Building it right - managing growth
Starting small and staying that way was the plan when Emma and Phill set up Build It Northland, in Phill’s home town of Kaitāia. But constant demand set them on a much bigger, more hectic journey. To take back control they met with a Growth Advisor. That created a turning point to start actively managing their business growth, while maintaining high-quality service and planning for the future.
Co-founder Tony Egerton with Northland Inc Growth Advisor Prue Street
An overwhelming start
As soon as Phill and Emma set up a building business of their own, customer demand for Build It Northland quickly pushed them to expand beyond being a husband and wife team with one apprentice. Running their business was fueled by instinct, adrenaline, Phill’s building skills and Emma’s background in office, banking and accounts work. For a long time, they built systems on the fly to keep them going. But nine years in and 10 staff later – with two kids and a yoga business added to the mix – the work ‘sprint’ was turning into unsustainable stress marathon.
Creating a turning point
It was time to reset and make a call – literally. Emma got in touch with Prue, a Growth Advisor at Northland NZ. They needed a structure to create better balance and strategies to take them from managing day-to-day operations to actively managing growth and planning for the future.
“Our Growth Advisor offered us resources and courses on a platter and I picked them off like grapes! Her guidance helped me regain focus, shift my mindset and start looking ahead with clarity and direction. It gave me space to think strategically about the future.”
Through the Growth Advisor, they accessed funding they didn’t know existed and used it to invest in business development and coaching, which helped them gain perspective.
“I enrolled in a group Business Growth Strategies course by Courtney Pearce. It covered key areas including marketing, sales, operations, finance, and scalability. Each module was highly relevant, and I came away with practical strategies that I’m still implementing today.”
Refining goals
Emma and Phill are now working with Next Level Tradie for one-on-one business coaching which has allowed them to take a deeper, more personalised look at their business. They’ve found having someone to bounce ideas off and provide guidance to be incredibly valuable. They’ve also recently hired a Marketing and Client Engagement Coordinator to provide social media and online expertise and they’re using AI to improve efficiency with routine office tasks.
“Now we’re embracing growth, and we’re into succession planning which something we’ve never even thought of before.”
Packaging was designed by sustainable packaging agency, Marx Design. A contact provided by their Northland Inc Growth Advisor.
An award-winning approach
As Emma and Phill refine their goal of keeping their service high-quality while reducing their workload and creating more time for their family, they’ve also been winning awards!
Build It Northland took out the Small Business Award at the 2025 Northland Business Excellence Awards, which recognised their strong leadership, robust systems, and sustainable, well-managed growth.
“Entering the Northland Business Excellence Awards for the first time, in the Small Business category, was a major milestone for us and we were incredibly proud to win. It was a great validation of the work we’ve been doing and the direction we’re heading in.”
The Growth Advisor difference
Meeting with the Growth Advisor changed Emma and Phill’s direction from muddling through to finding solutions. Discovering the funding and courses that were available set them on a path to finding solutions and perspective.
“Working with Prue helped me step back and assess where we were at in the business and what we actually needed moving forward. At the time, I was feeling overwhelmed and, if I’m honest, a bit burnt out. Her guidance helped me regain focus, shift my mindset, and start looking ahead again with clarity.”
Stef and Tony in one of their workshops where they make the Bonno Dog Chews.