Do you have two spare hours?

Setting up a new business is relatively easy in New Zealand – but taking a couple of hours to make sure you’ve crossed the t’s and dotted the i’s will save you hassle down the track. Here’s a guide to the various resources available to help you set up your new business properly and understand your obligations as a business owner. There are also some fantastic resources you can use to help your business succeed.

Business.govt.nz has information and tools designed specifically for small and medium sized businesses and the people who support them. For everything from free advice on government grants for small businesses, to information on mentoring services for business owners

The Companies Office is the official register for all companies in New Zealand. You can search for companies, company directors or shareholders. And if you’re starting a new company, this is where you need to register it.

One thing you can’t avoid, especially as a business owner, is tax. The Inland Revenue (IRD) has lots of tools for businesses, with advice on how to manage your business tax and what to do if you employ staff.

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise can guide you on exporting and importing, and for more detailed information on what your responsibilities are for importing goods for business or commercial use, New Zealand Customs should be able to help you.

To see what your rights and responsibilities are as a business owner towards your consumers, and for advice on how to deal with customer complaints.

If you are a business owner, you need to be aware of your rights and responsibilities under the Commerce Act and the Fair Trading Act.

Intellectual property can be your business’ most valuable asset. To ensure that your ideas and your business are adequately protected, and to find out more about patents, trademarks, copyright and design.

MBIE offer a range of legal, statistical and economical information resources that aim to support business growth. From information about the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, to support with becoming an international business.

Statistic New Zealand offers useful statistical information which can be used to analyse the marketplace. For example, their Industry Profiler can give you stats on small businesses by industry and region, and compare numbers of new businesses, worker turnover, survival rates, and average earnings for staff, and their Market Mapper can help you locate your target market.

The introduction of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act (2007) was designed to crack down on spam messaging. The Department of Internal Affairs website outlines what you need to know about legal electronic messaging and how to avoid spamming.

A useful summary of government agencies and how they can help you and your business.