NZ Business back issues from November 2006:
Ask and you will receive success.
Nov 01, 2006; ... There's an interesting little tussle that's gone on for a number of years between two fruit and vegetable outlets not far from where I live. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Business A is long-established and a bit of an icon amongst local residents--it has displayed ...
APPA enters 20th year.(notebook)(Australasian Promotional Products Association)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... The Australasian Promotional Products Association (APPA) marked the start of it's 20th year with the recent Sapphire Wintershow in Sydney. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As well as seminars, a trade show and social events, it staged the 8th annual APPA awards for excellence ...
Angels look for smart companies.(notebook)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Angel investment network ICE Angels is looking for up to 50 smart start-up companies to invest in over the next five years, amounting to over $ 10m in business funding with the support of the Government's new Seed Co-Investment Fund (SCIF). Under SCIF, investments made by ICE ...
Ranking slips to 23rd.(notebook)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... New Zealand's global competitiveness ranking has slipped to 23rd out of 117 countries surveyed--down a place on last year. The Global Competitiveness Survey ranks countries on their ability to compete internationally and highlights factors that help or harm countries' competitiveness. ...
Gifts from the land and sea.(Kono)(Wakatu Inc.)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Media, customers and whanau who attended the recent KONO new product launches in Auckland, Nelson, Wellington and Christchurch recently couldn't help but be impressed by the high standard of product, packaging and marketing. Feedback confirms that this is a uniquely indigenous family brand ...
Partners behind the wheel.(New Zealand Automobile Association)(Cardlink)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... The recent agreement between the Automobile Association and charge card company Cardlink to coordinate their after-hours call centre and roadside assistance service should be good news for business motorists. Cardlink is making the most of the AA's upgraded road service ...
World first CarboNZero winemaker.(notebook)
Nov 01, 2006 ... The New Zealand Wine Company, producer of Marlborough's Grove Mill and Sanctuary wines, has become the first winemaker in the world to achieve CarboNZero certification for contributing no net carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...
Les Floralies continues expansion.(notebook)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Winner of several business awards for exporting, marketing and design, Les Floralies has enjoyed steady growth during its 18 years in business and is a highly respected brand in the bath and body market on both sides of the Tasman. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Now ...
Sparks fly at business challenge.(Spark $40K Challenge)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Now in its fourth year, the Spark $40K Challenge is the University of Auckland's entrepreneurship challenge where the winner receives $20,000 cash and $10,000 as a tenancy in The ICEHOUSE business incubator to help commercialise their idea. The runner up receives $10,000 cash. In addition ...
The website that pays you to save energy.(notebook)
Nov 01, 2006 ... New Zealand company Celsias has applied to patent its website as the world's first online community that allows regions, businesses or community groups to be paid for reducing the carbon emissions from their everyday energy use. Celsias.com is based upon a fast growing global ...
Cherry Tree celebrates 10 years.(Cherry Tree Consumer Club)(Company overview)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... The Cherry Tree Consumer Club, one of New Zealand's more unusual retail outlets, is celebrating 10 years of member-only shopping success. The Club has attracted 14,500 members, mainly through word-of-mouth. For a joining fee and annual fee, members can buy goods at wholesale prices. Annual ...
Texting groups made easy.(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Sports clubs, businesses or social groups can now easily and inexpensively text groups of people, thanks to GrpTXT--a new web-based SMS service. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Market research threw up a number of scenarios where organisations, which needed to regularly ...
Diary.(Calendar)
Nov 01, 2006 ... <Pre> November 8-9 Due Diligence, Tim HerbertThe University of Auckland Business School.Contact 0800 800 875, e.coulston@auckland.ac.nz orwww.shortcourses.ac.nz 9-10 Business Skills for New Managers, Doug RoberstonThe University of Auckland ...
Business by word of mouse: there's an innovative new website that allows people to easily compare service providers; and business professionals to be ranked according to performance. Glenn Baker spoke to its creator Hannah Samuel.(Hannah Samuel)(TRUSTcite)(Website overview)
Nov 01, 2006; ... TRUSTcite is a neat idea that has the potential to revolutionise the way people select professional service providers. It works on the basic principle of referral and recommendation and benefits both business people and Joe Public. Lets face it, we're all quick to point out sloppy service ...
Clean up your investment act.(bookshelf)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Here is a straight-talking book on sorting your finances by one of this country's best known financial commentators and economists. Pension Panic distils Gareth Morgan's views on topics such as: New Zealanders' poor saving habits; housing as an investment; his analysis of New Zealand's ...
Re-evaluating your choices.(Brief article)(Book review)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Are you disillusioned with your life? Does happiness seem beyond your grasp? And do you ever wonder why you're not happy despite achieving what you set out to achieve? Clare Mann's new book The Myths of Life and the Choices We Have addresses these key questions by translating existential ...
Achieving fulfilment and success at work.(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006 ... People are changing in regards to how they see themselves in relation to their work and their expectations for finding connection, fulfilment and success. The workplace is also evolving, creating a need for new approaches to create environments where people effectively work together and ...
The downside of globalisation.(bookshelf)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Governments worldwide would have us believe that globalisation is both inevitable and desirable, and it has produced better economic and societal outcomes than we would have otherwise seen? But is this really the case. The Democracy Sham, by ex British MP and Waikato University ...
Let's get intimate: Part II.(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006; ... October's tool-kit focussed on the need to have an intimate understanding of our customers and provided two useful filters (demographics and psychographics) to assist with this. Let's now consider a practical example where these filters are used instinctively. I liken the process of ...
Flying high: Young Entrepreneur of the year Mike McDonald has big plans for Canterbury-based Mactec Aerospace, as the market for its products takes off.(profile)(Company overview)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Mike McDonald didn't think he had the time to enter this year's Ernst & Young Enterpreneur of the Year Awards. Running a company the size of Mactec Aerospace tends to keep one busy enough and it took a little persuasion from his colleagues to submit an entry. Just as well he ...
Succession planning: a taxing issue; Andrew Dickeson highlights some of the many tax issues that should be considered when selling a business.(succession planning)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Business speak is full of buzz words. The current cliche on every business advisor's lips is "succession planning"--hardly surprising given the impending retirement of the "baby boomer" generation, with many SME owners actively considering how to exit their most precious of ...
Competing in the coffee capital: how tough is it to succeed in the highly competitive coffee business? Warwick Halcrow drank several cups of Emporio coffee in order to find out.(profile)
Nov 01, 2006; ... The coffee business is hot--especially espresso. From multi-national fast food chains and service stations to street-corner coffee carts, a lot of new players want in on the boom. Big companies are moving in on the supply of branded espresso coffee and the battle is heating up ...
How to tame a dragon: so your product is a licence to print money but you first need an investor on board? TV dragon Annette Presley shares some tips for success with editor Glenn Baker.(investment)(Interview)
Nov 01, 2006; ... It came as no surprise to find that Annette Presley's tastefully appointed office is filled with bold colours--boldness is her style when it comes to personal image and her approach to business. Presley is no pussy-cat when it comes to business startups either--particularly those that take ...
Green and mean it: increasing concern over global warming is also raising awareness of the need for sustainable business practices. For business owners it's time to take action or risk losing customers to the competition.(Cover story)(Company overview)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Let's make one thing clear from the start. This planet we all share is in serious trouble. Even if you haven't seen Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth, you'd have to be on another planet to not realise that we have a pressing problem with global warming. Receding glaciers, extreme ...
Catching the boss's vision: a business programme is changing Peter Roberts' company and management style. He was so impressed that two of his staff are attending a similar programme. Now the company is starting to move as a whole, not a number of parts.(business growth)(Heritage Tiles)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Heritage Tiles is a 20-plus year family company that has grown to become one of the country's biggest importers of ceramic and porcelain tiles. It's thriving on the increasing use of tile in homes and commercial areas, and showcases designs from Italy and more recently from Ras Al-Khaimah ...
Where business is a pleasure: Hawke's Bay is not only an exceptionally pleasant place to run a business; it also punches way above its weight for economic growth.(regional focus)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Talk business with the people doing the business in Hawke's Bay and the mood is upbeat. It's a great place to live and work, and it would appear the 'L' word is the key. Napier's mayor Barbara Arnott says it in triplicate: "Lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle!" [ILLUSTRATION ...
Compensation that really hurts: what is hurt and humiliation compensation, and how can employers minimise the risk of being faced with it? Emma Poyner has the answers.(employment relations)
Nov 01, 2006; ... If you have ever been notified of a personal grievance claim from one of your employees or ex employees, chances are your eyes watered as you read that the employee was seeking $50,000 or more (or perhaps less if they were being realistic) compensation for hurt and humiliation! Exactly ...
Covering all bases: does your business have a risk management strategy? When did you last review your insurance? Mark Peart provides this reminder on the need to prepare for the worst.(risk management)(Case study)
Nov 01, 2006; ... The reliable online encyclopedia Wikipedia has a typically pithy and plain English description of risk management. Generally, it says, risk management is the process of measuring or assessing risk and developing strategies to manage it. Strategies include transferring the risk to another ...
Property pointers: finding a suitable business address can be a doddle for some companies, and a mission for others. NZBusiness offers some advice.(commerical property)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Where you choose to operate your business from can ultimately determine how successful your business becomes. For example, if you rely heavily on passing trade, it's no use being tucked up a cul-de-sac or obscured from view on a busy one-way street with minimal off-street parking. Choosing ...
Spoilt for support: good accounting software can liberate a business by delivering useful financial information and removing tedious manual accounting processes. But which accounting software is best for your business?(accounting software)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Six years ago, Les Young, financial controller for plumbing and agricultural supplies distributor Hydroflow, sat back and took a long, hard look at the accounting software the company was using. "It wasn't doing all the things we needed it to do and we had definitely outgrown ...
Reinventing the wheel.(tech biz)(Logitech International S.A.'s new cordless laser mice)(Product/service evaluation)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Now the PC mouse can meet the need to move quickly and intuitively through multiple web pages, large spreadsheet files, digital photos, playlists or any other digital content. Both the Logitech MX Revolution cordless laser mouse and VX Revolution mouse for notebooks provide ...
Go, go gadget mouse.(tech biz)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Microsoft's new Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 is a four-in-one device that functions as a slide presenter, a laser pointer with digital ink, a media remote control and a 2.4GHz Bluetooth laser notebook mouse. Whether clicking through the slides of a presentation, highlighting a ...
Recently trialled: Polycom Communicator.(tech biz)(Brief article)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Many businesses that make regular overseas calls are learning the value of VolP services such as Skype; these provide essentially free international calling using your broadband connection via your PC. However one of the major problems with using Skype has been the reliance on ...
Canon's latest SLR self-cleans.(tech biz)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Finding the perfect shot is now easier than ever, with Canon's new EOS 400D digital SLR camera. Replacing the top-selling EOS 350D, the new model includes a 10.1 megapixel CMOS image sensor that delivers professional quality photographs. A proprietary processor ensures the camera is ...
Sharp, high-speed colour printing.(tech biz)(Fuji Xerox Company Ltd.'s color printer)(Product/service evaluation)
Nov 01, 2006 ... The Phaser 6350 from Fuji Xerox meets the printing demands of small to large workgroups and is one of the fastest printers in its class, reaching print speeds of 35ppm for colour and black and white. With a first page out time of as little as 10 seconds and up to 2400dpi ...
Broadband in your back pocket.(tech biz)
Nov 01, 2006 ... As of October 1st Vodafone 3G broadband customers are no longer tied to a specific location to get online at high speed. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Vodafone 3G broadband connects people, not places. Our new mobile solutions give customers the freedom to move around the ...
Seeing, hearing, sharing made easy.(tech biz)
Nov 01, 2006 ... Research has revealed that people would stay connected via webcams if they were easier to operate and provided better quality audio and video. This is Microsoft's aim with its new LifeCam VX-6000 and VX-3000--both optimised for use with Windows Live Messenger. [ILLUSTRATION ...
Holden down the prices.(motor biz)(Holden Special Vehicles introduces its new vehicle)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Holden New Zealand, as many will know, has announced its all new VE Commodore, Holden's most ambitious and expensive car program to date. This mainstay of New Zealand's fleet market has taken huge technological leaps forward, and has cost around A$1.2 billion to bring to ...
Surveys unsatisfactory; A warning from Dr Ian Brooks: customer satisfaction surveys may cause delusions of adequacy!(customer excellence)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Last month, I cited a study in which 80 percent of senior managers interviewed believed their companies were doing an excellent job of servicing their customers but only eight percent of their customers agreed. In my view, customer satisfaction surveys contribute to these delusions of ...
Kick-starting a business career: more young people should look at franchising as a route to developing their careers in business management, suggests Simon Lord.(the franchise file)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Talking to a franchisor a few years ago, I asked if his son had decided on a career yet. 'He doesn't want to go to university,' his father replied with a strange mix of gloom and pride. 'He's bought a bloody franchise.' The gloom was because the son, a high achiever at school, had decided ...
Offshore investment tax changes: the government has had to modify its proposed offshore investment tax regime.(on accounts)
Nov 01, 2006; ... In a previous column, I explained how the original offshore investment tax scheme would work. The essential features were: [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The preferential treatment of investments in most of the "grey list" countries will be removed. Only investments in ...
Port report: despite a slowing economy and rising oil prices, the Port of Tauranga is showing some very positive signs.(export focus)
Nov 01, 2006; ... There was an increase in total export volumes through the Port of Tauranga, New Zealand's largest port, in the 12 month period to June 2006, in comparison to the same period last year. Commodities showing major growth were dairy exports at 840,300 tonnes representing an increase of 7.6 ...
A good, keen business supporter: Peter J Carter continues his series on the people who help keep people in business. This time its BMNZ's Bay of Plenty co-ordinator Richie Wellsbury.(Business Mentors New Zealand)(Biography)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Originally from Wales, Richie Wellsbury first settled in the Bay of Plenty region around three years ago. Prior to this he had notched up an interesting business career. Wellsbury completed a National Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management and spent four years in the industry, ...
Private fly: an upsurge in the use of private jets is a trend both within New Zealand and internationally. Geraldine McManus reports.(travel biz)
Nov 01, 2006; ... Whilst ultra-rich individuals, celebrities and top corporate travellers have long been whisked from one side of the globe to the other by private jet, the advantages of scheduling one's own flying time and travelling by chartered private jet is now becoming a more accessible and affordable ...
Make frontline the topline: Brian H Meredith puts the spotlight on frontline staff and introduces the non-negotiable characteristics' that should be integrated into your hiring processes.(marketing maestro)
Nov 01, 2006; ... So much is talked and written about customer service as a core business concept that the term has become frankly, trite. What a tragedy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There is little that is truly "new" in business as a concept, a philosophy or an endeavour. Indeed, ...
Automation to the rescue: need an extra pair of hands, but don't want the extra hassle of staff? Heather Douglas shows how automation can save time and trouble.(home biz)
Nov 01, 2006; ... The phone's ringing, a client wants an urgent quote, you've got invoices to send, and you just can't seem to cope with another task. "Time to employ staff?" you ask yourself, feeling in your gut that you're not ready to have someone else on board. Especially since you work from home and ...
Drowning in a sea of debt: Ashley Balls explains why we have to lose our Beemer, Bach and Boat (BB & B) culture.(issues with balls)
Nov 01, 2006; ... When I first arrived in this country about 15 years ago a solicitor suggested I quickly come to terms with the essentials of the Kiwi character. He told me the principal difference between a Pom and a Kiwi was that a Pom aspired to retire to a country pub whereas underneath the surface of ...