Despite everything, the quality we look for most in business is honesty. We all have an innate desire to believe in what we buy and who we do business with. While the world may look at times like a trust free zone, in business transparency and honesty are everything....
We don’t know how lucky we are, mate
My mum is sick, the sort of sick where you don't get better, and for the past few months my family has gone through the best of times and the worst of times. The worst because we are preparing to lose someone who means the world to us, and the best because we have all...
It’s boring winning all the time
All Blacks fans are a tough crowd and it’s getting all a little tedious. Two games against Australia in the past two weeks saw two fantastic contests– one a comprehensive, record-breaking loss for the men in black, the other a complete turnaround where they played the...
“it’s a freaking tree in a lake’
People are strange creatures - some us us miss the point entirely and some of us can never be pleased. A story I read online recently put that into stark effect - in a humorous way as well. A collection of reviews of our country's popular tourist attractions...
A healthy review profile substantially increases revenue for small businesses
A recent study in the US analysed the impact of reviews on revenue for small businesses and the results are extremely telling. Marketing and CRM software company, Womply, produced a research piece entitled "How online reviews impact small business revenue",...
Online reputation significant driver for potential employees
Reviews are obviously a major factor in driving customers toward businesses but they also massively impact upon job seekers' choices when selecting companies to work for. A study released last year in the US by indeed.com found that over 95% of potential employees...
Etiquette is not a universal truth
Etiquette is a strange concept. While some would think that there was a right way of doing something, based on their own notion of manners or social niceties, others will have an entirely different point of view and will act accordingly. Driving is a great example,...
Cafe owners’ reputation garners unwanted attention
Hospitality is a hard industry to work in. The customer is always right and customers are pickiest about what they eat, where they stay, and how they are treated in the process. I've worked in hospitality, many years ago, and I can still remember being summoned to a...
UK regulators in mission to stop the sale of fake reviews
With every innovation comes those looking to exploit it through manipulation and fraud. Online reviews are no different and the unscrupulous go to great lengths to make money out of the sale and dissemination of fake reviews. In the UK, the Competition and Markets...
How free is our freedom of expression?
Yesterday a Christchurch man was sentenced to 21 months in jail for disseminating the video posted to Facebook by the perpetrator of the March Mosque attacks. His conviction has raised issues and questions about hate speech and free speech and the rights of...









