A beginner’s guide to starting your own business

Many of us dream of starting our own business, but how do we know when the time is really right to take the plunge?

It’s a huge step, yet with thorough research, precise planning, and a healthy dose of courage, owning your own business can be the best thing you’ll ever do, say Alice and Caleb Pearson, the former The Block NZ stars who own two property companies.

Not only does it allow them to focus on what they love, but being their own bosses means the busy parents-of-four can manage their own time.

“Having flexibility means we can control the hours that we invest into our business, and also the hours that we put into our family,” says Caleb.

Before turning their side hustle into a full-time gig, Caleb was a project manager and Alice a youth pastor. Their renovation business Pearson + Projects was a natural evolution in many ways, but they admit it happened faster than anticipated after Caleb bought a house at auction 12 years ago without Alice evening knowing about it.

“I remember calling and saying, ‘We bought a property. We're starting a project!’ and that was the moment we turned what was a bit of a passion into a business.”

But behind the purchase was years of planning and research.

“I've got a saying that goes, don't rush but act quickly,” tells Caleb. “Spend a lot of time getting to know what you want to do or are trying to achieve. And then when the opportunity comes up, make a quick decision and act on it.”

It’s about setting yourself up for that moment, says Alice.

“We didn't necessarily look ready to start a business,” says Alice, who was heavily pregnant with their first child at the time. “But we were ready because we had done our research. We had gained the expertise. We trusted each other. We had a plan in place.”

One of the most important aspects before branching out on your own is to count the costs, says Caleb, who set up his second business, Waihanga Group, in 2020, to concentrate on residential property development.

“Businesses take a lot of time, resource and money, and you mustn’t be blind about that. You need to know exactly what you’re going to have to invest to see it through.”

While working together isn’t for everyone, Alice and Caleb, who are mum and dad to Alek, seven, Mika, five, Blake, one, and four-month-old Brooke, wouldn’t have it any other way. Using each other’s strengths is the key to a healthy working relationship.

“One of my favourite things about doing business with Alice is the whole dreaming and planning process,” says Caleb. “Having that time together to actually think big and dream about what we want this to be.”

Alice adds, “for me, doing business together as a couple is really just the ideal situation. We are doing what we love with who we love.”