business.govt.nz

What business.govt.nz does

Business.govt.nz is a New Zealand Government web portal operated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on behalf of the Crown, providing small businesses (defined as those with 19 or fewer employees) with free tools, templates, and learning resources to help them understand and comply with government requirements. The portal aggregates authoritative content from across New Zealand government agencies — including Inland Revenue, ACC, Companies Office, WorkSafe, and MBIE itself — into a single accessible platform covering the full SMB lifecycle: starting, growing, maintaining, dealing with tough times, and selling or closing a business. Target users include sole traders, companies, contractors, partnerships, and social enterprises, plus aspiring business owners and time-poor operators seeking plain-English guidance on registration, tax, employment, funding, and regulation.

The platform is built around nine core interactive tools. ONECheck simultaneously queries business name availability (via Companies Office and NZBN APIs), trademark status (via IPONZ), domain availability (via Whoxy WHOIS), and social media handle availability (via Meta, Google/YouTube, and X APIs) in a single workflow. Cash Flow Forecaster produces 12-month cash flow projections from user inputs. Employee Cost Calculator integrates ACC classification units and Inland Revenue data to estimate total employment cost including KiwiSaver and ACC levies, and uses Trade Me salary benchmarks. Employment Agreement Builder and Workplace Policy Builder generate tailored legal documents. Choose Business Structure, Compliance Matters, Funding Explorer, and Climate Action Toolbox provide structured decision-support, regulatory discovery, funding matching, and sustainability planning. A library of downloadable templates (Business Plan, Quick Focus Plan, Sole Trader Checklist, Healthy Business Checklist) and video-based online learning series (Tips for Tradies, Reduce Financial Stress, Get into the Right Headspace, Performing Under Pressure, Mental Flexibility, Prioritisation) complement the tools. The Regional Business Partner Network — 15 regional partners including Poutama Trust for Māori businesses — provides last-mile advice, training connections, and grant funding referrals.

The business model is non-commercial. Business.govt.nz is funded through MBIE government appropriations as part of the New Zealand Crown's mandate to support small businesses, and all tools, resources, and information are provided at no cost to users — there are no subscription fees, advertising, or transactional revenue streams. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, an 0800 phone line (0800 424 946), email ([email protected]), a monthly newsletter (delivered via Ubiquity marketing automation), and an omnichannel social presence (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), supplemented by the Regional Business Partner Network. All content is Crown copyright and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International. The entity is not a commercial company; it is a public service portal with no investors, shareholders, funding rounds, or M&A activity.

Name

business.govt.nz

Legal name

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)

Website

https://business.govt.nz

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Business.govt.nz is a New Zealand Government web portal operated by MBIE that provides free interactive tools, templates, and learning resources to help small businesses (≤19 employees) understand and comply with government requirements across registration, tax, employment, funding, and regulation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Business Advisory Services

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Digital Service & eGovernment (Service Delivery, IDs, Portals) (BPAIAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Communications, Transparency & Open Government (BPAIAAAH), Trade, Industry & Economic Development Administration (BPAIAAAL)

Keywords

• Government business services
• Small business advisory
• Regulatory compliance tools
• Business information portal
• Employment guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government-funded public service: Business.govt.nz is a free government service funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). All tools, resources, and information are provided at no cost to small businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

business.govt.nz is a free New Zealand government online portal that provides small business owners with interactive tools, templates, plain-language guides, and learning resources to help them start, run, and comply with regulatory obligations for their businesses. The portal covers employment relations, health and safety, workplace policies, funding access, climate action, and business structure selection, serving as a single integrated access point to government services for the country's small business community.

Product overview

business.govt.nz is a New Zealand government web portal operated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) that provides small businesses with free tools, guidance, and learning resources designed to help them understand and comply with government requirements. The platform is structured around a suite of interactive digital tools (ONECheck, Cash Flow Forecaster, Employee Cost Calculator, Choose Business Structure, Employment Agreement Builder, Workplace Policy Builder, Compliance Matters, Funding Explorer, Climate Action Toolbox) complemented by a library of downloadable templates, checklists, video-based online learning series (Business Planning, Tips for Tradies, Reduce Financial Stress, Get into the Right Headspace, Performing Under Pressure, Mental Flexibility, Prioritisation), and curated guidance pages covering funding, registration, branding, and operations. A key support channel is the Regional Business Partner Network, which connects businesses with regional advisors, training, and grant funding. The portfolio functions as a unified gateway to government services, replacing the need to navigate multiple agencies individually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cash Flow Forecaster

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Regional Business Partner NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of 15 regional partners across New Zealand who connect small-to-medium businesses to advice, networks, training, and funding. Partners include NorthlandNZ, Auckland Business Chamber, SODA Inc. (Waikato), Tauranga Business Chamber, Trust Tairāwhiti, Venture Taranaki, CEDA (Manawatū Whanganui), Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce, WellingtonNZ, Nelson Regional Development Agency, Development West Coast, ChristchurchNZ, Business South Inc (Otago), Great South (Southland), and Poutama Trust (nationwide for Māori businesses).
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBIE is the parent ministry that manages and maintains business.govt.nz. The website packages content and advice from across government into tools and resources designed for small business.
• Companies OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing company registration information. ONECheck tool uses MBIE's APIs to search the Companies Office register for company information and NZBN data.
• Inland RevenuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing tax information. Content includes guidance on income tax, GST, PAYE, KiwiSaver, and free seminars for business owners. Employee Cost Calculator uses IR information.
• Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment corporation providing injury compensation information. Employee Cost Calculator uses ACC classification units to help calculate employee ACC levies.
• Trade Me LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate company providing average industry salary market rates for the Employee Cost Calculator tool.
• WorkSafe New ZealandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing workplace health and safety information used in the Employee Cost Calculator tool.
• Resilient OrganisationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing the Healthy Business Checklist resource in collaboration with business.govt.nz.
• Insurance Council of New ZealandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing the Healthy Business Checklist resource in collaboration with business.govt.nz.
• Poutama TrustcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Business Partner that delivers services to Māori businesses across New Zealand through the Regional Business Partner Network.
• NorthlandNZ (Te Hiringa Trust)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional Business Partner for Northland/Taitokerau region, partnering with Te Hiringa Trust to deliver RBP services to businesses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GOV.UK: UK government's flagship public-facing portal aggregating services, guidance, and tools across departments. Wider in scope than business.govt.nz (covers citizens and businesses broadly) but represents the same model of single authoritative government digital front door.
• Companies Office (New Zealand): MBIE-administered New Zealand registry providing company registration, NZBN, and compliance information — directly integrated into business.govt.nz's ONECheck tool. Same owner/parent ministry, complementary role.
• Inland Revenue (New Zealand): New Zealand's tax authority, whose data and content (income tax, GST, PAYE, KiwiSaver) feeds business.govt.nz tools such as the Employee Cost Calculator. Adjacent government service targeting the same SMB audience for compliance content.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Ireland: Irish state agency providing advice, funding, and supports to Irish businesses (especially SMEs). Comparable as a government-backed SMB support ecosystem combining digital tools with partner/advisor networks and grant funding.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA.gov): U.S. federal agency providing small businesses with funding access, contracting guidance, training, and compliance resources via a digital portal. Directly comparable mission of supporting SMBs through government-backed services and partner networks (e.g., SBDCs).
• business.gov.au: Australian federal government portal providing small businesses with information, tools, and templates to comply with government requirements. Closest international analogue — same target audience, same 'one-stop-shop' proposition, same Crown-backed content model.
• Canada.ca — Canada Business: Canadian federal government hub delivering business information, registration guidance, permits (BizPaL), and funding resources to SMBs. Highly comparable as a national e-government service consolidating content across agencies for small business users.

Emerging players

• Xero: New Zealand-headquartered SMB accounting SaaS platform that increasingly bundles cash flow forecasting, payroll/employee cost tools, and compliance guidance — competing with several of business.govt.nz's free tools inside SMB daily workflows.
• MYOB: Australia/NZ SMB accounting and payroll software provider offering cash flow, employee cost calculators, and compliance content — adjacent competitor to business.govt.nz for the same sole-trader and small-company segments.

Regional players

• BizPaL (Canada): Canadian federal/provincial/territorial partnership that helps businesses identify permits and licences they need — functionally similar to business.govt.nz's Compliance Matters tool, but geographically scoped to Canada.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/business_govtnz
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@businessgovtnz
• Facebookfacebook.com/business.govt.nz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-govt-nz
• Instagraminstagram.com/business.govt.nz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about business.govt.nz