5-step guide to starting a business Te aratohu hipanga e 5 hei tīmata i tētahi pakihi

You want to be confident your business idea will work.

Before you start:

• define your market
• create a business plan
• ask yourself the right questions to test how viable your business idea is. 

Choose

Your business name is an essential part of your brand, shaping your brand’s identity and first impressions with your customers. Getting the right fit for your business is important.

Use our ONECheck tool to see if your chosen name is available and to play around with different options. 

Secure

Once you’ve chosen your name, make sure you secure it. Use our ONECheck tool to reserve your name with the Companies Office, register a domain name, and trademark – all in one place.

Get an initial assessment report from the Intellectual Property Office (IPONZ) before you invest in applying for a registered trade mark. Do this by applying online for a search and preliminary advice (SPA) report on the IPONZ website.

It’s low cost, easy and you’ll get it within five days. You can also search the trade mark register for free.

Choose the business structure that best suits you. The most common are sole trader, partnership or company. Our Choose Business Structure tool can help you make the right choice.

You’ll need to register with a few government agencies to use their services and meet legal and tax obligations – for example, RealMe®, New Zealand Business Number and MyIR.

Registering is easy to do and free.    

Specific regulations might apply in your industry or region. Use our Compliance Matters tool to look into which central and local government regulations apply to your business.