Hi Kathy – please introduce yourself and your business!?

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Hi I’m Kathy Maxwell, I’m your community pharmacist up here at Unichem Hillpark. We are located in the Hillpark shopping centre, which has been here servicing our community for over 60 years.

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What’s special about the shops here in the suburb of Hillpark?

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Hillpark shops are located in the center of our community. We’ve got good parking and like me, most of our businesses have been here for quite a few years. So, we know our people and we know our community. In terms of shops, we have a mixture of both professional and service industry. To name a few, we have a world-famous bakery, hairdresser, superette, draftsman, an accountant, a dentist clinic and a local medical centre.

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Please describe the area and attractions. Is it a great place to live and raise a family?

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Hillpark is a great place to live. The streets are wide, it’s a heritage zone and it’s great for walking. We have the local school and kindergarten, it’s a great place for a young family. We also have a number of attractions, including the Auckland Botanical Gardens just across from the motorway. That was owned by the Nathan family, formerly residing at what’s been named

Nathan Homestead. It’s all been part of the vision from the sixties.

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What makes Hillpark different from neighbouring suburbs?

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Every area has its advantages. The great thing about Hillpark is that it’s easy access to the motorway. Also, people don’t leave 

our beautiful area. I’m fortunate to look after four generations of family, that reside between Hillpark and 'The Gardens'.

Another story that might be of interest... I was chatting to a neighbour the other day while I was taking out my rubbish. They have travelled all over the world and since returned and reside once again in Hillpark. People simply love the area, they don’t leave!        I think it’s a 'hidden gem' because of its accessibility to everything and everyone living here are friendly.

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As a business owner having been running Unichem Hillpark for 27 years, would you have any business advice or tips for those looking to start a business?

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With 100,000 people in Manurewa, we are about the size of Dunedin. We have a ready market in Manurewa and more and more businesses are looking to come into the area. There’s just lots of people here. The best advice I can give, is what I was told from a local when I purchased the pharmacy 27 years ago. That is, get good advice. So you need a good accountant, and you need a good lawyer. Doing all those compliance things takes up lots of our time, but it give you great guidance and helps you to run a business successfully.

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