Christchurch based mentor Alex Mann

DIY culture runs deep – but Christchurch businesses don’t have to go it alone.

For Christchurch-based business mentor Alex Mann, mentoring isn’t about quick fixes or giving perfect answers – it’s about curiosity, connection, and helping business owners build confidence in their own path forward.

“I’m 61 now, and I’ve been in and around business most of my life – mainly in sales and marketing,” says Mann. “I’ve run all sorts of businesses – window cleaning, an aerobics studio, a gym equipment company, car grooming, market research and digital marketing.”

That long and varied career now feeds into his work with Business Mentors New Zealand, a nationwide programme connecting small business owners with experienced professionals.

“I realised I genuinely enjoy helping people grow. I don’t think I’ve got some magic formula, but I do bring curiosity, a fresh perspective, and the willingness to ask the questions others might not. Most business owners know what to do – they’re capable and driven – but sometimes, having someone to challenge and guide you makes all the difference.”

Listening first, solving second

For Mann – who runs Big Boy Digital Marketing – the key to good mentoring lies in restraint: listen first, solve later.

“Whether it’s coaching someone or even building a website, until I’ve asked enough questions and really understood the business, I’m not offering a solution. Otherwise, you're just guessing.”

The analogy he uses is one close to his heart: “I compare it to road cycling, which I’m into – there’s no easy race. You just get fitter and race harder. Same with business. You solve bigger problems, faster, under more pressure.”

The hard realities of going it alone

Having experienced everything from investor conflict to cash flow crises, Mann brings empathy as well as insight.

“I see myself as a sounding board – someone who’s there to help business owners stay grounded, especially when things get tough."

Alex Mann - Business Mentors New Zealand

Whether the challenge is their fault or not it doesn’t matter. I try to remind them: this is business. It’s messy sometimes, but that doesn’t mean you’re failing.”

He adds: “Because business can be bloody lonely. You can't always talk to your staff about what’s really going on. So having someone who gets it, who’s walked through the same stuff and isn’t rattled, that can make a huge difference.”

Christchurch’s DIY culture: a double-edged sword

In Mann’s view, the city’s proud self-reliance can sometimes hold its business community back.

“Oh yeah, absolutely. I think it's a cultural thing, and it runs deep here,” he says.

“It can border on arrogance, really—this belief of ‘I know best. I know my business.’ I see it all the time with clients. I’ll work with plumbers, panel beaters, lawyers, health professionals—you name it—and they’ll tell me how to write web copy or build a site, like they know more than I do. It’s always surprising.”

Yet when that resistance breaks down, real transformation can occur.

“It can—especially if there’s some early success and we click. I've had a few clients like that. One I worked with recently still calls on me, and I actually enjoy those interactions. She gets real value from the back-and-forth. It helps her feel clearer, more confident, like she’s on the right track.”

“But that kind of relationship takes time. Mentoring isn’t about quick fixes... if you’ve been in business for years and haven’t figured it out, I’m not solving it all in 45 minutes. It’s a process.”

Confidence, communication, and clarity

Quick wins, Mann says, often come from just a little outside input.

“Another big challenge business owners face is communication—not just visual branding, but actual language. Copywriting. Most don’t know how to clearly express what they do and why it matters. They throw everything at their audience instead of focusing on the one or two things their customers really care about.”

“They’ve got ideas—plenty of them—but no clear plan, no filter to figure out what matters most.”

“That’s where things can really shift: once they find the core of what they’re about, and get the confidence to focus on it, everything else starts falling into place.”

Why mentoring matters now more than ever

After decades of personal business ups and downs, Mann’s empathy for struggling owners runs deep.

“Business is risky. Sometimes you put everything on the line—mortgage the house, for example.”

And in a world increasingly shaped by uncertainty, from natural disasters to global trade pressures, he sees mentoring as not just helpful—but vital.

“At $320 for a full year of mentoring, that’s an insane deal. And I’ve met a lot of the other mentors—these are seriously good people. First-class. It’s an incredible service. I really believe in it. Why wouldn’t you?”