Waitangi Day chance to celebrate business   4 Feb 2014

Six reasons why being a Kiwi business owner is great in 2014

With Waitangi Day coming up this week, it's a perfect time to reflect on all the good things about living and working in New Zealand.

To help celebrate our national day, the country’s largest accounting software provider, MYOB, has highlighted six reasons why 2014 will be a great year for local SMEs.

MYOB Executive Director Scott Gardiner says, “Waitangi Day is a fantastic time to reflect on what we love about New Zealand – our unique lifestyle, extraordinary environment, the time spent with friends and family and so on. And while it’s traditional to take advantage of a day off to head to the beach or fire up the barbie, many will be helping fellow Kiwis open their café, restaurant or shop to provide entertainment, hospitality or a retail experience on the day.

“For so many, one of the most important things about living here is the opportunity to combine an enjoyable lifestyle with running their own business. This Waitangi Day – whether you’ve been in business for decades, or are just starting out on your own – we think it’s time to celebrate just a few of the things that make running a business in New Zealand great.”

Top 6 reasons why business is great in NZ in 2014:

1. It’s the easiest place in the world to start a business

It’s official. According to the World Bank’s 2014 Doing Business review of 189 countries, New Zealand is the easiest place in the world to start a business (and number 3 for running a business). This measure looks at all the rules and regulations a new business owner is required to meet, the time it takes to get set up, and what it takes to do so. If you’re going to be the world’s number one, we think starting a business is not a bad place to do it.

2. We couldn’t be more confident

New Zealand’s economy in 2014 has been called a rock star, and with good reason. We’re enjoying record confidence off the back of some seriously strong performance from the construction sector, the rural economy, and even the manufacturing sector. What makes our SMEs in particular so confident is that they’ve worked hard to turn things around over the last 7 years, in the face of some extraordinary challenges. This is your year Kiwi business owners – enjoy it.

3. Our people are a fantastic asset

We have an incredible asset in the local population. Our people are motivated, well-educated and dynamic. The number 8 wire mentality that’s defined many of our success stories comes from our willingness to have a go at anything. The reason so many local people are ready to take big risks and start a business for themselves is found in the Kiwi psyche – our independent streak is the key to some of our greatest successes on the world stage.

4. You just can't beat this environment

It sometimes takes the reaction of the world to a film trilogy like The Hobbit to remind us what a seriously beautiful country we’re privileged enough to live in. But it’s also worth remembering that our economy is built of this environment. Our globally successful agri-business sector, our tourism industry, and even niche businesses like super yacht building or animation, all derive at least some part of their success to our fortunate geography.

5. We love our technology – and we can’t get enough of it

Kiwis are fast adopters. We love our smartphones, tablets, smart TVs and wi-fi connections. And soon, with the nationwide Ultra Fast Broadband rollout, our business community will be able to embrace the very real advantages of high-speed connectivity. It’s the key to getting over one of the most significant hurdles we face as a small country a long way away from the rest of the world. And this year should mark the real start of a new era for our connected economy. We know from our regular MYOB Business Monitor research that local SMEs with a website are 41% more likely to see an increase in annual revenue than those without. So getting online and making the most of the internet has to be major priority for businesses this year.

6. We are beating Australia

The one thing we love more than Australia – for its great beaches, fun cities, and tasty reds – is beating our neighbour across the ditch at anything. And this year, although Aussie SMEs are a bit more confident than they were last year, New Zealand business operators are expecting to beat them at every level – revenue, sales and economic performance. Of course, we want Australia to be doing well because it is such an important trading partner. But a win is a win!

“So this Waitangi Day, whether you are enjoying a break or the buzz of a busy trading day, we hope you take a moment to reflect on everything that makes business great in New Zealand,” says Scott Gardiner.

“We’d also like to celebrate how important local SMEs are to the economy – they are the very essence of what makes a true Kiwi success story.”

For MYOB product information, research results, business tips, discussions, client service and more visit the MYOB website, or its blog, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube sites.

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