http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.bspadvisory.co.nz en-us Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:32:08 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/170103/why-does-everything-still-end-up-back-on-your-desk/ I want to share a conversation that, in many ways, acts as a litmus test for almost any business.Recently I had a Zoom with a business owner who was exploring whether working with BSP might make sense. By most measures, he has a good business.●      Solid revenue.●      A capable team.●      Customers who genuinely enjoy dealing with him.On paper, things looked good. But within a few minutes, I could tell something ... Tue, 15 Sep 2026 16:39:46 +1200 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post170103 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/169828/i-drove-6-hours-for-this/ Many moons ago, I played in a band.We weren't rock stars. But we weren't bad either. Good enough to get booked, and good enough that people showed up.Then one year, the gigs started rolling in. Regional venues, a few festivals, the local pubs. The kind of momentum that makes you think this is actually working.The highlight was playing at a packed motorcycle club festival near Rotorua. Four to five thousand people. The sun was out. Engines rumbling in every direction.We hit the stage and the whol... Fri, 08 May 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post169828 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/169116/a-quick-test-most-business-owners-fail/ Quick question.. and it's worth being real with yourself on this one.If you disappeared from your business for four weeks: no calls, no check-ins, no "just a quick question", what would actually fall apart?If the answer is a lot, you're not alone.. and it's not because you've done something wrong.It's because the thing that got your business here, you, might now be the thing quietly holding it back.What It Usually Looks Like From the InsideThe team is working. Customers are being looked after. J... Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post169116 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/161897/how-do-i-get-my-team-to-care-as-much-as-i-do/ Underneath that sentence is something heavier than frustration. It's the specific loneliness of carrying the weight of something. The risk, the vision, the responsibility, while the people around you move through it like it's just a job.Because for them, it is just a job. Until you change that.It's Not Really a Question About Your TeamIt's a question about whether the weight you carry every day is something you'll always carry alone.Not because your team is bad. Not because you've hired the wron... Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:06:38 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post161897 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/168854/costs-are-rising-again-this-is-where-it-gets-tricky/ And enough to bring up the question every business owner knows:Do we pass it on… or absorb it?On paper, it looks like a pricing decision. In reality, it rarely feels that simple. Because neither option sits clean.If you pass it on:You risk pushback.You wonder how customers will respond.You don't want to be seen as taking advantage.If you absorb it:Margins tighten.Pressure builds quietly.You carry more of it than you should.So most businesses do what feels safest.They hold.Adjust slightly.Wait ... Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post168854 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/160631/are-you-rewarding-performance-or-creating-entitlement/ Pay conversations are rarely just about money. They usually carry something else: Pressure on margins.  Concern about setting precedent.  Uncertainty about what is actually being rewarded.  Most business owners want to reward performance fairly. But when remuneration conversations happen, performance often gets reduced to whatever is easiest to measure: Revenue generatedTargets achievedHours workedOutput deliveredResults matter.But paying purely ... Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:17:08 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post160631 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/160129/can-your-business-actually-afford-to-grow/ The pace hasn’t quite returned. The phone is quieter. There’s a bit of mental space again, often for the first time in a long while. And for many owners, this is when a familiar thought starts to surface: “This feels like the year I need to make more sense of the business.” Not in a dramatic way. Not because something is broken. But because carrying things as they are feels heavier than it should. Growth is usually part of that thinking. More customers. More revenue. More momentum. But f... Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post160129 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/158978/what-should-i-do-about-wage-increases-this-year/ One of the most uncomfortable moments for a business owner isn’t a bad month or a tough customer...It’s sitting across the table from a good employee, knowing their expenses are rising faster than their pay, and wondering whether saying “yes” to a pay increase today, quietly creates a problem you can’t easily undo tomorrow.There is a practical way to handle wage increases without blowing your budget or damaging trust.It doesn’t involve saying yes to everything — or avoiding the con... Mon, 19 Jan 2026 11:38:51 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post158978 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/156254/introducing-the-step-programme-a-clear-pathway-for-new-zealand-business-owners-who-want-control-growth-time-or-a-successful-exit/ Running a business in New Zealand today requires resilience, adaptability, and no small amount of grit. Between labour shortages, rising costs, operational pressure, competitive markets, and the seemingly endless demands from customers, staff, and administration — it’s no wonder business owners often feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure of their next strategic move.For many owners, the business that once felt exciting and full of possibility now feels like a weight that never quite lifts.At BS... Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post156254 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/post/94694/a-must-read-for-every-new-zealand-business-owner-over-50-in-2025/ If you own a business in New Zealand and you’re over 50, what you’re about to read is one of the most important messages you’ll hear this year.You’ve survived Covid. You’ve pushed through labour shortages, inflation, rising costs, and constant operational pressure.You’ve done what most New Zealanders will never understand — kept a business alive through some of the toughest years in decades. Well done!But right now, there is a far bigger challenge quietly forming beneath the surfac... Mon, 17 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.bspadvisory.co.nz/blog/#post94694