Taking an innovative approach to her midwifery business means Gillian often steps out of her comfort zone. She was among the first of local midwives to establish a website to promote her maternity care services and then a few years ago took another innovative approach to where she would set up her clinic.
“It was borne out of necessity really. We all need work space to run our ante natal clinics. Most pay for professional rooms somewhere and it can be big money. I just thought, there must be another option. So, instead of paying someone else, I decided to set up my clinic on my own property.”
Gillian’s bespoke ‘ecopod’ is a fully insulated, double glazed and refurbished custom container that she has positioned on her property in Mount Maunganui. “It works beautifully. It’s a great space for my clients and nice and handy and comfortable for me to operate from. It reduces my overheads and has allowed me to do it my way and better.”
In defining the best options for her ecopod and business structure Gillian relied heavily on advice from her trusted advisory team of her bank manager and accountant and the advice paid off.
“My bank manager helped me get the wheels in motion. Then I sought advice from Rhonda at Ingham Mora in terms of what my options might be for purchasing an ecopod and running it. Her advice really helped me navigate the pros and cons of each option.”