In this episode, David and Rob dive back into the world of economic reports and ask a tough question: who are they really for? They take some time to revisit one of the first and most popular topics, they ever covered on the show and explore what’s changed over the past 12 months. 

The discussion covers: 

• Why reports from Stats NZ, MBIE, and MFAT fail to provide practical value for SMBs 

• How productivity has become New Zealand’s biggest economic challenge, and why we’re still asking the same questions decades later 

• What meaningful support for SMBs should look like, including leadership development, actionable data, and incentives that actually drive performance 

Highlights include: 

• “You cannot improve productivity by measuring and coming up with numbers. We’ve got to improve productivity by lifting  how our businesses perform” 

• “Until one of those reports is written in plain language with a one-pager of concrete actions, SMB leaders won’t find them useful” 

• “Don’t settle for the BMW, the batch, and the boat; carry on and play for the win” 

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of The Better SMB! Please support us by liking, subscribing and leaving a review. 

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Connect with Rob and David on LinkedIn 

Rob Bull 

David Altena 

Learn more about NZ Lean Academy and the mission Rob is on to make NZ the best place in the world to do business  

Download David's NBR-featured report "Boosting Productivity in New Zealand SMEs" by joining the mailing list on the Altena Solutions website and start your journey to a more productive business today