Indholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i NZBusiness+Management

As this issue goes to the printers, the latest quarterly survey of business opinion by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) reveals that a seasonally adjusted net 11 percent of firms surveyed expect economic conditions to deteriorate in the first half of 2018, falling from a positive reading of five percent in the previous survey. It’s the first time we’ve been in the negatives since September 2015. But although confidence is down, that’s not necessarily being reflected in trading. In a statement, NZIER principal economist Christina Leung explained that “business confidence had fallen in the previous quarter ahead of the general election, and it appears uncertainty over the new government policies have made businesses even more downbeat.” She went on to say that business may be worried about…

As business niches go, you couldn’t be much more specialised than The Dust Palace. For owners Eve Gordon (35) and Mike Edward (43), theirs is a unique world of corporate ‘circus-theatre’ style performances, specialist classes for adults and children, outdoor festival performances and their own ‘aerial dancing’ shows staged around New Zealand and overseas. All up they produce around 50 ‘gigs’ a year. Launched in 2009, it is an arts business requiring many strings to its bow in order to turn a profit – as well as typical Kiwi ingenuity. Eve and Mike custom-build a lot of their props and circus equipment specifically for their shows and their bodies. For the past nine years they’ve also had to battle outdated perceptions of circus and demonstrate the athletic, emotional and creative…

In the ANZ Business Outlook released just before December 2017, the difficulty in getting credit was a top concern of New Zealand’s business owners. A net 41 percent of businesses surveyed expect it to be tougher in 2018 to get credit – up from 31 percent, and the highest since the question was first asked in mid-2009. Expectations aside, money matters have always weighed heavily on the minds of business owners. So NZBusiness scouted around the business finance landscape to secure some top finance advice and answer some of the more pressing money questions for business owners. A BANKER’S PERSPECTIVE Perhaps the first logical stop for advice on business finance is a traditional bank. However, Heartland Bank is a little different – representing a new breed of technology-driven banks with…

NZB: What were your goals when you started Unfiltered and has the platform met your initial expectations? JAKE: I co-founded Unfiltered to disrupt traditional business learning and inspire business brilliance. In 2017 it is easier than ever to start a new business due to ‘the ‘shrinking world’ (globalisation). However, the way people learn about business hasn’t changed. Universities and colleges around the world are teaching outdated material, and busy entrepreneurs have less time to read dense business books. We believe that the best way to learn about business is to get out there and do it, but you can drastically reduce the mistakes you make, and achieve even greater success, if you learn from the experiences and wisdom of the world’s best entrepreneurs. Unfiltered is focused on democratising the knowledge…

In 2016 Brianne West was named one of the top 100 global thinkers by the US Foreign Policy alongside billionaire philanthropist Melinda Gates, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon. Each year Foreign Policy recognises 100 people whose ideas have translated into action – changing and shaping the world through science, politics, the arts and diplomacy, among others. Brianne was recognised “ for making beauty eco-friendly”. Brianne’s unique approach to beauty products allows for a more sustainable, eco-friendly beauty routine for consumers without the added waste to landfills, far less water wastage and no dangerous pollutants draining into the environment. Ethique’s solid beauty products have been shared on Facebook by the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears…

Although fibre is the best broadband technology most of the time, it isn't always the right choice for everyone. In some cases fixed wireless broadband makes more sense. It depends on your needs. Broadband is not a one-size-fits-all technology. The government has invested around $1.5 billion building New Zealand’s ultrafast broadband fibre network. It already reaches more than half of the population. By the time the various projects are completed, sometime in the next four years, it will reach about 80 percent of people and a higher percentage of business premises. Compared to the copper network it replaces, fibre is fast. It is more reliable and better at delivering large amounts of data. If you use video in your business, work in a technology industry or deal with large amounts…

LOGAN WEDGWOOD IS AN AUCKLAND-BASED MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT SPECIALISING IN MARKETING AND SALES. THE END OF the financial year is almost upon us which, as well as wrapping up the year that’s been, also means a fresh start in terms of business results. It’s the time of growth and opportunity when new sales targets are set. Exciting! If you’re celebrating the completion of a good year, now is when staff lurch forward with their energy (and budgets) renewed! However, it often doesn’t stick. Instead, it’s common for businesses to lose momentum within the first 90 days of the new financial year as the initial quarterly targets are missed. Success breeds success and makes us feel good about what we’re chasing. However, the reverse is also true, and it’s an age-old story,…

A report on the global trends expected to impact on business technology and design in 2018 provides advice for organisations on how to prepare for the opportunities ahead. Professional services company Accenture’s Fjord Trends 2018 examines seven emergent trends expected to impact business, technology and design in the year ahead. Ben Morgan, Accenture interactive lead for New Zealand, says the challenge for New Zealand businesses is translating global changes into relevant opportunities for our local market. “Topics, such as the effect of artificial intelligence on our current workforce, need to be embraced head-on so people are prepared and capitalise on the advantages. Additionally, as digital fades from being stand-alone to being embedded in our physical world, our relationships with everything around us will be redefined,” he says. A statement from…

WITH 2017 ALL but in the record books, most business leaders are well on their way into 2018 – creating plans for a more successful and productive year ahead. However, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it's important to consider the events of 2017 and how these will affect what happens in the future. Whether it was the General Election in September, living wage protests or even the ongoing rebuild of Christchurch, 2017 was a historic year in New Zealand and 2018 is set to be just as busy. How 2018 will look like for local business leaders is hard to predict, but there are certain events that should be considered. 1) Challenges around low pay workers: Although New Zealand has a growing and stable economy, there appears…

BUSINESS INNOVATION PROGRAM A SOUTHLAND COUP VENTURE SOUTHLAND has secured Government funding to run a business accelerator programme in 2018. Venture Southland business services manager Alistair Adam says the Callaghan Innovation programme, contracted through Wellington’s Creative HQ, represented a major boost for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs in Southland. “The goal is taking the existing framework, and putting a Southland twist on it, to create a unique Southland-based innovation eco-system,” he says. The programme would build on complementary programmes during the past four years involving hundreds of Southland businesses around the likes of product development, lean manufacturing, mentoring and introductory workshops on innovation. Creative HQ has run successful innovation and start-up programmes in Wellington for more than a decade. Dunedin tech pioneer Stu Fleming (pictured) has been contracted to deliver the…

The issue of bad debts is something that is downplayed by many until they are hit with the one that creates chaos for their own business. A loss of $100,000 on a five percent profit margin will require additional sales of $2,000,000 to replace. Trade credit insurance protects against such defaults and ensures that you can trade with confidence and expand into new markets without fear of default. National Credit Insurance (Brokers) NZ Limited is a specialist broker in this area and over 60 percent of all business placed in New Zealand is through NCI. The company provides a specialist team that helps monitor your debtors and provides advice when a customer experiences problems. Many clients regard this support as more valuable than the actual insurance. NCI has a suite…

SIMON LORD IS PUBLISHER OF FRANCHISE NEW ZEALAND MEDIA, WHICH PROVIDE FRANCHISE INFORMATION AND DETAILS OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AND PROFESSIONAL ADVISORS NATION WIDE. A FREE PRINT OR DIGITAL COPY OF FRANCHISE NEW ZEALAND MAGAZINE IS AVAILABLE FROM WWW.FRANCHISE.CO.NZ IF YOUR PLAN for expanding your business in the coming years involves franchising, you need to think long and hard about where your first franchisees are going to come from and how you are going to convince them to join your new enterprise. It’s worth considering because franchise buyers are currently in short supply. There are a number of reasons for this. First, as the Franchising New Zealand 2017 survey showed, there are now 631 different franchised brands in New Zealand. This means good, well-qualified prospects will have plenty of opportunities to…

ASHLEY BALLS IS SENIOR PARTNER OF LEGALBESTPRACTICE. EMAIL AFPBALLS@GMAIL.COM THIS PIECE WAS written on the day that Carillion plc went into forced liquidation. It is a salutary lesson on why big is not beautiful, whilst exposing some of the more dubious aspects of capitalism. Carillion was the UK’s second largest construction and contracting company, involved in a range of projects from building major roads, railways, hospitals, schools and, through a range of interconnected companies, providing service contracts for prison/hospital/social housing/ school maintenance programmes. It went to the wall owing more than £900 million to its bankers and had a £600 million pension deficit. Its largest client by far over recent years has been the UK public sector, averaging 40 percent in most years. It had 20,000 plus direct employees in…

The New Zealand Institute of Management Foundation (NZIMF) and Massey University have awarded two NZIMF Scholarships focusing specifically on the practice of management and leadership in New Zealand. The scholarships, which are valued $15,000 each, have been awarded to Aucklanders Jillian Clarke and Michael Weston. Clarke is undertaking a Masters in Advanced Leadership Practice at Massey University and is currently working at BLENNZ (Blind and Low Vision Education Network, NZ) as manager of the Auckland South Visual Resource Centre. Weston is undertaking a MBA at Massey University. He is the licensing division manager and swim school manager for the Northern Arena in Silverdale. He is also on the board of the NZ Swim Coaches & Teachers, Association. The scholarships were open to people enrolled in a full or part-time post-graduate…

EDSIMS is well known in New Zealand’s aviation and tourism industries, with senior management roles at Air New Zealand for 10 years and most recently as CEO at Airways, the State Owned Enterprise that is New Zealand’s air navigation service provider. In mid 2017 Sims moved to Calgary in Canada where WestJet, an airline that was founded in 1996, is based. As executive vice president, commercial Sims now leads the teams responsible for sales, communications and marketing, network planning and scheduling, revenue management, corporate development, airline partnerships, distribution and WestJet Vacations. The company has a turnover of around C$4.1 billion, around 12,000 staff and flies to 105 destinations in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and Europe. It was named as Canada’s most trusted airline in 2016 and 2017. What…

As we all swelter through what, in some regions at least, are record-breaking temperatures only to be followed by cyclone-like storms and massive high tides, and as we ponder the horror that South African city Cape Town may run out of water in just a few months, the words of world leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos in late January deserve plenty of attention. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leader of the fastest growing major economy in the world – as well as the world’s largest democracy – told the forum that climate change is the greatest threat to civilisation. The forum itself says his comments were consistent with the 2018 edition of the Global Risks Report, released the week before Davos which showed that environmental concerns…

When Igor Matich’s family moved to New Zealand from Croatia in 1995, 15-year-old Igor had many harsh, and often brutal, realities of war imprinted in his mind. When war had broken out five years previously, his family’s whole world had changed. His father, a computer programmer, could see no future in Zagreb for his children – and with his skills in demand in New Zealand, it seemed the easiest place to emigrate to, despite being on the other side of the planet. New Zealand represented total freedom from the horrors of conflict and a chance to make a new start. Igor struggled to adjust to his new life – he had never had the chance to just be a kid back in his homeland. Five years of war had left…

Claudia King and her father Dennis King had always enjoyed a very special bond. The best thing about working with her father in his New Plymouth-based law practice, Claudia firmly believes, is how he totally supported and encouraged her curiosity for technology. “He gave me free rein to try new software as well as other innovative stuff, like different pricing and marketing strategies,” she recalls. “If we tried stuff and it didn't work out then that was OK, we just got on with it and tried something else.” Growing up in Taranaki had given Claudia a good mix of country and small city life. Her parents worked hard, so she learnt early in life that you need to put in the hard graft if you want to be successful. They…

Featured in the June 2015 NZBusiness, Brianne West, the young ethically conscious scientist behind the Ethique brand of sustainable beauty products is genuinely excited by how things have progressed in the two years since. Back in 2015 their first capital raise was used to completely refresh the brand (including a name-change) and set the foundation for international expansion. Ethique has since gone from a tiny tradesman’s unit with three staff, to an 800 square metre laboratory and production facility and 11 staff. Growth is happening in both Australia and the US, with distributors in both. The domestic stockist base has expanded too, with Farmers and pharmacies now stocking Brianne’s ecofriendly products. The biggest growth factor, she says, has been the hiring of some “really good people, with the right experience…

In her book Changing the Way You Think to Fulfill Your Potential, Carol Dweck describes how people with a growth mindset believe that just about all human qualities, including intellectual abilities can be developed and cultivated through effort. Not only are people with a growth mindset not discouraged by failure, they don’t even think they’re failing. They think they’re learning. So if you possess a growth mindset, you’re likely to have an enquiring mind, are always seeking to learn and are likely asking many questions. You’re not afraid to be wrong or seen as asking the “dumb” question. You love challenges, are more likely to take risks and you’re happy to put in a lot of effort. You don’t worry about failing because you believe that through failure comes learning.…

1. Do I own my own AdWords account? If I decide to move to another company, can I keep the account and data? 2. Are you a Google Premier Partner? What specialisations do you have? 3. How do you charge to manage my AdWords campaign? Do I pay Google directly? Do you charge a percentage of media spend, and/or are there any other charges that I may not know about? 4. You say you guarantee me rankings on Google. How are you able to offer this guarantee? 5. Have you ever owned or been a senior manager at another agency offering the same services? What is their name and what happened with your role there? (If this is the case, do some research. There are people with chequered pasts who…

MAT WYLIE IS CEO OF CUSTOMER RADAR. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR CUSTOMER’S EXPERIENCE AND BOTTOM LINE GO TO WWW.CUSTOMERRADAR.COM DISRUPTION. It has quickly become a buzzword, a cliché to the point of being ineffective. But don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. Disruption is happening in the retail industry (and across many other industries) as we speak, and we can either adapt or die. A perfect storm of technology, innovation, and consumer preferences mean that classic ‘brick and mortar’ stores have fallen behind the pace, and retailers are closing their doors at an alarming rate. The answer to adapting and surviving this disruption of the retail industry is to draw close to your customers, understand the experience they…

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting attracted more than 3,000 participants from nearly 110 countries with more than 340 public figures, including more than 70 heads of state, taking part in the 400 sessions on offer. Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation celebrated the spirit of inclusion, diversity and respect for human rights that characterised the meeting. “Let’s ensure that Davos 2018 is just the beginning of a movement where we globalise compassion and ensure a world in which no one is left behind.” The 48th Annual Meeting was convened under the theme, Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World with the aim of identifying ways for humanity to work collectively once more in the face of urgent global and regional challenges, a media release…

We are now living in a world that is increasingly driven by data thanks to the emergence of digital and cloud-based technologies and the proliferation of social mobility. As a result, there’s a dizzying amount of data at our fingertips, which has created a whole new level of business intelligence for companies to capitalise on. It’s widely said, data is the new oil of the 21st century. It’s no coincidence that some of the most valuable companies in the world today – Google, Amazon, Uber, Airbnb and Facebook – are dominant because their businesses have been built not on product but on data from the outset. At the same time, we are now living in the ‘Age of the Customer’ where consumers are now more savvy, increasingly aware of their…