Business Update – 2 July 2021

Wellington Moves Back to Alert Level 1

WellingtonBusinesses are rejoicing as Wellington moves to alert level 1, a week after the announcement of a Covid-19 positive traveller.  There had been more than 8200 tests in Wellington in the past week, with no positive results.

Although there has been a considerable decline in revenue due to the increase in alert level, business should pick up as locals return.

New Zealand to Resume Travel Bubble With Some Australian States

New Zealand will resume its travel bubble to certain parts of Australia, as some states implement lockdowns in Australia to contain COVID-19 outbreaks.

The travel bubble will again be available from 11:59pm on 4 July for South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.  However, a negative test result is required to be presented before departure.

The New Zealand government plans to review the travel bubble pause with Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory next week.  All four jurisdictions are in lockdowns due to a spread of new COVID-19 infections.

New Innovation Partnership To Help Improve New Zealanders’ Lives

InnovationWellington-based innovation hub Creative HQ partnered with the Westpac NZ Government Innovation Fund in a three-year sponsorship deal.

Through this deal, Creative HQ will be able to support teams of public sector innovators through the NZ GovTech Accelerator programme.

It is intended to give participants the confidence and leadership skills to tackle local, national, and global problems.  This 13-week government innovation programme ideal for entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers in government agencies aims to solve root-cause problems, facilitate collaboration, and upskill participants.

Now in its fourth year, the GovTech team has worked on 30 projects– 19 are still active and 13 have received funding.

Deadline Looms for Businesses to Become Accredited Migrant Employers

The government is phasing out its six migrant visa categories and combining them into a single scheme which puts more responsibility on the employer.

The Accredited Employer Work Visa will be introduced on 1 November.  Those who want to hire migrants must first become accredited by demonstrating they were a good employer and their business was financially sound.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Pushing Through With a New Product or Service

As a business leader, you’re probably full of ideas, especially when it comes to new products or services.  However, this doesn’t mean that you should always move forward with them.

In this Forbes article, members of the Young Entrepreneur Council share some questions you can ask yourself before investing time, money, and resources into a product or service idea.

  • New, ProductDoes the customer need this feature?
  • Is the market large enough?
  • How does it help revenue or retention?
  • Will the product or service be able to scale?
  • Is creating the product within my budget?
  • Do I have to make the product myself?
  • Would I use it?
  • Would my enemy use it?

By spending time thinking about these questions, you’ll be able to decide if you should push through with your idea or not.

Interested in gaining access to personalised business advice?  Book a one-on-one consultation with us today!

Get in touch

Contact us if you have any questions or want to discuss the next steps for your business.