Owning a business

Size obviously doesn't matter

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the real success story of New Zealand’s deregulated marketplace. Not only are they the largest employers, but they also account for around 40% of the economy’s output.

* 86% of SMEs employ five  or fewer full-time staff. 
* 96.8% of SMEs employ 19 or fewer full-time staff.
* 20% of SMEs do not employ any staff.

Over a third of all SMEs are property and business service providers. Finance, insurance, personnel, construction, communication services and retail trade make up a significant proportion of the balance.