most of its revenue – and it flexes its collective muscles to ensure margins are kept tight.  For example, in an era when motor vehicle dealer franchise mechanics are charging out at up to $120 per hour, the maximum rate insurance companies will pay for smash repair work is around 1/3rd of that amount.  And with the insurance companies increasingly sourcing and supplying the parts required for a repair, the traditional parts margins are under pressure as well.

So how does RJ Don Panelbeaters thrive while many others in the industry merely subsist?

Well, it all comes down to Chris Kelly’s very special skills in leading and motivating a team.  The crew at RJ Don Panelbeaters operate as a true team.  They are all highly skilled and focussed on getting the job done efficiently and right first time.  Everyone in the team is charged with ensuring customers are delighted – and that deadlines and promises are met.  With its tight margins, this is an industry where mistakes, wasteage, rework or dissatisfied customers can quickly eliminate the fruits of an entire month’s hard work.  This team is focussed on making very sure none of these things happen.

When you walk through the large bi-fold aluminium doors from the reception area into the RJ Don Panelbeaters workshop, the first thing you notice is how spotlessly clean and organised the surroundings are.  The second thing is how energised the workshop feels.  And the third is a large sign displaying the team motto:  “Together Everyone Achieves More”.  These guys live by that motto.

It’s no coincidence that the crew at RJ Don Panelbeaters are among the best paid in the industry.  Chris Kelly makes a point of sharing the business successes with those who help to make it happen.  These guys seriously have fun together – and they all enjoy the fruits of the business.  The picture above is at a recent RJ Don Panelbeaters team trip to Sydney to catch a Warriors game and to celebrate a record month.

Chris avoids individual performance bonuses and incentives like the plague – when the team does well, the whole team benefits.  If a particular person doesn’t pull their weight, the team will typically pull them into line well before Chris or his managers need to get involved.

Chris Kelly and his team demonstrate that by doing things differently it’s possible to thrive – even in difficult times and in a difficult industry.

RJ Don Panelbeaters is located at 124 Wairau Road, Takapuna – phone 09-444-9292.