Business Mentors Blog

For Alastair, owner of Kair Design & Print in Foxton, artificial intelligence isn't replacing creativity, it's reshaping where creativity adds the most value. Since launching Kair Design & Print in 2018, Alastair and his wife Kim have built a business serving tradespeople, start-up businesses, community organisations and local clubs throughout the Horowhenua region. Like many ...

Cashflow is the money moving through your business: what arrives in the bank, what must leave it, and when. Profit is important, but it doesn’t guarantee you can pay this week’s wages, rent, tax, suppliers or loan repayments. Seasonal cashflow management helps you plan for quiet months while trading is strong. For many small businesses across Aotearoa New Zealand, the year includes both busy and quieter periods that change your cashflow. Your cashflow might be ...

Being growth-ready means building strong foundations so your business can take on more work without losing quality, profit or control. When the New Zealand economy is restrained and things remain steady, you have an opportunity to review your capacity, cash flow and creative growth ideas. Below you’ll find things to consider, answers to common questions and a growth checklist.

By Vaidik Patel, Cybersecurity Consultant, FUJIFILM CodeBlue: Every few weeks, another major cyber attack makes headlines. Most of us read about a large global organisation being breached and assume cyber criminals are focused on bigger targets than our own businesses. What rarely makes the news are the incidents happening much closer to home. The tradie whose ...

Case Studies

This case study was orginally published by the Construction Growth Foundation (CGF): Lloyd Bassett-Smith is the founder of Bassett-Smith Architecture, ...

Case Studies

This case study was orginally published by the Construction Growth Foundation (CGF): Barry Connor has spent fifteen years designing bespoke homes across New Zealand from his Christchurch base. New builds, renovations, interiors. Always sun-oriented, always worked with the natural ...

Word of mouth remains the most trusted form of marketing available to small businesses, with 92% of people trusting a recommendation from someone they know over any paid advert1. This matters because loyal customers do more than buy again: they talk. And when they talk well, they become your most affordable and most convincing marketing channel. ...

If you run a small business, you rely on repeat customers and word-of-mouth more than big ad budgets. A customer journey map is a simple tool that helps you see your business through your customers’ eyes, so you can make small changes that keep people coming back and talking positively about you.

Skills, products, and team all matter, but one of the most practical tools you have costs nothing to build: your business network. Whether you’re just starting out or running an established business, the right connections can open doors that hard work alone cannot. Referrals, advice, honest feedback, new customers, a supplier introduction: these things often come through people, not an online search. Here’s how NZ business owners can grow and use their network well.

AI tools have progressed at lightning speed. Keeping up means being deliberate and curious. Below you'll find a few ideas to ensure you're staying ahead. This article pulls together the most useful information available right now, so you can make clear-headed decisions for your business.