Xero Blog

It was great to discuss the state of small business in New Zealand on a panel alongside some inspirational businessmen and women this morning. I always enjoy sitting down with business leaders, and our partners and customers, to talk about how business is faring and what needs to improve.

My career hasn’t followed a typical path. Like many young people I went to college without a clear understanding of what I wanted to do. I chose a broad degree to keep my options open.

Xero and direct debit payment solution GoCardless have teamed up to launch an integration to help tackle late payments in Australia. Businesses can now accept direct debit payments through GoCardless for Xero, which is expected to improve payment times, and the transaction is automatically marked paid in Xero.

When hearing from business owners about their stories, we find most have incredibly interesting backgrounds — and Jerome Tam is no exception: he studied aviation in the University of Leeds, almost made the cut as a pilot for Cathay Pacific airlines before cutting his teeth in sales roles for insurance companies.

When Ale Industries started out, it was rare to find a brewery that had a taproom slinging a triple-hopped IPA. Today, these are some of the staples of an ever-evolving industry.

In support of Plastic Free July, we’re catching up with a few Kiwi businesses that are determined to improve sustainability in New Zealand. CaliWoods reusable straws are an environmentally-friendly stainless steel alternative to plastic straws.

When business is booming, not having cash flow can be a major obstacle for businesses, hindering opportunities and limiting their ability to grow. Securing a new deal or major order can take weeks, months or even years, and business owners may find that traditional finance providers don’t understand or work quickly enough to provide funding for new opportunities as they arise.

When you’re running a small business, your website is usually how your customers find you. Often, they purchase directly through your website too. So having your website go down can really cost you.

This guest post was written by Ben Murphy, Sales and Partnerships Manager at Spotcap NZ. Cash flow is the lifeblood of any business and the most important metric that fuels growth.