Weekly Digest – 9 June 2021

Weekly Digest – 9 June 2021

Welcome back to our Weekly Digest. Read on for the latest updates and some ideas to help us all move forward.

NZ-Victoria Travel Bubble Suspension Extended

New Zealand’s travel pause with Victoria will be extended until at least 7:59 pm on 10 June. However, New Zealand citizens, permanent residents, and those with humanitarian exemptions and critical workers who got stranded in Victoria will be allowed to fly back from 9 June.

Those boarding these flights will be required to carry evidence of a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test conducted no more than 72 hours before departure.

Pfizer to Deliver 1 Million Vaccine Doses in July

Pfizer has confirmed the delivery of 1 million doses of its vaccine to New Zealand in July, nearly doubling the total number of doses delivered so far to 1.9 million. This number of doses is enough to vaccinate a quarter of all eligible New Zealanders 16 years old and above.

Government to Invest $20 Million to Support Four Māori Boarding Schools

The government committed in 2020 to invest in Māori boarding schools to develop facilities and create a modern learning environment for students. The three Maori boarding schools in Hawke’s Bay will receive over $20 million to address property issues and maintain their operations. This is part of over a $1 billion Budget package aimed at elevating Māori aspirations in education, employment, housing, and health.

NZTE Releases Insights from 14,000 International Shoppers of F&B Products

New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) has released its latest research involving 14,000 international shoppers of Food & Beverage (F&B) products across Australia, China, Singapore, Japan, the US, and the UK.

The eight attributes that drive consumer purchases are: tasty, affordable, trusted brand, safe product, healthy, fresh, ethical, and on-trend. Although these may sound obvious, these are valuable insights that you can take into consideration when you market, package, and develop your channels.

Training Incentive Allowance to Support 16,000 Kiwis

The government is bringing back the Training Incentive Allowance to support 16,000 New Zealanders to retrain and gain higher skills. An investment of $127 million will be given over four years from the COVID-19 Recovery and Response Fund to reinstate this program.

Non-Bank Lenders Join Business Finance Guarantee Scheme

Business Finance Guarantee loans can help small and medium businesses access credit for cash flow, capital assets and projects related to, responding to, or recovering from the impacts of COVID-19.

If you borrow from a bank, it will determine the amount you can borrow and the length of the term up to a maximum of $5 million payable in five years. Meanwhile, if you borrow from a non-bank, the maximum amount is $3 million payable in five years. More information on eligibility criteria and how it works can be found here.

Applications for Business Finance Guarantee loans are open until 30 June 2021. If you need help or have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop us a message.

Free Online Digital Training and Support Tool

DigitalBoost.co.nz is a free training and support service to help businesses develop their digital capabilities. This includes providing support on cybersecurity and fraud prevention.

Get in touch with us if you need help with your business.

Short-term Absence Payment

This is available for businesses, including self-employed people, to help pay employees who cannot work from home while they wait at home for a COVID-19 test result. This is a one-off payment of $350. You can find the details here.

Leave Support Scheme

The Leave Support Scheme is available for businesses, including self-employed people, to help pay their workers who can’t work from home and meet certain health criteria, eg they have COVID-19 or are a ‘close contact’ who has been told to self-isolate for 14 days.

The Leave Support Scheme is paid as a 2-week lump sum per eligible employee.

The Leave Support Scheme is paid at a flat rate of:

  • $585.80 a week for full-time workers who were working 20 hours or more a week
  • $350 a week for part-time workers who were working less than 20 hours a week.

Find out more about the Leave Support Scheme here.

Small Business Cashflow Scheme Extended Until 2023

The Small Business Cashflow (loan) Scheme has been extended until 31 December 2023.

Organisations and small to medium businesses, including sole traders and the self-employed, may be eligible for a one-off loan with a term of 5 years if they have been adversely affected by COVID-19.

The maximum amount loaned is $10,000 plus $1,800 per full-time-equivalent employee. The annual interest rate will be 3% beginning from the date of the loan being provided. Interest will not be charged if the loan is fully paid back within 2 years.

You can find out more here, or simply get in touch with us so we can provide our professional assistance.

Kiwi Business Boost Tool

The Government has funded specialist consultancy support services to provide advice to businesses who need it. You can use the Kiwi Business Boost Tool to find out what services are available in your region.

The Treasury website’s COVID-19 Economic Response Measures can also provide more information on the range of supports available to businesses.

4 Ways to Avoid Burnout and Stay Productive

With people working from home now more than ever because of the pandemic, the stresses from mixing work and home life seem to contribute to burnout. This Forbes article teaches how to find the healthy balance so you won’t get overwhelmed and still keep up with your responsibilities.

Below is an overview of the ways to avoid burnout and deal with your tasks effectively:

  • Take regular breaks– Your mind and body need sufficient rest and refueling throughout the day to perform at their best. So take the time to rejuvenate until you feel ready to get back to your tasks.
  • Organise your time– Have some sort of routine to follow. Some people also work when they feel motivated and step away when they find it difficult to focus.
  • Set up a dedicated workspace– Create an optimised workspace that encourages efficiency and free from distractions.
  • Analyse your priorities– Spend your time wisely. The reason some people experience burnout is that they don’t prioritise and focus on doing the wrong things.

Do you have too much on your plate? Let us ease your burden– get in touch with us today and let us help you manage the finance-side of your business!

Get in touch

Contact us if you have any questions or want to discuss the next steps for your business.

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