Surviving as a Small Business
February 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm by David FarrarOver at Public Address, there are guest posts and discussions on surviving the recession as a small business.
The first post is by Scoop’s Alastair Thompson and a second one by Xero’s Rod Drury. Xero are sponsoring the discussion about business survival strategies, and advertising its existence on this blog, and others.
We also had a discussion at Foo Camp (I’ll explain later what that is) about business surivival strategies, and it is fascinating how many good and practical ideas there might be out there. So if you have ideas, or are interested in the area, go on over to Public Address and join the conversation.
Tags: Public Address, recession, Scoop, Xero
February 27th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
“Over at Public Address, there are guest posts and discussions on surviving the recession as a small business”
Public Address???
That’s a joke right?? Good one too. Best laugh I’ve had today.
They’re the losers beset by the mindset that caused the damn recession. WTF would they know about getting out of it??
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Go & read them & see. I’m reminded of a story a staunch Nat told me the other day – he was extolling the virtues of a particular story in the Economist to an in-law. The in-law stopped him & vehemently exclaimed that no way would she ever open a right wing rag full of rubbish like the Economist.
My friend mused sadly on the state of the blindly dogmatic from either side of the spectrum.
Have a look – you’d be surprised how many small (and large) business owners frequent Public Address, they’re not all teachers, unionists & prize winning authors.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
“Go & read them & see.”
I think I’m banned from reading anything by Russell Brown.
“prize winning authors.”
Yeah? Soviet era stuff was it?
“My friend mused sadly on the state of the blindly dogmatic from either side of the spectrum.”
Yeah? You have a dog that muses??
Its only the left who are blind. There’s probably not a rightist here who was not at one time a leftist. Leftists cannot say that. The blindness is not two way. Its only the trapped in a time warp left who are ideologically blind.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I said he’s a staunch Nat – is that what you think of them?
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
Booker Prize, from memory, a terrific read.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
The Xero one looked like a straight product plug of their product – waste of time
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I was expecting a “start with a big business” joke…
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I was banned from the site and I’m happy to say I don’t even know its web address.
Theres a discussion on the topic on john Keys facebook as well. Are they stalking the PM now or something?
Better lock up your rubbish bins John.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
“I won’t read anything Public Address carries on principle. It doesn’t matter who the contributors are or what their credentials in this matter are.
But I’m not the one who’s blind and dogmatic, oh no…”
Your loss.
Ever wondered why the real world and even political circles are peopled by fairly normal, sane, socially competent people who manage somehow to discuss things civilly, reach agreements and get stuff done? While others of you are left on the sidelines, impotently spitting their obsessive, hate-filled bile for the benefit of anyone who will listen. Or maybe for their own edification?
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
What a sad lot.
Just goes to prove David despite your best intentions your comments thread has been hijacked by a bunch of complete morons.
PhilBest is the exemplar, Redbaiter sends you screaming from the room.
Anyone who can come up with ‘it’s only the left who are blind’ doesn’t deserve an audience. They’re too stupid to realise no one intelligent is listening.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
My mum is very centrist by New Zealand standards, and yet I have been right wing since I was old enough to understand basic economics (about age 6) and libertarian since I started taking a real interest in justice, logic, international events and politics (about age 10).
I have never been a “leftist”.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Interesting that Ratbaiter was at one point a “leftist”
Should we weep at the great loss to the Labour movement he was, should we sigh when we consider that his great intellect and wit has been lost forever to the progressive side? That his uncanny ability to make friends and influence people is forever in the service of the forces of reaction?
Sadly, no.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Small businesses typically do not have the time to lobby, go to talk fests or organise to lobby correctly. Interestingly, Bigger business and unions do. So small business gets rogered on a regular basis. Rules, Laws and regulations are tailored towards bigger business or unions or lower paid employees.
A small business employing a grand total of 5 people needs the HR sophistication of the big companies, ditto ACC rules, ditto RMA, ditto tax etc This is an enormous time and focus overhead. Simple stuff like the provisional tax is de facto increased 5% each year. If you decide not to go with this ludicrous assumption and then get it wrong you are then (potentially fined) and charged circa 13% for the privilege of not having a crystal ball. Outcome, many smaller companies with variable or seasonable incomes tend to overpay tax – it’s the safest outcome from their perspective but reduces the cash available to them to make investments or to feel safer to have new iniatives. Great from an economic growth perspective.
Employ a t**t and if you’re a small business and do not have the time available to understand how precisely to fire this t**t then expect to have to pay them off.
The list is long.
Generally small business owners work huge hours, take risks most people would not and at an equivalent hourly rate that would shock most people.
NZ does not give a damn about small business.
Vote:February 27th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
slijmbal. Precisely. This talk-fest should have comprised mainly of small business owners (NOT big business). Small business is where all the best ideas come from, but unfortunately (as slijmbal states), we can’t afford the time.
Vote:February 28th, 2009 at 12:34 am
The scoop one was quite good. I just want to know, did they move to a smaller office or move it home?
slijmbal: You’re right on. Tell that to the left. Something needs to be done. Especially with provisional tax. It’s retarded.
Vote:February 28th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Good morning sonic – how bizarre – i was just wondering to myself this morning ‘What ever happened to sonic – did he get called away to Scotland?’ and here you are large as life. come to http://monkeyswithtypewriter.blogspot.com/ and regale me with your wit.
Lee – MWT
Vote:February 28th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Wow, Scoop’s initial solution has been earth shattering so far. I’m looking forward to reading more and more as this beautifully formulated plan evolves. So far they have stepped up their efforts to collect their accounts (original, duh!), and they have reneged on a contractual arrangement with a building owner in Auckland, thus doing their bit to help spread the shit a little wider. Good one.
Apart from the main business that I run, I own a rental property and my response when tenants moved recently has been to lay totally new carpet and install a new stove. In addition, I have added lawn mowing and garden maintenance to the rental agreement at no extra rent. In this way I am ‘adding value’ to my investment by INCREASING my service and PROVIDING more work/business for people. I rented the property within a week of the former tenants quitting.
I’m waiting for episode two, three and four of Public Address’ corporate sponsored wankfest. I wonder at what stage we’ll get to read about how to screw more subsidies out of the government for being ‘sustainable’? After all, they carry no stock and produce nothing except recycled press releases, so I suppose their impact in the environment must be pretty minimal.
I’m with you slijmbal about the tax thing. Small business just about carries this New Zealand. In fact, when people go on about ‘the workers’, I automatically think of small business and the self employed who are the real workers of this country.
Vote:February 28th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Christopher, me too. My parents were completely apolitical, they admired both Holyoake and Kirk, but I read up on both sides of the argument when I was at high school and came down heavily in favour of Milton Friedman et al. I simply cannot understand the mentality of people who think that socialism is the intelligent choice or that it “solves” problems with a ntions economy rather than causing worse ones.
Vote:February 28th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
People like Illydois and Sonic can scoff now, but their preferred politicians who happen to be in the ascendancy now, thanks to the Left’s long march through the media and other institutions, will deliver an outcome like in Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”, if war or revolution doesn’t occur first, like it luckily did for FDR.
The phoenix that arises from the ashes of the world’s economy will arise from small government, pro development, pro entrepreneurial nations. Our Anglo Saxon descendants will be carrying coffee to bosses from these nations. Jim Rogers, George Soros’ one-time right hand man, is candidly advising entrepreneurs and technicians to emigrate to Asia where their input is appreciated; shades of Ayn Rand and John Galt. (He lives in Singapore himself).
Vote:March 1st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Hi,
Thanks for the post David. Scoop’s response to the economic circumstances has been a bit more complicated than alluded to above. And in the 2 posts remaining on the subject I will probably allude to some of the other things we have done. Getting costs under control (and understood) and cutting overheads is the first and most important survival step any small business can take at present.
If you read the discussion in both threads to date you will quickly find that it is considerably more than an echo chamber.
alastair
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