Its first Business Bites event was so successful, Evolve Hauraki is serving up seconds.

This time the topic is how to hire the right people, and keep them.

Council Economic Development Committee Chair Ross Harris says the topic was chosen because of feedback from local businesses.

'What we have been hearing from so many businesses is that they are struggling to find the right staff, and that when they do find them, they're having trouble convincing them to stick around,” he says.

Guest speakers at the event will include Tani Hansen from human resource specialists Everest, who will share insights on how to source the right staff, Dale Carnegies' Helen Jarman who will talk about how to keep good staff once you've found them, and Les Roa form Longveld Engineering, who will share employment case studies from the shop floor.

Evolve Hauraki was created last year when the council joined forces with Waikato Regional Economic Development Agency and Hauraki town promotions organisations, Positive Paeroa, Positively Promoting the Plains and Go Waihi.

Dedicated to supporting local businesses to grow and thrive, it launched a new series of quick business talks from experienced guest speakers in November last year.

The idea is to deliver quick bites of information that busy business owners can digest with their cornflakes, without taking too much time out of their day.

The breakfasts are also an opportunity to chat with others facing the same challenges, support each other, and share ideas.

After attending the first Business Bites event, Your Digital Journey, last year, Whyteline Paroa service advisor Natalie Sanders left with a notebook full of ideas.

'I didn't know what to expect, but it was awesome. One of the speakers shared some great insights around getting people to visit your website and then what keeps them interested once they're there. What he was saying was really relevant to us,” she says.

The early morning timeslot and short, sharp format worked well for attendees too. Quinn Engineering office manager Lesly Maxwell says the event slotted nicely into her day.

'It wasn't drawn out, there were no glitches, and you had the option to stay afterwards if you wanted to, or you could just get back to work. The Breakfast was nice too!”

Business Bites #2, Staff Matters, if from 7am to 8.30am on Thursday February 28 at the Waihi RSA.

Te Waka business advisors will also be on hand to provide information about the free services they offer.

'They take a bird's eye view of your whole business, help you access business funding and grants, and provide access to ongoing mentoring and support,” says Ross.

'It's a fantastic service and we encourage all local businesses to make the most of it.”

To register for this event go to www.eventbrite.co.nz