A month or so back, it was announced that there would be support offered for small to mid-sized Auckland based businesses for assistance with planning and implementation. We think this is a great initiative from the government because:
1) the operating environment continues to be very unpredictable and changeable,
2) small businesses get very little support compared to other sectors of the economy, and
3) Aro Advisers is a registered service provider with Activate Tāmaki Makaurau
The Government picks up the tab, but obviously there are a few T’s and C’s. If you’ve got an Auckland based business and would like to find out more, contact us.
House prices… again
Last month we talked interest rates. This month, we’ll jump onto something far more contentious, house prices. Economists, industry pundits, bankers and politicians have all waded in at various times, often with much finger pointing as to who has caused this run-away train. There is even a Wikipedia page titled New Zealand property bubble.
Well, there has been a bit of a contest recently, and NZ has come out on top! Economist David Rosenberg, who achieved notoriety for predicting the Global Financial Crisis has produced a table titled “housing market bubble ranking by country” and we are, unfortunately, in first place. Check it out here.
Does this mean that it’s all about to hit the fan? Probably not. And we would be armchair commentators at best. But this does reinforce our message from last month, now’s probably a good time to be smashing down expensive and unproductive debt as much as possible.
If you’re carrying a bit more debt that you would like, get in touch.
Finally, the festive season
Just like that, we are into the final month of the year and the run up to the festive season. In a typical year, this is a stressful time. But this year has been atypical, so stress levels will probably go up accordingly. Because of this, we encourage you to make sure you take at least a few days of unplugged relaxation over the holiday season.
For us in Auckland, the last few months have been a bit of a misery. There are various studies with various results as to what brings about ‘happiness’, but a consistent theme is ‘connection’. So make a point of spending time with those who are important in your life.
Have a fantastic December, and run up to the holiday season!