On Demand Logistics & Thrive CA

On Demand Logistics is a Kiwi business with a heart. The company, which supplies staff, training, licensing, and vehicles to the logistics industry, isn’t just focused on profit and growth. As founder and co-owner Kosta James explains, the company is passionate about training people, helping them develop leadership skills, and building the industry in New Zealand.

With that in mind, On Demand approached Thrive for more help around 18 months ago. The management team had a vision for the business, but didn’t have the financial experience or accounting skills needed to make it a reality. Expert help from Karen Woller and the Thrive team was the answer.

Kosta explains: “I’m not an accountant by any stretch of the imagination, so it made sense to bring an expert in.”

Beyond the basics

Kosta and the On Demand team had been running the business for around 18 months before bringing Thrive on board. As the business grew, they found the accounting and financial management side increasingly difficult to deal with. Tax issues, PAYE management, dealing with business expenses – these were all time consuming tasks, and they needed an expert to make sure everything was working as it should be.

The Thrive team now manages the accounting side of the business, but their role goes beyond that. Karen acts as a financial advisor and first port-of-call for Kosta and his team, giving them expert advice and financial guidance whenever it’s needed.

Kosta says: “We haven’t just used her as an accountant, we’ve also used her as an advisor. Every time we want to do something, we come to her. It’s all about making calculated risks, making calculated decisions.”

Ready to grow

When On Demand started working with Thrive, they had about 100 staff in offices throughout New Zealand. Growth was one of their goals – they wanted to expand their staff and bring in some new members on the management team as well.

As Kosta explains, working with Karen and the Thrive team helped them work toward these goals in a sustainable way. Karen acted as a financial advisor as well as an accountant, helping On Demand work out how to grow without overcapitalising.

“Having someone like Karen who knows business, knows the banks, she has made it very, very simple for us to control the growth. Often people grow too quickly, bite off more than they can chew. She has helped us keep our growth controlled.”

In this case, controlled growth hasn’t been slow – the company has taken on a new GM and more than doubled their staff in the 18 months since starting work with Thrive. They now employ around 300 people New Zealand-wide.

Future Focus

When Thrive started working with On Demand, they sat down to discuss goals, vision, and what the company wanted to achieve – and not just in financial terms. This helped Thrive understand what On Demand was working towards, and let them tailor their advice to suit.

On Demand’s five-year goal is to become a one-stop shop for logistics staffing and supplies. Kosta envisions the business as a place where companies can come to get all their vehicles, staff, licensing, and training needs met.

More broadly, the company wants to boost the logistics industry in New Zealand. They want to expand their training program to help more people into meaningful work, develop their leadership skills, and provide much needed staff to the industry.

Kosta puts it like this: “Growing the industry with people we have here. Giving people the right tools and showing people the benefits of being in the industry. Giving people a goal, a pay packet, and helping them feel that they’re offering more to society.”

That vision sets the direction for the company – staff are hired based on how they align with these values, and financial decisions are made in the same way. Because the Thrive team understands what’s driving the business, they’re able to guide On Demand’s financial decision-making in the right direction – less profit-focused, more people-centred.

Kosta says that having Thrive on board has helped them work towards their goals – and they’ll continue to help as the company grows.

“She has managed to have our financial backers buy into our growth and vision as well. Ultimately if it wasn’t for Karen, we wouldn’t be in this position.”