NZ Business back issues from July 2005:
Never mind the hand-brake.(editor's note)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
Jul 01, 2005; ... I haven't done it for a number of years, but I'm sure it's still possible to drive a vehicle a fair distance with the hand-brake on. In the days before warning lights, it happened quite often. It occurred to me that this is how businesses must operate. Businesses are making steady progress ...
Diary July / August.(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Calendar)
Jul 01, 2005 ... <Pre> diary july / august JULY 5 How can business learn from sport? Eric Rush and Tawera Nikau show how they have transferred their leadership skills from the football field to the boardroom. Hyatt Regency Auckland. To register phone...
Business Support Awards finalists announced.(Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards)(services of NZ Business Excellence Foundation )
Jul 01, 2005 ... Thirty two finalists have been announced for the inaugural Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards. From multinationals to sole traders the businesses and services chosen range from web page designers to banks, publishers and education providers. Four individuals have also been ...
Beware the six year itch.(notebook)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Research conducted by leadership and culture experts Human Synergistics has found that, after being in a role for six years, people actually become more loyal to a company and are more likely to stay longer term. "Fortunately for most of us, we don't tend to be voted in or out ...
Mammia mia, pizza in a cone.(Kono Pizza )(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Italian pizza chain Kono Pizza has opened its first 'downunder' store in Auckland's St Lukes Shopping Centre, serving up New Zealand's first truly handheld pizza. Inspired by award winning Italian chef and entrepreneur Rossano Boscolo, Kono does for pizza what the ice cream cone ...
How's your EQ and HQ?(notebook)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Humour and empathy go a long way to building a successful workplace. Business trainer Hilary Bryan uses research to back a long-held conviction. "In case you haven't noticed, it's emotions like inspiration and humour that get us through the day, not page 62 of your business ...
Waiheke conference venue answers demand.(Waiheke Island)(Giverny Inn)(Villa de Vesta)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Waiheke Island's new conference venue at well-known Giverny Inn is a unique facility for the increasing number of Auckland business people using the island for meetings and small conferences. Giverny Inn is in the process of developing a purpose-built conference facility in a ...
Kiwi publishers benefit from London Book Fair.(notebook)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... New Zealand publishing companies have scored a number of deals resulting from the showcase of Kiwi creative capability at the recent London Book Fair. New Zealand and Australia were the market focus for the Fair, giving 29 New Zealand companies prime exhibition space. ...
Caring Communities project launched.(services of Business Council for Sustainable Development )(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... The Business Council for Sustainable Development has launched a Caring Communities project which aims to make it easier for businesses to put something back into the community. Rob Fenwick, Chair said that the Business Council takes on board research by the Growth & Innovation ...
They're praising our child-carriers there.(awards of Macpac)(Macpac Possum)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Kiwi icon Macpac has earned several awards in recent months from British and European specialist media for the innovative design of its child carrier products. Experts have praised Macpac's original designs for comfort, convenience and security. "Macpac gear and ...
Fighting workplace fires.(notebook)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Basic fire equipment such as fire extinguishers are the first line of defence against a workplace fire--but only if staff know how to use them properly. Wormald says lack of knowledge among staff about how to use fire equipment is as big a threat to safety in the event of ...
Having one's corporate cake: Peter Owens goes to Queenstown and discovers a gift of appreciation that can put the icing on a healthy business partnership.(profile)
Jul 01, 2005 ... The problem of supplying appropriate corporate gifts to clients has long been a headache for businesses both large and small. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The perennial and universal questions are: Who is sent a present as an appreciation for a good business relationship? ...
Who says your business won't sell? Want out of your business, but you're convinced that no buyer will pay a decent price? It's time to shift your perception--with some smart advice your business is worth much more than you think.(advice)
Jul 01, 2005 ... There's no doubt that a lot of small and medium business owners are trapped in their businesses. They would love to escape their 'daily grind', only they don't know how to go about it. And because they're often negative towards the business in terms of its performance--they fail to see ...
Ingenuity pays off for dentist: with help from plastics specialist Adept, a Northland dentist has created a niche export market out of the desire to achieve a perfect fit between teeth in restoration work.(profile)(Tri-Clip)(services of Adept Ltd)(Triodent)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Clever design and tooling by plastics manufacturer, Adept Ltd, has not only solved a frustrating and fiddly procedure in general dentistry but helped launch a new company into international success in a highly specialised market. Katikati dentist Simon McDonald was increasingly ...
How to have your financial cake and eat it too! Glenn Smith puts forward the case for the limited liability company as the best business structure for tax minimisation and asset protection.(advice)
Jul 01, 2005; ... In my last article, entitled "Why even small businesses should Go Corporate!" (Pge 13, May 2005) we discussed the various company structure options open to the small business owner. Clearly, the best business structure for asset protection and tax minimisation was the limited ...
Future shock: Ian Ivey is concerned to see the anti-immigrant card being played again prior to the elections, and reminds us that without them, our future is gloomy indeed.(viewpoint)
Jul 01, 2005; ... We are currently involved in a number of future scenario based projects in Australia and New Zealand that look at time frames as long as 50 years ahead from today. One of the quite stunning associations with these scenarios is the real possibility that New Zealand's population ...
Are you selling yourself short? You should never assume that your customer wants a cheap deal, as Graham Hawkes explains.(advice)(Column)
Jul 01, 2005; ... The need to know exactly what market you are in and what your customer is really expecting from you was driven home to me recently by two examples of customer reactions from two of my clients. The first involved a friend of mine who went to a very up-market restaurant in ...
Correction.(Correction Notice)
Jul 01, 2005 ... On page 38 of the June issue of NZBusiness we incorrectly captioned the gentleman in the photo as KiwiHost's Simon Nikoloff, when in actual ...
The tug-o-war for business voters: business owners and managers make up a sizeable chunk of voters--so what are the political parties promising the SME sector in the run-up to the election? Do compliance-burdened business voters even listen? Mark Peart reports.(Cover Story)
Jul 01, 2005; ... It's a time when small and medium business owners throughout the country are starting to reflect (if they can afford the time) upon whether the incumbent Labour-led government should be returned for another three years, or whether another combination of parties should sniff the leather of ...
We're exporting our jobs there.(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Christchurch businessman Jeremy Silva wants the Employment Relations Act to be reviewed in its entirety. "Government regulating the employment relationship will not make the difference between a good and a bad employer anyway." Silva, managing director of ropemaker ...
The Aussies are cautious but confident.(exporting)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... In Australia, there have now been four DHL Export Barometers, and the latest survey, which came out at the end of May, revealed that exporters are cautious, but also optimistic about the future. Across the ditch it seems that the consistent strength of the Aussie dollar and ...
What the Barometer tells us.(exporting)
Jul 01, 2005 ... * The third DHL Export Barometer revealed that a healthy 61 percent of exporters believe they will experience a growth in their export orders over the next 12 months, which is down slightly on the two previous surveys. However, the greatest decrease in confidence was evident in the ...
The cradle is her catwalk: what started as an informal little home based business has now sprouted into a very substantial export business for Jane McAllister. Patricia Moore caught up with her.(business startups)( Dimples )
Jul 01, 2005; ... Jane McAllister is one of the lesser-known successes in New Zealand's flourishing apparel industry. Her label is found in retail outlets nationwide and she currently exports to eight overseas markets. But don't expect to see the trendsetters in New York or London wearing ...
Think big at the Small Business Expo.
Jul 01, 2005 ... Featuring more than 100 exhibitors, ranging from multinationals to government departments to sole operators, the Small Business Expo gives the busy small business owner a chance to see and experience the wide range of services and products available to them all in one place, with one ...
Master in the art of knitwear: with 22 years' experience in the clothing industry and a successful company of her own, Debi Masters knows her yarn stuff.(profile)(officials of Avie Knitwear Limited)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Debi Masters started preparing for her career at the ATI Technical Institute, where she studied for and obtained the New Zealand Institute of Management diploma, which includes both fashion and business management as subjects. She found this qualification gave her a solid foundation for ...
Marketing demystified: looking to unravel the marketing puzzle? Yvonne Carter offers some insight on how to put all the marketing pieces together, and it all starts with planning.(marketing)
Jul 01, 2005; ... The two biggest areas that smaller businesses struggle with are managing cashflow and marketing; and unfortunately when cashflow is tight marketing expenditure gets cut. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a world where all of our senses are constantly bombarded by the efforts ...
My premises ... my palace: Carlene du Toit presents the case for and against owning your own business premises, and reviews the Auckland commercial property market.(commercial property)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Whereas an Englishman's home is his castle, for a typical Kiwi business owner it's a question of 'my premises, my palace' as more and more of them opt to buy, rather than lease, their commercial premises. Rasbeer Gill of Gill Consulting in Wellington explains how commercial ...
Multimedia projector beats price barrier.(Epson New Zealand )(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Epson New Zealand now offers an entry level, full-featured 3LCD projector with an RRP of just $1599. Epson's patented 3LCD technology produces brighter and more natural large screen images, smoother and sharper playback and easier viewing as there is no colour break-up. ...
Calculating with no strings attached.(Targus)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... Targus has a new calculator keypad combination that communicates with the host PC or notebook over a secure wireless connection. Ideal for financial applications at home or on the road, the 16.1 X 9.3 X 2.6cm keypad features full-sized keycaps. 12-digit LCD display, and ...
Sophisticated new A3 inkjet.(Epson)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... The new Epson Stylus Photo R1800 A3+ inkjet printer is designed for delivering durable picture perfect photos for professional and expert amateur photographers and digital fine art enthusiasts. It extends the features of the Photo R800 A4 inkjet printer into the larger format now popular ...
PixAlert blurs illicit images.(tech biz)(Brief Article)
Jul 01, 2005 ... New software from PixAlert, designed to prevent illegal or inappropriate images from being displayed in the workplace, went on show in New Zealand for the first time at the GOVIS 2005 conference in Wellington held during May. Distributed in New Zealand by eRisk Consulting, ...
Getting the most from your IT investment: Mark Thorburn offers some simple guidelines for approaching the IT needs of your business.(tech biz)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Let's face it, the very thought of spending money on information Technology can cause even the calmest of business owners to break into a sweat. Horror stories abound and all too frequently promised or anticipated benefits fail to materialise. How can you be sure your IT ...
Security tips for laptop owners: laptops are a hot target for thieves--not only for the value of the laptop itself, but also for the data it contains. Here's some advice for locking down your laptop.(tech biz)
Jul 01, 2005 ... A laptop is an important investment for a small business, so you need to be aware of the risks associated with having one. If you don't already take laptop security seriously, now is the time to start. In reality, only a small percentage of that investment amount relates to the ...
Invisible connections: the war of the wireless worlds is raging, with the major contenders vying for the hearts of New Zealand business owners. Vikki Bland reports from the frontline.(the wireless office)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Forget the technologies for a moment; what does it mean for a small business to be wireless? Why bother setting up a local area network (LAN) that connects computer devices wirelessly? Why spend money on expensive mobile devices like smart phones, laptops or on software applications that, ...
Weaving a web (site): Adrenalin Publishing's Sam Parker shares his experiences in developing a website, in part seven of a small business IT journey.(tech biz)
Jul 01, 2005; ... This month we move away from the core IT system to a topical and at times major IT area, the company website. Depending on your business, a website may be the key to your whole operation, an important and growing adjunct or a minor way of communicating with clients. In our case ...
Holden's heroic 6: more 'maaate' than an eight?(motor biz)
Jul 01, 2005; ... At the launch of the VZII Commodore, I was a little surprised to see how much emphasis Holden was putting on the 'hero car', the SV6. In the first instance, six-cylinder Commodores just don't really have that raging Lion appeal of a V8 and yet to hear Holden going on about the ...
Meet the French fleet muscle car.(motor biz)
Jul 01, 2005; ... It's the first one we drove and it may well be the last, because we reckon Citroen is going to have to pull the press evaluation vehicles off the fleet to cope with customer orders. Yes, the car really is that good. We are referring to the Citroen C4, two-litre HDi turbo diesel ...
FBT--saving or stretching your fleet dollar?(motor biz)(fringe benefit tax)
Jul 01, 2005 ... New fringe benefit tax (FBT) changes have come through as part of the 2005 Budget, and there have been some significant changes--as most lease companies expected. These changes go into effect as of April 1, 2006 or, if an employer pays FBT on an income year basis, from the ...
Entertainment expenses: what you can claim: not sure what, and how much, you can claim when it comes to entertainment expenses? Tony Thomas provides some guidelines.(on accounts)
Jul 01, 2005; ... One of the most confusing areas of New Zealand's income tax legislation must be the treatment of entertainment expenses. Entertainment expenditure includes items such as food and beverages consumed with your customers and staff. It also includes the cost of attending sporting events, ...
Escape the office meeting routine: when you need to unleash the creative juices in your business team, get them out of the confines of the office. Geraldine McManus has found just the perfect place.(travel biz)(Boatshed boutique hotel)
Jul 01, 2005; ... It is THAT critical time--an important pitch has to be developed, a quarterly report or policy document written, the team needs a seminar on new products development or the company wants to market through a select specialist conference for clients and customers. Can these be ...
Set your managers up for success: setting your managers up for success is easy--organisationally, it saves time, dollars and much effort if they are inducted properly into their roles.(memo to managers)
Jul 01, 2005; ... I've heard some amazing stories of late, stories that have filled me with admiration. They have been stories about managers stepping into a new role or acting roles for a period of time and walking into what can only be described as a considerable vacuum of organisational support. Yet, ...
That 'fudget' budget: Ralph Penning comments on an uneventful budget, its implications for business, and compares it with some of the initiatives announced by the most recent Australian Federal Budget.(independent business foundation)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Generally, people in business who were not holding their breath over the 2005 Budget, were not disappointed. For the 230,000 strong non-employing sector it was a great yawn. Not so for the majority of us with a payroll and the prospect of another compliance factor in a mandatory ...
Living up to your claims: it seems there are still marketers around who seek to dupe their customers with misleading claims. Brian H Meredith raises the importance of ethics in marketing.(marketing maestro)
Jul 01, 2005; ... "Arresting the human intelligence for long enough to extract money from it"--this is a flawed definition of marketing that seems, nonetheless, to drive the actions of more than a few who seek to engage in what ought to be the honourable endeavour of trade. In the past few weeks ...
Riding the income roller-coaster: Heather Douglas offers home business operators advice on overcoming the challenges of having too much work to handle one day, and not enough the next.(home biz)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Few home businesses manage to avoid falling into the feast-or-famine trap, going from complete overload one week to a dearth of business the next. Larger companies also have busy and quiet times but the home business operator is more susceptible to these fluctuations as, being generally a ...
Doctor does little for business: in the wake of the annual budget by Dr Cullen, Ashley Balls goes on the offensive.(issues with balls)
Jul 01, 2005; ... If media reports are a fair measure of popular opinion it is a reasonable bet most of us felt let down by this year's budget. The media hype and 'leaks' prior to budget day made it pretty clear dollops of cash were not likely BUT, what have we ended up with and was it business friendly? ...
A cool change: the latest indicators show that many exporters are feeling the pressure of the sustained exchange rate and shortage of skilled labour. What's the best tack in the face of such market uncertainty?(exporting)
Jul 01, 2005; ... You can always tell when there's a storm on the way--the trusty barometer plummets long before any dark clouds come into sight. Fortunately, while the third DHL Export Barometer released in May reflected a definite short-term cooling of confidence amongst this country's ...
Marketing to South America: an exporter and a credit insurer share some light on trading with volatile South American countries.(export focus)
Jul 01, 2005; ... Troy Spence, export development manager, Tasman Insulation New Zealand: Those who have been involved in South American markets will be well aware of the dangers of trading in this part of the world. The region is plagued with fluctuations in economic activity, changing currency ...