Growing Nexus: The realities of building a business

Being good at what you do is one thing; building a successful business is another. As a business grows, so do the demands on its owner. Managing clients, leading a team, putting the right systems in place and making time to plan for the future all become part of the job, alongside delivering the service or expertise that got the business started. For Nicole Drought, founder of locally owned financial advisory business Nexus, her journey has been about backing herself, building a future for her family and learning how to grow a business that puts clients first.

After 15 years working in finance and lending, including six years at a major bank, Nicole knew the industry well; she loved lending and had a genuine interest in property. After becoming a mum in 2017 she also wanted greater flexibility around family life without compromising her earning potential. Becoming a mortgage broker offered that flexibility, but when the lending landscape began to change in late 2022, Nicole started thinking about the bigger picture. “I wanted to diversify my income for my family and my family’s future. I wanted to have something of my own and that financial security.”

Launching Nexus in March 2023 gave Nicole the opportunity to build a business around her own values and ambition and create something that could grow beyond her individual role as a mortgage broker.

Nicole wanted to build the business gradually and get the foundations right. “I wanted to build it slowly and do it right; to build a reputation and trusted brand because people knew me, but nobody knew the Nexus brand.” During a three-month restraint of trade period, she worked with her assistant Sarah to develop the systems and processes needed to get started. Their first office was Nicole’s converted garage, where they stayed for two and a half years.

Having worked within the banking system, Nicole had seen how the lending process could leave people feeling overwhelmed or unsure of their options; she wanted to create a different experience. “Instead of clients fitting the box of the bank, I wanted the bank to fit the client’s box, as a broker we let the power shift to the clients; you tell me what you want to achieve and I can guide you to the best provider to support that.” For Nicole that means understanding what a client's needs or goals are and finding the lender or financial solution that best suits their circumstances.

Establishing trust with clients is central to how Nexus operates. Rather than relying on traditional advertising, Nexus has grown largely through word of mouth and referrals from clients and local professional service companies. What stands out to Nicole is what clients say about their experience with Nexus “the common themes in client feedback are trust, feeling supported and having what can be a complicated process made easier.” For Nicole, success is about helping people understand their options, protecting the money they have and making sure their financial arrangements work for them.

Growth brings a new set of challenges

Financial advice is a heavily regulated industry, and establishing Nexus meant navigating licensing requirements, compliance, policies and procedures, business insurance and accreditation with providers. “Essentially you have to create a business out of nothing that shows legitimacy and trust for the providers to say we’re happy for you to act on our behalf.” Nicole was learning to manage all of this while continuing to look after clients and keep the business moving. “Trying to figure out where to place my time was really challenging.” Longer-term business planning often took a back seat to the immediate demands of running the business, leaving Nicole with little time to think strategically about the business and what comes next.

Nicole says the biggest learning curve has been learning to be a business owner “I can write loans all day with my eyes closed,” she says. “But when it comes to being a business owner that has been a massive challenge.”

In its first year Nexus achieved a significant increase in lending compared with Nicole’s final year in her previous role and the business has now expanded into insurance and KiwiSaver advice. Diversifying its services was a deliberate decision “if it is a quiet market for lending there are other areas that can prop us up.”

Nicole is proud to have received industry recognition including KAN Awards 2024 #1 Regional Mortgage Advisor and KAN Awards 2025 #2 Regional Mortgage Advisor. Nexus was a 2026 finalist in the KAN Awards Outstanding Advice business (1 - 5 advisors), along with being a finalist in the Emerging Business category of the 2025 Taupō Business Awards.

Looking back, Nicole says the one thing she would do differently is seek guidance from an experienced business advisor within her industry much earlier “I would have sought out a business advisor who’d done it before, who could tell me and show me what I needed to do, rather than me trying to figure it out for myself and hoping that it’s right.” She has learnt that being good at your profession does not automatically prepare you for every aspect of business ownership.

Making time to work on the business

By the start of 2026 the team had grown to four people and the business had moved from Nicole’s home into an office in town. After the early years focused on serving clients and keeping up with demand, Nicole wanted to ensure she was positioning the business for the next stage of growth. That prompted her to connect with Amplify’s Business Growth Advisor, Jo Caira, and explore the Icehouse Business Owner Programme.

Initially Nicole wasn’t sure whether the programme was right for her. She had associated it with much larger businesses and wondered whether Nexus was big enough to benefit. Following advice from Jo, she decided to take the opportunity, with RBP funding support covering half of the programme cost.

For Nicole, it was an opportunity to deliberately step away from her role as a broker and look at Nexus from the perspective of an owner. One of the biggest takeaways was validation that she had developed strong business instincts and made many good decisions, but she realised that the business needed more structure behind it. After three and a half years of significant growth, it was time to think more strategically about where Nexus was heading, how it would get there and what was needed to support the next stage.

The Business Owner Programme also challenged Nicole to reflect on her leadership style and the importance of trusting her team. As Nexus grows, she knows she cannot be involved in every decision or expect everyone to work exactly as she does. Giving team members the space to build their own relationships and develop within their roles is essential, both for their success and for the future of the business. “It’s highlighted to me that you have to have trust in your people,” she says. “Otherwise you’re just suffocating them; I want to support them to ensure they are successful and happy in their roles, because I've got an amazing team and I'm so grateful to have them.”

Nicole is now working with a business mentor, meeting monthly to develop a clear strategy and stay accountable to the goals she sets. For Nicole, the programme provided both reassurance that she was on the right track and a reminder that sustainable growth requires planning, structure and investment in leadership “Investing in myself with this programme will benefit the business in the long term.”

The reality of building a business as a mum

While the business has now brought flexibility, security and recognition, Nicole is honest about what it has taken to get there. When she launched Nexus, her daughter was two and her son was five. Her husband, an engineer, became a stay-at-home dad so Nicole could put her energy into establishing the business.

Nicole recalls working long hours while trying to balance the responsibilities of being a business owner with being a present mum and the guilt that can come with feeling as though neither role is getting everything it needs. “You’re always letting someone down. You’re either letting your business down or you’re letting your family down, because you’re only one person.”

It’s a side of business ownership that doesn’t always feature in success stories. From the outside, people see the growth, the team and the recognition but not always the personal demands that have to be navigated along the way. Nicole recalls periods when she was working until 7pm and back in the office at 7am the following morning. Looking back she recognises that the demands of establishing the business came at the cost of time with her children and rebuilding that balance took time.

Her husband's support has been a significant part of making Nexus possible and Nicole is quick to acknowledge that she hasn’t built it alone. She also admits that looking after herself has often come last. “Get the right support system around you from the beginning,” she advises. “I’m quite stubborn and I thought I could just do it all myself.”

Her honesty offers an important perspective; the flexibility of business ownership can be one of the attractions, but it doesn’t necessarily mean fewer hours or an easier juggle, particularly in the start-up years.

Why Taupō is a great place to do business

For all the challenges, Nicole is grateful for the support from the Taupō community. Much of Nexus’s growth has come through local relationships and referrals “Locals love local here,” Nicole says. “They love the underdog and they love small business.”

She believes Taupō offers a valuable balance for business owners. It’s small enough to build a strong reputation and meaningful relationships, but large enough to provide real opportunities for businesses to grow.

For Nicole, doing business locally also means giving back. Nexus supports community initiatives and local activities without necessarily expecting a direct business return. “Quite often you're sponsoring events and you don't generate any income from it, but it’s just an opportunity to support and give something back.” It’s something that she hopes she can do more of in the future.

For Nicole, Taupō has provided the opportunity to build a business, establish trusted local relationships and contribute to the community that has supported her along the way.

Back yourself, but don’t try to do it all alone

Nicole’s advice for others thinking about starting a business is “Start! You’re not going to have all the answers, and you're not going to have a plan A, B, C and D. You have to be flexible because things are not always going to go your way.”

She believes resilience is essential, along with having a clear sense of what you’re working towards, even if the path looks different from what you first imagined. She also encourages business owners to back themselves, seek support early and resist comparing their journey with what other businesses appear to be achieving. It’s easy to look at another business's success from the outside and assume everything is going smoothly, but Nicole knows firsthand that starting a business is rarely as straightforward as it might appear.

Three and a half years into building Nexus, Nicole is grateful for how far the business has come, but she is also clear about the hard work behind it. Looking ahead Nicole’s focus is on refining the business strategy, strengthening the foundations for future growth and supporting her team. Ultimately, she wants to build a sustainable business that continues to grow and creates opportunities for her team while continuing to provide the personal and trusted advice her clients value.