Getting your SME business AI-ready

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.

Turning personal experience into purpose

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.

Beyond survival

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.

Glow and grow

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.

When hard work stops creating value

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.

open banking nz

Kiwibank flips the switch on open banking for SMEs

Kiwibank has become the first New Zealand bank to roll out open banking across all its digital channels for both individual and business customers, delivering most of the data‑sharing capability required by regulators six months ahead of its statutory deadline.

Why AI is no longer just a tech conversation

As AI rapidly shifts from experimentation to operational reality, AI start-up founder Dave Howden says the businesses that move first – and rethink how work gets done – will hold the advantage.

Healthtex kiwi entrepreneurs

The pharmacist who listened

Three decades behind the counter taught pharmacist turned entrepreneur Tim O’Donoghue that patients know exactly what they want. They just rarely get it. Now, with an FDA-listed product live on Amazon and a 14-strong self-care platform behind it, the Healthtex Co-founder is raising capital through PledgeMe and inviting Kiwi investors into a corner of the global pharmaceutical industry usually reserved for big backers.

Elmo

Thrive cultures versus burnout cultures

The impact of the pandemic on economic activity, employment, and the way we work has been far reaching. All of this has substantially impacted the world’s collective wellbeing and of course, this state of unease has flowed into workplaces. As workers grappled with a host of pandemic-related grievances, the duty of care employers have for employees, especially in relation to their wellbeing, suddenly assumed unprecedented levels of importance. One thing is certain: the past 18 months have placed employee wellbeing firmly on HR’s agenda. Fast forward to now and many countries around the world find themselves in a state of limbo. They are not yet clear of COVID-19 but are learning to live with it thanks to vaccinations and other

Jasper GTT Dashboard

Aussie track & trace software aids Kiwi businesses

New software developed in Australia aims to give New Zealand businesses confidence that their Covid-19 testing programmes are keeping employees safe while reducing the risks of disruption. “The rampant spread of Omicron, and risk of further variants is putting pressure on businesses to strengthen surveillance testing of their workforce,” says Graham Gordon, CEO of medical technology company Gardian. “The Gardian Test Tracker solution and Self Check app provide a business peace of mind that they are staying on top of the problem and can keep operating. “We’ve seen this in Australia, and now in New Zealand – as Omicron spreads, the threats to businesses and staff are growing significantly,” says Gordon. “It’s why ABC was an early adopter of our

Row of businesses

Who will buy your business?

Maybe you are bored, wish to retire, or over it and it’s just time to get out! There are many reasons people may choose to buy your business.  When looking to sell your business it pays to spend some time considering who is likely to buy your business – put yourself in their shoes and detail what they are likely to be looking for. You may have considered selling your business to a suitable employee or family member, but finding a buyer with the necessary skills, interest and money isn’t always that straightforward. The “list my business for sale” option gives you a great range and a bigger pool of prospective business buyers. There are many types of buyers –

Theresa Gattung sml

Funding for wāhine and non-binary entrepreneurs

SheEO NZ, an economic model created to support wāhine and non-binary entrepreneurs is already delivering strong results and is ready to support a new crop of start-ups. The selected New Zealand ventures that SheEO has backed to date have achieved remarkable growth, with an average revenue growth per venture of 684 percent since being selected. In total, the ventures now employ 134 people, averaging 15 employees per venture, and they collectively generated $20 million revenue, up from $11.9 million in 2020. SheEO was launched in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2017 by Theresa Gattung (pictured), a renowned advocate for women in business. Gattung is thrilled with the results and encouraged with the local success of the model. “Considering we were still reeling

Narmadhaa Palanisamy with Lisa Wall

Walks give women access to female leaders

Senior and diverse Christchurch female leaders will ‘walk and talk’ with aspiring female leaders when Mentor Walks launches its first New Zealand event in Christchurch on Thursday 19 May. Mentor Walks is a simple idea designed to have a big impact on women’s careers – a one hour walk and conversation with an exceptional female leader – to help women get clarity on career and business challenges and opportunities and build networks. Christchurch is the first city to launch a Mentor Walks programme in New Zealand, with the support and partnership of Christchurch-headquartered global software company Seequent. “When one of our team members reached out about Mentor Walks, we jumped at the opportunity to partner with them,” says Lisa Wall, Chief