Open for business
Holiday mode
We don’t have a White Christmas in New Zealand. We head off to the beach, lake or river. I like summer holidays as much as the next Kiwi but Hague Consulting is open for business now and in January. Being open for business means being open to opportunities for growth, innovation, optimisation and new customers and markets.
Business Advisor Toss Grumley recently wrote a Linkedin post then an article in The Post questioning the practice of deferring business discussions from early December until some time in February or March. He saw a link between putting off work all summer to New Zealand’s low productivity. I think he has a point. Such a long holiday mode must affect productivity.
Closed doors or closed minds?
Many construction projects and warehouses close for 2-3 weeks, as do many head offices. That is not such a big deal. A few doors closed briefly when most people are on holiday has minimal impact. The bigger problem is the difficulty in engaging in serious business conversations from early December to late February. The quieter time of year can be ideal for exploring new ideas, testing new technology, doing research, finding better ways of working or discovering new market opportunities. It is a good time to stop and think. It is also a good time to plan action while your competitors are still at the beach.
Time to do business
We are moving out of recession. In the ANZ Bank November survey, business confidence jumped another 9 points from 58 to 67, the highest level in 11 years. Inflation was 3.0% for the year ending September 2025. Mortgage interest rates are below 5%, down from 8.5% two years ago. US Tariff mania appears to be levelling off and tariffs on key NZ exports have dropped. In an economic recovery there is a very real first-mover advantage. Seems like an odd time to say “thanks but no thanks” to new ideas.
Innovation and diversification drive growth
Most of New Zealand’s export earnings come from exporting about seven commodities to three countries: China, the United States and Australia. That deserves a big shout out to all our primary producers – most of whom work hard all through summer. We owe our standard of living to them. We also have knowledge workers exporting digital technology – films, cinema and TV post-production, sporting graphics, agritech, games, medical technologies, general software and many more. These latter industries ship products and services in seconds over fibre networks, not weeks in ships. Our future lies in innovation, scaling up of innovative businesses and further economic diversification – both in what we sell and to whom we sell it.
Leveraging systems enables scale
Existing businesses and public sector organisations can transform their performance, reach and effectiveness without having to reinvent themselves completely. Often they already have the means to do that – through the data, systems and relationships they already have but don’t leverage. I have been implementing enterprise level solutions for nearly 30 years and most organisations only use a fraction of the potential of those systems. The investment to get more benefits out of systems you already own is tiny compared to the cost of replacement. The problem is that many consultants make money from implementing new systems, not helping you get value from what you have. We focus on your value.
Isn’t that worth thinking about over summer? We are open for business. If you are too, then please give us a call. Let’s grab a coffee and chat. Enquiries@hague.co.nz
Phil Guerin, Consultant/Director, Hague Consulting Ltd. © Hague Consulting Ltd 2025. If you like this content, subscribe to our blog – it’s free! Enquiries@hague.co.nz
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