The SME Stream

When it comes to scaling high‑growth tech companies, AJ Tills has been in the engine room.  As one of Uber’s earliest hires in New Zealand, he helped the ride‑hailing giant push through regulatory resistance and turn the controversial startup into a default verb for getting around town, briefly serving as Uber’s US and Canada marketing chief of staff in New York.  Later, as c...

Australia has just handed its lowest-paid workers a 4.75% pay rise, lifting the minimum wage to just over $25-Australian-dollars an hour – which is about $32-New Zealand-dollars.   That means a full-time worker across the Tasman will now earn nearly $1004-Aussie-dollars, before tax. -- or $1216- Kiwi dollars.  Here, the minimum wage went up just 2% this year to $23.95 an...

The Prime Minister ponders his Fieldays plans, the latest Roy Morgan poll, and whether we are freeloading on defence spending. Plus, should we remain nuclear-free, and why should we even contemplate bailing out Moana Pasifika? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Higher mortgage rates have given the Reserve Bank a 'bit of breathing space', its chief economist says. Paul Conway, one of the Reserve Bank committee members who voted to keep the OCR on hold last week, said the market is doing some of the work for the central bank. NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

The Trade Minister believes the US is simply looking for a new reason to reintroduce tariffs.  The Trump administration announced a new 12.5% tariff on dozens of countries, including New Zealand, Australia, and many of our major trading partners.  It's accusing us of not doing enough to prevent the importation of goods produced by forced labour.  Todd McClay told Heather du Plessis-...

A youth programme leader is delighted to see the Government prioritise early intervention through sport.   Sport and Police Minister Mark Mitchell has confirmed an $8 million cash injection for established initiatives supporting troubled young people.   Blue Light Ventures Chief Executive Brendon Crompton told Heather du Plessis Allan every dollar put into their programmes returns more t...

The hospitality squeeze continues, with a flurry of closures. Credit reporting agency Centrix says liquidations are up 49 percent year-on-year. Cafes, restaurants and takeaways made up the most of the 414 liquidations recorded in the past 12 months. Hospitality NZ CEO Kristy Phillips says the latest impacts are the cost of living and the fuel crisis. But she says businesses have taken many hits in...

Should the retirement age rise to 67? Liam Dann and Tamsyn Parker discuss the growing cost of NZ Super and whether younger generations are being asked to foot the bill. They also look at the surprising figures opposed to the potential rise in retirement age. Plus, a new levy on banks and insurers, the Heartland-TSB merger and what a split OCR vote could mean for mortgage holders.   The Econom...

TSB and Heartland Bank are looking to join forces by the end of the year. TSB owner Toi Foundation's seeking feedback on the plan to join with Heartland Bank, to the tune of $620 million. Finance Minister Nicola Willis welcomes this decision to team up and take on the big Australian banks. "That's positive, and good for the state of banking competition." LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener fo...

Deloitte's Robyn Walker on tax changes and how they'll affect kiwi businesses.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investment strategist, Zoe Wallis says there may be cause for optimisim in global markets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's cementing itself as a premium tourism destination.  Market data from Grand View Research estimates our luxury travel market brought in more than $8 million last year and could double by 2033.  Luxury Travel specialist Southern Crossings says overseas couples on their honeymoon for instance, consistently spend about the equivalent of a Central Auckland house deposit.  T...

Airlines are taking another hit from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.  Oil prices jumped 7% after an Iranian news agency announced Tehran has suspended the negotiations with the US.   Contributing to the dwindling stocks of jet fuel is a new ban on exports by Russia, set to last until the end of November.  Business Correspondent Vicky Pryce told Francesca Rudkin airlines are...

There's a view a merger by Heartland and TSB won't hand the big four banks a massive blow.  Heartland Bank has struck a deal to buy TSB for $620 million, pending consultation and regulator approval.  Massey University banking professor Claire Matthews says the combined bank will still be smaller than the big four, and Kiwibank.  She says a lot of work's still needed to increase comp...

A banking expert says a TSB–Heartland Bank merger may not transform the market but could still be a good thing for Kiwis.   Heartland has struck a deal to buy TSB for $620 million and form a new entity by the end of the year, pending consultation and regulatory approval.  Banking Reform Coalition Convener Kent Duston told Heather du Plessis-Allan the banks' regional focus is a poin...

ANZ reckons the bounce in consumer confidence comes from a small relative decline in petrol prices for May. 2degrees business wrap with Garth Bray.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's budget announcement had a focus on sorting out the books, and no straight sugar hits for individuals. Infrastructure, healthcare and education seemed to be the clear priority of our fiscal plan, but three  relief for the cost-of-living pressure many face.  Along with that, council rates have gone up for Auckland and the South Island's West Coast, and the Reserve Bank's signal...

This week on The Panel, Tim Beveridge is joined by Newstalk ZB's Resident Builder Pete Wolfkamp and NZ Gardener editor Jo McCarroll to discuss the biggest stories from this week. Do Harbour Bridge protests do more harm than good for your cause? Did Anna Breman make the right decision for the OCR? Should we be mad that AI will be making welfare decisions? And, is there anything to be excited about...

The IRD is ramping up crypto enforcement and some investors are discovering they owe tax on gains that have long since disappeared. Crypto tax specialist Tim Doyle joins Nadine Higgins to explain why even small investors are now in the IRD's sights, the mistakes that create nightmare tax bills and what to do if you've fallen behind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Infrastructure and health are the big priorities in this year's Budget, as banks face a new levy, and cuts take shape.  There are no specific cost-of-living payments or Budget sugar hits - but Finance Minister Nicola Willis promises spending initiatives will create thousands of jobs.  And our books are set to return to surplus earlier than expected.  But, Opposition parties&nbs...

The Government says this year's budget especially strengthens Auckland's role as New Zealand's economic engine room. They point out that they're investing in health, including funding to purchase land for a future South Auckland Hospital, and a share of the Government's $5.5-billion health package. Additionally, they highlight plans for housing growth with a new $400-million fund for councils to e...

Not knowing what to sell is one of the biggest reasons people never start. In this episode I share the exact five methods I have used to identify every product that has made me millions, including the strategy behind my shapewear business that did $3.5 million in its first year and my supplement brand that hit $2.6 million. From finding what frustrates people to validating your idea before spendin...

“We choose our defence spending and no one else,” the Prime Minister says as the United States continues to pressure other nations, including New Zealand, to increase military spending. Speaking with Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast, Christoper Luxon has backed New Zealand’s defence spending. Luxon denied New Zealand is “freeloading&rdq...

Move over ChatGPT, Claude is now the #1   Anthropic announced a new $65 billion funding round, bringing their valuation to $965 billion and making their company more valuable than OpenAI (valued at $852 billion in March). Now the race is on for the first AI company to grow to be worth $1 trillion.   I just can't stop thinking about the incredible wealth growth of their employees. We thou...

As far as Budgets in economically precarious times go, I thought it was a pretty good one.  And save yourself the 20 cents, anonymous texter. I can see you typing from here. "Well, you would say that, Tokyo Rose, wouldn't you?"  Well yes, come on, be fair though – what on Earth were they supposed to do? We were warned that there would be very little money to spend. The Government r...