The SME Stream

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,  Unemployment reaches new heights but is it downhill from here? Kiwi debt levels are finally decreasing and t...

Christopher Luxon says he supports having another referendum on the MMP voting system if he’s re-elected as he encourages greater support for National so the party can avoid working with “some yahoo and numpty” in Cabinet. Act leader David Seymour says he’s not opposed to another referendum but suggests Luxon “may not have thought through what he’s saying”...

Revenue's soaring for Elon Musk's spacecraft company SpaceX - but so is spending. It's published its first earnings report as a public company. SpaceX says its revenue's grown 92 percent compared to a year ago, bringing it to $7.8 billion. Sam Dickie from Fisher Funds explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour says its new election policy aimed at small businesses is about making life a little easier. If it gets into power, the Labour will raise the GST threshold, lift asset write-offs and require big businesses to pay up faster. It would axe the current Government's Investment Boost, which lets businesses deduct 20 percent of the cost of a new asset. Leader Chris Hipkins says small businesses sh...

Meta, Google and Microsoft - to pay 2.5% of their advertising revenue to Aus media companies. Tech with 2degrees. Peter Griffin The Business of Tech. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are concerns scrapping the Investment Boost could do more harm than good.  Labour's promising to up the GST threshold, lift the asset write-off, and make big businesses pay small suppliers in 15 days.   It'll axe the National's $6.6 billion scheme to pay for it – calling it untargeted.   Small Business NZ Founder Paul Wicks told Mike Hosking this policy could be very use...

Youth unemployment levels high but proportion of youth not in education, employment or training is more positive. Zoe Wallis Forsyth Barr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI might be contributing to our rising unemployment rate.  Stats NZ data shows unemployment jumped to 5.6% in the June quarter, up from 5.3% in March.   It's the highest rate in 11 years and higher than most economists had been picking.  ABC Business Sales’ Chris Small told Ryan Bridge when you compare the South Island’s rate of 3.7% to the North Island’s 6%, it se...

The Trade Minister's defending a decision to scrap offshore staffing aimed at attracting golden visa money.   Government agency Invest NZ is making tweaks to its roadshow approach to attracting investors, and has cut its US and Europe-based staff.  The Active Investor Plus Visa lets big spenders invest a minimum of $5 million in New Zealand in exchange for a pathway to residency.  ...

Rabobank has unveiled their latest agribusiness report for August - and claimed there's plenty to watch going forward. Dairy, beef and sheepmeat are seeing good results, with momentum likely to continue, but there's some concerns impacting the global market. The Country's Jamie Mackay explained further.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do organisations successfully transform while bringing their people with them? In this episode of HR Unlocked , Lisa Oakley sits down with Bernadette Kelly, Chief People, Corporate & Operations Officer at TVNZ, to explore organisational transformation, leadership, change management, and the evolving role of People & Culture. Drawing on her experience leading large-scale transformation...

New Zealand’s startup scene loves a good success story, but few have moved as fast – or gone as deep – as Wellington energy software venture Factor. In this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, I talk to Factor co‑founder Jessica Venning‑Bryan to she and co-founder Simon Pohlen assembled a team with serious domain expertise, built a specialised energy pricing platform, l...

Unemployment has risen again – and it’s worse than everyone expected.  Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate increased to 5.6 percent in the June quarter.  That's up from 5.4 percent in the March quarter and it's slighter higher than most economists were predicting.  So, what does that mean? Should we panic? Or is t...

Unemployment's reached the highest level in 11 years.   Stats NZ data shows the rate reached 5.6% in the June quarter, up from 5.3% in the March quarter.   Of the 166 thousand unemployed in this year's second quarter, almost a-fifth had been without work for more than a year.   Herald Business Editor at Large Liam Dann told Kerre Woodham some economists think the rate won't fall aga...

The Prime Minister ponders meat and massages, a recovering economy, and whether peace in the Middle East is a pipedream or in the pipeline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a difficult period last month, US equity markets appear to be on the up. The prospect of a new Iran deal appears to have inspired some hope as well, with fuel prices dropping down again. Milford Asset Management's Jeremy Hutton explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has commissioned an investigation into workplace conduct and culture at the Financial Markets Authority. The ministry, which is tasked with monitoring the financial market regulator, has appointed Kirsty McDonald KC to lead the investigation. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/...

An economist believes the number of unemployed Kiwis might be close to peaking. The rate reached an 11-year high in the June quarter, on 5.6 percent - up from 5.4. Many say uncertainty fuelled by the Iran war is discouraging employers from taking on staff. Westpac Senior Economist Michael Gordon says the labour market could be nearing its weakest point. "We were starting to see some momentum picki...

Could more babies be the answer to New Zealand’s economic problems? Liam Dann and Tamsyn Parker unpack Winston Peters’ proposed $45,000 Kiwi Kids Grant, ask whether cash can really lift the birth rate, and look at why migration may still be the more realistic path to growth. Plus, why Christchurch and the regions are outperforming Auckland—and whether rising building consents off...

The Prime Minister is in damage control mode after telling struggling business owners in Rotorua to “be adult”.  Christopher Luxon made the remarks at a business event, and they’ve sparked a fierce backlash.  He’s since had to apologise after being labelled out of touch and patronising.  So, is this a gaffe&nb...

Political panelists Trish Sherson and Russel Norman on Christopher Luxon offending and then apologisng to small business owners. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wages in the retail sector have risen - with the average wage reaching $30.94 per hour, up 1 percent on last year. This comes amid difficult conditions impacting the sector, which faced shrinking margins and falling sales. It was also lower than the annual rate of inflation, which was 4.1 percent in the June quarter. Retail NZ CEO Carolyn Young says many workers also make extra money off commissio...

The New Zealand Business Hall of Fame will induct its 2026 Laureates on Thursday, Partners life founder Naomi Ballantyne is one of them. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Auckland Business Chamber believes it's about time the big four energy gentailers are split up. It's released a two step policy alongside the Northern Infrastructure Forum - calling on political parties to break up the big four gentailers, and increase renewable generation. CEO Simon Bridges says if we want affordable, abundant energy, then changes need to be made.  "What we've got at the...

Andrew Ede from Craigs Investment Partners explains why central banks remain cautious and what higher-for-longer rates mean for NZ investors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.