I’ve thought about this many times… located directly on State Highway One, less than an hour from Wellington on the newly built expressway, and practically equidistant between Wellington and Palmerston North, Kapiti (and particularly Otaki) is the ideal location for your next sales office.
Reach the Lower North Island
Being ideally located close to Wellington along the Kapiti Coast Expressway, Kapiti is an ideal springboard for your sales team to reach the entire Lower North Island in a matter of hours.
Lower rent costs
Now I’m no expert, but from what I gather, commercial leases in Kapiti often go for two thirds of the cost of Wellington. In other words, it’s a great way to keep your expenses down while you establish.
Abundant unskilled labour market
Not to knock the people of Kapiti, but there is a huge mix of people in this district (both skilled and unskilled) who are looking for jobs. Setting up your sales office here gives you access to trainable talent, who have often relocated here on account of the affordable housing and flexible lifestyle. So much so, that new listings on Seek or Trade Me often receive an abundance of applications.
Access to affordable fuel
With Levin just up the road, you have access to some of the lowest fuel prices in the country, let alone the Lower North Island. Perfect for businesses who need to travel a long way to see clients.
Claim Travel – National as a business expense
Now, I am no accountant, so take this one with a grain of salt. But from what I understand from discussions with accountants in the past, any travel greater than 50 kilometres from your office for business purposes has the potential to be considered a “Travel – National” expense.
If you think through the implications for a moment, because such a large number of sales calls are likely to be in Palmerston North, Wellington or Wanganui, virtually all of your expenses relating to this travel (whether it’s coffee, accommodation, or entertainment) will be eligible for this expense coding. That, and you will be home in time for tea, if you want.
Of course, you should always seek the advice of your accountant in regards to such matters.
