Honest answers to common questions.

We are a New Zealand business advisory practice. We help SME owners, people buying a business, founders getting started, and not-for-profits - with clear, honest advice they can act on. We look at what is really going on, explain what we find in plain language, and help you decide what to do next.

Established New Zealand SMEs who want a straight read on the business, people weighing up buying a business, founders building something new, and charities, community groups, and social enterprises. If you are after comfortable reassurance, we are probably not your people. If you want the honest picture, kindly delivered, we will get on well.

Yes. We are based in Hamilton and work with organisations across the country. Our advice is grounded in the New Zealand context - local regulation, tax, and the way business actually works here - rather than a borrowed overseas playbook.

We use good tools to work through information quickly and thoroughly, but the judgement and the recommendations are ours - a real advisor stands behind every one. Whatever we tell you, we can show you the evidence for it.

Send us a note through the contact form. We reply personally, set up a no-pressure conversation, and if it is a good fit we invite you in. We do not run open sign-ups - every client is invited and verified, which helps keep your information safe.

It depends which engagement you need, and we are upfront about how each one is priced. Due Diligence and our entrepreneur work are quoted as fixed fees - you know the number before we start, and it does not move unless you ask for something outside the agreed scope. For Standard Advisory and not-for-profit work, the fee is set after we have properly looked at your organisation: we evaluate where things stand, analyse what we find, and shape a strategic plan - then the quote follows from that, sized to the work genuinely needed rather than guessed at upfront. Either way you will see the number, and how we arrived at it, before any work begins.

A Standard Advisory review usually takes weeks, not months. Due diligence follows your deal timeline. Work with founders runs in stages over a few months - because the work is real, not because we are stretching it out.

Start with the idea, not the paperwork. Before you register anything, it is worth knowing whether the idea actually holds up - real demand, who else is already doing it, and whether the numbers work. That is what idea validation is for, and it is the cheapest step to get right first. From there the practical path is roughly: validate the idea, write a business plan and budget with real numbers, decide on a structure (sole trader or company), register with the Companies Office and IRD, and line up any funding you need. We walk New Zealand founders through the early stretch - the validation, the plan, and getting funding-ready - so you make the leap on evidence, not hope.

You cannot know for certain - but you can find out a great deal before you spend serious money. That is what idea validation is for: testing the concept against real demand, the numbers, who else is already doing it, and what it would genuinely take to deliver. Sometimes the honest answer is that the idea does not hold up in its current form. Hearing that early costs you a conversation; hearing it two years in costs a great deal more.

There is a cost, and we quote it as a fixed fee up front so you know exactly what you are committing to before you decide. It is worth weighing that against what is actually at risk. The expensive part of a business idea is rarely the checking - it is the borrowed money, the savings, and the year or two spent building something the evidence never supported. Validation is a small, known cost paid early to avoid a much larger, unknown one later. And if the idea does stack up, you are not just left with a yes: you come out with the plan and the numbers to take to a bank or an investor.

Legally, no - you can register a company without one. Practically, yes: if you are approaching a bank, an investor, or a funder, they will ask for one. And even when nobody asks, writing it is usually where founders discover the gaps in their own thinking. We help you build a plan with real numbers behind it - a working document, not a template you fill in once and file away.

It depends on the risk you are carrying, whether you intend to bring others in, and what you expect to earn. Sole trader is simpler and cheaper to run. A company limits your personal liability and is usually expected if you want outside investment. We will talk it through against your actual situation, and say plainly when the simpler option is the right one. This is general guidance rather than legal or tax advice - where you need a lawyer or an accountant, we will tell you.

Yes. Banks, investors, and grant funders all want the same three things: believable numbers, a clear plan, and evidence you have thought about what could go wrong. We help you get those in order before you go asking - and if we think you are not ready yet, we will say so rather than let you burn a first impression.

Not at all - that is often the best time. The earliest conversations are the cheapest ones to have, because nothing has been built yet and every option is still open. Bring the idea in whatever shape it is in.

No - and you should not. Idea validation and your business plan and budget are self-paced and done online, so you can work through them in your own time, alongside the job you already have. The whole point is to test the idea properly before you decide whether to leave, not after. You make the leap when the evidence says it is worth it, not before.

We do. We have a dedicated lane for charities, incorporated societies, community organisations, and social enterprises. We look at the health of the whole organisation and frame everything around your mission and the difference you make - not commercial profit.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of the eight areas we review for not-for-profits. It can be woven through the whole review or considered on its own, depending on what suits your organisation.

Yes - an independent governance and compliance review for your board, with clear findings and the sources behind them. It is designed to support your board’s decisions and is informational; it does not replace legal advice. We will also flag matters like Incorporated Societies Act 2022 re-registration so nothing slips through.

Yes, and we take it seriously. Every account uses multi-factor sign-in, documents are encrypted and checked before they are stored, and only the people working on your engagement can see your information. Confidentiality is not negotiable.

We review what you send to make sure it lines up with the picture we are forming. If something does not match, we will not bury it - we will raise it with you in plain English and work it out together before going any further.

No - and that is rather the point. If something in the business needs attention, you will hear it clearly, with the evidence behind it. We are kind in how we say it and honest in what we say.

Yes. Invited clients get a secure online space for their questionnaire, documents, reports, and messages with their advisor - all held to the same careful security standards.

Sometimes, yes - when it genuinely helps. While we are working with you, if we spot a job a custom tool could do faster or more reliably than doing it by hand, we will flag it, show you whether it pays off, and quote to build it if it does. That goes for bigger needs as well - if what your business really needs is a more substantial system, we can scope, quote, and build that too, in stages you can see working. Either way it is a benefit of working with us rather than a separate service - and we will tell you honestly when an off-the-shelf option would serve you better.

Start with a discovery call. We will listen to what is going on, suggest the right fit, and tell you honestly if someone else would serve you better.