The David Awards finalists revealed as entries surge amid tough trading conditions
Finalists are in, and with entries up nearly 50 percent on two years ago, The David Awards judges have never had a harder job.
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.
Solar retailer Lodestone Energy is opening up its “virtual rooftop” solar product to residential and small business customers for the first time, choosing Hawke’s Bay as the launch region for its new EASY Plan.
New Zealand tourism businesses are committed to becoming more sustainable, but new research shows the journey from good intentions to genuine change is anything but straightforward.
Spacebar Design won Most Innovative Business at The David Awards 2025, also taking out the Supreme Award, recognition that cements its role as a trailblazer in sustainable interior design.
New Zealand’s longest-running sustainability awards programme is calling for entries, with expanded categories and a direct pathway to a global million-pound prize.
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
With New Zealand’s Construction Contracts Act now 20 years old, Tony Simonsen has a reminder of the ongoing issues within the sector around payments and trust. Working with construction lawyers such as Nick Gillies, Partner at Hesketh Henry, it becomes very clear that despite the fact we’ve hit a milestone with the Construction Contracts Act, there’s still a surprising lack of understanding about what the Act requires, as well as the tangible benefits and potential detriment of it. Ultimately, the Act is designed to benefit the entire industry right through the supply chain and support better cashflow. It aims to stop the traditional habit of withholding payment without a valid reason, and encourage better, more transparent practices between parties. It
Menswear retailer Working Style is celebrating 35 years in business with the opening of a new store in Takapuna. Founder Chris Dobbs shares his lessons across the years.
A nationwide search to celebrate our canine colleagues in the workplace is underway with entries now open for the 2022 NZ Top Office Dog competition. Frog Recruitment’s seventh annual Top Office Dog competition is calling for nominations in three categories: New Zealand’s Top Dog with a Job, New Zealand’s Top Home Office Dog – a people’s choice category, and the ultimate and top prize – New Zealand’s Top Office Dog. Our faithful furry friends have become more prominent in our working lives as more New Zealand workers adapt to hybrid work from home scenarios. As more Kiwi workers return to their regular workplace, nearly two thirds (63 percent) of workers reported experiencing dog-owner-separation anxiety (DOSA), according to a recent poll by Frog Recruitment. Forty
Tuesday, 27 September 2022 You’re invited to a special event where they will present the findings and host a lively panel discussion with guest importers and distributors from across the region. Date: Tuesday, 27 September 2022 Time: 2pm NZT / 11am AEST (75 mins) Ticket price: $39 USD (Promo Code: The code to access free tickets is NZBMGUEST when registering by 22 Sept) Register: www.exportincite.com/products/anz-event-27sep(link is external)
Upcoming event
Wednesday 11 November 2026 | 7:00am – 9:30am
📍 New Zealand International Convention Centre, 101 Hobson Street, Auckland
One week after the election, Ready to Rise returns for ‘After the Result’ to help Kiwi SME owners plan ahead for their next bold move, and hard-won growth. Get your tickets for this must-attend business breakfast.
Latest issue
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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