Business.govt.nz has tips, tools, visual guides, and case studies to point you in the right direction when starting a business. Find information on planning, getting set up, funding and finance on the getting started package page to help you get started on the right foot.

These resources are for all New Zealanders in business. They’re built with small to medium business owners at front of mind. No matter your geographical location, or your industry, Business.govt.nz provides information to help you thrive.

Supporting people to develop and start their own business.

You can get help with:

• advice and training on how to start a business
• help with essential start-up costs
• subsidies for living costs while you’re getting started.

Each type of support has different criteria you need to meet, these are outlined on the Work and Income website.

You can get support with:

• Starting your business
• Choosing a business structure
• Running your business – education seminars/webinars and videos
• Income tax
• GST
• Employing people

Anyone setting up a new business, support for those already in business and those wanting to close down an existing business. 

If you’re out of work and want to start your own business, Flexi-wage Self-employment may be able to support you and help with costs while you get started.

You may be able to get Flexi-wage Self-employment if you’re:

• within New Zealand’s working-age population
• out of work
• disadvantaged in the labour market (which means you have, or are expected to have, difficulty getting or keeping a job), and
• at risk of long-term unemployment.

Flexi-wage Self-employment includes:

• $600 a week over 28 weeks, totalling $16,800 (pro-rated for those pursuing self-employment part-time)
• funding support through a Business, Training and Advice Grant, up to $5,000.

The website provides practical, operational, and best practice employment information to help employers and employees understand what they can do and how they should do it.

The website is free to use for any member of the public. This includes both employers and employees, but also any other individuals and organisations.

The information on the website aims to support positive relationships between employers and employees, and to promote safe, fair, and harmonious workplaces.

The Employment Learning Modules are short online courses on a range of topics relating to employment – working arrangements, employment agreements, pay and wages, etc. The new module, ‘An Introduction to Your Employment Rights’, comes in 8 different languages, and also comes with a voice-over function.

The modules are free to access, use, and sign up for, by any member of the public. This includes both employers and employees, but also any other individuals and organisations.

You and your employees will gain a better understanding of your rights and responsibilities under New Zealand employment law.

Learn the digital skills to boost your business. Whatever stage you’re at, use digital to do business smarter. 

See how other Kiwi business owners are using digital to boost their business and work smarter. Access free, self-paced training and tools and gain skills to launch your business into the digital world. 

Business.govt.nz assisted in creating Digital Boost for all New Zealand small businesses, no matter what stage or business structure you’re in. Digital Boost is free to use.

There are different ways to structure your business, depending on how you plan on running it.

Anyone thinking of starting a business

Answer three quick questions to see which structure is best suited for your business idea.

Workplace policies, together with employment agreements, are a great foundation for employment relationships.

All employers.

Build a workplace policy to let your workers know what to expect at work.

You’ll find information about:

• setting up as a contractor
• managing finances
• different business structures
• finding work
• tax and expenses
• checking your contracts
• insurance
• government help.

Business.govt.nz is free to use by any member of the public. The content is designed with New Zealand small businesses front of mind.