In the free market system, understanding how contracts can work for or against you is a major start in building valuable intangible assets for your business.

Using a neutral local intermediary to arrange offshore manufacturing can be a sensible option, but does not necessarily avoid all risk. An Auckland medical devices supplier commission a batch of components to be manufactured in China. As the Auckland company was not experienced with this type of project, a deal with a factory in Guang […]

Unless the founders are already well funded, at some point most companies are going to need external investment to support business growth. This can come from a range of sources, and there may be fish-hooks. What to look for in an investor/business partner The harsh reality is that not all investors or business partners are […]

News story- Zuru founders buy Dotcom mansion.   Overnight success? The “overnight success” that Zuru Toys now enjoys is the spinoff from an excellent business identity strategy. It’s unusual for a small business from NZ to achieve this level of distinctiveness internationally. Many New Zealand businesses operate under generic brands in our protected marketplace, blissfully […]

What possible problem could there be in translating your brand into Mandarin for the Chinese market? It should be easy enough to do and cost you very little. Just ask New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. The company has traded in China since 2003, adopting the Mandarin brand “新百伦” (pronounced Xin Bai Lun).  An application to […]

Any company that has more than one shareholder needs a shareholder’s agreement, and the sooner the better. The main reason is that while it’s easy enough to incorporate a company, the hard part is keeping it running smoothly through thick and thin. Enthusiastic entrepreneurs sometimes underestimate the issues and difficulties that may arise during the […]

Every business that runs client credit accounts needs effective terms of trade. This means the following issues must be addressed: Security A supplier can take security over goods sold on credit terms by registering a financing statement on the Personal Property Securities Register (“PPSR”). Unregistered securities (such as retention of title or Romalpa clauses) lose […]

Viet Nam is a small, developing nation with a relatively large population. Because of its location on key international trade routes, control of Viet Nam has always been of great interest to bigger players. After enduring many centuries of foreign occupation and war, Viet Nam now faces increasing tensions in the South China Sea. Instead […]

  Not much it would seem, apart from being male and rich. But they do share a common bond. Their company brands have all come under serious attack in the huge Chinese market.   Elon Musk honoured the memory of 19th century Czech engineer Nikolas Tesla by naming his luxury electric car after him.  Musk […]

“In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes” – Benjamin Franklin, US politician 1706-1790. To this can be added a further certainty-you will leave a sizeable digital footprint. As more and more business is transacted online, a typical business owner’s digital footprint grows ever larger. Without the right forward planning, […]