{"id":248887,"date":"2026-01-24T02:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T02:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/248887\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T02:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T02:51:08","slug":"three-ways-to-kickstart-our-small-business-engine-bridget-snelling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/248887\/","title":{"rendered":"Three ways to kickstart our small business engine – Bridget Snelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

During 2023, small business sales growth<\/a> averaged a limp 0.6% year\u2011on\u2011year in the first half, only nudging up to 1.9% in the September quarter, according to Xero Small Business Insights data. Jobs went backwards, down 1.3% on average in the first half and down 1.2% in the September quarter.<\/p>\n

Talk to a yoga instructor, a hairdresser or a local florist and you\u2019ll hear the same thing: customers stretched out time between their appointments, traded down or focused on the basics. The purse strings tightened \u2013 hard \u2013 and small businesses wore the brunt.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time for the \u201cso what?\u201d and the fact is, when our small business economy is thriving, we all feel it. They account for 97% of all businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand and roughly a quarter of our nation\u2019s GDP.<\/p>\n

When they slow, communities hollow out \u2013 more \u201cfor lease\u201d signs, fewer apprentices and slimmer pay packets to spend on those \u201cnice to haves\u201d. When they thrive, the effects multiply: jobs, investment, innovation and vibrant town centres.<\/p>\n

The early signs of a reset<\/p>\n

But it looks like we might finally be turning a corner (I dearly hope) as we get a pep back in our step and stare down the barrel of a new year \u2013 an election year no less.<\/p>\n

Inflation is coming back down<\/a>. Growth is expected to broaden beyond agriculture. Economists are predicting unemployment will ease slightly as the year progresses.<\/p>\n

None of this is a magic wand \u2013 but together, these shifts can give small businesses the breathing room they need.<\/p>\n

The truth is, our Kiwi small business owners are some of the most resilient operators in the world. They\u2019ve weathered shocks, downturns, and uncertainty before \u2013 and done it with creativity, grit and community behind them.<\/p>\n

So, what do we need to support and supercharge our small business economy in 2026?<\/p>\n

The answer is threefold: what can small businesses do, what can we as consumers do, and what should we look to the government to do?<\/p>\n

\"Here'sHere’s how shoppers and government can boost mall businesses’ recovery. Photo \/ 123rf<\/p>\n

Running small businesses smarter, not harder<\/p>\n

Firstly, small business owners<\/a> can make big gains this year by working smarter, not harder. Simple productivity upgrades \u2013 like adopting digital tools, automating routine admin and upskilling teams \u2013 can free up time for the work that really matters.<\/p>\n

Generative AI tools<\/a> can be used to automate time-consuming tasks, such as drafting professional emails, summarising lengthy meeting transcripts and generating first drafts of marketing copy or product descriptions. The efficiency gains are well worth trialling a new approach.<\/p>\n

Keeping cashflow healthy<\/a> is crucial too: using automatic reminders, easy payment options and \u201cpay now\u201d buttons helps reduce late payments and boosts stability.<\/p>\n

As customer confidence returns, strengthening loyalty through great experiences and genuine connection will help bring people back.<\/p>\n

And because surprises are inevitable, the most resilient businesses will be the ones that stay nimble: keeping costs tight, staying clear on priorities and being ready to pivot when the unexpected happens.<\/p>\n

Being conscious consumers<\/p>\n

We should all be trying to spend locally<\/a> as much as possible. We recently found that redirecting just 10% of consumer spending from big to small retailers could add $11b to the small business economy.<\/p>\n

Imagine that cash injection flowing through our small business economy. That\u2019s the sort of local multiplier a spreadsheet can\u2019t even begin to capture.<\/p>\n

Continuing government support for small business<\/p>\n

Finally, all eyes will be on our government<\/a> and opposing political parties as campaign promises begin to roll out before the election later this year.<\/p>\n

From a small business perspective, we\u2019ve seen some strong strides to empower productivity through innovations in Open Banking \/ Consumer Data Rights, the Investment Boost and the AI funding pilot announced earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Looking forward, as the global economy becomes increasingly digitised, New Zealand must ensure our small businesses and the workforce is equipped with the skills to thrive.<\/p>\n

Digital literacy, cyber security awareness, AI \u2013 these are everyday realities for businesses owners, and ongoing support for upskilling to compete in this economy will be essential.<\/p>\n

If we grow a digitally fluent workforce, our local businesses can compete worldwide, attract new investment, hold on to great people and stay resilient no matter what comes our way.<\/p>\n

As we shake off the fatigue of last year and step into 2026, the path ahead feels a little lighter. With small businesses doing what they do best, customers choosing local when they can, and continued momentum in digital capability across the workforce, we have every reason to feel optimistic.<\/p>\n

Our small business economy doesn\u2019t need grand gestures; just the right mix of support, smarts, and community spirit.<\/p>\n

If we can channel that, this year won\u2019t just mark a turning point. It\u2019ll mark the start of a stronger, more resilient chapter for Aotearoa New Zealand.<\/p>\n

Catch up on the debates that dominated the week by signing up to our Opinion newsletter<\/a> \u2013 a weekly round-up of our best commentary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"During 2023, small business sales growth averaged a limp 0.6% year\u2011on\u2011year in the first half, only nudging up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":248888,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[31875,138,32878,3278,141889,111,43,139,69,22213,4499,144903,1529,61,1955],"class_list":["post-248887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-zealand","tag-bridget","tag-business","tag-engine","tag-facts","tag-kickstart","tag-new-zealand","tag-news","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-our","tag-small","tag-snelling","tag-three","tag-to","tag-ways"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=248887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/248887\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/248888"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=248887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=248887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=248887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}