Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i NZBusiness+Management

Sit down with a new MBA graduate for an hour, as NZBusiness did, and you’ll quickly appreciate the profound impact that the ‘Master of Business Administration’ can have on people’s lives and careers. Disregard its somewhat archaic title and the fact that it’s been around since 1908 (when Harvard established the first programme based on Frederick Winslow Taylor's scientific management), today the MBA still represents the ultimate business qualification for people aiming for the highest echelons of business and personal achievement. As Ken Lee, director, MBA and Professional Masters at AUT explains, people considering postgraduate study in business have typically decided to take their education and career to the next level, and for middle to senior managers the logical step is an MBA. It can fast-track careers and open doors…

Starting a men’s skin care business might seem a far cry for former Black Cap Dion Nash, but his company Triumph & Disaster (T&D) is making waves internationally. Nash admits an impressive international career spanning almost ten years (93 test wickets) doesn’t compare to the challenge of running his own business. “I found business harder to begin with, as there is just so much to do and lots of it is out of your hands – whereas with sport you can focus on just your role. “Sport tends to be lots of peaks and intense short periods that you then get to back away from and relax, whereas business is more sustained and long-term challenges and stress.” After retiring from cricket, Nash went on to work in broadcasting and as…

Last issue, I talked about how your brand is more than just a logo. It’s what people think of or perceive when they see or hear your brand name. One of the ways you build that perception is through advertising. There are others, of course, such as your brand’s values, the kind of people you hire, and how you behave as a corporate citizen. Entire books can and have been written about this sort of thing, so for the purpose of this article, we’ll just stick to advertising. Advertising is the fun part of bringing your brand to life. It’s the stuff that people see. It could be a TV commercial, a billboard, a social media post, EDM (electronic direct mail), whatever. Because it’s such a cluttered market out there,…

From January Microsoft plans to drop support for Windows 7 – or in Microsoft language, Windows 7 will reach “End of Life Status”. That makes right now a good time for you to plan what to do. Dropping support means there will be no more updates and no more security patches. Most likely Microsoft will not answer your support calls about the operating system or respond to online questions. At that point Microsoft will wash its hands of any responsibility to keep you safe or to keep your software ticking over. Microsoft’s language about dropping support is confusing. In fact, the company stopped issuing major updates for Windows 7 four years ago in 2015. The difference between then and now has been a trickle of small fixes, mainly to keep…

LET’S START by establishing what a brand is. It is a customer’s (or potential customer’s) perception of your business or product or service. So, when we talk about branding, we are trying to influence a customer’s perception. Branding is the act of influencing perceptions. Yes, sometimes this is a logo or some fancy new signage. However that’s not all. It could also be the way you make opening a courier package feel like getting a Christmas present. And the way your people are dressed. “When people talk about your company behind your back, what do you want them to say?” The most ‘trusted’ brands in the world have a perception of being the companies that do what they say they will. Think about your favourite chocolate brands (the ones that…

Vector has won New Zealand’s top workplace diversity award, demonstrating excellence in more than one diversity category and a commitment to integrating an inclusive culture right across its business. The energy and communications services provider took out the Supreme Award at the 2019 Diversity Awards NZ following wins in the Empowerment and Diversability categories, which recognise innovative responses to gender equity and positive employment opportunities for people with disabilities. A media release from Diversity Works NZ said that acknowledging that it operates in a male-dominated industry where gender diversity has been an issue for many years, Vector committed to increasing the number of women employed from 30 percent to 50.8 percent to be representative of New Zealand’s working age population. It also developed a Women in Leadership programme, to identify…

The investment case for advancing gender equality in corporations is strong and clear, according to Calvert Research and Management, a responsible investing affiliate of New York Stock Exchange listed Eaton Vance. Women make up 50 percent of the global working-age population and have educational attainment that is close to comparable with men’s globally. However, figures show that women have significantly lower labour participation rates than men globally and the gap widens when management roles are included. Calvert’s report Evaluating the Glass Ceiling: Understanding and unlocking the value in gender equity outlines the business case for corporations to support more diverse and inclusive workforces from the boardroom to the front line and how investors can be called upon to push for changes that will have a material impact on long-term shareholder…

Most people are familiar with the somewhat crazy and controversial world of cryptocurrencies – digital currencies that can be quickly and securely traded online independent from traditional banks. Bitcoin is the most recognised brand. Cryptocurrencies are here to stay and lawmakers worldwide have been scrambling to legislate for them. At the time of writing the US government was holding hearings on Facebook’s cryptocurrency Libra – seen as another step forward to mainstreaming the technology and establishing a robust global regulatory framework for the wider crypto market. Meanwhile, in New Zealand, where there is a passionate cohort of cryptocurrency developers, two siblings have been quietly going about building a booming digital currency business of their own. Easy Crypto aims to “make it safe and easy for anyone to get into the…

New Zealand’s international tourism market might not be growing at the same breakneck speed it has over the past five years, but the industry is still New Zealand’s largest export earner with total annual tourism expenditure of $39.1 billion and annual international tourism expenditure of $16.2 billion. The Statistics NZ Tourism Satellite Account for the year ended March 2018, which was issued in December 2018, shows the industry contributes 21 percent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings. While international visitor numbers have now slowed, they are still growing. The latest figures from Statistics NZ in early August say that the total number of international visitor arrivals into New Zealand for the year ended June 2019 was 3.89 million, up 2.7 percent on the previous year. However, Statistics NZ noted this…

Working with businesses that are seeking profitable growth both domestically and internationally, we often hear the phrase “We are just looking for that silver bullet that will bring us the right customers.” Unfortunately, there is never just one thing that produces the “silver bullet” or “magical solution” – it’s more a collection of well-thought-out and successfully implemented decisions and approaches that helps a business build awareness with the group of people who would benefit from what’s being offered. It sounds simple when you put it on paper like this, but the reality, as we know, is that it’s never simple and often deciding on what to do is the hardest part. Why is it so difficult to make decisions on what to do when it comes to attracting and engaging…

MANY BUSINESSES spend a lot of time and effort nurturing client and supplier relationships. You might have developed systems and processes that help your business be more productive or to give it a competitive edge. Taking care of that investment is important. Some, but not all, employees will have access to this commercial information in order to perform their roles. Those that do perform those roles, for example those in sales or management positions, are in a position of trust with your information and systems. That is fine and essential while they are employed with you, but you do need to consider what might happen when the employment relationship ends. Will they take your trade secrets with them? If this is a possibility, you can consider putting in place contractual…

A business campaign to increase ‘product take back’ schemes has gained the support of the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund. Product stewardship is when producers, brand owners, importers, retailers and/or consumers accept responsibility for reducing a product’s environmental impact. A media release from the Sustainable Business Network says it involves greater oversight and control throughout the whole life cycle, from production through to end of use and beyond. It means avoiding wasteful products and eliminating unnecessary waste. It also means redesigning products and doing more to ensure products and materials are recycled or reused. The Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund has granted $160,000 to the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) for a two-year campaign to promote this. The work will include a national roadshow to explain and promote product stewardship. This aims to…

The Institute of Business Ethics has launched a free to download app aimed at overcoming concerns about speaking up in the workplace. The institute says that 34 percent of employees in New Zealand, who have been aware of misconduct at work, decided not to speak up according to its Ethics at Work survey. Jane Arnott, an associate and NZ representative of the British based institute says the freedom to raise concerns is a core component of a supportive ethical culture where employees are confident they will be supported to do the right thing. “Effective speaking up processes also make a valid contribution to risk management by ensuring that concerns are aired and appropriate intervention made before a situation escalates and causes financial or reputational loss.” Yet, she says that despite…

Duffle and Co, based in Wellington, markets ethically-sourced purses, bags, wallets. Little Yellow bird provides fairtradesourced uniforms made from organic cotton. And Ethique, a Christchurch-based business, produces solid shampoos and conditioners obviating the need for plastic bottles. These may not be household names but they are at the forefront of a revolution. They are not charities nor are they not-for-profit businesses. These are three of the 21 certified B-Corporations in New Zealand. Peter Drucker once said the purpose of business is to create and keep a customer. The founders of B-Corps have identified their customers and they are working hard to meet their needs. In developing and building their business they consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment – using business as…

TIME FOR OFFICE MANAGERS TO UPSKILL PERSONAL ASSISTANTS, executive assistants and office managers around New Zealand get their big chance to upskill this month, with the staging of The Office & PA Show, held on the 17th and 18th of September at the SkyCity Convention Centre. Keynote speakers are coming from around the world to deliver inspiration, professional and personal development. They include Samantha Cox, the former PA to Richard Branson; Grant Firestone, the former personal assistant to tennis superstar Serena Williams; and nutritionist and wellness expert Claire Turnbull. Thirty seminars across the two days cover a wide range of skills. The event is designed to facilitate conversations, relationships and training. For more information and to register go to www.conferenz.co.nz/events/office-pa-show-2019 SOAR PRINT DEMONSTRATES CARBON REDUCTION AUCKLAND’S SOAR PRINT recently won…

It was a cold, grey winter’s morning when NZBusiness caught up with the co-founders of an organic beverage company that’s running hot in the local market. Mike and Chantel Priddy’s Greenleaf Organics brand is fast finding favour amongst stockists nationwide, including selected New World and PAK’nSAVE supermarkets, and the couple have major plans for expansion. This story has its genesis almost 20 years ago when Mike, a Kiwi, and Chantel, an Aussie, met while working at a pub in the inner West Sydney suburb of Balmain. Although they’d both had varied careers, they also had a common interest in health, wellbeing and fitness. But their passion for organics came to a head after their son Rocco developed a number of allergies or intolerances to a range of, mostly non-organic, food…

The spectacular, unpolluted night skies of Takapo attract people from all over the world, including top astronomers and physicists, according to University of Canterbury astronomer and director of the University of Canterbury Mt John Observatory, associate professor Karen Pollard. “The University of Canterbury’s astronomical observatory on top of Mt John provides outstanding conditions for observations and discoveries of the southern sky and is New Zealand’s premier optical astronomical research observatory,” she says in background material provided by Ngai Tahu Tourism. “Experiencing a truly dark night sky can inspire a sense of awe and wonder about our place in the universe – this is what motivates us both as researchers and as human beings. “Gravitational microlensing, stellar and planetary systems, asteroseismology, pulsating stars, astroparticle physics, dark matter, general relativity and cosmology…

Flaunting our successes online is easy, but we mustn’t forget that running a business never goes as smoothly as we want it to. Everyone fails, but failure is just success in progress, and it’s in these moments where we best learn and grow. On Friday 21 June, top business leaders and entrepreneurs from around the world convened at the 4th Unfiltered Live event in Auckland to discuss their biggest challenges and shed light on how they transformed their ‘sh!t-shows’ into worldwide ‘hit-shows’. This year’s theme was ‘Fall Forward Auckland’. “If I’m going to fall, I don’t want to fall back on anything, except my faith. I want to fall forward. At least I figure that way I’ll see what I’m about to hit. Fall forward.” – Denzel Washington. The theme…

Consumer trust has never been more valuable to the New Zealand food industry and is set to play a key role in its future success, a visiting international agricultural expert has told the horticulture sector. Yet winning and sustaining this trust has also never been more complex. Speaking at the New Zealand Horticulture conference in Hamilton, the Sydney-based general manager for RaboResearch Australia and New Zealand, Tim Hunt, said consumer trust was becoming an increasingly precious commodity for NZ food producers. “New Zealand’s emerging markets, like China and South East Asia, place a high value on food safety and the process of food preparation, while more mature wealthy markets are willing to pay for sustainability, animal welfare, fairness and attractive provenance,” he said in a media release. “In both cases,…

An Australasian 2014 workplace study suggested that investment in workplace design and organisational culture could be a more cost-effective strategy for talent attraction than higher remuneration. The survey, which asked respondents to list key considerations when evaluating a potential employer, found that wages accounted for 45 percent. However, the draw of cultural appeal and workplace facilities was 48 percent. Workplace design is at the coalface of employment attraction as it underpins culture. The cost of physical workplace design is only a small percentage of the environmental costs during the whole life of the building. An organisation’s wages can be in the order of 75 percent of total cost. Therefore, a positive effect on productivity through workplace design can have a significant Return on Investment (ROI). This can be tracked by…

Here is a particularly knotty leadership challenge. How do you lead a team of leaders, of people who are already at the top of their game, and are used to holding senior positions within their own organisations? This, it seems, is a challenge that faces the chair of any board around the world. A business board, almost by definition, is comprised of businesspeople who are, or have been, senior leaders within their own sphere. As Kirsten Patterson, the CEO at the Institute of Directors, notes, in essence any board chair is leading a team of his or her peers. And, she says, a huge part of the success of a board comes down to the strength and skills of the chair. It is also a somewhat different leadership experience in…