At Gilligan Sheppard, we are passionate about improving New Zealand business. By showcasing some incredible business stories, we hope to inspire our readers to think outside the square. Aotearoa has become a fertile ground for success and entrepreneurship, and despite being situated so far from the rest of the world, many Kiwi brands have established […]

New Zealand has officially entered a recession, and as a business owner, you’re likely feeling the pressure of high inflation and rising borrowing costs. Reducing your tax bill legally and effectively is now more critical than ever. Here’s a guide to help you maximise your tax deductions. 1. File your tax returns on time [...]

New Zealand business recession stories In 2006, Rod Drury founded Xero, a cloud-based accounting software company in New Zealand. When the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) hit in 2008, businesses struggled, but Xero saw an opportunity. They recognised that small businesses would look for cost-effective and efficient solutions to manage their finances remotely. Despite the recession, Xero focused [...]

There’s an awful lot of doom and gloom out there right now. And for pretty good reasons. The graph below caught my eye this week and probably sums up a fair chunk of what’s going on: Distribution of mortgage rates across the stock of mortgage lending This chart shows the distribution of mortgage rates paid […]

Full disclosure: I’m a marketer and a networker. They both work as growth strategies for your business, but I don’t think I could choose one over the other. If I networked my ass off, those I connected with would still probably check me out online, so my marketing game would need to be [...]

It’s that time of year when you’re either scrambling to file your last financial year before the end of March or gearing up to complete another financial year. When preparing for the year-end, you may want to start collecting the documents or information you’ll need to provide to your accountant (including but not limited to): […]

As a business owner, allocating resources effectively is crucial for growth and success. One area that often gets overlooked or underfunded is marketing. However, even modest marketing efforts can yield significant returns with the right strategies and a well-planned budget. Setting a realistic marketing budget A common rule of thumb is to allocate 2-5% of […]

My passion as an accountant for small to medium-sized businesses is to “dumb down” accounting to each business owner so they can make informed, comfortable decisions about their business. Often, I hear the words, “I am working my backside off, and it feels like I am treading water, if not sinking”, or “Maybe I must […]

What is a “Family Office”, Why have one, what have others done, and what choices exist? The “Family Office” is a relatively new label for a relatively old structure Family offices have their origins in the sixth century, when a Kings steward was responsible for managing royal wealth. The modern concept of the family office […]

Your professional development as an employee holds an integral part of what makes you thrive in the workplace. When we are given the tools and opportunities to grow, it not only benefits us individually, but it also contributes to the overall success of the company, which brings positive impacts for others within the organisation. Ensuring […]