The SME Stream

New Zealand’s relationship with the "Land of Opportunity" is taking the spotlight in Auckland today. 

Business, trade, and political leaders are attending the annual US Business Summit. 

Christopher Luxon is set to open the summit, shedding light on the Government’s actions to strengthen bilateral ties. 

NZUS Council Executive Director Fiona Cooper told Mike Hosking New Zealand is doing great business with the US and the summit is about sharing stories about how to navigate the tariff turbulence.  

But at the same time, she says there are tonnes of opportunities in the US, in areas like technology, investment, education, agriculture, and aerospace, and this is about seizing them. 

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Jarden’s head of derivatives takes a closer look at why the GDT index hasn’t been positive since mid-August.

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A view more New Zealanders are adapting to get on the property ladder to overcome economic woes. 

Kiwibank's Annual State of Home Ownership Index finds 57% of non-owners feel locked out of the market, improving by 6%. 

It notes 60% still find the cost of living the biggest obstacle to owning a house. 

Chief Executive Steve Jurkovich told Mike Hosking more people are open to exploring different pathways to ownership. 

For example, he says, people are exploring co-owning, getting together with their parents and grandparents to try buy a house.  

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We’re at Rocklabs with Mike Christman, CEO of Scott Technology — the 112-year-old Kiwi engineering company that specialises in the design and manufacture of automated production and robotics.

Mike explains how the company  is transforming mining, protein processing, logistics, and appliance manufacturing by replacing manual tasks with AI-driven, automated systems.

He shares why margins are improving, what’s behind the company’s “Destination 2030” plan,and why the biggest barrier to automation isn’t competitors — it’s customer mindset.

Plus, Mike’s personal journey from London to New Zealand, and plans for the company to become far more visible to investors.

For more or to watch on YouTube—check out http://linktr.ee/sharedlunch

Recorded on 22nd October 2025 -  All commentary reflects the timing of the original conversation.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice.

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As expected, the Reserve Bank cut the OCR to 2.25% last week - but an unexpected side effect has been a lack of effect.

The Reserve Bank announced that this would be the end of cuts, sending the wholesale market into a panic and, therefore, seeing no change in interest rates. 

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "my message to the banks is always the same, which is pass on as much as you possibly can because it's good for the economy."

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Last weeks OCR cut brought hope of lower interest rates but the wholesale market seems to have been spooked by the Reserve Bank ruling out further cuts. 

The term wholesale interest rates have jumped in response.

ASB Chief Economist told Heather du Plessis-Allan, "we certainly put the the cost of wholesale borrowing up a bit higher as a result of this."

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The way you think about money can have a huge impact on the decisions you make with it.

In this episode, I’m unpacking the difference between scarcity and abundance thinking and how constantly feeling like there’s never enough can influence the way you approach money, opportunities and risk.

I share some of my own experiences with money, the language and thought patterns I’ve learned to recognise and why shifting your mindset doesn’t mean simply pretending your financial problems don’t exist.

Because building wealth isn’t just about thinking positively. It’s about creating a healthier relationship with money so you can make clearer, more intentional decisions about what you do with it.

Ready to start building? Join our #1 Business Training today ⬇️

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The Deputy Prime Minister and Act Party leader talks about using KiwiSaver to buy a farm. Plus, he enters the age-old debate on the age of eligibility for the National Super. And - is Chris Hipkins’s capital gains tax politically palatable or a poisoned chalice?

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We got another OCR cut this week - now down to 2.25% - the lowest it's been since June of 2022. 

That was the last one for the year, so a lot of us mortgage holders are trying to figure out whether things are slowing down, and if it's time to fix for a longer term this time around. 

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.