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Whaia te pae tawhiti kia tata, whaia te pae tata, whakamaua kia tina.
At Love the Centre, we're committed to fostering a vibrant business community in Hamilton Central. Whether you're an established local favourite or a newcomer with big dreams, we're here to support your success and help you connect with the pulse of our city.
Sign up to the City Centre Newsletter below to stay up to date on all that is happening in the city centre.
Joining the HCBA opens doors to a wealth of resources and networking opportunities. Enhance your business visibility and connect with like-minded professionals in the Hamilton community.
networking opportunities
01.
Connect with local businesses and expand your professional network through exclusive events.
marketing resources
02.
Access valuable marketing tools and material to elevate your business strategy.
Advocacy
03.
We represent your interests to local government and wider regional stakeholders.
Connection
04.
Connect with like-minded professionals and share insights to drive success together.
Exclusive Perks
05.
Enjoy discounts, promotional opportunities, and event opportunities.
stay informed
06.
Receive the latest news and updates that impact your business and the community.
Unfurnished room for hire/rent upstairs at Fastlane Fitness. Ideal for businesses in the health and fitness industry
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Every Wed-Fri 4pm-6pm, you can play a round of mini golf for just $5 per person. All you need is at least one person in your group who works for a central city business to get the deal for everyone!
Email the team at Tipsy Putt to verify your workplace and make a booking ->> info@tipsyputt.co.nz
Running a small business in today’s climate means wearing too many hats, too often. From HR headaches and payroll glitches to compliance challenges and the pressure of day-to-day operations, it’s all too easy to get bogged down in the business, rather than working on your vision. We know how draining it is to chase your tail—when evenings and weekends disappear and you’re struggling for time, clarity, and support.
That’s where Pivotal People comes in. We’re a Waikato-based team specialising in practical, plain-English business support made for New Zealand Small businesses just like yours. Our mission is to remove the pain points that keep you awake—so you can gain time, control, and enjoy the fruits of your hard work.
No need to juggle multiple providers: with Pivotal People, you get business advice, coaching, HR, health & safety, payroll, accounting, admin, marketing, website development, graphic design, and training—all under one roof. By understanding your business inside and out, we offer solutions tailored to your unique journey—whether you seek a trusted ongoing partner or just one-off, “fix it now” support.
Interactive workshops focused on the Universal Wellbeing Model and the Universal Wellbeing Evaluation Tool. These workshops will provide hands-on training, insights into universal wellbeing practices, and guidance on using digital wellbeing tools effectively. Stay tuned for dates and special early bird pricing—don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and skills!
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Soda has created an online Business Fundamentals platform with short courses to help aspiring entrepreneurs and new business owners succeed.
These short online courses provide the necessary tools and frameworks to guide aspiring entrepreneurs and new business owners through all the steps of being a business owner.
Each course features videos of real founders and experts sharing valuable advice, downloadable check lists and templates, step-by-step instructions and practical guidance.
Topics include:
Your Business Vision & Goals
From Idea to Marketing: Problem Solving, Validation & Customer Fit
Crafting Your Unique Brand Story & Competitive Edge
Money Matters: Getting to Grips with Financials
Marketing & Sales: Building Connections that Drive Growth
Legal, Compliance & Future Planning
Prices start at just $49 per course or $245 for all six courses.
Use discount code HCBA20 to receive 20% off the bundle.
Access valuable insights into Hamilton Central's economic trends, visitor patterns, and business performance. Our reports provide the data you need to make informed decisions and seize opportunities.
View reports
Unlock a wealth of tools, guides, and materials designed to help your business thrive in Hamilton Central. For more information contact our team, we've got you covered.
Access resources
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At Buzzword, our mission is to make digital billboard advertising affordable, accessible, and flexible for local businesses. Even though our screens sit just outside the CBD, that’s actually the point: if we want more people in the heart of Hamilton, we need to catch their attention on the way in and guide them toward the centre.
Our seven locations along Hamilton’s busiest routes are designed to do exactly that, reaching people as they’re heading out to shop, eat, and explore, and ultimately supporting the businesses based in the CBD.
Waikato travellers have taken to a return of trans-Tasman flights from Hamilton, with a 39% leap in Hamilton Airport passenger numbers in the second half of last year.
And along with more incoming Aussies, some Kiwis are even driving down from Bombay to skip a trip out of Auckland over a Waikato offering.
Hamilton Airport recorded the surge in passenger numbers during the six months to December 2025 - an increase of 71,000 travellers on the year earlier.
According to their six-month report around 55,000 flyers were taking to the skies for international routes between Hamilton, Sydney and the Gold Coast.
Hamilton Airport chief executive Mark Morgan said that since the start of Jetstar’s daily international flights across the ditch, “the buzz hasn’t stopped since”.
The Waikato Times had earlier revealed that in the first month since the service launched, almost 9000 passengers took flights to Australia.
The commercial property market appears to be on a strong footing in the regions.
From his base in Hamilton, Mike Neale is well positioned to assist vendors and purchasers across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Demand is pushing up prices, rents and leases, but supply is growing too. Coupled with growth in transport networks, this is highly promising for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Neale says.
“Hamilton was once the poor cousin in the Golden Triangle, but it’s firmly on the radar now.
“We’re seeing an increasing amount of investors from outside come in, from Auckland and Wellington particularly,” he says.
“Tauranga has been the golden child in many ways, with a more affluent population, but I think it’s evened out a lot more now.”
Neale is managing director of NAI Harcourts in Hamilton and has more than 20 years’ experience specialising in commercial real estate.
Overall, the commercial real estate market has been showing a return to good form, he says.
“There’s certainly a lot more interest in commercial property. It’s been driven by the lowering of the Official Cash Rate and particularly bank deposit rates.
“People are looking at other forms of investment so there have been significantly more inquiries and we’re certainly starting to see a rise in values.”
The opening of the glittering $80 million BNZ Theatre in downtown Hamilton this week has thrown into sharp contrast the state of many of the surrounding buildings in southern Victoria St.
It’s a diverse assembly of structures - some big, some tiny, some designated historic - in equally diverse condition.
The frontage of many are in inarguably bad shape, with broken windows, peeling paint, graffiti and lichen-covered awnings clashing with the pristine and ornately-decorated façades of their neighbours.
And whether there is an onus on local landlords and business owners to lift their game and make their businesses more presentable - or perhaps demolish them and build something more attractive in their place - has become a topic of debate.
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