Pro Experts Archives

Pro Experts

The Power of Connection. How Being Part of a Community Boosts Your Health

It’s 20 years since Peak Fitness & Health first opened its doors with Andy and Charissa Barham at the helm. In 2105 Sam and I took over the reins. The longest running club in Hawke’s Bay we believe, and that’s something we are pretty proud of. During our 20th anniversary celebrations it got me thinking about the power of connection...

The Great Risk Disconnect: Are Your Cybersecurity Efforts Missing the Mark?

Taking a Risk to Talk About Risk When it comes to cybersecurity, one of the first things I’m often asked to do is perform a gap analysis. This helps businesses identify the areas in their security posture that need improvement. It’s a crucial step, but surprisingly, I often encounter a glaring red flag at the very start of this process....

Residential market sees lift in sales volume

“... over the last 18 months, house prices have gone nowhere. That will change next year. Interest rate cuts will fuel confidence, and confidence will generate activity.” Jarrod Kerr, Kiwibank Chief Economist This bold statement from Kiwibank’s Chief Economist signals positive sentiment for the property market in 2025. Kerr is predicting a 6% increase in house prices over the next...

Protecting your business: Why expertise matters in workplace investigations

Author : Kerry Tattersall - Baker Tilly Staples Rodway employment relations/HR consultant, licensed private investigator Are you an employer dealing with a serious incident or ongoing situation involving a critical breakdown of processes or relationships? If so, you’ll know it’s a knotty time, often bringing multiple “he said / she said” perspectives and accounts. You could deal with it on...

Navigating the big issues for Hawke’s Bay’s business leaders

The October BDO Business Wellbeing Index shows that financial challenges and economic hurdles continue to trouble New Zealand business leaders, who are now feeling more negative about their business performance and finances than ever. So how can our business owners and leaders in Hawke’s Bay face into the current challenges – and make the most of any opportunities? Financial pressures...

Is Bill to Fast-track faster?

In our article from the Autumn 2024 issue of The Profit we discussed the concept of fast-track resource consenting processes as a more streamline approach to the traditional council-led process. We commented on the now expired COVID-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, which, distinct from the Resource Management Act, aimed to stimulate economic activity by streamlining the resource consent process...

The Legal Challenges of Artificial Intelligence

Although a scary concept for some, Artificial Intelligence (or AI) is well entrenched in today’s society. From chatbots on websites, to facial recognition in airports and even self- driving vehicles, AI is changing the way we live. Generative AI (or Gen AI) is a subcategory of AI that uses algorithms to generate outputs like text, images or audio based on...

The role of alternative assets in a balanced investment portfolio

In the quest for maximising returns while managing risk, investors are increasingly diversifying their portfolios beyond traditional assets like shares and bonds. Alternative assets offer distinct characteristics and benefits that can enhance a balanced investment strategy. In this article, I explore the types of alternative assets we use, and some benefits of holding them in an investment portfolio. Characteristics of...

The risks of using generative AI at work

Ask around the office and you’ll find that many of your people have used an AI chatbot to generate a document for work purposes. But is this putting your business and client data at risk? Here are a few things to consider with your employees using these applications, along with what you can do to help mitigate these risks. Risk...

2025:The year of opportunity

For many in the region’s primary sector (and most sectors), 2024 has been the year “to just make it through”. The good news is that things are starting to look up, with strong indications 2025 is going to be the year pressure begins to ease and businesses can begin to look forward with confidence. The general consensus is that the...