Resource Directory

Webinars are staples of modern business. Anyone can create a webinar
and reap the rewards. When webinars are done well, they can increase
your customer base and grow the knowledge of your brand. Webinars
that are not done well can decrease the customer base and ruin your
reputation. By following the advice in this book, you will understand the
necessary steps to create a successful webinar.

Resident withholding tax (“RWT”) and non-resident withholding tax (“NRWT”) are a withholding tax on income that is passive in nature.
• RWT applies to resident passive income
• NRWT applies to non-resident passive income

While a training program on workplace manners and courtesy may seem like overkill, the reality is: rudeness is an epidemic costing industry million a year. To address the growing problem of incivility in the work setting, this book introduces the concept of civility, its importance to a company, as well as its typical causes and effects. Skills needed to effectively practice civil behaviour, as well as different ways organizations can systematize civility in the workplace will also be discussed.

Change is a constant in many of our lives. All around us, technologies, processes, people, ideas, and methods often change, affecting the way we perform daily tasks and live our lives. This book will give any leader tools to implement changes more smoothly and to have those changes better accepted. This book will also give you an understanding of how change is implemented and some tools for managing reactions to change.

Phone skills are a highly valuable tool to have in an employee’s skill-set, and Call Centre Training will help provide those skills. This book will help you improve your phone skills which will make you more confident, improve sales, and help gain new customers while retaining your current cliental.

Writing is a key method of communication for most people, and it’s one that many people struggle with. This book will give you a refresher on basic writing concepts such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It will also provide an overview of the most common business documents such as proposals, reports, and agendas.

The loss of valuable leadership can cripple a company. Business succession planning is essentially preparing successors to take on vital leadership roles when the need arises.

Success in any industry relies on relationships, whether with co-workers, clients, suppliers, or investors. When you’re well-mannered and considerate in dealing with others, you create engaging, productive, and long-term business relationships. As such, it is important to learn, not just the technical side of a business, but how to conduct one’s self in the company of others.

A company’s ethics will determine its reputation. Good business ethics are essential for the long-term success of an organization. Implementing an ethical program will foster a successful company culture and increase profitability. Developing a business ethics program takes time and effort, but doing so will do more than improve business, it will change lives.

Business Acumen is all about seeing the big picture and recognizing that all decisions, no matter how small, can have an effect on the bottom line. In this book, you will learn how to increase your financial literacy and improve your business sense.

Everyday businesses deal with budgets and financial reports in some form or fashion. At minimum, business managers review budget numbers and run financial reports for decision-making and reporting to shareholders and Federal regulators once a month. Many companies devote the last few months of the calendar year to creating budgets for the next calendar year. In addition, organizations create and disseminate year-end financial reports to investors.

Can you tell if someone is telling the truth just by looking at them? It is a skill that a lot of people do not have. Through Body Language Basics you will be given a set of tools to use to your advantage. These tools can be utilized in the office and at home. Understanding Body Language will provide you a great advantage in your daily communications.

While many who enter into management and leadership roles want to be genuinely liked by the workers they supervise, seeking popularity for its own sake can be a dead-end path. This book helps you take the first steps on what will be a continuous journey towards becoming a more effective boss, the side effects of which are both likeability and respect.

While many who enter into management and leadership roles want to be genuinely liked by the workers they supervise, seeking popularity for its own sake can be a dead-end path. This book helps you take the first steps on what will be a continuous journey towards becoming a more effective boss, the side effects of which are both likeability and respect.

Numbers! Numbers! Numbers! Wherever you go, you are bound to see them. On addresses, license plates, phones, prices, and of course, money! Numbers connect us all to each other in many more ways than we might imagine. Essentially, our world revolves around numbers. Some of us enjoy dealing with numbers while others may have a fear of them, or even a phobia. For those of you who have already recognized and appreciate the impact that numbers actually have on just about everything, you deserve a cookie.

A distracted workforce is less than effective. Employees who do not pay attention to their work can waste valuable time and make careless mistakes. Attention management is a useful skill that allows managers to connect with their employees on an emotional level and motivate them to focus on their work and how to reach their personal and company goals.

Assertiveness and self-confidence are comprised of important interpersonal communications skills and traits that can be learned and practiced. This book will provide you with many tips, techniques, and opportunities to try out your own skills.

Every organization is responsible for maintaining records. The ability to create, organize, and maintain records and archives is essential to success. Correct records keeping will not only offer liability protection; it will also increase efficiency and productivity. To put it simply, maintaining records and archives will improve the bottom line.

Organizations can be thought of as living entities comprised of individuals working toward a common goal. Appreciative Inquiry has the ability to change an entire organization by changing its people. Through positive questioning, employees will be directed to move in a positive direction. Recognizing the strengths and values of what works, as opposed to what is wrong, will transform individuals thereby transforming organizations.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” We would like to add a third item to his list: anger. Anger can be an incredibly damaging force, costing people their jobs, personal relationships, and even their lives when it gets out of hand. However, since everyone experiences anger, it is important to have constructive approaches to manage it effectively.

Bloom’s Taxonomy is not just for elementary school teachers. The three domains of the taxonomy apply to adult education as well. In this book, we will pay attention to the psychomotor domain. This is the domain of action and physicality. It is important to remember that psychomotor works together with the other domains when implementing it.

Having effective administrative skills are essential in today’s work environment. Being organised, punctual, and effective in your communication skills, both written and verbal are crucial if you want to achieve your goals in any endeavour you pursue. Good administrative skills reduce the risk of “things falling through the cracks.” Great administrative skills create exponential results that spot potential problems, overcome obstacles, and leverage resources effectively.

Administrative office procedures may not be glamorous, but they are essential to the success of any enterprise. A well-run office reduces miscommunications and helps to eliminate common errors. By making the administrative office a priority, you will establish clear policies and procedures with employee understanding and buy-in, which ensures that your work environment runs smoothly.

What is Accountability? Accountability is an essential factor in an exceptional, high functioning workplace. It is very important to build a team that fosters workplace accountability, since accountability will be reflected in the accuracy and efficiency of the work produced by the employees.

New privacy laws, which will replace the current Privacy Act, are expected to come into force in 2020. The purpose of the new law is to promote and protect individual privacy. The new laws will maintain the current information principles’ based framework while updating the law to reflect the needs of the digital age.

One-on-one meetings are such an integral part of the networking experience. Let’s look into one-on-one meetings in more detail and how you can make the most of them.

Running your own business is one of the most rewarding things in the world, but it can be tough, especially if you are trying to do everything on your own.  That is why networking should be part of every business marketing plan.  It might seem strange to think that standing around chatting and drinking coffee can supercharge your business, but it can.

If an employer’s action or inaction makes the situation at work so intolerable for the employee that the employee resigns, it may be considered a constructive dismissal. It can be subject to a personal grievance.

Workplace stress is not defined by law. It can be caused by a number of things, including: an unreasonable workload; lack of health and safety precautions against hazards; workplace bullying; workplace restructuring; a toxic work environment.  An employer must make sure, as reasonably possible, that health and safety risks in the workplace are identified and managed properly.  This includes workplace stress and fatigue.

From 1 July 2019, the maximum weekly rate of parental leave payments has increased from $564.38 per week to $585.80 per week before tax.  The minimum rate for self-employed persons increases to $177.00 per week, which is equal to 10 hours of adult the minimum wage. Government-funded paid parental leave is intended to support expectant and new parents during some of the first months of their babies’ lives.

An increasing number of employers are coming to us with gripes about how their employees are using and abusing sick leave entitlements. There appears to be a prevailing attitude in New Zealand that sick leave is a “right” and that it should be treated almost an extension of an employee’s annual leave.

66% of businesses fail. Because of our expertise, we see a lot of these businesses. There are many reasons why a business can fail, and a dispute between the shareholders is one of the reasons which is common. As such, it is important to properly document arrangements between the shareholders before hands are shaken.

Before undergoing a restructure it is important to seek legal advice. If you are considering restructuring and would like to talk to one of our employment specialists then please contact The Engine.

You wouldn’t interrupt people talking at a café to try and sell them something (unless it was another cup of coffee or a slice of pie). In the same way, people aren’t on social media to be sold goods and services. They’re there to see what their friends are up to, share interesting content, and engage with their favourite brands in social way (that’s where we come in!).

This month our employment team has focused on company restructures. No employer wants to face a personal grievance claim, so the head of our employment team has written an article to help you: understand the legal requirements, follow a proper process, recognise the ‘red flags’ and know the appropriate questions to be asking prior to instigating any restructure process.

The above question is an important one, as the answer dictates your rights, obligations and duties towards your workers. If your worker is an employee, then their relationship with your business is governed by New Zealand employment law and their written employment agreement. However, if they are a contractor, then New Zealand employment laws do not apply to that relationship.

When an event happens in the workplace involving potential serious misconduct, the employer may elect to suspend the employee. However, unless a proper process is followed the suspension can back-fire on the employer. The general rule for all employers is that an employer generally has no legal right to suspend an employee in the absences of a statutory or contractual right to do so.

With Christmas right around the corner, employers should be aware of their obligations to their employees. We have compiled a list of issues that employers should keep an eye out for during the silly season. Alcohol in the workplace: under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015, employers are required to eliminate (or if it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate, then to minimise) risks to the health and safety of their employees.

Trial periods have been available to employers in New Zealand since 2009. They were originally introduced by the government to reduce the risk to business owners of hiring new staff. The introduction of trial periods coincided with the global financial crisis, and many New Zealand business owners used the trial period to take on new staff, knowing that if it didn’t work out in the first three months the employee could be moved on.

It’s obvious, a PCBU must ensure their workers are safe while at work – but do we really understand the extent of those obligations? The new Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 places important obligations on PCBU’s in relation to their workers’ health. A PCBU has a key duty to provide and maintain an environment for workers that does not risk anyone’s health and safety.

Franchising in New Zealand continues to grow strongly and there are many examples of successful franchised systems.  A Massey University Study in 2017 demonstrated the growing popularity of franchising in New Zealand. The number of business format franchise systems operating in New Zealand increased from 446 in 2012 to 631 in 2017.

Often people with a successful business are considering a range of options for expanding their business. In evaluating the options, franchising is becoming an increasingly popular option for well-established businesses operating in a local market but wishing to expand regionally or nationally. 

Today’s pace of living and working isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Reliance on resilience is becoming increasingly important as people attempt to manage the impact of work, family and other responsibilities that take their toll on our bodies and our brains.
The impact that the work environment is having on the ability for people to maximise their output is critical to business success.

ACC provides personal injury cover for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand. ACC uses a risk-based classification system where business activities are grouped so the costs of work injuries are fairly distributed among similar businesses. ACC sets levies for each group by comparing costs of previous claims with total earnings within that activity group.

In uncertain times, it can be tempting to pull back on growth strategies and tighten the reins. While restructuring the business can be seen as an ‘easy’ way of reducing both overheads and staffing risk, it may not necessarily take the business forward.However, by focusing on having the right staff (as opposed to headcount) businesses can continue to thrive, even in tough times.