How have businesses coped with Covid? Have there been success stories? Who has struggled the most? What can we learn from this experience? In this interview we talk to Kirk Hope, the CEO of Business NZ to get his inside perspective on how businesses in New Zealand have been coping with the pandemic. We also talk about why some businesses achieve far greater success than others in competitive industries.
0;37 Kirk Hope’s role at Business NZ
4:00 Is it as simple as just pivoting to navigate through Covid?
10:44 Mental Health concerns for business owners going forward.
12:55 To what extent does the government listen to Business NZ?
17:00 Examples of businesses responding to the challenges and thriving.
20:00 To what extent are members expecting changes to buyer behaviour to become permanent?
24:58 Working from home versus an office.
31:54 How does New Zealand (NZ) rate in supporting entrepreneurs particularly when they fail?
40:15 With Small to Medium Enterprises (SME’s) where do we need to fill the gaps in NZ?
43:30 To what extent are small business owners guilty of not spending enough time working on their business rather than in them?
45:44 Offering free digital training – is it a good thing that it is free?
51:55 Why do some businesses excel above all others in an industry?
56:50 To what extent are NZ businesses being held back by staff shortages?