On Monday, 11th of May, cabinet will meet to decide whether New Zealand eases lock down restrictions and moves down to Level 2, in 48 hours. In all probability, the low number of new daily cases that we have seen in the past few weeks, as well as the overwhelmingly...
The devil makes work for idle hands . . .
In the middle of the four week Level 4 lockdown, I, like everyone else around New Zealand, have had to confront the element of time in this new but temporary reality. I work at home as it is, so work has not been a problem, or should I say, a huge readjustment. After...
Start-up businesses and reviews go hand in hand
Starting up a new business is hard. It takes a lot of work and a great deal of preparation and research. The best ideas in the world, and the most skillful tradespeople, craftsmen, artisans, service providers, and product sellers, still require determination, skill...
Happy customers are your best asset
We all want to move ahead in business, to grow, to be profitable, to create a solid foundation for the future and what is the key to that? Customers, happy satisfied customers who come back, time and time again, and tell their friends and family about their...
How does NoCowboys help your business? Read on . . .
Not so long ago online reviews were something novel, surprising, and enigmatic. Today they are very much an accepted part of the vast majority of consumers' experience and motivation. Even still, a number of business owners have yet to connect the dots and embrace...
Top tips for 2020? Reputation, reputation, reputation
We are two weeks into a new year and a new decade and more than ever consumers are looking for one thing above all else - a viable and visible online reputation, before even thinking of contacting a business. I read a recent study from the US that said that...
If you can’t lead, leave and shut the door behind you
On Sunday the sky over various parts of New Zealand emitted a strange orange glow. The light was infused with more than just the drifting smoke particles from the catastrophic fires from across the Tasman - it was symbolic of the apocalyptic glow that signifies the...
Control, it’s all in your hands
In the last blog piece I wrote I featured and discussed the latest survey results into online consumer reviews by BrightLocal. Since then I've been pondering a question that often has me stumped - why do some businesses neglect to market their reputation? Why, when...
Reviews – it’s not all about the star rating
It's important to remember that reviews are a subjective opinion of a consumer's experience of a service or product, and for other consumers reading reviews, they don't just focus on the number of stars - they read the text of the feedback itself. So what makes a good...
When you can’t find real fault, pick on the haka
Is there anything that raises the ire of certain Northern Hemisphere rugby critics and fans more than the All Blacks' haka? Whenever the World Cup rolls around it's always the same, tired, ignorant, and insensitive criticisms of a tradition of our game that has been...









