Blog
Notes on building a good business.
Practical, honest writing for New Zealand founders and SME owners - the same evidence-based thinking we bring to the work, shared here for anyone who finds it useful.
When to bring someone in
The most useful thing an advisor ever tells a founder is no.
Read the postIs my business idea viable? A four-part check
A quick, honest way to judge whether a business idea stacks up, before you commit real money to it.
Read the postThe plan is usually fine. The budget is where it breaks.
Most business plans do not fail on the strategy page. They fail on the page with the numbers.
Read the postHow to test a business idea before you spend money
Cheap, practical ways to find out whether people will actually pay, before you build anything.
Read the postWhen everyone loves your idea, that is not validation
Praise from friends and family is not a test. Here is what validating a business idea actually involves, the evidence that it works, and the four questions that do most of the job.
Read the postThe two habits that improve a new business's odds
Of every 100 New Zealand businesses that started in 2019, 46 were still trading five years later. Most of what decides that happens before the doors open. Here are the two unglamorous habits that move the odds, and the evidence behind them.
Read the postNew businesses, jobs, and the odds of survival in New Zealand
Most of New Zealand's economy runs on very small businesses, and whether new ones survive is a public question, not just a private one. Here is what the evidence says, and what actually moves the odds.
Read the postHow to start a business in New Zealand
A practical, honest guide for first-time founders - from testing the idea to registering and getting funding-ready, in the order that actually saves you money.
Read the post