The SME Stream

A deeper, more tactical return to Episode 8's big question, with real dollar figures attached. Mike and Scott walk through exactly how to validate an idea at $0, $500 and $5,000 budget levels — and how to land your very first customer. You'll learn: -Why an idea alone has almost no market value in the age of AI; -How to validate for free (talk to 1–100 potential customers) before spend...

The Finance Minister says tough choices aren't just made for the sake of it with the Crown books now opened for pre-election scrutiny.  It shows we're on track for a good surplus in the 2028/29 financial year, with a much smaller current deficit than expected.  But it’s not entirely rosy, with predictions slashed on house price growth, more money needed for health, and concerns ove...

New Zealanders are working. The economy is growing. So why aren’t we getting much more out of it?  For more than a decade, New Zealand’s productivity growth has been painfully weak – and that could be one of the biggest economic problems facing the next Government.  But you wouldn’t necessarily know it from the election campaign.  The parties are promising ta...

Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has admitted he hasn't yet read the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) in full, but he is confident the funding for his party's policies is there. Speaking to Canterbury Mornings, Hipkins says Labour will take time to crunch the numbers before coming out with their fiscal plan, which will be out by the end of next week. "You've got to give us a little bit o...

The Prime Minister ponders the curse of being an Air New Zealand CEO. Plus, we discuss tonight’s Rural Issues Debate, the diesel crisis, the age of eligibility for National Super, Chippy’s flawed CGT and the dangers of strategic voting. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabobank’s chief economist comments on rising OCR rates, both here and in Australia, the Red Meat Sector Conference, and whether there is an end in sight for the Middle East conflict and associated fuel crisis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says she wants to see the party's commitments delivered after the election.  After scoring 16 percent in Monday’s 1News Verian poll, Swarbrick said they'd demand high-profile portfolios, if they reach that number on election day. Chris Hipkins has again ruled her out as finance minister, under a Labour Government. Swarbrick says she's not counting c...

The current Government earlier indicated they could be looking to make changes to NZ Super and adjust the eligibility age, but they've changed their tone ahead of election season. Chris Luxon and Nicola Willis recently declined opportunities to explicitly back the policy when asked about it after Treasury released its Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update earlier this week. NZ Herald Wellington...

Most people appear to be managing their money well against ongoing financial volatility.   Centrix's August credit indicator shows expected seasonal uplifts in consumer and mortgage arrears, but an overarching easing pattern for both.   Consumer arrears ticked up to 10.74% but remain 11.2% lower than a year ago.   Company liquidations are up 14% on last year, but the indicator found...

The Government’s opened its books and it’s showing a return to surplus is well on track.  The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update shows a stronger and slightly faster surplus than predicted... with the books expected to get out of the red by 2028/29.  Treasury also predicts unemployment has already peaked - and will track down.  But, it’s not all sunshine and r...

Labour's leader is confident their numbers add up when it comes to paying for their policies – including reversing pay equity changes.  The Government's books were opened yesterday in Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update.  It revealed the planned 2028/29 surplus will be nearly $2 billion bigger than forecast, and the Crown will borrow less.   Treasury thinks unem...

The Finance Minister has her eye firmly on returning to surplus after a pre-election look into the books.   Treasury forecasts predict the next two years' deficits will be much smaller, and the 2028/29 surplus nearly $2 billion larger than expected.   But much of that improvement is down to income-tax bracket creep, and more revenue from GST and company tax.   Nicola Willis told Mik...

National's Nicola Willis is putting the rosier Government books - unveiled today - down to Kiwis' hard work, but won't say whether they'll be repaid a dividend in the form of tax cuts.  Forecasts predict the next two years' deficits will be much smaller, and the 2028/29 surplus nearly $2 billion larger than earlier expected.  But much of that improvement is down to income-tax bracket cre...

Having a single company influence a big part of the overall market is not unheard of, but what are the risks from concetration? Mohandeep Singh - Craigs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's Finance spokesperson won't commit to delivering a surplus by 2029/30 if it's at the expense of restoring pay equity.  Barbara Edmonds says she is confident Labour could deliver both.  "For example, a choice that we would not make is $300 million for a tobacco excise tax cut."  Labour will release its fiscal plan in coming weeks.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listene...

I’m all for pay equity for women, but. Which I’ll get to. First, though. At a public meeting in Christchurch last night, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was asked what the most important thing a Labour-led government would do for girls and women. He said reversing last year’s pay equity changes. And that he would do it within his government’s first 100 days in office. He said:...

Housing is set to be a buyer's market for a while longer.   The Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update shows housing price growth will peak at 3% by March 2028, down slightly from 3.2% in the budget update.   Cotality Chief Property Economist Kelvin Davidson told Mike Hosking the further out you go, the more uncertainty there is, but there's potentially a general change underway in the...

Why did Chris Hipkins choose to announce that he will restore the pay equity regime within the first 100 days of a Labour-led Government? Why did he do that? I'm really confused by it because it's not as if there was a special event or venue that he tied the announcement to. He was just at a public meeting in Spreydon and then seemed to blurt it out. This is hugely consequential for the Labour Par...

How much cash will we get back from tax cuts? Nicola Willis will soon an announcement about their timing and potential value, if they get back to the Treasury benches. The good news out of yesterday's PREFU is that the books are out of structural deficit this year. That means when the government borrows new money going forward, it will be for capital spending, not to keep the lights on. We've esse...

A fun, self-reflective one. Scott and Mike break down the three archetypes of business owner — Visionary, Craftsman and Hustler — and how understanding your own type changes who you should hire and how you should lead. You'll learn: -The three main owner types and their classic strengths/weaknesses  -A simple test to identify your own type  -Why you should hire for the tasks...

What makes a mediation effective, and how do you know when to fight, negotiate, or settle? In this episode of HR Unlocked , Lisa Oakley sits down with Emma Butcher and Angela Evans, partners at BE Employment Law , for a practical conversation about employment law, mediation, negotiation, and resolving workplace disputes. Emma and Angela describe themselves as self-confessed law nerds, and their ap...

Our red meat sector appears to be sitting pretty amid a turbulent global market.  The sector's gathering in Wellington today for a conference focusing on resilience to market shocks, export demand, and geopolitics in supply chains.  Exports continue to surge, with combined receipts forecast around $12.6 billion across 2026 and 27.  Special Agricultural Trade Envoy Nathan Guy told Mi...

A former Finance Minister's hailing today as extremely important as Treasury opens the Government's books.  This afternoon's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update will show the levels of Crown debt, revenue, and expenditure.  Budget 2026 predicted a return to operating surplus in the 2028/29 financial year – a year earlier than had been signalled.  Steven Joyce told Mike Hos...

Built around a Richard Branson quote — employees first, customers second — this episode is a deep dive into how to identify, keep, and lead A-grade talent, even in a tight labour market. You'll learn: -What actually defines an "A-grader" (and why they'll leave a B-grade environment no matter the market); -The annual "Keep Test" — would you fight to keep this person, or feel relie...

Do you actually need to become the face of your business to grow it? This week on Make It Happen, we sit down with   ⁨@roimatawilkey⁩  founder of @burst digital to unpack how she built a personal brand that has reached more than 200 million people and turned content into a powerful growth channel for her business. Roi shares how she went from struggling to post consistently to findi...