Latest fromBest of Business Analysis
Christopher Niesche: Strategy wipeout for surfwear firm
COMMENT: How did SurfStitch think it could turn a buck by selling content when so many media companies are struggling to do so?
Brian Gaynor: Rural co-ops lack market savvy at board table
COMMENT: A number of recent developments highlight concerns about the corporate governance of rural-based companies.
Mary Holm: Huge mortgage? Don't add to it
COMMENT: Increasing your mortgage for an overseas holiday might not have a sunny ending.
Diana Clement: Stand firm when others are panicking
COMMENT: Crashes are inevitable, but should be seen as opportunities, not crises.
Juha Saarinen: What's next for Sky and Vodafone?
COMMENT: Sky shareholders must be jubilant with the proposed merger with Vodafone.
Brian Fallow: NZ mortgage boom ushers in danger
COMMENT: Debt is growing twice as fast as economic growth, writes Brian Fallow.
John Drinnan: Voda-Sky deal a win-win-win
COMMENT: Another day, another media merger. The combination of Sky TV and Vodafone amounts to a takeover of Sky.
Get Sorted: Greetings from the gig economy
COMMENT: How to survive today's changing working conditions and not derail plans for the long term.
Graham McGregor: Making your business unique and special
COMMENT: What do you do in your business that most other businesses in your field don't do?
Nation of Debt: Giddy new heights draw '87 reminder
COMMENT: NZ's total debt is poised to hit half a trillion dollars as mortgage lending surges to levels not seen since the global financial crisis.
Debbie Mayo-Smith: Hands down the best email tip ever
COMMENT: This is going to be short. Sweet. Perhaps a bit life changing if you get piles of emails.
City of cranes has a boom that's a bust
COMMENT: Auckland feels like a boom town. Its shortage of houses, hotels, roads, schoolrooms and tradies dominates the conversations.
Mary Holm: Buying a home was never a doddle
COMMENT: How does buying now compare to 1989? The data may surprise.
Brian Gaynor: University numbers mean big business
COMMENT: Does tertiary education needs a new approach?
Diana Clement: Travellers beware insurance snags
COMMENT: Medical conditions boost premiums but hospital bills are even worse.
Gear Friday: IoT and VR at Computex 2016
Juha Saarinen tries virtual reality and a number of gadgets at this year's Computex in Taiwan.
Brian Fallow: Fiddling while the emissions grow
COMMENT: Legislation has been taken to remove the Emmissions Trading Scheme's buy one, get one free provision.
John Drinnan: Maori TV: $11m, RNZ: Zero
COMMENT: Bill English gave Maori TV n a $10.6 million boost in the Budget, although it has a $12.9 million nest egg built up over years of taxpayer funding.
Bull running, but for how long?
Since May 2011 the market index has piled on an average increase of 14.6% a year, to the point where it is now almost double where it was in May 2011.
Juha Saarinen: Intel's play for a slice of gadget pie
COMMENT: Will the Internet of Things, wearables and cloud computing shore up chip giant Intel's business?
Juha Saarinen: Lessons from the big bank SWIFT heist
COMMENT: After money was stolen from through the SWIFT network, it is clear how easy it is for hackers to take advantage of customers online.
Graham McGregor: The high value of repeat and referral sales
COMMENT: What do most businesses focus most of their marketing activities on?
Why good customer experience makes dollars and sense
COMMENT: Think of the long term value of someone having a good experience in your business.
Get Sorted: Sex and money talks
COMMENT: Not talking about money with your kids is like not talking about sex. Avoiding it is not a great option.
What the oil price rise means long term
Oil broke through US$50 ($75) a barrel last week for the first time since October.
Sky TV's threat to TVNZ over sport clips
Sky TV bosses say Television New Zealand is grabbing too much of its exclusive sports footage to use on news bulletins and websites.
Stock Takes: Developer targets NZ aged-care
COMMENBT: Fu Wah International, which already has plans to build two hotels in Auckland, wants to take a stake in a Kiwi retirement village operator.
Brian Fallow: Spending caught in a squeeze
COMMENT: The population is up, the Govt wants debt to go down. Net result: not a lot left to play with, writes Brian Fallow.