Sidekick Wanaka

30/09/2026

A huge Wanaka welcome to Sidekick Flintoffs in Invercargill.

Flintoffs has been part of the Southland business community since 1994, and we’re stoked to have Jo Thomson, Jackie Palmer and their team joining the Sidekick family.

They’re still proudly local, still independently owned and operated, and now have the backing of the Sidekick group behind them.

Welcome to the group, Sidekick Flintoffs.

Read the full story and watch our interview with Jo and Jackie. 👇

Sidekick is growing and is now in Southland. Welcome to Sidekick Flintoffs, with Jo Thomson and Jackie Palmer joining Sidekick.

22/09/2026

Have you received this letter? IRD is cracking down on PAYE payments, so this one’s worth checking.

Employers whose annual PAYE and ESCT is $500,000 or more, are being sent letters reminding them that PAYE needs to be paid twice a month from 1 October 2026.

This rule isn't new, but IRD is cracking down on compliance, so now’s a good time to make sure your payroll and payment process are set up correctly.

We've broken down who this affects, the payment dates and what you need to do in our latest blog.

If your business is over the $500K threshold, have a read and talk to us if you're unsure what you need to change.

Read the blog here:

If your annual PAYE and ESCT is $500,000 or more, you need to pay PAYE twice a month. Here's what NZ businesses need to know from 1 October 2026.

17/09/2026

If you're using a standard markup across your products & services, you might be making less than you think.

Markup and margin aren't the same thing, and getting them confused can have a serious impact on your profit.

Here’s Ali, one of our Selwyn based advisors (and a dedicated Metallica fan 🤘🏽), to explain the difference.

We've also put together a free Markup vs Margin Calculator so you can plug in your purchase price, adjust the markup and see exactly what margin you're actually making.

Have a play with it, then if you're ready to define your numbers further, talk to your Sidekick advisor about building a pricing strategy that works for your business and the lifestyle you want from it.

Try the free calculator here: https://www.sidekickca.co.nz/markup-vs-margin/

10/09/2026

Xero is putting its prices up from 1 October 2026, so this is the perfect time to check that you’re getting the most value from it.

The new standard monthly prices excluding GST are:
• Ignite: $37
• Grow: $89
• Comprehensive: $117
• Ultimate: $135

There are plenty of features and automations that can save you time and your Xero work harder for you.

We can help you identify where you could automate some of the repetitive stuff you're still doing manually.

And while you're reviewing your Xero use, it's not a bad time to look at your own pricing too.

When did you last check whether your prices still cover your costs, give you the margin you need and reflect the value you're providing?

We've covered the Xero price increase, getting more from Xero and reviewing your own pricing in our latest blog.

Take a look ⬇️

Xero prices are increasing from 1 October 2026. See the new NZ prices and find out how to get more value from Xero with automations and Sidekick support.

08/09/2026

What an incredible result for Hayden Paddon and John Kennard!

Second overall at WRC Rally Paraguay, back on the world stage and taking on the very best. An outstanding achievement.

Even more remarkable, it comes 10 years after Hayden and John made history by winning Rally Argentina in 2016, becoming the first Kiwi crew to win a WRC event.

That says a lot about Hayden’s tenacity, ability and determination to keep competing at the highest level.

Many in the Sidekick community will know Hayden well, particularly clients from our Wanaka, Rangiora and Timaru offices, where he has shared his story and experiences with us.

One of the things we love about what we do is getting to celebrate the people we work alongside, and seeing them be more successful in their own fields. Hayden’s latest result is a pretty great example of that.

We’re proud to get behind great Kiwis like Hayden and celebrate their successes along the way. Read more

Congratulations Hayden and John. What a result.

Read the full story 👇

Close, but not close enough for Hayden Paddon in the WRC Rally de Paraguay as Finland's Sami Pajari and Marko Salminen made FIA World Rally Championship history as they claimed their first three WRC wins have come consecutively.

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. We’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 we recommend this month:
1. Loop in your Sidekick advisor 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.

Thanks to Richard Spackman from Aoraki Foundation for the quick chat in Timaru this morning.

27/08/2026

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

We 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 us in early.
We’ll help you understand the opportunity before you commit.

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, talk to us. We can help you build a plan and get ahead of it.

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

20/08/2026

What could you do with 5 extra hours a week?

A lot of 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. We 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 us a message to start working with the right systems and the right people in your corner.