COVID-19 forced more than 40% of the workforce in New Zealand, in every industry, to work from home during lockdown. And according to Infometrics senior economist Brad Olsen, remote working is likely to be a key change for post-pandemic New Zealand with 36% of the workforce continuing to work from home in level 1. Having experienced working from home during lockdown, many workers are now taking a split approach to… Read more
As a business owner there maybe several times when you need to access financing. It may be in the early stages of your business, when start-up costs for offices, equipment and employees must be covered. Or it may be later on, when you have to relocate, purchase more inventory or equipment, or market your business more aggressively. Or you may need finance to help deal with the effects of economic… Read more
The end of year parties have started and the Christmas tree is up. 2020 is, finally, nearly over. However, before you open the champagne, have you made your staffing plans for the holiday season? Many of you will have your annual closedown. If you are part of the hospitality or tourism industry you will likely be hoping to make the most of the holiday season to make up for income… Read more
Well, there’s no time like the present. If you’ve been through the teenage years you are unlikely not to have heard this phrase, and it may or may not bring back good memories! But seriously – if you are thinking about investing in business assets, then 2020 really is a good time. Here are three reasons why: Interest rates are at an all-time low The Reserve Bank of New Zealand… Read more
In the current economic climate, it’s hard to find good news. However, positive economic signals in New Zealand are emerging from recent surveys and stats including improved business confidence, export and job figures. Alongside comes a commitment by the newly-re-elected Prime Minister to prioritise small business recovery and a range of new and existing Covid-19 support schemes. Jacinda Ardern to prioritise small businesses recovery After winning the election for her… Read more
Labour has just had the biggest win in over 50 years and with 64 seats it will be relatively easy for them to make the changes they proposed in their pre-election campaigns. The expectation is that they will go further and faster this term. Whether or not you agree, it’s time to prepare. So, what does a Labour government mean for your business? Personal income tax Labour has announced plans… Read more
The pains caused by a recession can be excruciating, which is why most of us dread the thought of it. A recession can mean layoffs, jobs becoming harder to find, and wages frozen, which means consumers hunker down and spend less– often worsening the economic slowdown. For most businesses, especially small businesses, recessions can be brutal. For example, the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) that struck the world in 2008. Between December… Read more
We know that the recent return to COVID-19 lockdown level 3 in Auckland is unfortunate news for struggling businesses, especially in the retail and hospitality sector. As distressing as this is, we’d like to point you in the direction of ways you can cushion the pandemic’s economic impact – some of which you may not have heard about. We also through a couple of interesting COVID-related articles into mix. Business… Read more
All businesses need accounting services, however an astonishing number of business owners are attempting to manage accounting on their own. Now the good old ‘Kiwi DIY’ attitude has its place, but with all due respect, professional accounting practices are not easy to fashion out of number eight wire! So let’s break down how having professional accounting practices will up your business game. Depending on the nature of your business, you… Read more