End of an era: From phones to sourdough bread
Jo Sharp's involvement in the Invercargill business scene has stretched well beyond just owning the city's One NZ franchise.
Help us continue to tell Southland stories by becoming a paid supporter/subscriber of The Southland Tribune.
Fourteen years, four different locations, and a newfound love for making sourdough bread. For Jo Sharp, the time feels about right.
Sharp and husband Reece McDonald have owned the One NZ (previously Vodafone) franchise in Invercargill for 14 years.
They have now sold it back to One NZ. The last day of ownership was on Sunday.
Sharp will stay on for a bit to help as a manager takes over.
As Sharp reflects she is proud of what has been achieved through the 14 years in the business.
Sharp started with three staff and now has seven employed at One NZ’s Invercargill branch as turnover has tripled.
When she took over the then-named Vodafone franchise, it was situated on the corner of Tay and Kelvin St before the almost entire block was demolished and rebuilt.
When that building was deemed earthquake-prone there was a hurried shift to a space in Esk St at the entrance of the Cambridge Arcade, before then moving to Don St.
From the early discussions of the Invercargill Central development Sharp’s plan was to always be part of that when it was built.
On April 3, 2023 One NZ did just that opening its new store on Esk St.
Sharp’s offering within Invercargill business circles has extended beyond just her own business though.
There has been a wider interest in helping the heart of Invercargill’s retail offering thrive.
She has been part of the Neighbouring Retailers Group which worked hard to ensure Invercargill’s city centre remained activated when the city block demolition took place and the Invercargill Central development built.
“It was about keeping people shopping in town, which was an interesting task. So, we worked on a lot of different activations.”
On top of that Sharp has been involved with City Centre Governance Group, headed by John Green, as well as the City Centre Promotional Steering Group.
So, what’s next for Sharp?
She isn’t 100% certain, although she does have a new-found love for making sourdough bread.
It takes up much of her thoughts at the moment as she ponders potentially turning the hobby into a commercial opportunity.
“It’s a lot of fun and I’ve never really done a production-type job. I want to build a brand; I think it would be real fun.
“Why not see what I can do with it?”
Sharp’s father once ran a pie cart on Gore so there’s always been intrigued by the business of food.
She adds there is no shortage of inspiration from others around Southland at the moment either, in terms of food entrepreneurs.
Anyone for some bread?