Niesh finds its niche

A dedication to helping students succeed has netted educational support service business Niesh a makeover.

Founded by three university students in 2015, Niesh aims to make life easier for students by offering a free printing service, an app that 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 start-up won the 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 says Niesh stood out because of the innovation it has brought to market and the positive impact it is 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.

“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 the Niesh owners that sets them apart. Niesh has mixed smart ideas and good use of technology to build a great business,” she says.

Co-founder of Niesh James Koo says he and his team are 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. Our vision for the business is to help students build a foundation in all three areas so they can get the most out of their university experience” he says.

“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 has 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.

“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,” says Mr Koo.

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For further comment or other information please contact:

Rebecca Huang, MYOB NZ Public Relations Consultant
M: 021 112 2720 / E: rebecca.huang@myob.com

Gerard Blank, The Agency Communications Limited Director
P: 03 341 5841 / M: 0275 243 629 / E: gerard@theagencynz.co.nz

About MYOB
MYOB (ASX:MYO) is a leading cloud based business management solutions provider. It makes business life easier for approximately 1.2 million businesses across Australia and New Zealand by simplifying accounting, payroll, tax, practice management, CRM, websites, job costing, inventory and more. MYOB provides ongoing support via many client service channels including a network of over 40,000 accountants, bookkeepers and other consultants. It is committed to ongoing innovation, particularly in cloud computing solutions, and in 2015 was awarded the BRW award for the most innovative large company for 500+ employees and placed 2nd in BRW’s Most Innovative Companies Award list across all categories nationally.  For more information, visit myob.co.nz or follow @MYOB on Twitter.