Genuinely curious.
Most people are only going to give references from someone who will say good things about them.
So what are employers actually trying to find out?
I understand criminal checks, right to work checks, and qualification checks. Reference checks just feel a lot less reliable.
Been running a tradie business in Auckland for about 10 years and honestly the last 2 years have smashed us.
We currently owe roughly:
- $220k GST debt to IRD
- about $80k supplier debt
No PAYE debt and we’re still operating, still have staff, clients, good reviews/reputation, website, phones, social media etc. But I’m mentally burnt out and don’t really want to keep doing this long term anymore.
I’m trying to understand the cleanest and most responsible way to exit over the next 4–6 months.
My rough plan at the moment is:
We will make sure all our current jobs are properly finished and handed over.
I understand there are laws around insolvency and creditors, so I’m not trying to do anything dodgy or hide assets. I’m just trying to understand what’s realistic and what others in NZ trades/construction have done in similar situations.
Has anyone here been through this?
- Did IRD work with you?
- Did you sell parts of the business first?
- Did you use a liquidator or restructuring advisor?
- Anything you wish you did earlier?
Would appreciate honest advice from anyone who’s been through it.
28F - I want to develop a product and have a research based masters degree in the same field. The idea fits with some successful research out there, but I want to take the ideas and bundle them into a commercial solution.
I'm an engineer, so have some relevant skills to be able to pull off developing a product. But I really just couldn't afford to fund much myself given the cost of living, already being unable to afford a house etc. The most I can give is my time and development skills.
It looks like Callaghan Innovation has significantly changed - what options are left for funding for kiwis like myself? Do the universities offer much in the way of support?
Hi everyone,
I started a small business in New Zealand last year as a side project, and I hope to turn it into my main job one day. I’m currently selling unique upcycled denim bags and lacquer earrings, and lately I’ve been thinking about moving my lacquer earrings into wholesale.
One thing I find challenging is that my products are not mass-produced or fully repeatable. Many pieces are one-of-a-kind or have small differences in colour, texture, or details, so wholesale feels a bit more complicated compared to mass-produced products.
I’m very new to this side of business and not sure what the best first step is. I’m thinking about simply visiting local shops and introducing my products, but I feel there may be a more effective or professional way to start.
Any suggestions or advice would be really appreciated.
Thank you!
For those who freelance, contract, or run a small business in NZ, how do you handle money movement after payments come in?
For example:
- When an invoice is paid, do you move a percentage into a tax/GST account?
- If you take a commission or fee, do you manually split that out and forward the rest?
- Do you split income into bills, owner pay, savings, or GST buckets?
- Do you keep a separate bills account topped up for upcoming direct debits?
- Do you batch these transfers weekly/monthly, or do them as payments arrive?
I’m curious what people actually do in practice.
Do you use separate bank accounts, spreadsheets, accounting software, reminders, or just handle it manually when you remember?
And would you trust automation for any of this, or would you prefer approval/reminders only?
I recently used a blinds company overseas whose pricing is very cheap (which can easily compete with local blinds businesses). Even factoring the shipping and tax, I still end up saving money. The quality also is outstanding.
I am planning to be their supplier here in NZ. Any advise you can give?
I will use it as side hustle first so I wont invest yet on overheads (warehouse, etc) but it it grew enough, i will resign from my full time job and go all in.
Hello I was just wondering where I could find an accountant for a small clothes reselling business in Auckland :)
Hey everyone,
I’m a Senior Creative with over 10 years experience and agencies creating ad creative. Think MadMen 😅. I’m moving into the freelance space with my own venture, and I’m trying to figure out where I can actually add the most value for local businesses.
I see a lot of great NZ products, but I know the 'content treadmill' is a grind. I’m curious if you’re trying to scale, where is the biggest bottleneck? Hers a few I've thought of but I'd love to hear it straight from you all.
I’m not here to pitch, I’m genuinely trying to find out what the real-world problems are so I can build a service that solves them (maybe involving some AI-driven workflows to keep costs down).
Would love to hear your frustrations. Cheers!
I’ve been thinking about how expensive airport trips can get, especially if you’re going alone or at odd hours.
Between taxis, rideshares, or parking, it adds up pretty quickly. But at the same time, there must be tons of people heading to the airport from similar areas around the same time.
It feels like one of those situations where sharing a ride would make a lot of sense, but I don’t really hear many people doing it outside of close friends or family.
Is it just a trust thing, or is it more about convenience and timing?
Curious if anyone here has actually shared airport rides with others, or if most people just stick to the usual options.