Blog Archives

Maybe our focus on value add and the knowledge economy was misguided….

August 26, 2007

Business, Economic Development, Efficiency, New Zealand, Society, Strategy

News this week that the Fonterra estimated milk solids payout to farmers is looking to go stratospheric and pump billions of dollars into our economy. There has been plenty of discussion about the downstream effects of this. Farmers are,…

Read more
Are wool exports real bad or is wine really good?????

August 24, 2007

Branding, Business, Economic Development, New Zealand, Strategy, Waipara

Interesting article this morning stating that for the first time ever, it looks likely that wine export earnings will outstrip wool export earnings this year. Leaving aside the earnings gained from adding value to wool (taking a raw material, …

Read more
Any businesses out there who could use $6mill?

August 23, 2007

Business, Economic Development

There’s a catch…….. Unlimited magazine and UK Trade and Investment are running the $6million investment challenge. The process is; 1. REGISTER: Fill in the registration form before August 31. 2. INVESTMENT CHALLENGE FORUMS: Selected entrants will then be invited…

Read more
Go figure…

August 23, 2007

Economic Development, New business, New Zealand, Strategy

A report out from the OECD has listd a string of areas in which New Zealand is weak, hampering its ability to innovate. The National party comes out swinging blaming the labout government. Two non-surprises; That we’re lacking in…

Read more
Another [finance company] bites the dust…

August 21, 2007

Business, Economic Development, New Zealand, Society

News that Nathans finance is the latest casualty. They seem to be dropping like flies around here. Some not particularly sympathetic observations; Didn’t anyone see this coming? These companies need to borrow off invesors to retire maturing debt. If…

Read more
Designing for success…

August 20, 2007

Business, Design, Economic Development, Manufacturing, New business, New Zealand, Strategy, Uncategorized

An old buddy sent me a link to this on the UK design council site about Cycle Clothing entrprise Rapha. From start up to 900,000 quid per annum turnover is an impressive statistic. It is an example of what…

Read more
Optimism – sheesh why bother…..

August 20, 2007

Economic Development, Society

I never thought I’d find someone more of the glass half empty school than myself. That is until I read this post by Lance. It’s an interesting phenomenon that there are a number of us who haven’t lived (as…

Read more
Skype outage fallout…..

August 17, 2007

Business, Design, Economic Development, IT, SaaS, Society

Everyone by now knows that Skype is/was out for a significant number of users today. Perfect timing to look at the one problem with moving to a SaaS platform (and Skype – by my internal definition is SaaS/s). Imagine…

Read more
Authentically made in China and painted with lead……

August 17, 2007

Branding, Business, Design, Economic Development, Manufacturing, My businesses, New Zealand, Strategy

Will has a good post over here giving some sag advice to startups to be authentic. It’s a valid viewpoint, especially given the recent cases involving dodgy lead paint, poisonous toothpaste and killer dog food. Recently we have seen…

Read more
Old problems, New solutions….

August 16, 2007

Business and the Environment, Economic Development, Governance, New Zealand, Society, Strategy, Waipara

This afternoon I took part in a meeting hosted by Landcare Research. Landcare has recently won funding from FRST for the next few years to investigate qualitative and quantitative methods in water resource governance. Down here in Canterbury especially…

Read more

...5 10 11 121314 15...