Your step-by-step guide to starting a business in New Zealand

If it’s time to put that kiwi ingenuity to use and make your business dreams a reality, this is the guide for you! The early days of business ownership can be overwhelming; there is so much to do before you can start doing business, but a little extra effort at this crucial early stage can help to give your business a strong start. 

Here is a guide to getting that business off the ground: 

Start with a plan, and keep it simple

First things first, you need to document all those great ideas and make a business plan. Think about including details such as:

• What you want to do, and how you are going to get there
• A financial plan with targets
• Who your customers are
• An analysis of your competitors, and what makes your business different to theirs
• How you will market your business

This will make sure you have thought through the important details and understand the types of commitments needed to be successful.

You should also understand legal and compliance requirements as most New Zealand businesses must meet certain legal obligations, which will vary depending on your industry.

• Licences and permits – Some businesses need specific licences to operate (e.g. food handling, alcohol sales, childcare, or building).
• Health & Safety obligations – Under WorkSafe NZ, every business must have policies and processes in place to keep staff and customers safe.
• Employment basics – If you’re hiring, you’ll need written employment agreements, to register as an employer, and to contribute to KiwiSaver.

Make it official

Becoming a legitimate business is just a few forms and signed dotted lines away. Here are some of official things you may need to take care of:

Name your business

Once you have thought of a business name, run it through the ONECheck tool to see if the business name, trademark, web domain, and social media accounts are available for use. You can then reserve your name with the NZ Companies Office.

Decide your structure

Operating solo? Need staff? How you decide to structure your business, some common types are sole trader, partnership, or a company. You will have to decide which is the best fit for thy type of business you are starting, you can learn more about business structures on the Ministry of Business, Innovation, & Employment’s website.  

Set up with Inland Revenue (IRD)

Make sure you understand your tax obligations, including income tax, provisional tax, and PAYE if you plan on hiring employees.

Set up a RealMe account (you may even already have one)

A RealMe account that verifies your identity and lets you login to your government accounts with a single username and password. You may already have one if you have done things like making an account with Inland Revenue or applying for a passport. If this is your first time needing a RealMe account, you can set one up here.

Register for a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN)

A New Zealand Business Number is a number unique to your business that holds important details about your business, making it easier to share these details with other business and agencies. You will automatically be assigned one when you register a company, if you are a sole trader you will need to register for one.

Register your company

If you intend to register your business as a company you can do this through the New Zealand Companies Office.

Register for GST (if applicable)

You’ll need to register if you expect to earn more than NZD $60,000 in a 12-month period.

Keep your business safe

Now that your business is up and running, you may want to think about the steps you can take to keep it safe. Take a moment to think about what could go wrong in the type of business you run, and what the repercussions of that would look like. There are many Business Insurance options which can help cover you from the financial implications of these risks and protect what you are working so hard to build. Some common types of Business Insurance include:

• Public Liability Insurance – to cover legal and repair costs if you accidentally cause damage to someone else’s property, or injury to a member of the public (when not covered by ACC).
• Professional Indemnity Insurance – to cover costs of claims from a customer alleging you made a miscalculation, lost documentation, failed to meet a deadline, or gave incorrect advice.
• Cyber Liability Insurance – to cover legal costs and expenses caused by cyber incidents such as data breaches, extortion, forensic investigation, and business interruption.
• A Business Insurance Package – a package tailored to your business with options to include Building, Property, Tool & Portable Equipment, and Business Interruption cover.

You can learn about more types of insurance here.