Posts Tagged ‘business’
Friday, December 13th, 2013
Photo credit; David Antis on Flickr
New Zealand-based internet auction site Trade Me has purchased New Zealand-based motor vehicle information company MotorWeb for NZ$19.5m.
The deal is conditional but expected to be completed later this month.
Founded in 1997, MotorWeb is an online business that operates in both New Zealand and Australia that packages and sells vehicle information and reports to finance companies, insurers, car dealers and the public. It offers a suite of more than a dozen products and services.
“The MotorWeb business has a lot of potential to complement our existing Trade Me Motors business, and will give us the chance to broaden and deepen the products and data we provide in relation to motor vehicles,” Trade Me CEO Jon Macdonald said.
MotorWeb staff would move across to join the Trade Me Motors team early next year.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: business, MotorWeb, New Zealand, online, Trade Me
Posted in E-mail & the internet, New Zealand, new zealand business, Online Sales, online shopping, onlines store, trademe | 1 Comment »
Thursday, December 12th, 2013
Photo credit; Yasuhiro Chatani on Flickr
The World Bank continues to rate New Zealand the third-best country in the world to run a small or medium-size business, after Singapore and Hong Kong.
The bank’s Doing Business 2014 report on 189 economies also continues to rate New Zealand as the best country to start a business and protect investors.
But since the 2013 survey, New Zealand has slipped a ranking to 12th for dealing with construction permits and two rankings to 23 in terms of paying taxes and to 21 for trading across borders.
The report says governments around the world stepped up their pace of improving business regulations in 114 economies last year – an 18 per cent jump from the previous year.
The report says that if economies around the world were to follow best practices in regulatory processes for starting a business, entrepreneurs would spend 45 million fewer days each year satisfying bureaucratic requirements.
“A better business climate that enables entrepreneurs to build their businesses and reinvest in their communities is key to local and global economic growth,” said World Bank Group president Jim Yong Kim.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: business, New Zealand, ranking, World Bank
Posted in new zealand business, New Zealand government | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 10th, 2013
Photo credit; Walknboston on Flickr
The New Zealand government aims to assist Kiwi tech companies grow and compete in the global market by investing more than NZ$3 million over the next three years to take advantage of the opportunity created by the global boom in demand for digital technologies, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce said recently.
“The digital economy contributed over NZ$2 billion in export earnings last year, and exports of computer and information services have grown at over 10 percent per annum between 2002 and 2012. Almost 75 percent of revenue from the New Zealand’s top 100 tech companies comes from international markets,” Joyce said in a statement.
“More than 62,000 people are already employed in our wider ICT sector and our investment will help create significant additional export revenues over the next four years.”
The Digital Technology High Impact Program would target support to firms working in the areas of software as a service (SAAS), web services, software development, gaming development, post production, animation and mobile technology.
Joyce also announced new repayable government grants of up to NZ$450,000Â per company would be invested in start-up technology companies.
To read more about this story, click here.
Tags: business, New Zealand, New Zealand government, online
Posted in computer, E-mail & the internet, gaming, Going Digital, New Zealand, new zealand business, New Zealand government, software programmer | No Comments »
Saturday, December 7th, 2013
Out of the 40 New Zealand businesses featured in the annual Deloitte technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific index, Queenstown-based online discount booking company Bookme was ranked highest at 18th.
Photo credit; Elliott Brown on Flickr
The index, announced in Hong Kong Dec. 5, ranks the top 500 tech businesses according to their revenue growth over the past three years.
Bookme, a booking engine for tourism activities and attractions, had a growth of 1359.4%.
The company, which was founded in 2010 by James Alder and Nick Reekie, was previously named rising star regional winner for Otago-lower South Island in the Deloitte Fast 50.
Sixteen of the 40 Kiwi businesses on the list were in the top 100, which was up from seven last year. Only China had more companies in the top 100 with 29.
Deloitte Private partner Stephen Nicholas said it was clear that New Zealand businesses, which made up more than 15% of all companies in the top 100, had moved into the ”upper echelon” of fast-growing technology firms in the highly competitive Asia-Pacific region.
”These results clearly show that despite the relatively small New Zealand market, hard-working innovative Kiwi firms have been able to outperform companies from many larger countries,” Nicholas said.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: Bookme, business, Deloitte technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Index, New Zealand, online
Posted in E-mail & the internet, New Zealand, new zealand business, Success story | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 26th, 2013
Photo credit; Karl Baron on Flickr
MYOB’s latest Business Monitor Report has found that businesses with a website are more likely to increase revenue and hire full-time staff in the year ahead. It also found the number of New Zealand firms going online is rising, albeit slowly.
In its survey of about 1,000 New Zealand small and medium enterprises, the accounting software firm found 38% of businesses with a website saw revenue increase in the year to August 2013, compared to only 26% of businesses without a website.
Half of businesses with a website said they expected to see their revenue increase in the year ahead, compared to 37% of those without.
And confidence was even higher among businesses with both a website and social media site with 63% expected revenue growth in the coming year.
MYOB’s James Scollay said businesses with an online presence were also more likely to take on new workers.
While 16% of small and medium enterprises with a website were planning to increase their full-time staff this year, only 6% without one had the same intentions.
However, Scollay also said he is seeing a “digital divide” emerging in the New Zealand economy.
“Businesses with an online presence reach more people and become more engaged with their customers. They also earn more, have more work in the pipeline, and are more likely to be hiring staff,” Scollay said.
The overall proportion of SMEs with a website was still concerning – less than 50% – but Scollay said he was encouraged to see it increasing.
To read more about this story, click here.
Tags: business, Business Monitor Report, James Scollay, MYOB, New Zealand, online, Small and Medium Enterprise, SME
Posted in E-mail & the internet, New Zealand, new zealand business, Online Sales, online shopping, onlines store, social media, tablet | No Comments »
Thursday, November 21st, 2013
Photo credit - Alan Cleaver on Flickr
The internet continues to make it possible to do things for yourself and purchasing life insurance is one of those things.
And now, New Zealand-owned life insurance company, Fidelity Life, is celebrating a first for the life insurance industry with the launch of InsureYou – an innovative new service delivering a one stop online insurance shop.
Fidelity Life Chief Executive Milton Jennings says that direct-to-consumer online insurance sites have grown substantially in recent years and InsureYou now offers the next evolution in online insurance purchasing for New Zealanders.
“The online/direct insurance market is the fastest growing insurance market globally. Experience shows that many New Zealanders like the security of having professional advice to call on when purchasing insurance – that’s where InsureYou delivers,” says Mr Jennings.
“Compared to other nations, New Zealanders are typically underinsured. People opt out of the online purchasing process because it can be isolated without having the backup of personal advice. It’s at the times of claims during serious illness or major trauma events that people see the value in having a personal adviser. InsureYou delivers on both fronts – online convenience backed up by personal support.
“For clients themselves, InsureYou will change the way they think about insurance – no paper, no signature and no hassle, and the ability to engage an adviser if required.”
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: business, insurance, InsureYou, New Zealand, online
Posted in computer, consumers, E-mail & the internet, Going Digital, New Zealand, new zealand business, Online Sales, online shopping, shopping | No Comments »
Thursday, November 14th, 2013
Photo credit; David Pacey on Flickr
With Kickstarter set to launch in New Zealand this month, crowdfunding has taken off in the island nation. But a law change next year will allow for the start of a new type of crowdfunding, and New Zealand’s Snowball Effect aims to take advantage.
Unlike crowdfunding platforms like the aforementioned Kickstarter and New Zealand’s PledgeMe, which merely allow people to make a contribution to a project, Snowball Effect will actually allow contributors to gain a stake in a business they contribute to, much like owning stock.
Snowball Effect is set to launch in April of 2014, the same time the law change will come into effect. The law will make it legal to offer equity for capital through crowdfunding.
When the system is live, a company would be able to approach Snowball Effect and raise capital through the platform from members of the public, who in return take a stake in the business.
Led by directors Richard Allen and Simeon Burnett, Snowball Effect is touted as a system would reduce the cost and complexity of raising capital and would let New Zealanders easily invest in small businesses.
“What this is about is opening up and liberating and democratising the whole investment process,” Burnett says.
“One thing which has really come through strongly in the work that we’ve done is Kiwis love the idea of being able to back New Zealand businesses. They’re hugely passionate about that. So this is opening up an opportunity for New Zealanders to absolutely get in there and support businesses they like the look of.”
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: business, crowd sourcing, crowdfunding, Kickstarter, New Zealand, online, Snowball Effect
Posted in E-mail & the internet, New Zealand, new zealand business, New Zealand government, social networking, Success story | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, November 12th, 2013
Photo credit; Karen on Flickr
New Zealand’s female SME operators are outperforming men in several key areas, a national survey has revealed.
The latest MYOB Business Monitor Report shows that almost a third (30%) of SMEs operated by women increased their revenue in the 12 months to August 2013, while 44% maintained revenue levels. This compares to 30% and 42% of male SME operators.
Less than a quarter (23%) saw revenue fall in the year to August 2013, a slight advantage over their male counterparts, 25% of whom saw a drop in revenue. Three percent of each gender weren’t sure of their revenue results.
“The financial performance results our research uncovered are an extremely positive signal to women, especially those thinking of starting up a new business and those with growth aspirations,” says MYOB NZ national manager Enterprise Division, Allison Fairkettle.
“What it clearly highlights is the strength of businesses that have a woman at the helm. Female business owners are playing a major role in the success of the local and national economy, as they build their influence and extend their take-up of enabling technologies.”
To read more about this story, click here.
Tags: business, businesswomen, New Zealand, trend, women
Posted in New Zealand, new zealand business | No Comments »
Thursday, November 7th, 2013
Photo credit; Jennifer Morrow on Flickr
Outdoor clothing and equipment retailer Kathmandu has launched a new mobile website, which it says will be more convenient for customers browsing its online store on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.
“The mobile site makes navigating and searching for information far more convenient, with less tapping, clicking and scrolling when using mobile devices,” Kathmandu said.
And the company says it’s in the process of developing additional online initiatives such as international shipping, mobile apps and services such as “click and collect”, where customers can buy a product online, then pick it up from a store.
The retailer said last month that online sales had grown by 55% in the year to July 31 and contributed 4% of total revenue.
That would equate to around $15.4 million of Kathmandu’s $384 million total sales figure in its last financial year.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: business, Kathmandu, mobile, New Zealand, online
Posted in computer, E-mail & the internet, Going Digital, New Zealand, new zealand business, online shopping, onlines store, smartphone, smartphones, tablet, tablets | No Comments »
Wednesday, November 6th, 2013
Photo credit; Nick Kean on Flickr
The Kiwiest of domain names is getting ready to take flight in December and it’s the Kiwiest because it is literally .kiwi.
Christchurch-born Tim Johnson, head of Dot Kiwi, first had the idea for the domain name about two-and-a-half years ago.
When .kiwi launches – hopefully in December – it will be the first top level domain outside of .co.nz to get approval from the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers with a truly Kiwi feel.
“Running a new domain name is a really big responsibility, we had to meet a lot of criteria,” Johnson says.
For about $39 businesses and individuals will be able to claim email addresses and websites with .kiwi instead of .co.nz.
A percentage of Dot Kiwi’s revenue from the sale of .kiwi domains will be donated to the Dot Kiwi Christchurch Trust.
Johnson, a marketing executive, said Dot Kiwi was born from a desire to set up a company that would have the longevity to pump funds into the local community.
To read more on this story, click here.
Tags: .Kiwi, business, Dot Kiwi, New Zealand, online, Tim Johnson
Posted in computer, E-mail & the internet, email, emails, New Zealand, new zealand business, New Zealand government, Online Sales, onlines store, Success story | No Comments »
