SaaS has become a firmly established and successful business model leveraged by many well-known brands and businesses such as Spotify, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and New Zealand’s own Xero. NZTE's Jon Davies attended the industry's flagship SaaStr event in San Francisco recently - one of more than 100 Kiwis among the 10,000 people who streamed through its doors. Here's his take on what we can expect form the SaaS community in 2018.

The opportunity for New Zealand natural product companies in the US is immense – in the words of US natural products leader Gary Hirshberg, “unlimited”. But that doesn't mean it's easy. Three US-based natural products experts, including Whole Foods Market former co-CEO Walter Robb, recently spent time in New Zealand to help natural products companies with their US market entry - here are a few tips they've passed on for successfully navigating this bountiful, yet complex market.

Saudi Arabia is not a country that’s used to rapid change - yet few places have altered as quickly or as dramatically as the Kingdom in the last 18 months, and perceptions of the country haven't kept pace with the new realities. Chris Tozer, New Zealand’s Trade Commissioner for Saudi Arabia, lifts the lid on the real Saudi Arabia, and the market opportunities it presents for New Zealand exporters in 2018.

The countdown is on! In just two weeks at Villa Maria Estate, 12 global thought leaders in customer-centred design and innovation will join 380 of New Zealand’s top business and design leaders at the Better by Design CEO Summit 2018. Powerful, interactive and fast-paced, this Summit will give you the knowledge and tools you need to build a truly customer-centred business. With just 30 tickets left, this summit will sell out so get in quick. Read more below and secure your space at this sell-out event.

To date, the Japanese have limited experience of New Zealand's technological success and have seen little evidence that we have the right characteristics to produce globally competitive technology. The good news is there are no significantly negative perceptions of New Zealand technology to combat. The New Zealand Story recently conducted some in-market research revealing key tips and considerations for NZ tech companies, as captured in this blog from New Zealand Story Director, Rebecca Smith.

When AJ Hackett asked the bank for funding to make his bungy jumping venture a reality, the bank told him to jump. That didn't stop him and business partner Henry Van Asch from turning their idea into a reality. Here's their story. 

In this final extract from No. 8 Recharged, the follow-up to the successful No. 8 Rewired, David Downs & Dr. Michelle Dickinson show how the creative thinking that New Zealand has become renowned for is being expanded and improved.

The Winter Olympics gave South Korea a first-class opportunity to showcase its credentials to the world. But making the most of the games means pursuing a concerted reputation and economic strategy that aligns all key national stakeholders around a single, coherent vision for its country brand - and, says, Andrew Hammond of the London School of Economics, New Zealand is a case in point.

New Zealand company Method makes bins. But not just any bins - bins that encourage "open plan recycling" that the company hopes can spark a worldwide sustainability revolution. Thanks to a healthy dose of customer empathy work, which included talking to cleaners and architects, their bins are flying out the door. Ben Mack of Idealog dives into the Method approach to design.

Are you an Auckland, Waikato, Northland or Wellington-based business? If the answer is yes, Export New Zealand's regional awards programmes are the perfect opportunity to reflect on all you've achieved, and to celebrate your hard work. Whether you are a small business who has just started out on your export journey, or an experienced exporter, there's a category for you. Even better, for the first time, businesses who enter the regional awards in an export category are automatically entered into the New Zealand International Business Awards. Regional awards programmes for Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Canterbury will open shortly.

Our Export Essentials workshops are in full swing for 2018, with CHRISTCHURCH (21 March) and AUCKLAND (28 March) up next. Get the tools and action plan you need to reach your exporting goals, save time, money, and stress - and get onto a path for long-term success internationally. We'll also be heading to Nelson, Wellington and Dunedin - access all the upcoming dates and registration below.

The call is out for nominations for the University of Auckland Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate outstanding Māori excellence and success in business. If you know any individuals and organisations making outstanding contributions to the advancement of Māori enterprise in New Zealand and around the world, nominate below!

Now more than ever, there is greater imperative to provide transparency, traceability and authenticity throughout the food supply chain. Hear from leading experts in food safety on how to leverage New Zealand’s reputation to improve market access, go beyond regulations, and carve out your competitive advantage as a food producer.

A brand isn't a logo - it’s an experience based on making a promise and delivering. So how do you use that experience to build and sustain a reputation in distant markets? This half-day workshop will provide you with the frameworks and tools to to get your international market research and validation right.

Callaghan Innovation and Te Wānanga o Aotearoa have teamed up with Creative HQ, Robett Hollis, Crowe Horwath and Ernst & Young Tahi to create Kōkiri, a unique business accelerator dedicated to speeding up the development of fledgling Māori businesses. Find out more about the ten promising young startups from across Aotearoa who have been selected to participate in the four-month Kōkiri programme.

New Zealand's top 200 technology companies created 4,352 jobs in the 2017 financial year alone. That's good news, but filling those roles can be a challenge, which is why local iwi Ngāti Whātua is gearing up to help fill the demand for tech experts in New Zealand. Māori Television interviewed Ngāti Whātua Chief Innovation Officer Te Aroha Morehu about the opportunity.