Tag Archives: small business

How to Ruin Your Brand in 5 Minutes: Social Media Mistakes Kiwi Businesses Must Avoid

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New Zealand might be a small country at the bottom of the world, but our digital footprint is massive. For Kiwi start-ups and small businesses, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are essential tools for reaching customers from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

However, social media is a double-edged sword. Used correctly, it builds fiercely loyal communities. Used poorly, it can destroy a brand’s reputation overnight.

Recently, Kiwis on social media witnessed a masterclass in what not to do. A prominent online retailer went viral in local groups for all the wrong reasons: massive shipping delays, lack of transparency about when products were arriving, and—worst of all—publicly attacking customers who dared to ask, “Where is my order?”

In Aotearoa, word travels fast. If you are starting a business here, you need to understand that your digital reputation is your reputation.

This guide breaks down the essential social media do’s and don’ts to help your new business thrive, build trust, and avoid becoming the next negative viral thread.

The "Big Three" Mistakes to Avoid At All Costs

Let’s start with the behaviours that destroy trust the fastest. These are based on real-world examples of NZ businesses getting it wrong.

promise broken

1. The Don’t: Delivery Dishonesty and Punishing Loyal Customers

The origin of your stock (whether it’s dropshipped, sitting in your garage, or coming from a local wholesaler) does not matter—what matters is your promise to the customer. When a product is paid for, delivery becomes the central part of the contract.

The Mistakes (Applicable to all Stock Methods):

  1. “Shifting Goalposts”: Continually pushing back promised delivery dates (e.g., “It will ship next week… No, actually next month… Oops, try the month after that…”). Even if the delay is caused by a local supplier, poor communication makes your business look incompetent.

  2. The Insult to Injury: Putting products on sale to generate new cash flow while customers who paid full price weeks or months ago are still waiting for their delayed, unshipped orders. This is a fast way to make loyal customers feel penalised and undervalued, regardless of where your inventory is stored.

The “Do” Alternative: Be Radically Transparent and Respectful of Wait Times.

  • Communicate Delays Early and Often: If you miss a deadline, email an update immediately. Provide realistic, conservative timeframes instead of optimistic guesses. Use a dedicated “Updates” page on your website to centralise information, saving time for both you and the customer service team.

  • Implement Ethical Inventory Management: Do not advertise items as “in stock” or ready for delivery unless you have a confirmed ability to ship them within a guaranteed timeframe. If you sell made-to-order items, clearly state the manufacturing time plus the shipping time.

  • Honour Your Existing Customers: If you must run a sale, ensure all outstanding, paid-for orders are shipped first, or provide a special, exclusive incentive (like a discount on their next order) to those waiting customers to acknowledge the inconvenience. Never prioritise new revenue over fulfilling existing commitments.

public battle on social media

2. The Don’t: Attacking or Blocking Customers Who Ask Questions

When a customer comments on your Facebook post asking about a delayed order, it is an opportunity to provide service, not a battlefield.

The Mistake: Responding to queries with defensive sarcasm, blocking the customer for asking a question, or deleting legitimate, non-abusive questions. This signals to everyone else watching that you have something to hide and that you don’t value your patrons.

The “Do” Alternative: Take It Offline Immediately and Always Remain Professional. Your standard public response should be polite and professional: “Hi [Name], I’m so sorry to hear your order is delayed. That’s not the experience we want for you. Could you please send us a private message (DM) with your order number so I can look into this immediately and resolve it?”

This moves the tension out of the public eye and shows other followers that you are responsive and helpful, even when under pressure.

weaponised fans on social media

3. The Don’t: Weaponising Your “Fan Base”

Some businesses cultivate a small group of superfans. While community is good, it turns toxic when a business owner encourages those fans to pile on and bully anyone who posts a critical comment.

The Mistake: Allowing or encouraging your followers to attack another customer who asked a reasonable question. This creates a hostile environment that scares away potential new customers and damages your professional standing.

The “Do” Alternative: Moderation is Your Responsibility. As a business owner, you are the host of the party. If comments get nasty—from either side—it is your job to de-escalate. Never hide behind your fans to do your dirty work. Delete comments that violate decency standards and focus on resolving the original customer issue.

General Social Media “Do’s” for Kiwi Businesses

Moving beyond damage control, how do you actively build a great brand in NZ?

  • DO lean into your local identity. Kiwis love supporting local. Are you based in Wellington? Show the wind. In Christchurch? Show the rebuild spirit. Use appropriate Kiwi slang (authentically!) and celebrate local holidays or events. Show the faces behind the brand—the “garage startup” vibe resonates well here.

  • DO provide value beyond the “sell.” If every post is “BUY NOW! SALE ENDS SOON!”, people will tune out. Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% of your content should educate, entertain, or inspire your audience. Only 20% should be hard selling.

  • DO respond to positive comments too. Don’t just fight fires. If someone leaves a glowing review, thank them publicly! It encourages others to engage. A simple “Chur, thanks for the tautoko!” goes a long way.

General Social Media “Don’ts” for Kiwi Businesses

  • DON’T ghost your audience. Consistency is key. Posting five times a day for a week and then disappearing for a month looks unprofessional. Find a rhythm you can sustain, whether it’s three times a week or daily.

  • DON’T steal content. Did you see a great meme or a helpful infographic from another page? Don’t just save it and repost it as your own. Always credit the original creator. New Zealand is too small to get away with content theft for long.

  • DON’T ignore negative feedback (the constructive kind). Sometimes, negative comments aren’t “attacks”—they are valuable data. If five people complain that your website checkout is confusing, don’t get defensive. Fix the checkout.

Summary: Reputation is Everything

In the digital age, customer service is a spectator sport. How you treat one customer on your Facebook wall is how prospective customers assume you will treat them.

For starting businesses in New Zealand, integrity is your most valuable currency. Be honest about your processes, be kind when facing criticism, and remember that on the internet, nothing is ever truly deleted.

How can I get more sales

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how can i get more sales for my small business

As the owner of a marketplace I get asked all the time: ‘how do I get more sales for my business?’ and often there is not just one answer. The good news with that is that you can implement many things right now – without it costing money – to increase your chances to get sales. Here’s some of the things I see most lacking or open for improvement with vendors/business owners.

Disclaimer; this blog is not for you if you’re too busy or not willing to invest time. These steps do require time; if you’re looking online for ways to increase your sales then I am guessing you have some spare time…?

There will be some thoughts specifically for marketplace store fronts; if you have your own website, you can apply these there as well.

The Market

Let’s start with the hard stuff, the stuff you can’t reaaaaally control; the economy.

It’s August 2025 right now and everywhere I see business owners ask ‘how can I get more sales’ and sometimes the answer HAS to be;

we just need to ride this out.

The fact your business is still open and you’re still hanging in there is a HUGE achievement for some of you and I don’t know if you realise this?

We need to keep in mind that a product’s price and target audience play a big role in ‘normal times’; selling a niche, high-priced item will naturally be harder than selling a product that’s perfect as a small, affordable gift…

These differences in what sells ‘better’ or ‘easier’ will be even bigger when we see financial tough times for the average customer.

During financially difficult times, consumer behavior shifts dramatically. People are more cautious with their money and move from being impulse buyers to being more thoughtful and deliberate in their purchasing decisions. This change in mindset directly impacts how many times they need to see a product or brand before they’re ready to buy.

focus on optimisation of all your content to increase your sales

Focus on Optimisation

The best way to get more sales is to really optimise your shop and product listings.  Why start here and not somewhere else in the process?

  1. It will help with getting found without ads.
  2. Your customers will land on something that intrigues and prompts their WANT and NEED, nothing worse than clicking on a link of something that seemed cool, only to have 5 questions and get the feeling you’re being scammed.

Vendors who see the most online Ecommerce success have high-quality photos, detailed product descriptions, and competitive pricing. They also make sure their profiles are complete and compelling. Taking the time to refine these elements puts you in a strong position to attract more customers.

This means you need to invest time to write or review things like;

  • Your product images; sometimes changing them up shows them in a totally different light to customers and all of a sudden it is a ‘new’ product to them.
  • Your product descriptions need reviewing and editing regularly; the world of online selling moves fast and sometimes staying up to date with the trends can help you write descriptions that’ll reach a bigger, buying audience.
  • Your pricing and hey, sometimes that means it has to go up! Don’t be afraid to do that in tougher financial times, not only do we NEED to make sure you make enough from your sales, it sometimes also sends the message that your product is worth more than another’s.
  • Your ‘about’ section, when is the last time you have reviewed and re-written it? maybe changed the images around? it doesn’t just look like a fresh page, it also prompts new finds for search engines. 
  • Your SEO.. this will be it’s own point below in this blog but it should be on your list of regular checks/improvements!

The Beauty of SEO

I know you’ve heard of it, there’s a HUGE amount of information about SEO online already so I won’t go into super detail (let me know if you would like to see a blog post that DOES cover the ins and outs on SEO).

But I do want to  – and need to; point out the value of it for small businesses.

Standing out among big players is pretty hard in this ever changing online world and when it comes to reputation, reliability, ‘knowing what you get’, it’s just much harder for small businesses to be remembered and memorable. This is where SEO can be your friend!

It’s the information you put within the back end of your content like products, blog posts and information pages that is then used as a guide by search engines like Google to put your content in front of customers.

There’s a few vendors on this marketplace who have done such a good job with their SEO which The Hive then boosts even more with our own SEO work, that they outrank their own website’s results! These are businesses that don’t necessarily do all the promoting and link sharing yet they have weekly or some even daily orders of certain products.

This CAN be you too! I promise, learning about SEO can be really fun and it helps you with other areas of your business as well as you start understanding your place within the market better. You absolutely do not need to hire an SEO expert to do the work for you and if you have the funds to hire someone; don’t go for the flashy ones with the big promises.

The Power of Promotion

Getting more sales is all about getting in front of the right buyers. Have you considered how you can promote your products both on and off our platform? Sharing your listings on social media, in relevant online communities, or with your existing network can drive a significant amount of traffic directly to your shop. The more you promote, the more potential buyers you’ll reach.

Based on e-commerce and marketing data, it’s highly unlikely that your audience will find your store/shop page if you aren’t actively directing them there. Without direct links or specific promotion, that number is going to be close to zero.

Simply put; people follow links. If you don’t provide any, they won’t know where to go.

There’s a PLETHORA of Facebook groups where you can promote your business and products for free. Most of the time you just need to follow a template and help promote the group with others but it’s FREE, so why not use them?!

The Shop Small New Zealand group is one of ours that you’re free to promote your business in!

customer engagement drives sales to your ecommerce store

Customer Engagement

A key factor in increasing sales is building trust and a loyal customer base.

How are you engaging with your customers and responding to reviews? Vendors who actively communicate with buyers, provide excellent customer service and encourage positive reviews often see a ripple effect.

On social media, engagement means something a little different; how people are interacting with your content and brand on social media platforms. It’s not just about how many people see your content, but how they actively participate with it.

 Customer engagement plays a HUGE part in the traffic on your socials and from there to your online shop. More happy customers engaging with your content increases the likelihood of others trusting your brand to go buy.

Happy customers come back for more and are more likely to recommend your shop to others.

Growth Perspective

The vendors who are most successful on our platform treat their shop like a small business rather than a side hustle or a hobby and are always looking to grow and do better.

They are constantly experimenting and learning, finding out new ways to become better at what they do and better at things they’re not so good at… yet.. Always looking at ways to diversify to find other avenues of revenue.

My best advice would be to track what works and double down on it. Look at your analytics to see which products are getting the most views and sales, and then figure out how to improve the listings for your other products.

Asking for other people’s views – especially those with experience and knowledge – will help you see things you might not have, yet.

You can also try running a small promotion or creating a bundle to see if it boosts interest.

Investing in Growth

The vendors with the most sales are typically those who are highly visible and sometimes to stand out more, to be seen more, you need to invest some funds. As an example; While our free plan is a great way to get started, our paid plan offers powerful tools and features designed to increase your visibility and sales.

It gives you access to featured spots on our homepage, advanced marketing tools, your business in prime spots on vital pages of the site, just to name a few things (read more about them here).

While you can thrive with our free plan; you can’t ask for Champagne on a beer budget.

We can bring the audience to your storefront, but your sales numbers are directly related to your own efforts in converting those visitors into customers with your listings’ images, descriptions and the other things you have the ability to optimise as shared in this blog. Many vendors find that the investment in a paid plan quickly pays for itself with the increase in sales they see.

This blog is written for you by Hive Grow; the business support side of The Hive NZ. With the experience of owning businesses and supporting others in business for well over 20 years, we bring blog posts with practical, actionable steps for you to take on a small budget.

Some other blog posts for small business owners:

You are more capable than you think!

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How often do you hear people say they can’t do something?  Maybe it’s keeping houseplants alive, tackling a creative project, or figuring out a computer issue.  

Well, here’s the truth: you absolutely can!   

Anyone can.    

It’s truly possible if you give it a try.    

As the old saying goes, “If you don’t try, you won’t know.”

Just look at me. I’m certainly not a computer whiz; IT wasn’t in our curriculum in my school day.  Yet, I’ve managed to figure things out and now sell items online through The Hive, and my own website.  I write blogs, send out newsletters, maintain my own social media channels as well as help admin a few Facebook groups.   

It’s been a journey of chipping away at new things until they’re sorted, and honestly, if I can do it, anyone can!

Learning new things isn’t just about achieving a goal; it helps keep your brain healthy and offers a fantastic personal challenge.  When I encounter something, I don’t know, I just keep at it until I’ve got it sorted.  No one helps me, except for the wonders of Mr Google and the internet.  It’s all about persistence and a bit of digital detective work.  

 

You can find my pages or channels on: Facebook, Instagram, Google, YouTube and Threads – just search for Kats Flora.   

 

Facebook does have my biggest collection of my plants.  If you want to view some weird and hard-to-find plants then go here https://www.facebook.com/KatsFlora.NZ

 

If you never try you'll never know. 

Green Thumbs (Yes, You Have One!)

As for houseplants, trust me, you’ve got a green thumb waiting to be discovered!  

The trick is to start with some easy-care varieties, and you’ll be well on your way to success.

 

Watering: This is often where people get tripped up.   Water your plants only when the soil feels dry.   When you do water, be generous – pour it on until it drains out the bottom.   Then, pop it back where it lives. 


For new plant owners, it’s best to use pots with drainage holes, and ideally, no decorative cover pots that can trap excess water.   Once you’re more confident, then you can experiment with trays and cover pots. 


In my tunnel house, where most of my plants live, I simply use a hose – it’s my no-fuss, no-fluff approach to watering lots of plants! 

 

Light:  Most plants thrive with some degree of light.  A windowsill or an area with filtered light is usually spot on. Observe your plants; if you notice them stretching (growing longer segments and pointing towards the light), it means they’re not getting enough.


Pests: Pesky bugs can sometimes invade, it’s true!  Isolating them won’t do much good, as bugs can simply fly in.  Instead, make it a habit to check your plants often.  Pick them up look them over and also feel how heavy they are – this observation will also help you learn when they need a drink.  Early detection is key!

 

Potting mixes: A good general, all-purpose potting mix is ideal.  Most plants don’t need water granules added, so double-check your mix is free of that additive. 

I always add extra pumice to my mix to ensure it’s well-draining, which helps prevent root rot.

Some fantastic simple plants to start with include spider plants, begonias, rhipsalis, peperomia, philodendron, pothos, and hoyas.  

I generally don’t recommend cacti as indoor plants, as they often don’t get enough light in a typical house.

Choose basic varieties to begin with, as even some of these plants have harder-to-manage variations.


Don’t overwhelm yourself – just get a few at a time and see how you go.  Move them around your space to find where they fit best, then leave them for a few months to see if they’re happy in that spot. 

Grouping your plants with others of similar requirements is also a fantastic way to keep them happy and create a lovely little microclimate.  

And remember, even seasoned plant enthusiasts have a plant disaster now and then, so don’t beat yourself up if one doesn’t make it.

I’m always keen to share what I’ve learned, so if you have any questions, please ask!

Also, feel free to check out the plants I have listed on The Hive and see if any take your fancy.

Philodendron camposportoanum
Philodendron camposportoanum
Begonia angilaria
Begonia angilaria

Unleash Your Inner Creative!

Creativity – I truly believe we all possess it in some way.  

Perhaps you can craft a compelling story, brilliantly colour-coordinate your lounge, or meticulously map out and design your garden.  

If so, then yes, you are creative!  Creativity isn’t just about a paintbrush and oil paint; it’s evident in so many everyday situations.

I have dabbled in many different creative media over the years.  I’ve tried mosaics, paper crafts, knitting, sewing, painting, pressed flowers, photography, and screen printing, to name a few. 

Pottery, though, is one I keep coming back to.  The whole process can be incredibly frustrating.  You create something, and then, if it doesn’t crack or warp while drying, you apply some colour and fire it.  Applying the wrong glaze or colour combination can result in something you either absolutely love or truly hate!  Pottery involves many stages, each with the potential to ruin the outcome.  

Yet, it’s that challenge that keeps me hooked and coming back for more.

So, embrace what you’re good at, practice, and challenge yourself to grow.  And most importantly, keep learning new ways, new skills, and new ideas.  

What creative sparks are waiting to be ignited within you?

See my store on The Hive here

Below are some of my products that I have listed on The Hive.

 

A mixture of my pottery pieces

Last minute gift ideas for Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day is coming up very soon (11th of May) and with shipping times longer than usual, it’s time to order as soon as possible to receive some of these amazing last minute gift ideas for Mother’s Day!

Our priority is supporting small businesses from New Zealand, here at The Hive so these last minute gift ideas for Mum are ALL products by small kiwi businesses.

You’re looking at items made with love and lots of hard work. During these harsh financial times our small business community REALLY needs your help – to keep them afloat, let’s all do our best to order from small businesses as much as we can.

Before I show you some amazing examples; did you know we have a category on our site filled with these gift ideas for mums? 

click here to see the mothers day category on the hive nz

Right, time to get into it – no fluff or annoying, endless pages of text to scroll through, let’s get right to it. 

Here’s the last minute gifts that we think you should know about – all should arrive in time IF ordered before Monday 5th of May at Noon!

Let's talk jewellery...

Is there anything more appreciated than jewellery for Mother’s Day?!

But don’t fret and think it has to be expensive gold with diamonds because the handmade – sometimes personalised – jewellery gifts you will see below are sure to be loved by Mum.

These vendors sell more than what’s shown below so I’ll just link their store pages here too, in case you want to browse a bit:

in order as below: Naia Collections, Icefyre Jewellery, KJdesigns Handstamped Jewellery and Quirky Trinkets

Or maybe some home decor...

I’ve got some good news; you can still order amazing DIGITAL home decor from Autumn Designs and you can still order these ’til the 7th of May! Just make sure you pick the ‘digital file (print yourself)’ option and you’re good to go.

You – or Mum – can then later print the art yourself to be framed and go on the wall.

Skincare perhaps...

There’s a lot of wonderful options out there for Mum to enjoy some pampering and ‘me time’

Below some options by (in order of products): Raines Remedies, Bailey Balms, Bonny Bee and SJD Enterprises – click their names to see what else they have in store.

Something to help her home smell good...

If mum loves nice smells then she will love having the melts and burners by KLK Scented Creations, a great last minute gift for Mother’s Day. They are ready to be sent so please make sure you order before noon on Monday the 5th of May.

Click their name to see all the other items in their store.

and what about something mum can wear...

Clothing and accessories make wonderful last minute Mother’s Day gifts because they offer a personal touch—something stylish, cozy, or beautifully crafted that Mum can enjoy every day.

All by small kiwi businesses of course, in order of products below; MsMarnie, Not my Jacket, Hera Fitness and My Friend Doris. Click their names to browse all their other store items.

I hope you liked my little journey through heartfelt, last minute Mother’s Day gift ideas, all lovingly made by small businesses across Aotearoa. There’s so much more to explore; browse our full collection and find the perfect way to show Mum just how much she means to you, all while supporting local New Zealand makers.

BROWSE ALL

Would you love YOUR business and products featured on our website and in our blogs?

Make sure you register as a vendor on our marketplace and create your own mini website, Hive store on our website!

It takes about 10 minutes to register and another 10 to list your first product , we have made it super easy!

READ MORE

You just need to learn something.

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“…for other non-Māori, your ancestors have stories that deserve to be told, wisdom that deserves to be shared, songs to be sung, crafts to be remade, creatures to revive. You don’t need to know everything, you just need to learn something…”        (thedigitalmaori @threads.net)

Hi, I’m Angel, and despite what the label says, This IS my blog, and those ARE my jackets.

There’s a whole rack more, waiting to be finished (watch this space) and a secret pile more that we pretend not to know about.

In the rest of my life, I’m fairly standard: I have a husband, a grown up child, a deep faith, a hybrid car, a wicked sense of humour. I’m kind, I have great shoes and I give fantastic hugs. I’ll pick the red gummy airplane every time. I smile all the way home when a complete stranger’s dog acts like he likes me.

But for the rest of the time? Jackets. It’s jackets all the way down.


hand drawn progress looks like a straight line, it really looks like a scribble

Don’t feel sorry for me – I’m fully aware that this is kind of an odd thing for a grown woman to do with her time. It’s okay. Art is like that.

Ooo, you’re clever. I could never do that…

The more I learn, the more comfortable I become with not being ‘the smartest person in the room’. I don’t really know anything about many things, and knowing that gives me so much room to experiment. Trust me on this.

It’s super easy to learn something if you’re willing to make mistakes and look a bit stupid. You can get good at almost anything, if you don’t mind being useless at it for a long time. 

Impatience and shame are terrible reasons to quit.

 

Once upon a time, I couldn’t do that, either

A year or so ago, I was invited to learn to weave korowai, traditional Māori cloaks.
The first thing I learned was, a kakahu is not a korowai any more than a tabby cat is a tiger. Specifically, korowai are made from muka, flax and are usually adorned with tassels rather than feathers. They demand a high level of skill and take a great deal of time. 

Starting out using mop string and Spotlight feathers, I was definitely at the tabby cat end of the scale.

That’s how this round of “you’re so clever…” began – with me being absolutely  useless. I started with cheap materials, with an implied expectation of, and less penalty for, mistakes. I had skilled and patient tutors, and found enough humility to accept correction, and go back to do it again, better. By the end of the year, I was able to present small kahu hurhuru to a few wahine toa, heroic women and one full length cloak for kura kohatu, the unveiling of a headstone.

 

Somewhere in the middle of this, I became aware* that even though I was invited in and made welcome, this Pakeha woman was standing in a space that more rightly belonged to tangata whenua, indigenous people. It was time for me to step aside.

I am so grateful for that time. It was an incredible experience. I wove aroha, love and kotua, esteem into every knot, mindful of the recipient and the turning point honoured in the gift.

Can I find a way to echo that in a Pakeha context? A garment that represents a covering that for big feelings and special occasions?

There are garments specific to times and places – graduation robes, a wedding dress, uniforms of various kinds – but I’m struggling to find something with more broader application. While I keep looking, I’ll enjoy experimenting here.

Fashion fades, denim is forever

Many people remember their first denim jacket. Quite a few still have it. True, a denim jacket isn’t exactly the right thing for formal occasions, but I’d argue that there’s often one there in life’s great moments: first date, first heartbreak, that unforgettable hangover, the night under the stars – your denim jacket. IYKYK

 

That question sparked the joke that started the brand that lead to this blog: Not My Jacket

 

I don’t actually think the denim jacket is the right garment, but I haven’t found a better one. Yet.
I’m very interested to know your thoughts!

 

*to be very, very clear, no one did or said anything that made me feel this way. It’s just. When you know better, you do better. And now I know better.
also, IYKYK? If you know, you know.

Some of my jackets:

Essential Financial Metrics to Track as a Small ECommerce Business Owner

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Mastering Your Business Finances; Essential Financial Metrics to track for Small Ecommerce Business Success

When I ask the average small business owner what sort of tracking they do within their business to get a detailed view on their finances, audience, reach, etc. the result is usually a deafening silence.

When we dig a little deeper, the main reason for the lack of tracking usually is that they don’t really know what to track, how to track it OR how to then use the metrics/data to grow their business. 

There’s lots of important metrics to track as a small ecommerce business owner, today I will focus on your financial metrics.

essential financial metrics to track for your small ecommerce business can be confusing

As a small business owner, keeping a close eye on and tracking your essential financial metrics is crucial for success and the longevity of your business. Proper financial tracking helps you make informed decisions, manage cash flow, and identify growth opportunities. 

HERE ARE THE KEY TYPES OF FINANCIAL METRICS YOU SHOULD MONITOR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR YOUR SMALL ECOMMERCE BUSINESS:

Tracking your revenue as a small ecommerce business

1. Revenue
Revenue refers to the total $ amount coming in from your business activities, such as sales of products or services. Tracking revenue helps you understand the ups and downs in business which you will – inevitably – encounter.
Tips for Tracking Revenue:

  • Use accounting software like Xero or Henry to automate revenue tracking.
  • Regularly analyze sales reports to identify trends and patterns.
  • Compare actual revenue against your financial goals.

2. Expenses
Monitoring your expenses is vital to ensure your business stays within budget and maximizes profits. Expenses can include supplies/materials, hosting, email, advertising, salaries, marketing costs, and more.
Tips for Tracking Expenses:

  • Write down and categorize expenses for better analysis and control. 
  • Review and update expense records regularly.
  • Continuously identify areas where you can cut costs without compromising quality.

.

tracking your expenses as a small ecommerce business owner
tracking your cashflow as a small ecommerce business owner

3. Cash Flow
Cash flow is the net amount of cash moving in and out of your business. Positive cash flow indicates your business can cover its expenses, while negative cash flow may signal financial trouble.
Tips for Managing Cash Flow:

  • Create a cash flow forecast to anticipate highs and lows.
  • Create strategies to speed up receivables and delay payables.
  • Maintain a cash reserve for unexpected expenses.

4. Profit and Loss
A profit and loss statement (P&L) provides a summary of your revenues, costs, and expenses over a specific period. It shows whether your business is profitable.
Tips for Analyzing Profit and Loss:

  • Review P&L statements monthly to monitor financial health.
  • Compare current P&L with previous periods (or same period previous year) to assess growth.
  • Use P&L data to make strategic decisions about pricing, cost-cutting, and expanding.
tracking your profit and loss as a small ecommerce business owner
tracking your conversion rate as a small ecommerce business owner

5. Conversion Rate
Conversion rate refers to the percentage of website visitors who complete a desired action, such as making a purchase. Tracking it is essential because it helps you evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing strategies and optimize them to increase sales and customer engagement.
Tips for Tracking Conversion Rate:

  • Use tools like Google Analytics to track user behavior and conversion metrics.
  • Define and monitor conversion funnels to understand the customer journey.
  • Implement A/B testing, a research method that compares two or more versions of funnel to determine which performs better. 

6. Inventory
If your business deals with physical products, managing inventory is crucial for controlling costs and meeting customer demand.
Tips for Inventory Management:

  • Use inventory management software to track stock levels of products as well as materials (or implement excel files to achieve similar).
  • Analyze inventory turnover rates to optimize your materials/supplies purchases.
  • Reduce excess inventory to generate cash flow.
inventory tracking as a small ecommerce business owner

Tracking these essential financial metrics, you can maintain a strong financial foundation for your small business, driving growth and ensuring long-term success.

In our next blog, we will go into more detail on other metrics you can track to keep a close eye on how your business is doing throughout the year, how healthy your small ecommerce business is and what strategies you can apply based on those metrics.

OTHER BUSINESS ADVICE BLOGS YOU WANT TO READ:

ARE YOU READY TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS?

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In a Facebook group I am a part of someone recently posted they had launched their business a day before and had no sales yet, they were expressing how anxious they felt and already feeling like they wanted to give up.

There was SO much I wanted to say to her but the post got removed and so it sparked this blog post here (as well as other future ones), so if you are thinking about starting a business or you just started one and you want to know if you’re ready, then this blog post is definitely for you!

running ready into owning a business

Deciding to own a small business is a big leap, and knowing when you’re truly ready for it involves a blend of practicality, passion, and preparedness.

It’s like knowing when you’re ready to run a marathon. You wouldn’t just wake up one morning, lace up your sneakers, and hit the 26.2 miles without any training, right?

Similarly, diving into the world of small business ownership requires a bit of a warm-up and some serious soul-searching.

LET'S TALK MONEY

We’ve got to talk about the financial side of things first because, let’s face it; money talks. Are your finances in a healthy place? This doesn’t just mean having the capital to start your business or secure a loan IF you need to buy stock for example. It’s also about having a solid financial plan and a cushion for those initial months or even years when the business might not be profitable. It’s kind of like packing an extra pair of socks for a hike. You hope you won’t need them, but you’ll be glad they’re there if you do.

Having said that, it’s a common misconception that starting a business requires a hefty bank account or a rich nana ready to throw cash your way. The truth is, while having some capital can certainly ease the process, it’s not an absolute necessity.

The digital era has significantly lowered the entry barrier for many types of businesses. For instance, if you’re leaning towards offering a service, such as consulting, writing, or graphic design, your initial costs are surprisingly low. All you really need is a laptop, an internet connection, and your unique set of skills. Plus, there are countless free resources online to help you hone your craft and learn how to market yourself effectively. Social media platforms, in particular, offer a fantastic, cost-free way to get your name out there and start building a client base. Also, remember; to start you don’t have to have it all, it is ok to start with low stock, to promote using mock-up images, it’s ok; it doesn’t have to be perfect straight away.

Then, there’s the power of bootstrapping too. This approach involves starting small, reinvesting your early earnings back into the business, and growing organically. It might mean slower growth at first, but it allows you to maintain control and learn the ins and outs of your business without the pressure of paying back loans or investors.

In essence, the barrier to entry isn’t about how much money you have; it’s about your willingness to start with what you’ve got and grow from there. With a bit of creativity, persistence, and the right strategy, you can turn your business idea into a reality, no matter your financial starting point. So, don’t let the myth of needing a lot of money hold you back.

 

IT'S NOT JUST A JOB

Then, there’s the passion and the skills. Owning a business isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. Do you feel a strong passion for what you’re planning to do? Are you ready to wake up thinking about your business, spend the day working on it, and go to bed with plans for the next day? Plus, it’s essential to have or be willing to develop the skills necessary for your particular business. Imagine you’re joining a band. It’s not enough to love music; you need to know how to play an instrument or sing.

 

HOW'S YOUR FLEXIBILTY?

Lastly, are you prepared to learn, adapt, and sometimes fail? The road to successful business ownership is rarely a straight line. It involves making mistakes, learning from them, and being flexible enough to adapt your strategies as you go. It’s a bit like playing a video game where you have to navigate through various levels, facing new challenges and learning new skills along the way.

SO... ARE YOU READY?

So, are you ready to own a small business? If you’ve got a solid plan, financial stability, unyielding passion, the necessary skills (or the drive to learn them), and the resilience to face challenges head-on, you might just be ready to take the plunge. Remember, it’s about the journey as much as the destination.

Your entrepreneurial journey is waiting for you, and there’s no better time to start than now.

 

Enjoy the ride!

a summary of the qualities you need to start a business

YOU'RE INVITED!

There’s two groups on Facebook that will benefit your business and I want to warmly invite you to join them!

I am very aware small businesses are doing it tough out there and by offering these groups I am giving you more opportunities to grow, to connect with other business owners and  massive sense of community because you are not alone out there!

The first Facebook group I would love you to join is Shop Small New Zealand , this is a group where small businesses from New Zealand are welcome to post daily – for FREE – about their business and their products. You can join for free and post for free, all we ask is that you help us grow the group because the bigger it gets, the more active audience we have, it benefits us all!

At the time of this blog post there’s already 7600+ members in the group with about 72% of them being active in it on a regular basis!

The second group on Facebook – also free to join – is my Learn>Grow>Sell group. This one is more for your business support, it’s where you – as a small business owner or someone who is thinking about becoming one – can ask any question you might have related to (your) business and I’d like to add; nothing is ever a dumb question; we have either all asked the same question before OR are wondering about it ourselves right now! It might surprise you how many other people you help by asking your questions 🙂

We’re a very friendly community too, it is important to me that you feel safe to grow your business with the help from the group.

10+ PERFECT MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS ON THE HIVE NZ

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UPDATED: 01-05-25

It’s Mother’s Day soon here in New Zealand (11th May) and if you’ve been thinking what to get her, you want to get her something special, then look no further; here’s 10+ great ideas to gift Mum this year… 

All of the options below are by small kiwi businesses so you know you are not just spoiling Mum by gifting her something special, you also know you are actively supporting New Zealand’s economy in a VERY positive way…!

..and you might want to grab a second of these for yourself!

Whether mum is a keen gardener or loves her sparkly jewellery, or anything in between – we have got you covered on The Hive NZ

First of all please make sure you browse our Mother’s Day Category of course as you will find many other ideas there too!

Something for our keen gardeners and mums with green fingers

Not really keen on gifting another bunch of flowers that just wilts? This is for the mums who love plants and anything for their garden; we have perfect solutions for you!

Check out Kat’s Flora for the different plants on offer like these beautiful different types of Hoya:

click images to go to product listings

If your mum spends a lot of time in her garden and has it all beautifully planted and laid out then maybe it is garden DECOR she needs!

And what’s more awesome than her very own personalised road sign by Squiggle Art :

click image to go to product listing

Something for the mums who need a special treat for just THEM

Is mum well into her skincare, health and beauty products including hair care? Then the below are some of the businesses we think you should look at!

For example, SJD Enterprises has an amazing Skin Smoothie and the no-heat curlers by Omnishop  also come highly recommended, they have been well tested and truly work! The Sugar scrub by Bonny Bee is lucious and the Vanilla Shampoo and Body Bar by Bailey Balms sounds divine and we have a complete package to spoil MUM with health and beauty products!

click images to go to product listings

Something for the mums who are hard to buy for

If there’s nothing in the above sections that speaks to you, we got you too!

Sometimes Mum is hard to buy for as she already has it all? maybe she is kinda picky? That’s ok, she knows what she likes!

This is where beautiful home decor items might be a great idea and personalised, custom made gifts are a perfect choice. What Mum doesn’t like a gift with her children’s or grandchildren’s names on it for example?!

Below some great gift ideas like the personalised feather necklace by Naia Collections, there’s always the beautiful option of KJdesigns’ all my love pendant (I have so many of her pieces!), the love heart star map by Autumn Designs gives you the option to commemorate a special date for Mum, Nix Dungeon is the place to go for any CUSTOM made mugs; she can add your kids’ drawings for example, which is what I did for nana and pops! (AND check out her R18 sweary products while you’re there…shhhh…lol).

and you can’t go wrong of course with New Mum Mug by Hashtag Print or the round hollow wax burner by KLK Scented Creations!

click images to go to product listings

Still not found what mum would love?

Then it’s definitely time you browse our categories!

With more than 2000 products by small kiwi businesses, you are sure to find SOMETHING for Mum!

and remember; when you shop with small businesses from New Zealand, you’re supporting a dream, you are helping a family pay for ballet lessons or rugby and you are definitely helping New Zealand’s economy staying strong!

So from the bottom of our heart; Thank you so much for supporting all our vendors when you shop on The Hive NZ.

SHOP ALL

Would you love YOUR business and products featured on our website and in our blogs?

Make sure you register as a vendor on our marketplace and create your own mini website, Hive store on our website!

It takes about 10 minutes to register and another 10 to list your first product , we have made it super easy!

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