The Alternative Board Northland

The Alternative Board Northland We support business owners and help them get their business to the next level with supportive advisor

The OCR is now 2.50%, after the Reserve Bank increased it in July.The next review is on 2 September at 2pm.If you have a...
01/09/2026

The OCR is now 2.50%, after the Reserve Bank increased it in July.
The next review is on 2 September at 2pm.

If you have a floating rate loan, business lending or a fixed term coming up for renewal, now is a good time to work out what another rate increase would do to your monthly cash flow.

Do not wait until the bank sends the letter.
Know your numbers first.

The New Zealand economy is starting to move again, but it is a mixed picture.GDP is growing. Business confidence is up. ...
01/09/2026

The New Zealand economy is starting to move again, but it is a mixed picture.

GDP is growing. Business confidence is up. The Kiwi dollar has strengthened.

At the same time, inflation is sitting at 4.1%, interest rates have moved up again, unemployment is at 5.6%, and job advertisements are falling.

Then there is the general election on 7 November.

For local business owners, the message is simple. Do not rely on one positive number. Keep a close eye on your own cash flow, pricing, customers and team.

There are opportunities out there, but this is still a time for careful decisions.

What are you noticing in your business at the moment?

The Kiwi dollar has picked up and is sitting at around US$0.5975.That is helpful for some importers, but currency rates ...
27/08/2026

The Kiwi dollar has picked up and is sitting at around US$0.5975.

That is helpful for some importers, but currency rates can move quickly.

If you are buying stock, equipment or services in US dollars, check what happens if the rate moves before the invoice is due.

If you export, look at the actual currency impact on each contract.
The general headline does not always match the reality of your business.

✅Five things worth checking in your business this month.1. What would another rate increase do to your cash flow?2. Are ...
27/08/2026

✅Five things worth checking in your business this month.

1. What would another rate increase do to your cash flow?
2. Are your prices still covering your real costs?
3. Are customers buying, or are they only asking for quotes?
4. Are your best people feeling valued?
5. Can you make your next growth decision in stages instead of committing everything at once?

The economy is improving in parts, but it is still an uncertain time.
Knowing your numbers gives you options.

24/08/2026

💙🏉 It's the event we've all been waiting for!
Let's line the streets and show support for the almighty Northland Taniwha, winners of the Ranfurly Shield.

🛡️RANFURLY SHIELD PARADE
Saturday 29 August 2026
STARTS: 11:00am at Te Matau a Pohe Bridge
ARRIVES: 12:00 noon, Whangārei CBD

📌 Route map in the comments!

Cheer on the parade then join the celebrations in the CBD to support the team, 📸 snap a photo with the Shield, and be part of this special time in sporting history!

24/08/2026

PARADE ROUTE ANNOUNCED!
Come out and show your support as a “sea of blue” rolls through town and the Taniwha rise again! ⬆️⬆️⬆️

Wear blue and line the streets of the parade route to cheer on the almighty Northland Taniwha! The players will be travelling with the Ranfurly Shield and giving everyone a chance to be part of the celebration. No other floats!

🛡️RANFURLY SHIELD PARADE
Saturday 29 August 2026
STARTS: 11:00am at Te Matau a Pohe Bridge
ARRIVES: 12:00 noon, Whangārei CBD 🏉

The team will be leaving the CBD at 1:00pm to prepare for their Ranfurly Shield Defence match against Tasman, (nearly sold-out) at Semenoff Stadium this Sunday.

📌 Route:
The team's parade float will start by going over Te Matau a Pohe Bridge, then out on Riverside Drive going past the Northland Rugby Union practice fields and headquarters. They'll continue towards town next to the Hātea Loop and enter Central Whangarei via Rathbone Street.

The parade will finish in the CBD where there will be speeches followed by an opportunity to see the shield up close, meet the players and share in the occasion.

A useful way to find an AI opportunity is to look for the queue.Where are people regularly waiting, copying, checking, c...
20/08/2026

A useful way to find an AI opportunity is to look for the queue.

Where are people regularly waiting, copying, checking, chasing, or re-entering information?

Tasks are worth investigating when they:
✅ Happen frequently
✅ Follow a recognisable pattern
✅ Create a backlog
✅ Require repeated data entry
✅ Depend on the same information being gathered each time

Possible starting points include:
✅ Drafting standard follow-up emails
✅ Preparing a first version of a quote
✅ Creating recurring management reports
✅ Identifying overdue actions
✅ Turning meeting notes into task lists

The opportunity does not need to be exciting. It needs to be repeated, measurable and useful. If you are still feeling a bit lost over where to start just reach out to Warwick. He would be happy to connect you up.

The biggest opportunity for AI is not looking clever.It is giving business owners and teams back time.In our survey, 86%...
18/08/2026

The biggest opportunity for AI is not looking clever.

It is giving business owners and teams back time.

In our survey, 86% of respondents identified reducing repetitive administration as an area where AI could make the biggest difference.

That could mean less:
🫸 Re-keying information
🫸 Chasing follow-ups
🫸 Preparing routine reports
🫸 Sorting incoming emails
🫸 Repeating the same customer updates
🫸 Building documents from scratch

The goal is not to remove the human contribution.

The goal is to reduce the low-value repetition around it, so people have more time for customers, delivery, sales and strategic decisions.

What repetitive task takes up more of your team’s time than it should?
hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag Warwick Taylor Darryl Robinson hashtag

One of the interesting things we learned from our AI event is that most people are frustrated by software that does not ...
16/08/2026

One of the interesting things we learned from our AI event is that most people are frustrated by software that does not quite meet their business needs. The dominoes aren't falling the way we need them to, and replacing everything may not be the answer.

Existing systems can sometimes be connected through APIs or supported integrations. A focused add-on may solve the missing 10–20% without throwing away the capability you already rely on.
The right question is: can the systems share information securely and reliably?


Need to talk? Reach out to Warwick - He’ll connect you with the right people or support you directly

14/08/2026

Good Morning, Tar-'WHA-naki!

The flag has been raised on the recently renamed Mount Hooper (formally Mt Taranaki) this morning, and we can finally agree, that is a GREAT VIEW!

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8 Mason Street, Onerahi
Whangarei Heads

Telephone

+6421821567

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