When we wrote our Christmas list as a five year old, it seemed that every toy was a need not a want. Cast this forward to our business owners operating in today’s unremitting economic hurricane and although the lists have moved on from a train set, Go-Kart, pocket knife and torch to a more sober register of cash, sales growth, efficiencies, innovation, succession plans and more cash, we continue to see these gifts as needs rather than wants. Perhaps they are needs but one thing has changed, we now have some control over whether that list is realised. Those that grasp the strategic planning bull by the horns in the immediate future are more likely to make it to the gateway of prosperity.

It’s just possible your wonderful idea will make you rich. It’s almost certain that it will make you poor first. If you are ready to risk it, talk to your accountant. You’ll need financial structures that are robust enough to cope with tight times—or rapid success. And there are some important tax and liability issues that can be devastating if overlooked. This Guide helps New Zealanders turn their ideas into world-beating products, businesses and brands.