When McKone Consultancy started out in 2013, one of the first things that we did was join the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
We did this because we recognised as a new business, we needed to promote our presence to the local business community. Director, Tony McKone says, “As an experienced employment relations practitioner with over 30 years in the public sector, I had a strong public profile among my HR peers, not only in Wellington but around the country. What I realised was if McKone Consultancy was going to deliver on its vision of helping small to medium businesses get the best out of their staff, I needed to develop a profile and relationship with small to medium business owners. It was therefore logical that the place to do this was with the local Chamber of Commerce."
McKone states that right from the date McKone Consultancy joined the Chamber, the Chamber of Commerce actively encouraged getting involved in local Chamber events as a way to met local business owners and develop relationships with them. McKone says, “The Chamber looked after McKone Consultancy right from the get-go, with referrals to both member and non-member companies looking for practical and pragmatic employment relations help.”
McKone Consultancy ran free HR Clinics for two years with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and this greatly helped lift the profile of the company while also helping local businesses resolve some of their employee relations issues.
McKone says with McKone Consultancy now in its seventh year of operating, it was time to partner with the Chamber and give back some of the support the Chamber has provided his company over the past six and half years.
As a Silver Partner, McKone Consultancy is looking forward to supporting the Chamber’s Education to Vocational Employment Pathways programme.