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Taking the first steps
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Taking the first steps

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Create a business plan

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Choosing the right business structure
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Choosing the right business structure

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Business planning tools and tips

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Income and provisional tax in a nutshell

Building a brand
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Building a brand

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Funding your business
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Funding your business

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Advice and governance

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Advice for contractors

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How to grow
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How to grow

Boosting sales
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Boosting sales

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Growth and innovation

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Quick-focus planning for growing businesses

10 step business plan template

Quick-focus planning for growing businesses

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Getting government grants

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Importing and exporting

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Planning to exit

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Operating at a loss?

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NZTE Capability development voucher

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Tax and accounting
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Tax and accounting

Basic tax types
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Basic tax types

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Tax when you have employees

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Business finance basics

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Reducing your tax

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Tax time tips
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Tax time tips

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Closing down
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Closing down

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Operating at a loss?

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Income and provisional tax in a nutshell

Hiring and managing people
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Hiring and managing people

Deciding to hire
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Deciding to hire

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Hiring people

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Handling holidays and leave

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Managing people day to day
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Managing people day to day

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Guide to keeping people healthy and safe at work

Getting the best from people
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Getting the best from people

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Ending employment

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Businesses structures

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Risks and operations

Health and safety
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Health and safety

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Intellectual property protection
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Intellectual property protection

What is intellectual property Types of intellectual property Why intellectual property is important Simple steps to protect your intellectual property When to consider intellectual property Preparing for intellectual property advice Defending your intellectual property Protecting your intellectual property overseas

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Insights and articles on the latest business topics

Planning for the unexpected (BCP)
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Planning for the unexpected (BCP)

Emergency planning for businesses Continuity and contingency planning Insurance

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IT risk and avoiding scams
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IT risk and avoiding scams

Storing and backing up data Protecting business data Protecting customer and employee information Avoiding scams and fraud What to do if you've been hacked

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Dealing with customer complaints
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Dealing with customer complaints

When customers complain Understanding consumer laws Reducing risk of complaints Fair returns and complaints policies What you need to tell customers Training staff to handle complaints

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Equipment, premises and assets
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Equipment, premises and assets

Choosing where to work Leasing or buying premises Common business assets checklists Introduction to managing assets Resource Management Act for business

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Manufacturing
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Manufacturing

Exploring manufacturing options Importing and exporting laws

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Which laws apply to you?

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Business performance
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Business performance

Management and leadership
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Management and leadership

Assess your management and leadership skills Improve your management and leadership: Overview How to communicate and give feedback How to be a good leader Leadership styles and when to use them How to motivate your staff Managing people's performance Performance issues: What to check Shaping your work culture

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Strategic finance
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Strategic finance

Assess your business finance skills How to read financial statements Use numbers to analyse your business Financial models: Step-by-step guide Finance modelling: results and concepts Strategic funding with investors and lenders

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New Zealand Business Performance Panel Other topics coming soon
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Contracting

Contracting: Hidden costs and expenses

14/09/2017

Make sure your contractor rate allows for things an employer would normally cover, eg holidays and time off sick. Here’s how to budget for ebbs and flows.

Contracting

Business expenses: What can you claim?

16/08/2017

All self-employed people can claim expenses, contractors included. If you work from home you can claim some household expenses, too. Learn about valid expenses.

Staff & HR

Want well-trained staff? Hire an ex-prisoner

12/07/2017

Released prisoners are a great source of untapped talent, especially in industries short of skilled labour. Plus employers get free recruitment and HR support.

Staff & HR

Immigration advice to staff: Dos and don'ts

15/06/2017

Do you hire or employ migrants or overseas staff? There are rules on what kinds of immigration or visa advice you can give.

Staff & HR

Changes to parental leave payments

12/05/2017

Parents can now choose to take parental leave after they’ve first used other types of leave, eg annual, even if this is after the child arrives.

Law changes

Four-minute round-up of 2017 law changes

07/04/2017

From contractors’ tax laws to Easter staffing rules, GST filing to ACC discounts, here’s a summary of what’s new and what’s changed for small businesses.

Staff & HR

Career tool boost for jobseekers and employers

07/04/2017

Whether you’re looking for a job or to hire someone, finding out key information about a career, eg how much it might pay, just got easier with a revamped app.

Tax time

Contractor tax changes: How to get it right

06/04/2017

All contractors can have tax deducted from their pay — and those hired by recruiters MUST do this. We answer your questions about this law change.

Staff & HR

ACC Work levies go down

20/03/2017

ACC work levies are going down for all employers and self-employed people over the next two years — so you’ll get the same cover for less.

Staff & HR

New tools answer shop trading, parental leave questions

17/03/2017

Should you open on Good Friday and Easter Sunday? Can you or your employee claim parental leave? New tools from Employment New Zealand help you find out.

Tax time

Law change: Tax and contractors

17/03/2017

Pick your own tax rate. Get your tax paid directly by your recruiter. Choose if your payer deducts tax. A must-read for all contractors and those who hire them.

Tax time

Go online to manage your GST

27/02/2017

If you’re GST registered, managing your returns just got a whole lot easier — you can now file online. Here’s how it works.

Risks & ops

Protect your email account from invoice scams

20/02/2017

Emailing invoices is the easiest way to get them to clients — but an invoice scam targeting New Zealand business could see them not getting paid.

Planning & growth

KiwiSaver: Opt in and dial up your savings

20/02/2017

If you think KiwiSaver isn’t for you because you’re self-employed, you’re probably missing out on thousands of dollars in government contributions.

Planning & growth

Benefits of co-working

22/12/2016

From in-house support to networking opportunities, self-employed people and businesses in all industries can reap the benefits of shared working spaces.

Risks & ops

Feeling shaky after the quakes?

18/11/2016

It’s normal to feel a bit off-balance. Here’s how to calm workplace nerves and make sure your emergency plans are ship-shape.

Tax time

Audits: What to do when Inland Revenue call

20/10/2016

When Inland Revenue says your business is to be audited, the important things to remember are: be prepared and don’t panic.

Staff & HR

Hiring: Contractors vs employees

20/10/2016

If you’re an employer, it pays to understand the different obligations you have to employees and to contractors — there are costs to getting things wrong.

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