The SME Stream

An economist wonders if some political parties are too relaxed about the growing pension bill.  National's confirmed it's not campaigning on raising the Super age -- an issue it's campaigned on for the past three elections. ACT is the only other party with the same goal. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Heather du Plessis-Allan he's concerned some politicians are blind to the i...

Forsyth Barr's Zoe Wallis takes a ook at the week ahead for the markets, Monday 12 October. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A business think tank says there's not much different in National's fiscal plan from its budgets of the past couple of years.   The party wants to keep the operating allowance at $2.4 billion, with all commitments funded and $7.5 billion left over.   It suggests tax relief won't be on the table until debt's paid down.   New Zealand Initiative Senior Fellow Bryce Wilkinson told Mike...

Oct 12 marks 48 months in the latest bull cycle since generative AI started firing up markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A tax expert suggests National's trademark tax relief seems a fair way off - with little wiggle room in its fiscal plan. The Party says it can't offer tax cuts - until it gets on top of debt.  It says all its commitments are costed - matching Labour's 2.4 billion dollar Budget operating allowance.  Tax expert Geof Nightingale told Andrew Dickens the 7.5 billion dollars left over arrives...

What if the skills you've spent years developing could become your next business? After nearly 20 years in broadcasting, from sports journalism and Seven Sharp to breakfast radio, Toni Street has turned her experience in front of the camera and behind the microphone into her own business, Confident Communication. This episode is particularly special because Toni was actually one of my Make It Happ...

More New Zealanders are looking to their Kiwisaver to get them to the future, or to their first-home with the property market on a down-turn.  Because of that, the election's become a more vested interest for voters, with the future of their KiwiSaver determined by what Government forms. So what are parties promising, where do they differ, and what would it mean for our funds? ACT's proposed...

Can likes and followers turn into a full-time income? On The Prosperity Project, Nadine talks to talent manager Molly about the business behind social media influencing, from brand deals worth thousands to valuable freebies and the work that goes into every post. They explore how creators earn money, why going viral doesn’t guarantee a lasting career, and what happens when the algorithm chan...

More and more kiwis are struggling to make ends meet at the moment, even people who are making good money are often only scraping by. Now more than ever budgeting your money is incredibly important but most people simply don't understand how to create a proper personal budget.  Tammy Barton created MyBudget in the late 90s when she was just 22 as a way to help the squeezed middle sort out the...

Chris Luxon says National's continuing to take the same fiscal approach, as it did under Sir John Key and Sir Bill English. National's fiscal plan - due out today - would involve a return to surplus a year later, than under Act's plan released yesterday. Luxon told Mike Hosking National is continuing to be gradual and disciplined He says the right will always call for harder, faster austerity, and...

The Green Party's announced a jobs guarantee programme for young people who've been out of work for 6 months, with unemployment at an 11-year high, and three times worse for younger people. The party says the country's infrastructure and nature need maintenance and care, but community services are short of the people needed - so they plan to give those roles to younger people. The policy aims to b...

Mortgage broker Squirrel targets $700m loan book and public float mid-late 2027; ASX listing in doubt for Firmus. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Northland Regional Council moves staff to a nine-day fortnight on the same pay - effectively giving staff a pay rise by lowering their hours worked. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A view it's clearly time our political parties come together to tackle the issue of superannuation. National and Labour have agreed they'll support a cross-party political accord on the retirement system. Act and National are both campaigning on gradually raising the super age to 67. Labour and New Zealand First are both campaigning to keep it at 65. Superannuation expert Jonathan Eriksen told And...

Forsyth Barr analyst Andrew Harvey Green on the election’s competing energy policies, what they could mean for power prices, investment and the sector. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US 10-year bond yields hit highest level in 24 years, Forsyth Barr's Mark Richardson joins Herald NOW to explain why it could be good news. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Future of New Zealand Debate delivered a buffet of current and future talent.. as well as dancing robots and G-D-Pizza. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The US mid-term elections are set to take place in four weeks, and experts are speculating about what this means for the economy. Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen - and it's increased the likelihood that the Democrats could take the House. Fisher Funds expert Sam Dickie explained what this could all mean for investors.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.   This week … It’s all go on the campaign trail - National unveils its roadmap to help SMEs and Labour shares its...

How do you become the kind of leader people genuinely want to follow? In this episode of HR Unlocked, Lisa Oakley sits down with Laurent Sylvestre to explore leadership, trust, human dynamics, executive development, and what it really takes to lead well.  Laurent challenges the traditional view of HR and People & Culture, emphasising that leaders ultimately own people and culture, while P...

Diving deeper on one of episode 8's topic. Mike and Scott dig into the real mechanics of funding a business - when you actually need outside money, and what trading time, margin or control really means. Over Garage Project's Mon P'tit Chou and a steak and mushroom pie from Gladstone Butchery, they map out loans, VC and everything in between. You'll learn: -The three ways to fund growth - revenue,...

In business, and in the innovation game, experience is valuable. But sometimes, not knowing how exactly things are supposed to be done can be a superpower. This week’s episode of The Business of Tech celebrates three young New Zealand designers tackling problems that established businesses have overlooked, with fresh eyes, tight budgets and a willingness to ask basic questions. Sophie West,...

You don’t need years of industry experience to build a successful product brand. I had never worked in a salon, formulated a haircare product or built an electrical product before starting Tidal Hair. In 2023, the brand did $5.6 million in annual revenue. In this episode of Make It Happen, I break down exactly how I entered an industry I knew almost nothing about and built a multi-million-do...

When the price of moving goods around New Zealand rises, who picks up the bill?  Increasing fuel prices are putting pressure on the trucking industry, with fuel now accounting for up to 30% of operating costs.  And that cost can travel far beyond the petrol pump, into the price of groceries and other everyday essentials.  So how much can freight companies absorb, and how much gets p...

Chris Hipkins reckons there was no easy answer to this week's leaders debate question on whether it's okay to be a billionaire.  Former Prime Minister Sir John Key says it's "nuts" to think billionaires are "morally offensive".  Key told the Herald's Future of New Zealand debate last night that we should be celebrating business success like we celebrate sporting and musical success.&nbsp...