Niesh finds its niche with business makeover
18th April, 2017
Winners of the MYOB Business Makeover held recently in Auckland are already reaping the benefits of the digital and physical upgrade.
Founded by three university students in 2015, educational support service business Niesh aims to make life easier for students.
It offers a free printing service, an app which promotes exclusive student deals from local businesses and a university student dedicated social media platform to share and stay updated on the latest news on campus.
It also runs a relaxed student lounge close to the University of Auckland with affordable food and coffee.
The student-run startup won the latest MYOB Business Makeover, which included an upgrade of software systems, training and support for staff and a transformation of its student public space.
Niesh was one of many deserving Auckland businesses nominated for the competition over the last few weeks.
MYOB’s New Zealand General Manager Carolyn Luey said Niesh stood out because of the innovation it has brought to market and the positive impact it’s having on the student community.
“Since its launch, Niesh has grown rapidly, from a small operation borrowing the space of a friend’s shop, to a fully-fledged business occupying its own premises. The business now employs seven full-time staff and 23 part-time student ambassadors,” she said.
“The fact that the founders have achieved this business growth whilst still studying undergraduate degrees is hugely impressive.
“There are so many small businesses doing fantastic work in their local community. Ultimately it is the hard work and dedication of the Niesh owners that sets them apart. Niesh has mixed smart ideas and good use of technology to build a great business.”
Co-founder of Niesh James Koo said he and his team were thrilled with the makeover.
“We are incredibly excited about where we can take the business. At Niesh we believe there are three key elements that make for successful students: being financially stable, achieving academic excellence and building solid connections,” he said.
“The MYOB makeover will not only allow us to utilise the latest cloud-based accounting software and upgrade our own free printing software but the improvements to our student lounge have really enhanced our space for students.”
On Sunday 26 March, after a meeting with the software engineer and MYOB trainer to go over the digital portion of the makeover, Niesh employees headed out for an afternoon of team activities included in the prize.
MYOB staff used that time to paint walls, install lighting, TV screens and decorative items, creating an even more collaborative and interactive student lounge.
Check out the video of the makeover here:
“We are blown away by the work the MYOB team have done and look forward to continuing to work with them to help our business succeed,” said Koo.