August 2019

NZBusiness and Management

The owner manager's magazine – Inspiring business leaders

NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Ask And You Shall Receive
In this issue’s ‘Snippets’ section, there are some interesting figures from Stats NZ around the make-up of New Zealand’s business community. Two of the standout facts for me are that, in the 2018 financial year, small businesses (one to 19 employees)
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Business On A Leash
It was Phoebe who first greeted me at the Newmarket office where I was to interview Jane Boyd, the founder and owner of Louis & Phoebe Pet Boutique. Phoebe is a delightfully cute Cairn Terrier Schnauzer Cross and part-time receptionist and, as Jane i
NZBusiness and Management7 min read
Snippets
THIRTY PERCENT of contractors, freelancers and the self-employed say keeping on top of expenses, and knowing what they can claim, is the most disliked task of their financial admin. Tax agent Hnry recently surveyed self-employed Kiwis on a range of f
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Addicted To Risk
Sue Duncan has learnt a lot in her 30-plus years in the highly competitive events industry. And one of those lessons is that as a serial entrepreneur she really isn’t an ideal employee. Sue is a risk-taker who likes running her own businesses; buildi
NZBusiness and Management7 min readSmall Business & Entrepreneurs
THE Life OF Brian
For South African-born Brian Dewil the entrepreneurial gene is firmly established in the family. From a young age Brian helped in the family business, Call of Africa Safaris, which has been operating for 35 years and organises safaris throughout Afri
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
YOUR BRAND Is More Than A Logo
A lot of people, when asked about their brand, will simply flourish their business card or point to the large letters emblazoned across their building and say “there, that’s my brand.” Well… no. Not really. That’s the ‘brand name’. A brand name is ju
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Business Time For Telematics
First, what is telematics? If you’re new to the management of company vehicles, you may not know much about the technology. Global IT research and consultancy company Gartner describes telematics as “the use of wireless devices and ‘black box’ techno
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Successful Vehicle Advertising Looks Like This
We’ve all heard the benefits of using vehicles as advertising tools, but if you want to truly capitalise on these benefits, you need to make sure it’s memorable – that doesn’t mean cram, crowd or overcomplicate the creative. So, to give your vehicles
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Safer Roads
EROAD’s systems are really easy to use, and the gamification approach makes them enjoyable to interact with. The driver-facing screen on EROAD’s NZTA-approved in-vehicle hardware, Ehubo2 uses colour coded feedback and audible alerts to encourage driv
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Management On The Move
For many small businesses, especially those in the service industry, a lot of the work is done outside the office. Staff may visit multiple clients a day or work across multiple sites. Adopting the right technology can help manage staff, fleets and v
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
CHANGING LIVES One Business At A Time
When you are approached by a client who says “you have changed my life” you know you are on to a good thing. “This is an astonishingly common and powerful statement our organisation receives from the people who access and use our service,” says BMNZ
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Introducing The Highly Beneficial NATURAL WORKPLACE
Few of us would argue that sitting in an office staring at a screen all day is good for our health and wellbeing. It’s definitely not a natural state for the ‘ape’ that we are. But is it also damaging our bottom line? Standing desks and flexible work
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
(how To) Exit Stage Right
As a business owner and one that works with many other business owners, I’ve found that most of us don’t have the time or inclination to answer the question of how we’re going to exit our business – especially when we’re deep in the usual day-to-day
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
WHAT BUSINESS Taught Me About LEADERSHIP
I started Pure SEO in a country where I knew nobody, with $200 in my pocket. And leadership doesn’t come naturally to me. For years, I found it incredibly embarrassing to ask anyone to do anything. I remember sitting down to an important meeting in t
NZBusiness and Management4 min readSecurity
Staying Safe In The Cloud
Few would argue that cloud computing is the best technology for most business. It moves heavy lifting to remote, low-cost computers. You no longer need to invest in hardware, software and skills on the off-chance you might need these things now and t
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Putting Your Mark On Marketing
Understanding how to implement effective marketing and sales strategies while developing a ‘brand’ for your organisation is a complex and challenging assignment. “Organisations are often confused by the very term ‘marketing’, its actual value and eff
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
Winning The Struggle
LONG HOURS, overwork, lack of training, changing technology, money worries – owning your own business isn’t all time off and fishing trips. A new survey of small business owners has shown that nearly half are working between six and seven days a week
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
Are You Leaving Money On The Table?
WE RECENTLY did some research among retailers across New Zealand and discovered something staggering. Nearly 25 percent of customers aren’t having a great customer experience. When we looked at retailers’ NPS (Net Promoter Score) across the 2018 cale
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
Growing Sales Through Slipstreams
IN THE PAST few months we’ve looked at the ‘8 levers of sales growth’ – the different tactical moves you can pull to change the performance of your business. In some we saw a clear ‘either/or’ scenario; however the following lever stands on its own.
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
Mum Knows Best The World Over
Behind many successful businesses there is a woman who used her own inventiveness to solve an everyday real-life problem. Chatting to Brolly Sheets founder Diane Hurford reminded me of Spanx inventor Sara Blakely, except in Diane’s case the frustrati
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
EU Trade A Bonanza For New Zealand
THERE IS A strong likelihood that the UK will leave the EU on 31 October – barring a worsening of the current constitutional crisis at Westminster. What would it mean for New Zealand business – the SME sector? First things first. In New Zealand the S
NZBusiness and Management1 min read
Middle Managers: Your Biggest Asset
Middle managers often find the value they bring to an organisation being scrutinised, but recruiting company Hays says they can be an organisation’s biggest asset – provided they have open and honest career development conversations, are given opport
NZBusiness and Management1 min read
Living In The Future
There’s plenty of talk about how employment will change in the future, as artificial intelligence and automation see a decrease in traditional jobs, the emergence of new jobs, and more job transitions. But these forces appear to be sculpting the work
NZBusiness and Management3 min readEthnic Studies
Diversity Is About Performance
Diversity is about performance. Diversity and inclusion are concepts bandied around by many but properly practised by few. Let’s nail what exactly is meant by diversity and inclusion. Diversity is about understanding that each individual is unique. G
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Timing Is Everything For Good Decision-making
When management teams meet, one of the reasons is usually to make decisions. These might be budgeting decisions, decisions about resourcing or strategy – generally anything where the stakes are high and important. After all, that is why managers, as
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
NZ Needs To Tackle The Impact Of Libra
The national blockchain group, BlockchainNZ, has appealed to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her Government to adopt a more dynamic attitude to blockchain technology or it says it could prove costly to the New Zealand economy, given blockchain tech
NZBusiness and Management7 min readLeadership
HEADLINE NEWS: What To Do When Something Goes Awry
It has been a tough month for a number of New Zealand and global leaders. Locally the Treasury caught a fair amount of flak around a hacking incident, that wasn’t what it initially appeared to be; ANZ New Zealand is grappling with “concern about the
NZBusiness and Management6 min read
Agribusiness: The Nature Of A Farm
KPMG’s Agribusiness Agenda 2019, which was released at Fieldays, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event, was its 10th anniversary issue. The 100 page report looks extensively at the past, present and future of agribusiness in New Zealan
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Envisaging Tomorrow’s Company Vehicle Fleet
Company vehicle fleets are beginning to take on a very different shape and are likely to continue to do so in the future, according to Geoff Tipene, sgfleet’s managing director in New Zealand. When asked what he imagined a typical company fleet in NZ
NZBusiness and Management1 min read
Awards For Fleet Safety
The road safety charity Brake is currently assessing the entries for its 2019 Australasian Fleet Safety Awards. The awards, sponsored by the NZ Transport Agency, recognise the achievements of organisations and individuals working to reduce the number
NZBusiness and Management3 min read
Getting A Job
The other day, right out of the blue, my partner was approached to consider a new job. That happens. Not to me, but to him, it does. What was different about this time is that they asked him to send across his CV. He was surprised. No-one has asked t
NZBusiness and Management3 min readLeadership
Handing Over The Reins
FOR MANY New Zealand business owners, their enterprise is very important to them. The business has been nurtured from day one, given the opportunities to develop and become something that they are extremely proud of. There comes a time when a busines
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Governance In A Not-for-profit Environment
WITH MORE than 100,000 not-for-profits (NFPs) in New Zealand the chances are most people in governance roles cut their director baby teeth on the boards of one or more. And most likely still serve on at least one in an area they have passion for – an
NZBusiness and Management3 min readPsychology
A Suit Of Armour
HOW ARE you dressed as you read this article? Are you at your desk, in your work clothing or are you relaxing at home in trackpants? Perhaps you’re wearing something in between? How do you feel in what you are wearing? Are you comfortable? Do you fee
NZBusiness and Management4 min read
Battling Burnout: A Guide For High Achievers
Do you love your job and pride yourself in going that extra mile? Are you the person everyone turns to get things done? Do you achieve extraordinary business results and say “yes” without question? Chances are you are high achiever, who could also be
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
Understanding Yourself And How Your Actions Impact Others Is The Key To Being A Good Manager .
Why did you seek out training with IMNZ? In her busy role as Media Personal Manager, Michelle looks after a large team of broadcasters. A prior sports presenter and reporter with no experience in leading staff, the shift to management was challengin
NZBusiness and Management2 min read
On Being Human
I often ask myself why would anyone want to be a celebrity or a high-profile personality in New Zealand? Or anywhere else for that matter? Along with the fame and the presumably quite high pay packet comes the flip side of that, i.e., make a mistake

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