
Growing SMEs are more exposed to cyber-attacks, NCSC research finds
Growing past a handful of staff brings more customers, more systems and more revenue. New research suggests it also makes a business a bigger cyber target.

Growing past a handful of staff brings more customers, more systems and more revenue. New research suggests it also makes a business a bigger cyber target.

Many tradies and salon owners already spend money on marketing. The harder question is which of that spend actually brings in paying customers, and Thryv says its new platform can answer it.

Franz Josef’s West Coast Wildlife Centre has been named the West Coast’s top business for 2026, winning the Development West Coast Supreme Award at the Leading Light Business Excellence Awards.

Finding the right funding for any business is never easy, but if you are the founder of an early-stage business pursuing a new, or perhaps untested, market the challenges are particularly complex. But, as Kiwibank’s General Manager of Business Banking Rod Morris tells NZBusiness, Kiwibank has stepped up to change the game for early-stage business founders with its new funding pathway, built to unlock opportunity and foster sustainable business growth.

Finalists are in, and with entries up nearly 50 percent on two years ago, The David Awards judges have never had a harder job.

Eric Clark, CEO of Manhattan Associates, believes complexity is becoming a permanent part of the operating environment. Clark discusses why that can create opportunity, what other industries can learn from retail, and how technology and AI can help businesses manage it.

Two years after leaving corporate life, Josh Burgisser built Burgs Digital into a full-stack marketing agency. He talks to David Nothling-Demmer about the attention economy, why video isn’t optional for small businesses showing up online, and convincing his own father to become a client.

Kiwi innovation meets smart marketing. Telescopicgoal is transforming the way football is played and trained around the world, all with a clever, adjustable aluminium goal and a creative, targeted approach to reaching customers.

More than 60 exhibitors, 75 speakers, leading franchise brands and 1,600 attendees are expected at Due Drop Events Centre this September.

Where are they now? Brolly Sheets Founder Diane Hurford on 20 years of bed-wetting, bandanas and building a business that stuck.

Some of New Zealand’s most influential science, business and policy figures will gather in Auckland next week to grapple with a question that has dogged the country for decades: How does New Zealand turn its ideas into lasting prosperity?

Leading a multi-national company takes guts, hard work and determination but without good governance, structure, and processes there is risk for shareholders – no matter how hard you work.

New Zealand’s leaders are shrinking their own ambitions in isolation. Revved Co-founder Rochelle Moffitt wants to put them in a room together instead.

Taupō’s The Cozy Corner isn’t just a café, it’s a community hub where inclusivity, wellness, and sustainability meet. With a menu that caters to every dietary need, a great team culture, and a commitment to values-driven business, owner Camilla Baker has built an eco-friendly café that sets the standard for hospitality with heart.

New Zealand small businesses are facing one of the biggest shifts in customer discovery since the rise of Google Search, as AI-powered tools change how consumers find, compare and choose who to hire.

More than 80 percent of people don’t independently verify AI-generated information. As AI becomes the first place customers go for answers, that trust is creating a new challenge for New Zealand businesses.

We’re told the economy and the environment are locked in a trade-off. Autex’s Jonathan Mountfort says that’s a false choice, and shows how circular thinking is already building a healthier version of both.

New Zealand research into scientist-entrepreneurs has identified an “IP paradox”: Intellectual property is seen as essential to start-up success, yet often experienced as a costly, complex barrier. Here’s what the findings mean for founders, investors and the wider SME community.

AI is having its “peak hype” moment, but beneath the noise there is a very practical question most New Zealand business owners are asking: Will this actually help my business run better, or is it just another shiny tech distraction?

Most of the AI conversation right now is about what the technology will eventually do for everyone. Not much of it covers what you should actually start doing, this week, to make sure your business can use any of it. Let’s change that.

Keynote speaker, educator, author, recording artist and Solo Meo Award winner Julia Grace, has turned her mental health journey into inspiring talks, workshops, and performances across New Zealand and beyond. She’s also made a success of being an entrepreneur in the process.

Setting a big, bold goal feels like strategy. It isn’t. Ryan Sproull explains why picturing success can actually work against you, and what to do instead.

After a punishing economic cycle Kiwi businesses are emerging into something of a stabilisation period. Cautiously optimistic, past the worst, but with operating costs still biting and reinvestment held back. Why the next six months will define the recovery, and what business owners need to be doing in that period.

New data from Employment Hero shows New Zealand’s small and medium business sector continuing to add headcount in May, even as wage growth stalled completely on an annual basis, highlighting a labour market where businesses are growing cautiously rather than competing hard for talent on pay.

Turning a dreaded parenting challenge into a science-powered solution, ISpy Nits is making head lice detection accurate, stigma-free, and even fun for kids, and in the process earning Kate Ricketts a well-deserved David Award.

After burnout and a corporate career, Nikki Taylor started her own business at 44, and discovered that midlife isn’t a crisis, but a chance for clarity, on what kind of work, and life, actually fits.

New Zealand’s productivity gap with countries like Finland isn’t about effort, it’s about clarity. Elliot Royce argues that as businesses grow, complexity quietly crowds out a shared understanding of what actually creates value, turning productivity into a symptom rather than the real problem.

A pilot programme’s runaway demand has exposed just how many promising New Zealand startups are being turned away by traditional bank lending.

New Zealand’s sustainable innovators remain confident about growth, but a new report shows many are struggling to access the capital and conditions needed to actually scale.

New Zealand’s small business productivity has flatlined, with the country continuing to trail Australia and the UK, even as Deloitte’s latest CFO survey shows finance leaders remain confident about growing their businesses despite economic uncertainty.

The average time from search to hiring a candidate in the New Zealand tech industry has reduced by 50 percent this year, leaving no room for mistakes in the race to secure the best talent. Managing director and founder of specialist IT and digital recruitment company Imara Limited, Barry Hardy, said that before the Covid-19 pandemic, companies were running a hiring process that, on average, took 10 to 15 days to find and employ a suitable candidate. That time has shrunk to only seven days. Hardy has worked in the tech recruitment sector since 1996 but has never seen the recruitment market so tight. Companies of all sizes are fighting hard to retain and hire talented individuals. “The supply of

The category winners have been announced for this year’s EY Entrepreneur of the Year and they represent a diverse range of exciting innovators. This year’s category winners are diverse and include a crime prevention tech company, a collaboration software provider, a wealth investment platform that more than half a million Kiwis use, a business that has revolutionized space transportation and an enterprise messaging platform that is on a mission to enable secure two-way communication with every person and mobile device on the planet. A special mention was given to Dave Darling, CEO of cancer diagnostics company Pacific Edge Limited, for his long service to entrepreneurial-ism and leadership of an incredible business with such impact. Director of EY Entrepreneur of the

The DSL-X1852E is an AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 , VDSL2 /ADSL2+ Modem Router with VoIP, providing universal DSL and NBN / UFB connectivity in New Zealand. The DSL-X1852E is an all-in-one Modem Router with VLAN tagging and enjoys AX1800 Speeds with up to 1200Mbps on its 5GHz band, and 574Mbps on its 2.4GHz band. It also uses the latest WPA3™ 128-bit encryption, which replaces previous industry-standard encryptions on Wi-Fi devices, and it also enables you to seamlessly test your Internet Speed and connection with its built-in Internet Speed test powered by Ookla. Providing super-fast speeds for all your wired devices, the DSL-X1852E sports a dedicated Gigabit Ethernet WAN port and four Gigabit LAN ports, as well as a USB port where

Against the backdrop of the Covid pandemic, new remote work options have increased the modern worker’s desirability for more downtime; hence the term ‘quiet-quitting’. Quiet-quitting involves workers doing what is expected of them in their roles and nothing more – extra duties, overtime and weekend work are being traded for a healthier work-life balance and less burnout. This new approach is prominent among Gen-Z workers who are becoming less tolerant of performing work outside their assigned job descriptions. With job vacancies at a current high across the globe and companies offering more incentives to entice workers, employers will have to do more to retain their staff. So, what can employers learn from the quiet-quitting trend? 1. Employees are less likely

Every September, Australia and New Zealand celebrate National Family Business Day – a day designed to recognise the invaluable contribution family businesses make to the economy, community, and culture. On Monday, September 19, family businesses throughout Australia and New Zealand, no matter how small or large they are, have one collective thing in common, they all have a family business story to tell. Whether they’re a multi-generation business, a dynamic husband and wife duo or siblings – each of their businesses is interwoven with their family values and ethos. Family businesses aren’t just in business for profits, they build a legacy. FBANZ CEO Greg Griffiths says “Family Businesses contribute to the Australia and New Zealand economy like no other business

Hybrid and blended workforces can provide a range of benefits for businesses, but there are major challenges to face too. Thomas Amos offers some tips for success. Before covid, businesses were already adjusting to the rise of blended workforces – a mix of permanent and temporary staff. Now, with hybrid and remote working thrown into the mix, businesses need to find a way to manage blended workforces from a range of locations. Hybrid and blended workforces can provide a range of benefits for businesses, from access to a wider talent pool to higher productivity and efficiency; while for employees it can provide greater job satisfaction. But they can also present different challenges to a traditional workforce of full-time permanent staff
Upcoming event

Thursday 8 October 2026 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm
📍 GridAKL, 101, Pakenham Street West, Wynyard Quarter, Auckland
The David Awards 2026 winners are revealed live at GridAKL on 8 October, followed by a panel on building small businesses that punch above their weight. Finalist or not, get your free ticket to this informative and celebratory event.
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Practical AI insights, Kiwi tech innovators, and the tools helping Kiwi SMEs compete on a global stage. It’s all packed into this special tech issue of NZBusiness.
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