Strategy
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Give your life partner an employment contract
- August 1, 2024
Should you give your spouse or partner an employment contract? Co-founder startups spiked sharply after COVID because circumstances led to many couples going into business together, but, like many business ventures, love and trust aren’t necessarily healthy for the business. Research shows that not many co-founder relationships survive the pressure. As many as 65 percent of startups fail because of personal tensions, with the consequence that the relationship gets rocky fast. Ms. Gaelene...
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Is NZRB turmoil indicative of a broader Kiwi boardroom malaise?
- June 13, 2024
The recent New Zealand Rugby (NZR) boardroom wars highlight how difficult it is to inject fresh thinking and new blood into the governance status quo countrywide and how this can trap organisations in a cycle of ‘two steps backwards’ and stagnating innovation. Adrian Packer, director of a specialist innovation leadership consultancy, IMS Projects (which works with some of New Zealand's top organisations), warns that now is not the time for boards to default to the ‘same old’ cost-cutt...
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Kiwi kids acting out because our values system is eroding
- May 23, 2024
The Education Review Office report that New Zealand presents some of the most challenging school behaviours in the OECD is hardly surprising because we have empowered our children as individuals but removed the structures that channel that 'power', such as values, spirituality, and self-awareness. Simone-Ellen Keller, a personal transformation strategist and founder of Genius You, says we've given the kids the car keys without teaching them how to drive. She identifies a lack of structured...
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Staff call time on ‘work from home’ trend
- April 30, 2024
The New Zealand contact centre industry is calling for staff to return to the office as it becomes more apparent that the ‘work from home’ model is unhealthy for staff and for business. The CEO of Customer Contact Network New Zealand (CCNNZ), Elias Kanaris, says that contact centre workers have to contend with abuse, stress and challenging situations, which means they need better support than they can get at home. “Contact centre staff working from home are isolated and lack mutu...
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High achievers search for greener grass a sign of deeper issues
- December 22, 2023
For many high achievers—up to 20% of the workforce—the search for the 'next big thing' is a familiar narrative, but it masks a deeper issue which invariably results in the discovery that the grass really is never greener on the other side. Simone-Ellen Keller, personal transformation strategist and founder of Genius You, puts it down to the inability of high performers to understand and work with their intrinsic motivations. "It's a common misconception amongst high performers ...
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Digital divide could mean early retirement for many Kiwi businesses
- September 12, 2023
A changing of the guard is gaining pace in New Zealand with the rise of 'younger' decision-makers in their 20s and 30s who rely on digital media like LinkedIn to network, job hunt and inform decisions. It's a development that is leaving behind older business owners and managers and causing a generational shift in power far sooner than previous generations. Assia Salikhova, the Managing Director of Wellington business development agency Smarketing Lab, says many busin...
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Like fake news, the rise of fake website reviews preys on vulnerable consumers
- September 5, 2023
Writing fake Google reviews and buying 'likes, as some Australian companies do, coupled with the rise of manipulated content by Artificial Intelligence (AI), may make it increasingly difficult for consumers to distinguish authentic businesses from those that are not. Irwin Hau, the founder and director of Chromatix Web Design and Australian tech SaaS start-up ConversionCow, is calling for better enforcement measures to counter fake trust factors like reviews, testimonials, case studies a...
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Is the famous Kiwi ‘can do’ attitude sabotaging growth?
- July 27, 2023
A Kiwi’s natural tendency to get stuck in is often seen as a positive, but it may also have a darker side because business owners (SMEs) are so busy doing, that they don't see the train coming. Assia Salikhova, the Managing Director of Wellington business development agency Smarketing Lab, says she comes across business leaders who were caught out by the disruptions that resulted from the recent school holidays slow down, even though school holidays come around four times a year, every year...
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Threat of downturn must shift attention to loyalty
- March 29, 2023
Rising interest rates, a recession on the horizon and high levels of inflation combined, make for a perfect storm that will put huge pressure on retailers already under strain after the pandemic, unless they get better at retaining customers through loyalty initiatives. Mark Presnell, who is the managing director of eCommerce integration company Convergence, said a clever loyalty programme can create the highest marketing return on investment by helping to keep customers engaged. “But it...
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Minimum wage increases will hurt already reeling horticultural industry
- March 21, 2023
The minimum wage increase in April will cut into the New Zealand horticultural industry's already tight margins and put increased financial pressure on a sector decimated by bad weather, not least the floods. Some small growers could go under as a result. From April 1 this year, the adult minimum wage across New Zealand will rise to $22.70 per hour. The training and starting wage rates will increase from $16.96 to $18.16. "We're not say don't pay fair wages for a fair day's work—pick...
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Is ageism real, or just a miscommunication?
- March 2, 2023
Discrimination based on a person's age (ageism) is a problem in New Zealand—there’s no doubt older workers struggle to find employment—but the cause is more likely due to a generational disconnect. Sandford, who is the CEO of New Zealand recruitment and career coaching company Move to More (M2M), said workers over 50 could be more successful if they learn to bridge the generational divide. “There will be more opportunities for over 50s moving forward because the workforce is ...
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Looking to get your university fees paid by your customer loyalty scheme?
- February 23, 2023
Fancy having your university fees covered by your customer loyalty scheme? University fees, divorce legal fees, shiny orthodontic braces and a new driveway are just some of the more unusual customer rewards Kiwis took home in 2022. Colin Samson, who is chief executive and Certified Loyalty Marketing Professional of Incentive Solutions—which provides data-driven initiatives for B2B loyalty, consumer loyalty and employee engagement to some of New Zealand’s biggest companies—said tha...
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Co-working spaces overtaking work-from-home and the traditional office
- February 22, 2023
The Crate Flexible Office Space–a coworking facility on Auckland's North Shore–is experiencing an overwhelming number of inquiries weekly compared to any other time since it was founded 10 years ago--demand is booming in the new reset. A few months ago, working from home was the new normal, and few held out hope of a complete return to the office. While that trend seems to be holding steady, it isn't the whole story. From The Crate’s current experience, Coworking is fast overtaking th...
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Kiwi retailers returns processes frustrating customers and losing money
- February 10, 2023
With 30 per cent of all products purchased online likely to be 'comebacks', the returns process continues to be an underestimated cost to retailers--many do not know the number of returns or resulting losses--and a source of frustration for Kiwi shoppers. According to NZ Post, New Zealanders spent more than $550m online on physical goods during the significant November sales events such as Click Frenzy, Singles' Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. That equated to about 161,000 transactions ...
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New Zealand’s eCommerce sector failing the customer experience
- January 4, 2023
A New Zealand eCommerce expert is worried that the art of retail may be lost to the cookie cutter approach currently dominating local online shopping sites. Mark Presnell, managing director of eCommerce Integration Specialists Convergence—a company that integrates eCommerce sites with backend software and processes— believes New Zealand’s eCommerce retailers could be more successful if they stopped boring shoppers and instead rediscovered the art of both the ‘theme’ and the ‘sho...
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SMEs warned to beware of digital snares this Christmas
- December 8, 2022
Digital marketing technology may be more of a time waster and productivity killer than a panacea this Christmas because it could ty your staff away from other important activities like customer service, an Auckland digital agency warns. Fuel Design director, Jason Carr, said wasted time can be crippling for e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar companies, both of which are hoping to capitalise on the revenue injection during the Christmas shopping rush period. This holiday season, a lot of reta...
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The Opportunity of Downturns – Preparing the mind
- May 23, 2022
It’s not just headlines, it’s true. More billionaires are made during the hard times than in the good times. While I checked the accuracy of this, I was equally startled to read that in China alone, in the last year they have produced a new billionaire every 34 hours! Why is this important to you? You know already. We are living through chaotic, uncertain times now, and the decisions that you make now will have long term effects on your future, and not necessarily money related eit...
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It’s Meercat time, in fact a little past it already.
- May 4, 2022
Time to reflect: both on the Olympics and your progress In my last post, I introduced Cath Bishop to you. She has such a powerful message in terms of her journey to success, her time in the forces in the middle east and now her experiences as a business coach. It is for this reason that I am offering a reminder, that in case you did not follow the link in my last NewsBrief, do it now. There are valuable learnings that could apply to you as well. I have just about finished her audiob...
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What Olympians Teach Us About Business
- April 19, 2022
Imagine if you could build a team within your business that would perform as if they were podium placed Olympians? To my Kiwi readers, apologies upfront. I came across this article in Inc and it really resonated with me. The story, more of a reflection of high-performance teams, comes from a 3 times Olympian from Great Britain. I am sure this would equally apply to many of our great Kiwi Olympians, but I have not found their story yet. This one is important as Cath Bishop is now a Bus...
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SEO For Small Business
- April 4, 2022
As leaders and business owners do you sometimes wonder about how much of an expert you really need to be? Personally, I have subscribed to this quote: “Even if you don’t do the work, you should know the work.” The statement is loaded with tripwires and it needs to be used with some caution. You need to guard against being a micromanager, or thinking you need to be the expert in everything to be an effective leader. Equally, you don’t want to get bogged down in the detail, but unless y...
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Expose Yourself for the Greater Good
- March 27, 2022
If you are implementing 90-day planning, then you would have just completed Quarter 1. What worked well, what did not work out? First to yourself and second to your team, I encourage you to expand on reflecting Q1’s performance. However, most importantly, explain the behaviour that did or did not happen resulting in these results. I have not found the correct descriptive words to explain what this management approach is. I loosely use the phrase: ‘Open-book management...
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Three key steps to grow your business in post Covid 2022
- January 21, 2022
If your business is hurting or stagnating -- whether due to Covid-19, technology or market shifts -- there are three key changes you can make now to fuel your business growth. Long-time Howick and East Tamaki staple Pat Callinan Accounting underwent a transformation of its own recently after a management buy-out and shifts in market demand created the need to change. As a result, the firm is now trading as Louw & Co. "The three most important changes we needed to make, to reposition fo...
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SEO for Small Business
- August 19, 2021
Search Engine Optimisation is one of those areas where you need to know some of ‘the stuff.’ SEO is easy to do but difficult to do well. Knowing how to optimise your website so that the likes of Google show your results on page 1, and strategically choosing your keywords for paid advertising should become a long-term asset in your business, especially if you have growth ambitions. SEO is something that I recommend you either outsource or develop internal expertise thr...
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Conversations, Feedback, Recognition (CFRs) – Fuel for OKRs
- May 14, 2021
A few years ago, I read a book that had a big impact on how I understand and manage goal-setting. I recommend that you add this book to your top ten list: John Doerr, the author of the book ‘Measure What Matters.’ John quotes: ‘If you’re striving for high performance “Goals are very necessary things”.’ Seems like a no-brainer statement, yet so few businesses are effective in their goal setting. In his book, he shares the goal-setting system that is behind many ...
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Personal branding in SMEs - time to challenge the paradigm
- May 3, 2021
The average SME starts from the typical 'garage', i.e., the owner invests some dollars and leverages off their experience or training to start their business. Right in the beginning, they ponder on an ideal business name, and usually because their funds are limited, between themselves and their friends come up with a name. It is not uncommon for the business name to be that of the owner. The business either stays as a one-person operation, so the name sticks or the business grows or...
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8 powerful ways to market your business on a shoestring budget
- April 15, 2021
One of the top challenges for any business is getting the attention of your target audience. This all comes down to effective marketing. How do you gain traction in your marketing when you are on a tight budget? How do you compete with established competition or competition that have deep pockets that throw big dollars at their marketing? The good news for any business owners is that there are plenty of ways to market your business that’s light on the pocket. Leverage on t...
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The Three Measures that are Guaranteed to Drive Company Performance
- March 30, 2021
I do still find that there are some businesses out there that still have no dashboard or any form of indicators that track overall business performance. And when I say none, I am also referring to those that seemingly only use the bank balance as their barometer. These missing measures that I am referring to are often called KPI’s or key performance indicators. This week I met with the owners of a smaller business: they have four staff and have been working their butts off this last year as...
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How NZ Labour crushed the National Party on Facebook
- November 3, 2020
The National Party spent approximately $167,000 more on Facebook than Labour or the Greens in the lead up to the recent general election but their strategy to use multiple messages across a broad range of topics – compared to Labour's one or two – may have helped contribute to their undoing. Chief Executive Officer of Auckland digital marketing agency Insight Online, Kim Voon, said today that Labour's Facebook campaign was characterised by just one, sometimes two, messages consistently. ...
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