The COVID-19 pandemic has caught most of us off guard. Who would’ve thought that the world would spend the year battling a virus? This unprecedented global crisis is a reminder that these business threats are very real and acts as a wake-up call for business leaders. Even if the scenario may seem far-fetched, it pays to prepare for the worst. When a pandemic hits, businesses play a crucial role in… Read more
As you know, the COVID-19 pandemic is not just a public health issue, it’s also caused lockdowns and financial worries on a global scale. Small businesses are not strangers to the impacts of the pandemic. In a survey by the International Trade Centre (ITC) among 1,200 businesses in 109 countries between 20 April and 4 May, the pandemic has strongly affected 60% of the businesses. The results of the survey… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. Keeping Auckland at Alert Level 2.5 Mayor Phil Goff says keeping Auckland at Alert Level 2.5 is the right decision and is asking residents to continue playing their part. Moving too early can cause further resurgence of the virus, so everyone is urged to stay the course. At Alert Level 2.5, social… Read more
As small business owners look to operations after COVID-19, there are some important business questions to ask. These questions will help you determine what adaptations you want to keep, whether your business model is working, and if there are additional changes you want to make to keep your company operational through future economic downturns. It’s not always fun to do this sort of examination, but the answers to these questions… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. 4-Day Extension of Auckland Lockdown The lockdown in Auckland, which had been originally scheduled to end on Wednesday, has been extended until Sunday night. The city has been gradually going to Alert Level 2 restrictions from Monday. Together with this extension is the introduction of mandatory mask wearing on public transport across… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. COVID-19 Outbreak After 102 days without community transmission, we’ve all been a little shaken by the return of the coronavirus. According to health officials, COVID-19 may have been circulating in Auckland for weeks, as 13 new community cases were confirmed. All these are linked to the initial four cases announced last week.… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. Call for Calm Amid Auckland’s Return to Alert Level 3 Four new COVID-19 cases have been detected in Auckland this week ending our 102 day streak without a locally transmitted cases. Level 3 restrictions have been reintroduced in Auckland as at 12pm Wednesday until midnight on Friday. While health officials determine the… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. NZ Government Relaunched Campaign to Raise COVID-19 Awareness Although life feels a bit closer to normal than before, the government has relaunched a campaign to raise community awareness about the coronavirus, instructing people to be ready and take a COVID-19 test when given the opportunity. Top health official, Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, said… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. Exemptions From Managed Isolation A small number of people may be eligible for an exemption from the required 14-day managed isolation for people entering New Zealand, such as those with serious medical conditions that cannot be managed in the accommodation provided. The following are the general rules for those granted an exceptional… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. Financial Boost for Public Health Services As we are going to be living with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for some time, Minister of Health Chris Hipkins has announced a boost in funding for public health of more than $300 million. The funds boost to Pharmac will purchase medicines and medical… Read more
Hello for another week, we hope you and your family are well. Here is the latest edition of our Weekly Digest, read on for all the details and get in touch if you have any questions. PM Announces COVID-19 Re-Emergence Plan Prime Minister Jacinda Arden’s speech this week mentioned a COVID-19 re-emergence plan aimed at keeping the coronavirus under control. One key thing the government will do is localise its… Read more
Hello again – welcome to the latest edition of our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. New Zealand to Limit Returning Citizens As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens globally, there has been rapid growth in the number of Kiwis coming home. Recently, stricter border controls were introduced, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine and COVID-19 tests for those entering the country. This resulted in quarantine facilities filling up, with nearly… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. New Zealand Tightens Border Controls At the time of writing this, there are 18 active COVID-19 cases in New Zealand, which is up from 11 from last week. Last week, stricter border controls were introduced, including a mandatory 14-day quarantine and COVID-19 tests for those entering the country. As more Kiwis return home, NZ’s managed isolation and quarantine… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. New Zealand Tightens Border Controls As of 24 June, there were 11 active COVID-19 cases in New Zealand as more people are arriving from overseas. Strict border controls are being implemented and people entering New Zealand are required to stay in managed isolation or quarantine for at least 14 days and test negative for the coronavirus before they… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. Level 1 As you know, New Zealand moved to Alert Level 1 last week, which means restrictions to work, school, sports, and domestic travel are lifted. Our border remains closed to most travellers and strict controls are in place. All arrivals are tested for COVID-19 and a 14-day managed quarantine or isolation is mandatory. After 24 days… Read more
Early Move to Alert Level 1 We are winning our fight against COVID-19! With only one active case of COVID-19 remaining in New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced the possibility of an earlier-than-expected move to Alert Level 1 next week. Essentially, this means that the virus is contained in the country without the risk of community transmission. However, border restrictions will remain in place as the virus is… Read more
Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for this week’s update. Cashflow If you’re not having cashflow problems right now, that’s great, you’re one of the lucky ones. Plenty of businesses across the country are struggling with cashflow right now. There are a few ways to relieve the cashflow pressure from finance through to restructuring options. Don’t stick your head in the sand – we can help. Here are… Read more
With no new cases reported on Monday and Tuesday this week, it seems like New Zealand has Coronavirus under control making a move to Level 2 likely in the next week or so. Clearly that’s great news for all business owners and in this week’s digest, we’ve included a number of resources to help with navigating your business out of the dire situation we’ve all been in. No doubt there… Read more
With the country now at Level 3, many more businesses can now operate which is great news. Worksafe has published guidelines for operating safely at Level 3 and there’s a good page about workplace operations at all levels on the business.govt.nz website. Business tax support The government announced a further set of tax proposals to help businesses manage the impacts of COVID-19. These include: Greater flexibility for taxpayers in respect… Read more
What’s in the $3.2 billion support package? The government’s latest coronavirus support package includes further measures to try and ease the pain of the lockdown. It includes tax breaks, business advice and help for tenants and landlords. There are no in depth details available yet, so we will have to hold on, likely until 27th April. Tax loss carry-back scheme A large portion of the package is the tax loss… Read more