The SME Stream

Business owners are being encouraged to work with neighbours to keep small towns 'alive'. Napier City Business general manager Pip Thompson says Napier and Hastings CBDs become ghost towns after 5pm, when stores close. She says 'to stay alive in 2025', trading hours need to no longer be confined to 9-to-5. But Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says a single store can't make the change alone....

Retailers are hoping a sales rebound means an industry uptick has begun. Stats NZ data shows total retail sales increased 0.9 percent in the three months ending December - against the quarter before. Harbour Asset Management's Shane Solly says this is a good sign for the economy - but warns companies not to get ahead of themselves. LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain&nbsp...

Companies are raising hundreds of billions of dollars to achieve AI supremacy. PrimerAI founder Sean Gourley says it’s not just a tech trend – it’s the only way to deter war. The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its rel...

if you have a mortgage, you’re likely weighing up your next move after the Reserve Bank cut the Official Cash Rate from 4.25% to 3.75%.  More than 80% of mortgages are due to refix this year, because most people have been opting for floating rates or short terms,  waiting for the right time to pounce as interest rates fell.  So is that time now or should you continue to wait?&...

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand cut the OCR by another 50 basis points this week.  Homeowners and hopeful buyers alike have been eagerly watching recent OCR announcements as interest rates continue to fall.  But why aren't the banks following suit?  LISTEN ABOVE The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice....

The Government today has announced plans to overhaul the Overseas Investment Act.  Among the reforms announced, it will fast track overseas investment for decisions to be made within 15 days, and empower the Government to intervene if a transaction is not in the country's best interest.  The overhaul would make it easier for New Zealand businesses to get new investment from overseas, as...

The name of the game for the government this year is economic growth and increased productivity.  For that, what New Zealand needs is successful businesses.  One of New Zealand’s most successful entrepreneurs believes more can be done to grow business confidence and the economy alike.  Rowan Simpson, one of the founding members and investors in TradeMe and Xero, is releasing &...

Banks could soon be competing a bit harder for our business.  The Reserve Bank's signalling yesterday's double cut to the OCR will be followed by at least two more single cuts at the next reviews in April and May.  Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Andrew Dickens that's going to drive banks' rates down.  She says mortgage-holders and small businesses should be expecting to see the...

The Reserve Bank is urging the Government to take a hard look at Stats NZ, with a view to improving the timeliness and accuracy of key economic data. The department has been put under the microscope, with the central bank highlighting dramatic revisions to GDP (gross domestic product) as one of the reasons for a controversial reversal in its rate track in 2024. NZ Herald business editor at large L...

Given the issues around KiwiSaver, it’s a miracle any of us save anything to become remotely independent in retirement.  Last week we told you about the Morningstar rankings and how the biggest operator in the market was performing so poorly, and now we have yet another crack at where the money is actually invested.  Mindful Money is upset over the increase in funds going to fossil...

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina Shrimpton each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact on your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice. In this weekly wrap, huge relief as the OCR is slashed by another 50 basis points, electronic spend was down last month but farm...

Chris Moore and Lucas Coelho, two-thirds of the co-founding team of venture studio Ryft, join the podcast to talk through how the model works. They discuss the benefits and challenges of being an all-in-one startup shop, why they are focusing on artificial intelligence, and give their highly informed takes on the current state of the AI landscape. Plus, what to look for in Spark's upcoming results...

Tonight on The Huddle, Ali Jones from Red PR and Jordan Williams from the Taxpayers' Union joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!  The OCR was slashed again by 50 basis points - what does this mean for the economy and the cost of living? Do we think more cuts are the way to go? The Consumer Guarantees Act (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill is set to have its...

There's praise for the Reserve Bank tonight - from one of its fiercest critics. It's signalling this afternoon's double-cut to the Official Cash Rate will be followed by at least two more single cuts. Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen infamously angered Governor Adrian Orr last year, when he accused him of 'flip-flopping' on forecasts and decisions. Today, Olsen says Orr's made the right...

So yesterday I outlined the reasons why the Reserve Bank might not cut interest rates.   I got that wrong.   They chopped the rate by the expected half a percent with immediate relief for mortgage holders.   What we try to do with the Reserve Bank is read behind the lines and figure out what they freely mean for our day-to-day life.  This is what I think they’re saying, t...

There's an unclear picture of what New Zealand's losing from people moving overseas.  About 70 thousand Kiwis left the country last year. Of those, 38% were people aged 18 to 30.   New Zealand had a net migration gain of 27,000 migrants in 2024, just a fraction of the 128,000 gained in 2023.  Infometrics Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Mike Hosking while there's clear data on th...

There's finally some relief for Australian homeowners, as the RBA lowers interest rates for the first time since 2020. It held the cash rate at 4.3 percent for more than a year as post-pandemic inflation slowly cooled - but it slashed the OCR by 25 basis points to 4.1 percent. HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham says inflation is coming down, but it's still nowhere near low enough.  LISTEN...

It's the Reserve Bank's first official cash rate decision for 2025 - and many economists are predicting a rate cut to start off the year. The RBNZ is largely expected to lower the OCR by 50 basis points tomorrow, with two major banks already announcing rate cuts. Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen says a significant cut looks likely - but warns the central bank runs the risk of overdoing t...

On the outskirts of Hamilton, a 70-year-old business is building aircraft on a site once dedicated to the World War Two effort. The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from th...

An economics expert says cutting the Official Cash Rate is unwarranted. The Reserve Bank is set to release its first 2025 OCR decision on Wednesday. Many economists are predicting a 50 basis point cut - from 4.25 percent to 3.75. Auckland University economics professor Robert MacCulloch says the bank's only meant to focus on inflation, which is already on target. "They're not looking at the inflat...

Rowan Simpson has been part of most of NZ's most well known and loved software startups: TradeMe, Xero, Vend, Timely and many more. Peter sits down with Simpson to talk about his new book, his advice for founders, and how NZ can light a fire under its startup scene. Reading list The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advic...

New data from Centrix reveals that the number of homeowners behind on their mortgage increased by 1,100 in December alone. With the interest rates dropping significantly recently, why is it that homeowners are falling behind?  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

[VIDEO EPISODE ON YOUTUBE & SPOTIFY]. Ross George started Direct Capital 30 years ago – it's since raised $1.7b to buy businesses such as AS Colour, Wet & Forget & Bayleys Real Estate. In this conversation he takes us inside the biggest deals and smashes myths of private equity investing. The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financia...

The word ‘Retirement’ can prompt a range of reactions. Some yawn, because it’s ages away and there’s heaps of time to sort it. Some people feel a little uncomfortable because it’s not ages away, and they’re not sure if they’re sorted - and some panic because it’s just around the corner they  know they’re not sorted.   Listener Sa...

Winston Peters has hinted at relaxing the foreign buyers ban for those who are willing to bring over the big bucks.  The NZ First leader said plans to lift the ban are a work in progress. He says if foreign investors are willing to pump millions of dollars into other parts of the country , he is open to allowing them to buy property.  Williams Corporation Managing Director, Matthew Hornc...