Cheese Cartel: The ‘slow startup’ delivering on cheese dreams

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Jade Tang-Taylor and Anna Guenther from Cheese Cartel. Cheese Cartel was the outcome of a bunch of friends … Read more

How Kiwis are sending a $5 billion cheque to the Aussie banks every year

Huge numbers of Kiwi customers don’t know who owns their bank, and it’s contributing to a multi-billion dollar profit for Australian-owned banks in New Zealand every year. In 2018, Australian banks made a profit of over $5b in New Zealand. That’s $14m every day being taken out of our economy. Yet a new survey shows … Read more

The highs and lows of running fashion label I Love Ugly

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Valentin Ozich, founder of I Love Ugly. The fashion industry isn’t an easy one to break into. Very … Read more

Outland Denim: How a pair of pants on Meghan Markle helped create more than 40 new jobs

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to James Bartle, founder of ethical clothing brand Outland Denim. Right now, you’re probably wearing something you’re not super … Read more

The Kiwi-founded company making sure Domino’s has enough dough

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Campbell Brown, CEO of PredictHQ. This week we talk to Campbell Brown, the CEO of amazing NZ founded … Read more

Meet Kiri Nathan: the woman fusing te ao Māori with the world of fashion

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Kiri Nathan, the co-founder of a Māori-inspired fashion brand that’s been gifted to some of the world’s biggest … Read more

How a NZ cosmetics company is saving millions of plastic bottles from landfill

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Brianne West, founder of plastic-free cosmetics company Ethique. On the podcast this week we have an amazing guest, … Read more

Three women: stories of startups and sass in colonial Aotearoa

Catherine Bishop is embarking on the mother of all author tours for her significant new book, Women Mean Business. It’s a colourful history of women in business in 19th century New Zealand and it is busting with yarns and subtle zingers, beautiful old photos and a thoroughly-painted, confronting social context. Bishop writes about dozens of … Read more

With help from an innovation award, Dotterel’s taking the droning out of drones

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Shaun Edlin, CEO of Dotterel, and Richard Quin, Callaghan Innovation Group Manager. This week’s podcast is a little … Read more

The Bulletin: Govt makes business-friendly migrant worker changes

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Govt makes business-friendly migrant worker changes, PM off overseas to talk trade, and the cost of Christchurch water in China revealed. A range of changes around the immigration system have been announced, reports Newshub. Among the biggest headline grabbers was the decision that low paid migrants will … Read more

The New Zealand fashion label Kendall Jenner wore twice in one week

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Paris Georgia co-founders Paris Mitchell Temple and Georgia Cherrie. This week’s podcast features a chat with the duo … Read more

How Allpress Espresso went from a coffee cart to worldwide success

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Michael Allpress, founder of Allpress Espresso. If you take a step back and look at it, it’s kind … Read more

The cult of failure reaches a new peak at Unfiltered Live

‘Fail fast’ has gone from an intriguing idea to mainstream business orthodoxy in just a few short years. Jihee Junn went along to the pricey business event dedicated entirely to ‘falling forward’. It was about 9am by the time I arrived and instantly my senses were overloaded. One moment I’m wading through rush hour traffic making … Read more

How to invest ethically in KiwiSaver and why you absolutely should

Over 2.8 million New Zealanders are signed up for Kiwisaver, but not many are aware of where that money is going. Weaponry, fossil fuels and gambling services are all being invested in from some of the most popular funds, and a new charity tool is making it one step easier to change what you’re investing … Read more

The business year: Construction woes, CTO sagas, and so much corporate jargon

Business editor Maria Slade reflects on lessons learned from her truncated career in corporate PR and the enduring importance of journalism. Not so long ago I did a stint in the communications department of a large organisation which shall remain nameless… Oh bugger it, it was Fonterra. The corporate world was new to me. The … Read more

The Bulletin: Biggest ever boost to minimum wage

Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Biggest ever boost to minimum wage announced, Gerry Brownlee was well aware spy firm had been hired in CHCH, and Andrew Little talks about Google meeting. The minimum wage will jump by the largest single increase in history, from April 1 next year. The NZ Herald reports … Read more

Why using office roofs for solar power makes so much sense

The pros and cons of putting solar panels on the roof of your home are well debated. But what about the empty rooftop spaces on commercial buildings throughout our country? PowerSmart’s Sam Vivian explains why more New Zealand businesses are adding commercial solar systems to their buildings. There are two facts of life in business … Read more

Ageing like a fine wine: The family business that came back from the brink

Just like the New Zealand wine industry it champions, Fine Wine Delivery Co has been through quite a journey over the past two decades.  Back in 1997, the average house price in New Zealand was $181,000. Jim Bolger was prime minister, with Winston Peters his deputy. The world mourned Princess Diana, Titanic was released, and … Read more

Indigenous business leaders eye free-trade agreement

An indigenous free-trade agreement is one of the key ideas up for discussion at the World Indigenous Business Forum in Rotorua this week. Indigenous business leaders from around the world are looking at the ways they can create trade opportunities for their people. Hundreds of indigenous people from 25 countries are attending this week’s forum. … Read more

The Business Chat: Suffrage 125, Fonterra, and wedding magazines

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. In our regular Business Chat special, Simon Pound speaks with Maria Slade, business editor at The Spinoff, and Karyn Scherer, senior copywriter at Callaghan Innovation, about the business stories making the news this month. Either download this episode (right click … Read more

Telling Pacific stories with Lisa Taouma

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week he talks to Lisa Taouma, producer of Fresh.  Auckland is the biggest Pasifika city … Read more

WTF has happened to Kraft peanut butter?! Your questions answered

The world’s greatest spread underwent some frightening changes recently. Hayden Donnell delves into the animosity and legal wrangling behind the death and rebirth of Kraft Peanut Butter. The world of marketing is riven with betrayal. Taste the rainbow. The best a man can get. Don’t be evil. All broken promises. There’s only one tagline that’s … Read more

The Spinoff Business needs a new editor

A rare opportunity to join your friendly local website as editor of the crucial Business section. The Spinoff is seeking a journalist to write, edit and commission across the business section. Our business coverage centres on what we see as the coming New Zealand economy. Startups, small to medium-sized businesses (and how to get big), … Read more

I lost everything in a house fire, but it still wasn’t as traumatic as scaling up my business

Earlier this month, PledgeMe founder Anna Guenther’s home in Brisbane tragically burnt down. Here she explains what happened, how she felt, and why she’s unusually zen about it. On Monday morning on June 11, my house in Brisbane caught fire. To answer all the normal questions: no-one was hurt, yes everything was destroyed, no I … Read more

Why has business lost its confidence? And can we help?

GDP came out today, and it was fine – but that’s yesterday’s sales. The real question is, how does business feel about the future? It sounds a bit like one of those earnest startup pitches. Gross domestic product (GDP) provides a snapshot of the performance of the economy. GDP is New Zealand’s official measure of economic growth. GDP … Read more

Six ethical, sustainable (and stylish) clothing labels for men

Thinking about consumption is sometimes easier said than done, so we’re here to help: check out The Spinoff’s guide to buying ethical clothing for men. Last weekend we posted about a number of stylish and purpose-driven New Zealand womenswear brands, but some of our readers were feeling left out, so we brought forward the next instalment: … Read more

We’re an electricity retailer, and we’re backing the Carbon Zero Act

Within the next decade New Zealand will achieve at least 90% renewable energy. So we have nothing to fear from the Zero Carbon Act other than opportunity, argues Meridian Energy CEO Neal Barclay. While New Zealand remains small in global terms we can’t underestimate how powerful it is to work as individuals, organisations and as … Read more

Online genius or tailspin troll? Meet Todd Scott, NBR boss and tweeter-in-chief

New Zealand’s blue-chip business newspaper is these days chiefly an online operation, and its owner has plans to boost the subscriber base to 100,000. Against a backdrop of social media grenades and staff disquiet, Spinoff business editor Rebecca Stevenson talks to the NBR’s outspoken head honcho Todd Scott. Todd Scott is a truculent tweeter, taking … Read more