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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.
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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.
Soda’s Business Fundamentals Growth Lab, powered by Deloitte, is a practical eight-week programme designed especially for wāhine founders and women-led startups or small businesses.
Combining online learning with in-person expert-led sessions, the Growth Lab will guide participants through the essentials of starting, managing, and growing a business - from financial foundations to marketing and strategy.
Participants will join a supportive community of like-minded wāhine and gain valuable tools to accelerate growth. The programme concludes with a Pitch Night, where participants can showcase their business and compete for a $2,000 cash prize.
We're turning 21! Join us on the 5th of Feb to celebrate the occasion.
Click here for details and to book
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.
Great things happen when people come together! The Gathering at The Crate is your opportunity to network and meet inspiring professionals, share ideas, and spark collaborations in a casual and welcoming space.
What to Expect:
Gain fresh insights and valuable learning opportunities.
Connect with a community of like-minded professionals.
Build meaningful relationships in a collaborative and inspiring space.
Enjoy drinks, delicious nibbles, and conversations that will help take your business to new heights!
The incredible Helen Corban, a networking powerhouse will be hosting each week. With over 30 years of experience in business, training, and coaching, Helen will share her expertise and empower you to maximize your productivity and grow your business.
Bring your friends, colleagues, or anyone who’d love to be part of Hamilton’s vibrant new networking scene!
Date: Every Wednesday
Time: 4:30 - 5:30 PM
Venue: The Crate Hamilton
Email registrations to eshloe@thecrate.co.nz
https://thecrate.co.nz/hamilton/overview
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
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.
Tax debt is increasing for businesses around the country. Now is the time to make sure your business is on top of things...
Economic uncertainty and the cost-of-living crisis have meant businesses across New Zealand have been doing it tough in recent times.
Inland Revenue says that around two thirds of all tax debt is owed by small business, sole traders and contractors.
As at June 2025 $3.3b was owing for GST – which is 15% higher than June 2024 whilst $2.0b was owing in Employer taxes which is 34% higher than in June 2024.
A significant portion of this is PAYE and GST, which should simply be passed on to Inland Revenue, so more work is being done now to get that money collected.
Inland Revenue has also significantly increased its investigations and auditing, focusing on those actively trying to avoid their taxes. These actions are sometimes prompted by tip-offs from various sources.
If you or your business are facing challenges with tax debt, it’s important to reach out to Inland Revenue early. Addressing the issue promptly can help you avoid further penalties and interest.
There are a range of options to help:
Inland Revenue has published easy to understand advice to help you get it right -https://www.ird.govt.nz/pages/campaigns/get-it-right
If you are newly in business check out Inland Revenues Free Business Seminars – available In-person and online across the country. Topics include: an Introduction to Business, GST, and Employers. You can book into a seminar on their website. https://www.ird.govt.nz
You can use your myIR account to make a payment by selecting the ‘Make a payment’ link for each overdue tax type, or go to https://www.ird.govt.nz/managing-my-tax/make-a-payment
And you can set up an instalment arrangement if you’re unable to pay the full amount: https://www.ird.govt.nz/managing-my-tax/make-a-payment/ways-of-paying/instalment-arrangements. You can also use myIR for this.
If you need to talk with Inland Revenue about your overdue returns or debt you can contact them by sending a message in MyIR or call on 0800 587 244.
Waikato shoppers had the tills ringing to the tune of $343 million in November, nearly four per cent higher than last year.
3.8% above the year earlier figure, according to data from card spending bean counters Worldline NZ.
According data from card spending agency Worldline NZ, Waikato’s 3.8 per cent increase made it one of only three of 18 locations that saw rises in spending. Others were West Coast up 6.3% to $32 million, 5.4% in Whanganui to $55 million and a 5% climb in Otago to $254 million.
The Waikato year-on-year rise also outstripped the nationwide figure of 1.1% to $4.1 billion.
When it comes to total November card spending, only three locations saw more money change hands than Waikato; Auckland/Northland at $1.5 billion, Canterbury at $502 million and Wellington - just - at $344 million.
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