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.
A new support service has been launched to help Kiwi business owners get the tools and support they need to thrive. Small Business NZ (SBNZ) is an online platform launched recently that aims to provide community, connection and resources for small and micro businesses across the country. Because, let’s face it, running a business is hard. Often small business owners feel isolated, left trying to figure it all out alone. Despite the difficulties, New Zealand is a proud nation of small and micro business owners. Defined as a business with fewer than 20 employees, there are approximately 530,000 small businesses in Aotearoa, according to Statistics New Zealand and MBIE. This means small businesses make up 97 percent of all companies
If you were to write down the risks your small business currently faces, how many do you have protection for? And are you sure that protection will cover you if the worst were to happen? From reducing costs to working from home and moving operations online, New Zealand businesses have changed a lot since the start of the pandemic. And with more than three quarters of small business owners saying in a Vero industry survey that they plan to keep at least some of the changes, this appears to be the new normal. But despite the high level of changes to business, this isn’t reflected in updated business insurance. Some 20% have decreased their cover while 19% reduced the number
Successfully running a business is an impressive feat and challenges can be frequent, and testing. Yet through obstacles like these, business owners gain valuable learnings and insights into consumer behaviour, their market, and business in general. One area where small businesses often run into hurdles is during debt recovery. Healthy cash flow is instrumental to running a successful small business, with the power to turn a struggling operation into a happy one. In this article, we explore some of the biggest obstacles that New Zealand businesses run into when chasing their unpaid accounts. 1. Clear systems and expectations. Small businesses are known for moving quickly to try and hit the ground running. Often this comes at the expense of critical
The new D-Link Eagle Pro range aims to combine Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with AI (Artificial Intelligence) to enhance speed and coverage. The M15 mesh system comes in both a 2-pack and a 3-pack version depending on the coverage area required. D-Link recommends the 2-pack for coverage up to 370 sqm and the 3-pack to 500 sqm making them overkill for most houses, however house configuration plays a part in this so if you have solid walls or multiple floors you may want that extra unit! If you have Wi-Fi 6 devices (Most recent phones and tablets support it) you will get a significant speed increase moving to a Wi-Fi 6 router and even if you don’t it will future proof
There are several options when it comes to selling your business. It’s important when deciding your best path to keep in mind your financial and non-financial goals. After all you want the best possible return and outcome for your business, in order to maximise the investment you have made over the years. Here are three options to choose from: 1. Selling your business privately This will often provide the best return, especially if there is a strategic reason for someone purchasing your business. It pays to ensure the buyer is genuine and committed to going through with the purchase. Watch for competitors disguised as ‘buyers’. They may just use the opportunity for gathering valuable knowledge on your business systems and your
A new four-day week pilot is underway, as over 30 companies and almost 1000 workers across Australia and New Zealand get an extra day per week back with no loss of pay. The six-month coordinated trial, run by non-profit 4 Day Week Global, operates off the 100-80-100™ model where workers get 100% of the pay for 80% of the time, in exchange for a commitment to maintaining at least 100% of the output. Participating companies operate across a diverse range of industries, offering services in the manufacturing, fashion, healthcare, real estate, finance, technology, education and PR sectors, to name but a few. In New Zealand the companies include Cook Costello Limited, Haemata Limited, Kowtow Clothing and BVT Engineering Professional Services’
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.
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.
Latest articles
