Articles

Research and development makes unique demands of a company – and the individuals who take it on. Often people involved in R&D are driven by passion – there’s a problem to be solved or a useful invention that has to see the light of day. The work can easily become all-consuming. The long hours and […]

There are many reasons why you need to learn more about your competitors but my three favourites are to avoid their mistakes; to copy and build upon what they do right; and to know their weak points when quoting against or taking their customers off them. Generally, benchmarking can be useful to find out about […]

A new business ideas competition called The Pick: 2017 will give everyday Northlanders the chance to challenge their ‘nine to five norm’ and turn their business idea into a reality. Launched today, The Pick: 2017 competition is hosted by The Orchard Business and Event Hub in Whangarei, and supported by Northland economic development agency Northland […]

Global technology and digital recruitment company Talent has invited the best tech companies, startups, leaders and entrepreneurs from New Zealand and across the globe to enter the 2017 Talent Unleashed Awards. According to Talent Founder and Executive Chairman, Richard Earl, the Talent Unleashed Awards program, in its fifth year, was established to challenge and inspire […]

Question: I have been tempted many times to start my own business, but I am concerned about the lack of security as an entrepreneur and wonder if it’s just best to stay employed so that I can be sure of my ability to provide for my family. What do you think? Answer: I think that […]

One of the most well-known pieces of advice in selling is that customers buy key benefits, not features. Yet for all the talk, it’s unbelievable how many sales people and business owners let themselves and their fantastic products and services down by ignoring this simple rule. In selling, and in business, one of the traps […]

Founder: Karen Bongard and Tim Bourne HQ: Westport Tell us about your business. Many of our subscribers have their partners or mothers buying their underwear. They might not enjoy shopping, or they just want to make their lives easier. Wearbox is New Zealand’s only men’s underwear subscription company. We send out trunks and socks to […]

Seed capital investment due diligence normally focuses on the startup. But here’s how the founder can put would-be investors through their paces. One of the big decisions facing company founders is whether to bootstrap – that is, fund the company’s growth out of revenues and their own resources, as opposed to bringing in new capital […]