Need to be ALMOST a miracle worker to run a profitable business these days do ya

[middleaged2wheeler]

With the average person,s spending power being sucked up with general cost of living, to run a profitable successful business, seems you either have to be a near miracle worker,or have some locked tight Government contract.
I live in the Horowhenua area, and in recent times, LONG STANDING businessess have folded the last of which was our daily newspaper yesterday. The list of GONE bussinessess would be impressive, if some one was trying to achieve that statistic--but is in reality -terrible.
Feltex, Phil Turnbul, Levin Chronicle, local textile place, to name a few.
What with all the Finance companys that have evapourated people,s savings on top of that--WHO, WHAT , is causing this concentration of wealth into fewer hands---Is it Govt policy--covert albiet?
Unless the average person has spending power, above and beyond, weekly living costs,how can business survive---and who would be game enough to start one up.

[CookMySock]

Even us little businesses are struggling. Every bastard in the food chain is doing their very best to fuck then next guy above and below him. It's no fun any more - its all about whether you are prepared to be smarter, rougher, or have less morals than the next person. The people left in business are those who know how to say NO, those who are prepared to bash the next person to death, and those who are prepared to break the law. Basically, its "get used to it or get out". Not for the faint hearted.

DB

[Strang0r]

sad sad times....

[middleaged2wheeler]

Failed finance company investors, in reality, would have been better off putting their bucks into Harleys or BMWs or some expensive bike for at least they would still have them to enjoy.
The small business world sounds very rough and tough--red tape experts for sure.

[Ixion]

..
What with all the Finance companys that have evapourated people,s savings on top of that--WHO, WHAT , is causing this concentration of wealth into fewer hands---Is it Govt policy--covert albiet?
..

The wealth is not being concentrated into fewer hands, or not Kiwi hands, at any rate. Nor is it overt government policy.

The wealth stripped from the hard working poor (and realtively poor) has trickled up, to the multinational corporations and been sent off shore.

New Zealand is being asset stripped.

[avgas]

yep - the gubbermints left the whole thing wide open for little greedy's while the rest who had a clue have either moved themselves or operations overseas.
My recommendations would be to leave the sinking ship asap or learn how to swim as the NZ economy gets stuck in a tidal storm of global complications.

[Big Dave]

I think the closure of rural small business is more to do with the technology.

What was once a horror journey to the big smoke for commerce has been replaced by 4wds with climate control, a smooth motorway and the intarnet.

[tri boy]

Meh. Just a lower, (but not necessarily the bottom) of another NZ financial cycle.
Those with high set overheads are feeling the pain, and some are going under. On the other hand, smart bussiness's with low overheads, and set costs are increasing advertising, and prepping themselves for the upside in about a year.
Those who grizzle about "cutthroat competitors n undercutting sharks" are those that have the aforementioned issues.
Yes it's are rough time for many, but nobody can say it wasn't predicted, they just closed their ears an eyes to the approaching wave. MHO

[middleaged2wheeler]

The corporate world got the blank cheque with Roger Douglas labour Govt way bac in 84 and successive PRIVATISATIONS especially electricity grid, telecom, Gst increases, Employment contracts act ,have squashed the work force,at least those dependant on some sort of production or throughput, as they have to compete with overseas labour standards,UNLESS your in the civil servant realm, who seem to able able to muscle up decent wages.
So PRODUCTION WORKERS ARE COMPETING WITH their counterparts in ASIA and god knows where else. AND THE QUAINT GLOBAL VILLAGE concept is really only a way of putting the boot into our workforce. OUR daily lives are vastly different from a worker in Thailand, Samoa or China and yet NZ workforce has to compete with them--Global village warm fussies is a con.

[scracha]

Even us little businesses are struggling.
DB

?? I'm busier than ever. Had to tighten up the credit though as businesses taking a LOT longer to pay their bills.

[middleaged2wheeler]

Remember the TOYOTA car factory in THAMES ? Won international production excellence awards for quality and output. The workforce was to be proud--and them on the scrapheap a few short years later--because???? cheaper elsewhere and the workforce didn,t mean a ???? thing.
They tuned that workforce to the max--then dumped them all--pawns in a game.

[middleaged2wheeler]

Current adverts on TV talk about violence and abuse--but isn,t that also violent and abusive when you fine tune a workforce and reward them all with unemployment---the violence and abuse concept has some sort of tunnel vision in the household--and rules of engagement should apply to the workforce as well and the greater part of society.

[CookMySock]

?? I'm busier than ever. Had to tighten up the credit though as businesses taking a LOT longer to pay their bills.

I didn't say I wasn't BUSY, I said those in the food chain above and below me want me dead. I have turnover for the taking, but the sharks are getting sneakier. , which I think is exactly what you said.

I don't have any competitors - I killed them all. Its my suppliers and my customers who are getting underhand. Everyone is trying to lock everyone else into a deal so they have the upper hand. If I say yes, I lose, if I say no, I starve. I can't win. Striking the balance so I have work but still make money is the problem.

The government isn't to blame - I am to blame, as usual. Toughen up, get wise, and say NO. A new attitude is required.

Steve

[middleaged2wheeler]

And when THIS GREAT OFF SHORE production trend is no longer "CHEAPER"--we,ll have to re-tool our workforce and THEN small and other businessess may have a better chance and less ruthless enviroment,and even a pleasant successful,sustainable exisitence.
Eventually other global economies will become richer and not be doing things CHEAPER on any vast scale. Being flat out on the job all day and half the night, is not the receipe for large riches and well offness, that it may have in the past.

[middleaged2wheeler]

the govt sets the enviroment in which you operate--with rules,taxes etc etc and whether free or controlled market in your arena of work--so don,t put yourself down---there are forces beyond your control which you have to make sense of and win over, with in a competitive situation and sometimes OVER COMPETITION is pretty destructive.