The SME Stream

The financial year is coming to an end.  It means we’ll see a whole bunch of policies and adjustments from April 1.   Everything from crayfish catch limits and Pharmac funding to changes to the Living and Minimum wages.  Super annuitants, working families, students and beneficiaries are among those who will recei...

Think you don't have enough time to start a business? In this episode, I share the exact strategy I used to build a $3.5M business while juggling part-time jobs - and how my students are doing the same. It's not about finding more time. It's about using what you already have, smarter. Your future self will thank you for starting today. 👉🏼 https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/ 📲 Socials: https://www....

The Prime Minister ponders the state of the Indian FTA, the Middle East war, fuel restrictions and potential rationing, and his Cabinet reshuffle.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Herald CEO Pay Survey reveals the top paid CEO's in NZ. 8 out of 10 are dudes. Where are all the women? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions around Indian students and family of visa holders are still roadblocks to Labour supporting a trade deal with India.   New Zealand First's left its coalition partners in the lurch, rendering them dependent on Labour to ratify the agreement.  But leader Chris Hipkins says there's a mismatch between how the deal's been presented and what the text actually contains.  Damien O...

Sharon Zollner, ANZ Chief economist explains why business confidence has tanked so badly. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ASB is facing a fine of around $6 million for breaching anti-money laundering rules.  Banks are required to do their due diligence with their money, in order to comply with existing legislation - but ASB hasn't followed the right systems.  NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's ugly, but New Zealand performed better than most. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Urban Planning senior lecturer, Tim Welch reveals why free public transport is better than $50 pay outs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"We’re yet to see the full impact of this conflict on the supply lines, and flow through to margins, prices and earnings." Garth Bray - 2 Degrees Wrap See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the word ‘crisis’ now comes talk about working from home. As oil prices rise and the cost of petrol surges towards $4 a litre, it’s been flagged as a potential voluntary measure in contingency plans. There’s been no direct government endorsement or mandate for working from home, but it’s been recognised as a possible fuel-saving step if the crisis worsens, alongs...

Independent economist and the chair of Transport NZ. What are we seeing across livestock transport? Plus, we look at the exchange and interest rates, inflation and the NZX50 down 7% in March. And what are the best and worst-case scenarios? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis joins Herald NOW to discuss the latest fuel supply data. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Middle East conflict continues on for another week, and it's led to economic forecasters revising their predictions for recovery. Significant cuts to growth, higher inflation, lower investment, household consumption, and higher unemployment appear to be on the cards, according to new reports.  HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says it's unclear how the central banks on both sides of the T...

General Manager KiwiSaver and Investment Funds Murray Harris discusses Kiwisaver contributions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It's the economy, stupid," is a catchphrase that means the primary concern of American voters is the state of the American economy and how that economy affects their personal finances. It was a phrase coined by a strategist in Bill Clinton's successful presidential campaign, and it's pretty much what Christopher Luxon campaigned on in 2023.   The Labour Government were, and I paraphrase, inc...

Garth Bray joins Ryan for the latest business update thanks to Forsyth Barr See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Banks' forecasts of an economic contraction in the second quarter are probably right, independent economist Cameron Bagrie says.  ASB’s revised outlook shows the bank expects annual GDP growth of 1.3% this year, down from its previous forecast of 2.9%, thanks to higher fuel prices hitting consumer spending.  It expects the economy to contract by 0.3% in the second quarter and expan...

All signs are pointing towards inflation going up - as the Middle East conflict causes business confidence to plummet.  ANZ's latest Business Outlook survey shows most firms expect costs to increase as economic insecurity sets in.  Most anticipate they'll raise prices in the next three months. Retail and construction had the sharpest slides in confidence.  Auckland Business Chamber...

New Zealand’s fuel suppliers will be “substantially punished” legally and financially if they don’t live up to their word in supplying fuel, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.  Those international companies had asked for the current just-in-time supply model, and “rightly or wrongly I took them at their word”, Jones told Mike Hosking.  “...

Economic headwinds coming out of the Middle East could set back the labour market. The number of filled jobs across the country lifted 0.3% from January to February. But where public safety, healthcare, and education hiring improved in the past year, construction and manufacturing jobs slumped. Employers and Manufacturers Association's Alan McDonald told Mike Hosking we're yet to see the impacts o...

The Government's looking at ways to keep hold of even more fuel than legally required.  Fuel stocks have risen as of last Wednesday, with 27.9 days of petrol, 21.7 of diesel and 25.3 of jet fuel in the country.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Government's now exploring more options to guard against supply risks "We want to be prepared if the worst happens and they can't get enou...

KiwiSaver is undergoing some reforms, and former Mercury head Fraser Whineray is hoping to make it more competitive with Australia.  The new changes are set to kick in this week, with the default contribution rate for both employees and employers rising from 3 percent to 3.5 percent. Whineray explained how these changes will benefit Kiwis in the long run. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/liste...

Herald business commentator, Fran O'Sullivan - "Global trade grew by 6% last year but they're predicting it will slow to 1.9% this year." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The general manager of PGG Wrightson Wool says the current global economic challenges are weighing on a market that has performed well over the past two years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.