Our tools and resources
This is where you’ll find all business.govt.nz tools, videos, quizzes and visual guides to help you:
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start a business and plan for growth
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pay and manage staff
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know what taxes and levies to pay
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keep people healthy and safe
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protect your IP and assets
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comply with the law.
Other government agencies provide workshops and free online tools to support you and your small business — check out our guide.
Is your business name available?
Use ONECheck to see if your business name, web domain and trade mark are available — it only takes one search.
Choose your business structure
Use this tool to help you make the best choice when it comes to structuring your business. Just three quick questions and you’re on your way to choosing a business structure.
Ten steps to start a business
Our guide gives you the complete picture of what's involved in starting up, from testing your idea to registering a trade mark.
Business plan template
This template is useful any time you need a full and thorough business plan.
Customise it to suit — this could mean adding in extra sections, or cutting out ones that you don't need.
Funding Explorer
Your business might have more funding options available than you realise. We’ll help you explore the best options.
Quick-focus business plan
Download this 10-step template and set aside no more than an hour to reset and refocus. It’ll help you work on the right things for your business — every day.
Grants and other government help
Our visual guide sets out the range of support available, from mentoring to skill building, workshops and funding — plus additional help for Māori businesses, exporters, technology companies and those in primary industries.
Test if you are ready to grow
Growth and innovation takes the right plans, resources and attitude to succeed. Are you and your business ripe to expand? Find out with our self-assessment test.
Video: Know your data
Understanding the right numbers is key to making good business decisions. Watch this video for tips on what statistics to look for, and how to use these numbers to find customers and grow your business.
Common business milestones
High, lows and speed bumps — see 20 common milestones small businesses often face at different stages, plus tips and tools that can help.
Do Business online
Setting up a new e-commerce business? Growing or expanding your existing business with an online presence? Learn how to do it right. Describe where you’re starting from and we’ll recommend advice, tools, and tips to help.
Looking for a particular tool, or help with a specific task?
Business performance
Steps and advice to help your business with long-term growth and improvement.
Discover how your approach to management and leadership works for your business, and if it could be holding you back.
If you’re experienced or just learning the ropes, find out where you need to focus to boost your business.
Think about ways to sharpen your communication and feedback skills.
Use this assessment to reflect on what your strengths are, and pinpoint how you can improve.
Discover how well you work trust and fairness into your business, and why it’s important.
If you’re experienced or just learning the ropes, find out where you need to focus to boost your business.
When you have a business, it helps if you can speak the language of business finance and confidently read and interpret your financial figures.
This tool can help you see where your financial strengths and weaknesses lie.
See how numbers can help you make big decisions, including those that involve borrowing money or seeking investors.
Exporting is exciting but challenging. It takes time, money, and commitment — maybe more than you’re ready for. Use this assessment to check if doing business overseas is for you.
Forecast your cash flow
Cash flow is an indicator of your business’s financial health. Forecasting your cash flow helps you have better conversations with your bank or advisor.
Quiz: Can my customer return it?
Test yourself on when you must give a refund, repair, or replacement for a faulty product service.
Reduce the amount of tax you need to pay by claiming as many business expenses as you can.
From vehicle costs to business assets, use these tips to pay less tax — while also following Inland Revenue's rules
Test yourself on what expenses you can claim. Then follow links from the answers to find out more.
Test yourself on tax basics, from GST to tax forms, plus how to handle PAYE and KiwiSaver contributions.
When you're done, follow links from the answers to find out more and to pick up tips to help with tax tasks.
Quiz: Test yourself on FBT
Know your fringe benefit taxes from your employee allowances and expenses? Take our quiz and find out.
When you’re done, follow links from the answers to pick up tips and find out more.
Avoid stress by following these tips on getting ready for tax time, whether you're starting out or well established.
See how to save time, get organised, and avoid complications — for different types of tax.
Employment Agreement Builder
Our DIY tool helps you create contracts tailored to your business and to each person you employ. It’s packed with tips to help you decide what to put in — and what NOT to put in. It covers what you must do by law, and also sets out common mistakes made by employers and how to avoid them.
How much will that new employee cost you?
Job ad + wages + ? = cost of a new worker. Use the Employee Cost Calculator to make sure you include hidden costs — whether it's extra equipment or training, KiwiSaver contributions or fringe benefit tax — tailored to your industry and workplace.
Employee, contractor or intern — which is right for your business and the tasks you need doing?
Here's an overview of staff types so you can choose the right kind of help. You'll also pick up tips on what you must do for each type of worker.
Hiring the right person will help your business flourish.
Get tips on what to ask and how to ask it — plus advice on other things you can do to find the best person for your team.
Follow these steps to get ready for your new recruit, from getting the right paperwork in place to setting up their workspace.
These tips will help get your working relationship off to a great start — and set your business up for success.
Our quiz runs through the basics of hiring and managing people — and sticking to employment law.
Test yourself on job descriptions and sick leave, jury service and flexible working.
Test yourself on staff types
Know the difference between a casual worker and a part-timer? Test yourself on all staff types with our quiz.
When you're done, follow links from the answers to pick up tips and find out more.
Work through these questions to make sure you’re not holding your employee back.
Checklists for hiring and managing staff
Here's a range of checklists and task lists to help you through every stage of employment, from setting up new employees, keeping employment records, managing poor performance, or preparing for an employee leaving your business.
A number of these are available in two forms — as Word documents or PDFs — so download whichever suits you best.
Build your own workplace policies
Use our Workplace Policy Builder to create policies tailored to your workplace. The tool has tips to help you decide what to put in and leave out of your policy. You’ll also find common mistakes employers make and ways to avoid them.
Which laws apply to your business?
Use our Compliance Matters tool to find out the legal requirements you and your business must follow.
You can tailor your search by topic — for example, taxes, exporting or health and safety — or to suit your industry or business structure.
Take climate action
Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint can help your business in various ways.
Check out the Climate Action Toolbox to find out how you can benefit your bottom line.
This guide shows you and any staff the requirements products or services must meet — if not, you must give a remedy.
From broken deliveries to spilled drinks, this quiz covers when to give a refund, repair or replacement — and when not to.
Going contracting
If you’re going contracting over the summer, or in general, we have tips, tools, templates and case studies to help no matter what stage you’re at.
From logos to customer databases, secret recipes to software codes, your business has intellectual property.
Use this list to identify your business’s IP assets and get tips on how to protect what’s yours.
Follow these five tips to have meaningful and effective H&S talks.
From toolbox talks to office chats, make it worker-led and hands-on so everyone is involved in staying healthy and safe.
Health and safety isn’t about paperwork and ticking boxes.
It’s about creating a work environment where everyone behaves in a safe and healthy way. Here’s how to get everyone involved in H&S.
Pick up tips on how to protect your business name, brand and best ideas.
Whether you’ve got trade marks or patents, copyright or plant varieties, find out more about different types of intellectual property.
This sets out common current assets — bank accounts, money owed to your business, and items that can easily be sold.
Customise this list to identify your business’s current assets.
This sets out common fixed assets — big-ticket items valued at $500+, including equipment, land and long-term investments.
Customise this list to identify your business’s fixed assets.