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Startups Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on startups for new zealand businesses.
Raising Capital From Friends And Family: How To Do It Right (2026 Updated)
Getting your first injection of capital from friends and family can feel like the perfect win-win: you get the funds you need to launch or grow, and the people closest to you...
6 January 2025
What Is Trade Mark Specification In New Zealand? (2026 Updated)
If you’re registering a trade mark in New Zealand, it’s easy to focus on the “fun” part (your brand name or logo) and overlook the part that actually defines what you’ll own:...
6 January 2025
How To Set Expectations & Responsibilities Of Your Board Advisor (2026 Updated)
Bringing a board advisor into your business can feel like a turning point. Suddenly you’ve got someone experienced in your corner - a steady head, a strategic sounding board, and (ideally) a...
6 January 2025
How To Start A Business In New Zealand (2026 Updated)
Starting a business in New Zealand can feel equal parts exciting and overwhelming. You’ve got the idea, the motivation, and maybe even your first customers lined up - but then the “legal...
6 January 2025
Information Memorandum Disclaimers: What You Need To Know (2026 Updated)
If you’re raising capital, selling a business, or bringing in strategic partners, you’ll probably hear the term “information memorandum” (often shortened to “IM”). It can feel like a straightforward marketing document -...
6 January 2025
How To Allocate Shares In A Startup (2026 Updated)
Allocating shares in your startup can feel like one of the most exciting steps of building your business - because it’s when “the idea” becomes a real company with real ownership. But...
6 January 2025
I’m A Startup Founder: When Can I Start Paying Myself? (2026 Updated)
You’ve incorporated your startup, you’re working long hours, and you’re probably covering a few business costs out of your own pocket. So it’s a totally fair question: when can you start paying...
6 January 2025
Can I Go Into Business With A Foreign Partner? (2026 Updated)
Teaming up with a business partner overseas can be a huge advantage. You might bring local market knowledge and networks in New Zealand, while they bring capital, specialised skills, manufacturing capability, or...
6 January 2025
Preparing For A Capital Raise (2026 Updated)
Raising capital can be a game-changer for your business - whether you’re hiring faster, building product, expanding into new markets, or finally getting the runway you need to execute properly. But investors...
6 January 2025
ESOP or ESS: Which One Is Right For My Business? (2026 Updated)
If you’re trying to attract and retain great people, you’ve probably heard founders throw around terms like “ESOP” and “ESS” as if they’re interchangeable. They’re related, but they’re not the same thing...
6 January 2025
What Is A Share Subscription Letter And When Do I Need It? (2026 Updated)
Raising money is exciting - but the paperwork can feel like a speed bump, especially if you’re bringing investors in for the first time. A share subscription letter (sometimes called a “share...
6 January 2025
Should I Use A Sweat Equity Agreement For My Startup? (2026 Updated)
When you’re building a startup, cash is usually tight but the to-do list is endless. So it makes sense to look at “sweat equity” - bringing someone on who contributes time, skills,...
6 January 2025
What Is A Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement? (2026 Updated)
If you’re sharing ideas, pricing, customer data, product roadmaps or anything “not public” with another business, you’ll usually want an NDA in place first. A Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (Mutual NDA) is one...
6 January 2025
Do Startup Founders Need Official Contracts? (2026 Updated)
When you’re building a startup, it’s tempting to keep everything “lightweight” at the start. You might be working with a co-founder you trust, a developer you found through a friend, or your...
6 January 2025
Operating As A Sole Trader? Here’s What You Need To Know (2026 Updated)
Running your business as a sole trader can be a great way to get started in New Zealand. It’s simple, flexible, and usually cheaper to set up than a company. But “simple”...
6 January 2025
Business Startup Checklist Australia (2026 Updated)
Starting a business is exciting - but it can also feel like you’re juggling 50 things at once (idea, branding, pricing, suppliers, a website… and then the legal side on top of...
6 January 2025
Phantom Share Option Plans - 6 Things You Need To Know (2026 Updated)
If you’re building a growing business, chances are you’ve thought about how to attract (and keep) great people when cash is tight, priorities are moving fast, and you’re trying to scale without...
6 January 2025
What You Need To Know About Raising Capital (2026 Updated)
Raising capital can feel like a turning point for your business - exciting, a bit nerve-wracking, and (if we’re being honest) full of new terms and “gotchas” you didn’t realise you needed...
6 January 2025
How Does Equity Financing Work? (2026 Updated)
Equity financing can be an exciting milestone. It usually means your business has moved beyond the “bootstrapping” phase and you’re ready to bring in outside investors to fund growth. But it can...
6 January 2025
What Is An Email Disclaimer? (2026 Updated)
If you run a business, you’ve probably seen an email footer that says something like “This email is confidential” or “Any views expressed are the sender’s”. It’s easy to copy and paste...
6 January 2025
5 Easy Ways to Make Your Small Business More Sustainable (2026 Updated)
More customers are choosing brands that genuinely reduce waste, treat people well, and operate responsibly. If you’re running a small business in New Zealand, that’s good news - sustainability can be a...
6 January 2025
A Guide To Running An Ecommerce Business (2026 Updated)
Running an ecommerce business can feel like the best of both worlds: you get the reach of the internet, the flexibility of digital tools, and the ability to scale without needing a...
6 January 2025
Everything You Need To Know About Canva & Copyright (2026 Updated)
Canva has made it ridiculously easy to create logos, social posts, pitch decks, product labels, and just about anything else your business needs. But there’s a catch: “easy to design” doesn’t always...
6 January 2025
How To Implement An Effective Complaint Policy (2026 Updated)
Complaints happen in every business. It might be a customer unhappy with a refund, a client frustrated about service quality, or an employee raising a serious concern about behaviour at work. The...
6 January 2025
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