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03/09/2026

The OCR has moved. Here’s what it could mean for your business.
Yesterday the Reserve Bank increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 2.5% to 2.75%.

Richard has broken down what that could mean for your business in this reel.

The bigger question for business owners is what you do with the change.

You can’t control the OCR, but you can control how prepared your business is for changes in the cost of capital.

That means understanding your profitability, cashflow, debt and what different interest rate scenarios could mean for your bottom line.

It’s also a good excuse to celebrate 8 years of Richard at Sidekick today. Richard, spent years in banking prior to joining the Sidekick family, and is one of the resident banking specialists in our group who we can call on when we need advice.

If you’re keen to look at an interest rate strategy for your business, get in touch. I’d love to help.

01/09/2026

What happens to your business if you die without a will?

Without a valid will, you don’t get to decide what happens to the assets you’ve spent years building. The law does that for you.

It can mean frozen accounts, cashflow pressure, uncertainty over who can make decisions and, in some cases, it can get messy and expensive.

September is Wills Month, so it’s a good prompt to get your affairs in order.

Two things I recommend this month:
1. Loop in myself and your lawyer to talk about how your will, business structure and future plans work together.
2. Think about the legacy you want to leave. If supporting your local community matters to you, look into your local community foundation and how you can make a difference beyond your lifetime.

You’ve worked hard to build it. Make sure you have a plan for what happens next.

30/08/2026

Half my job is telling clients what they don't want to hear. I can only do that properly because I've got people doing the same for me.

I keep people around who'll challenge a decision before I've made it, let me ask the question I'd normally be too proud to ask, and tell me straight when I've got it wrong.

If you're doing this alone, it’ll be harder than it needs to be.

Thinking about buying a business? Here are 5 things to check before you commit. I can help you with the numbers, but the...
27/08/2026

Thinking about buying a business?
Here are 5 things to check before you commit.

I can help you with the numbers, but there are some questions that only you can answer like:

Is this the right business for you?
Will it give you the life you actually want?
What happens when the current owner leaves?
And do you really understand what you're buying?

Save this post for when that opportunity comes along.

And if you're already looking at a business to buy, loop me in early.
I can help you understand the opportunity before you commit.

25/08/2026

There's nothing wrong with being wrong. I've never seen a successful business that hasn't had a few bad calls along the way.

What matters is what happens after, do you go back and look at it honestly, or pretend it didn't happen?
Every failure is just information you didn't have before.

23/08/2026

Cashflow is like toilet paper. It’s only a problem when it runs out.
Sounds crazy, but it’s the true.

When the money’s coming in and everything’s getting paid, cashflow isn’t something most business owners think about….Until you run out of accessible funds.

Good cashflow management is about seeing the squeeze coming before you’re too deep to make a move.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
• Do you know what your cash position looks like over the next 30, 60 or 90 days?
• Are customers paying on time?
• Do you have enough buffer for the unexpected?

Don’t wait until you get the to last few sheets to find out.

If you don’t have a cash management strategy in place, get in touch. I'll help you build a plan and get ahead of it.

A big thanks to Ali from our Selwyn office for this analogy.

Been seeing a bunch of "I'm rich because" posts this week. Time with the kids. Staff who actually want to show up. Walki...
20/08/2026

Been seeing a bunch of "I'm rich because" posts this week. Time with the kids. Staff who actually want to show up. Walking away for two weeks and coming back to find nothing's on fire.

None of that shows up on a balance sheet. But I've never once seen it happen by accident either.

It comes from someone going through the business properly, the numbers, the time, the stuff nobody wants to look at closely. Fix that, and the rest starts moving on its own. Pricing stops feeling scary. Staff decisions stop feeling like gambling. You stop needing to be there for the business to run.

Money's cool. It pays the bills and it's nice to have. But the actual prize is what it buys you the freedom to do.

What could you do with 5 extra hours a week?A lot of Otago business owners are stuck in employee mode. Trading hours ins...
20/08/2026

What could you do with 5 extra hours a week?

A lot of Otago business owners are stuck in employee mode. Trading hours instead of outcomes, working IN the business instead of ON it, and feeling like the only one who can keep it running.

That's where an advisor changes things. I look deeper, spot the gaps and help you build a plan that actually moves you forward.

Sometimes that means shifting your tech stack to Xero and Xero connected apps, so the admin runs itself.

Sometimes it means rethinking how you spend your time altogether.

So, what would you do with your extra 5 hours?

Send me a message to start working with the right systems and the right person in your corner.

19/08/2026

The latest Xero insights show sales are up with agriculture leading the way at 16.3% growth.

Industry growth is great, but it doesn’t necessarily mean more profit in your pocket or more cash in the bank.

The real question is ‘how is YOUR business doing?’

Here's what our team are seeing in the numbers and what business owners should be thinking about as they grow.

Growth needs a plan. And that plan starts with knowing your numbers.

Want to get a better handle on where your business is heading? Send me a message and let’s talk.

View the full Xero Small Business Insights 👇
https://www.xero.com/nz/resources/small-business-insights/latest-new-zealand/

17/08/2026

There’s a difference between knowing the problem and having actually lived it.
I used to advise clients on cash flow from the outside. Now I've sat there myself, working out if I can cover the gap.

That's the difference in how I advise clients now. I'm not guessing what you're going through, I've been through it.

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