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Business valuations
We offer expert valuation advice in transactions, regulatory and administrative matters, and matters subject to dispute – valuing businesses, shares and intangible assets in a wide range of industries.
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Capital markets
You need corporate finance specialists experienced in international capital markets on your side if you’re buying or selling financial securities.
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Complex and international services
Our experience of multi-jurisdictional insolvencies coupled with our international reputation allows us to deliver the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
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Corporate insolvency
Our corporate investigation and recovery teams can help you manage insolvency situations and facilitate the best outcome.
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Debt advisory
An optimal funding structure for your organisation presents unprecedented opportunities, but achieving this can be difficult without a trusted advisor.
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Expert witness
Our expert witnesses analyse, interpret, summarise and present complex financial and business-related issues which are understandable and properly supported.
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Financial models
A sound financial model will help you understand the impact of your decisions before you make them. Talk to us about our user-friendly models.
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Forensic and investigation services
We provide investigative accounting and litigation support services for commercial, matrimonial, criminal, business valuation and insurance disputes.
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Independent business review
Is your business viable? Will it remain viable in the future? A thorough independent business review can help your organisation answer these fundamental questions.
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IT forensics
Effective ESI analysis is integral to the success of your business. Our IT forensics experts have the technical expertise to identify, preserve and interrogate electronic data.
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Mergers and acquisitions
Grant Thornton provides strategic and execution support for mergers, acquisitions, sales and fundraising.
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Raising finance
Raising finance - funders value partners who can deliver a robust financial model, a sound business strategy and rigorous planning. We can guide you through the challenges that these transactions can pose and help you build a foundation for long term success once the deal is done.
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Relationship property services
Grant Thornton offers high quality independent advice on the many financial issues associated with relationship property from considering an individual financial issue to all aspects of a complex settlement.
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Restructuring and turnaround
Grant Thornton’s restructuring and turnaround service capabilities include cash flow, liquidity management and forecasting; crisis and interim management; financial advisory services to companies and parties in transition and distress
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Transaction advisory
Our depth of market knowledge will steer you through the transaction process. Grant Thornton’s dynamic teams offer range of financial, commercial and operational expertise.
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Corporate tax
Grant Thornton can identify tax issues, risks and opportunities in your organisation and implement strategies to improve your bottom line.
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Employment tax
Grant Thornton’s advisers can help you with PAYE (payroll tax), Kiwisaver, fringe benefits tax (FBT), student loans, global mobility services, international tax
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Global mobility services
Our team can help expatriates and their employers deal with tax and employment matters both in New Zealand and overseas. With the correct planning advice, employee allowances and benefits may be structured to avoid double taxation and achieve tax savings.
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GST
GST has the potential to become a minefield and can be expensive when it goes wrong. Our technical knowledge can help you minimise the negative impact of GST
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International tax
International tax rules are undergoing their biggest change in a generation. Tax authorities around the world are increasingly vigilant, especially when it comes to global operations.
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Research and Development
R&D tax incentives are often underused and misunderstood – is your business maximising opportunities for making claims?
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Tax compliance
Our advisers help clients manage the critical issue of compliance across accountancy regulations, corporation law and tax. We also offer business and wealth advisory services, which means we can provide a seamless and tax-effective offering to our clients.
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Transfer pricing
Tax authorities are demanding transparency in international arrangements. We businesses comply with regulations and use transfer pricing as a strategic planning tool.
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Audit methodology
Our five step audit methodology offers a high quality service wherever you are in the world and includes planning, risk assessment, testing internal controls, substantive testing, and concluding and reporting
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Audit technology
We apply our audit methodology with an integrated set of software tools known as the Voyager suite. Our technology has been developed to produce quality audits that are effective and efficient.
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Financial reporting advisory
Our financial reporting advisers have the expertise to help you deal with the constantly evolving regulatory environment.
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Business architecture
Our business architects help businesses with disruptive conditions, business expansion and competitive challenges; the deployment of your strategy is critical to success.
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Cloud services
Our team is led by cloud business experts who tailor services to the needs of your organisation, from strategy and implementation to ongoing services assurance.
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Internal audit
Our internal audits deliver independent assurance over key controls within your riskiest processes, proving what works and what doesn’t and recommending improvements.
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IT advisory
Our hands on product experience, extensive functional knowledge and industry insights help clients solve complex IT and technology issues
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IT privacy and security
IT privacy and security should support your business strategy. Our pragmatic approach focuses on reducing cyber security risks specific to your organisation
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Organisational & cultural change
The key to sustainable and future growth is a unified organisation operating within a strong cultural context, where transparency and communication are the priority for Kaimahi, and where visible leadership means walking the talk – but where does that journey begin?
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Payroll assurance
Our specialist payroll assurance team can conduct a review of your payroll system configuration and processes, and then help you and your team to implement any necessary recalculations.
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PCI DSS
Our information security specialists are approved Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) that have been qualified by the PCI Security Standards Council to independently assess merchants and service providers.
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Process improvement
As your organisation grows in size and complexity, processes that were once enabling often become cumbersome and inefficient. To maintain growth, your business must remain flexible, agile and profitable
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Procurement/supply chain
Procurement and supply chain inputs will often dominate your balance sheet and constantly evolve for organisations to remain competitive and meet changing customer requirements
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Project assurance
Major programmes and projects expose you to significant financial and reputational risk throughout their life cycle. Don’t let these risks become a reality.
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Risk management
We understand that growing companies need to establish robust internal controls, and use information technology to effectively mitigate risk.
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Robotic process automation (RPA)
RPA is emerging as the most sophisticated form of automation used to help businesses become more agile and remain competitive in the face of today’s ongoing digital disruption.
Bright young things have a lot to give and little to lose
Why are there so many successful young entrepreneurs running businesses straight out of university or during university these days?
New Zealand is well known as a breeding ground for entrepreneurs, with 21% of businesses in this country employing between one and five staff. At this age, entrepreneurs only see opportunity, they do not fear risk. With little to lose and everything to gain, this attitude is encouraged, to a certain extent, by the fact that many have parents, relations or friends who have run their own businesses successfully for many years. There has also been great publicity in recent times about young entrepreneurs who have been extraordinarily successful with products like Trade Me, Facebook and a host of others.
Are some bright young things meant to be out there creating businesses rather than sitting in lectures themselves?
There are benefits, especially long-term, of attending university. University can be very theoretical, but often the real value, is in the people you meet. Contacts made at university can be extremely beneficial later on, be it in the networks that are established and the contacts that emanate from that. Growing companies often need extra skills and finance, and these networks can provide this. University is about structured learning and thinking; skills that entrepreneurs will need to call on once they are established. Being able to put theory into practice while studying also has significant learning advantages, so they are not mutually exclusive.
What advantages do young people have over their more seasoned business owners? What are their skills?
The ‘no fear’ mentality of many young entrepreneurs makes them decisive in terms of taking up opportunities and implementing them. They do not see the barriers that more seasoned business owners see, due to past experience. Set-up costs, especially for start-ups in the software, phone applications, new media sector are often extremely low compared with traditional business sectors, enabling young entrepreneurs to ’have a go’ without too much of an economic downside. More often than not, young entrepreneurs are targeting their own age group with their inventions. This group also has a similar ‘no fear’ approach to embracing new technology and processes. By and large they are ‘early adopters’ who can quickly propel a new application, device or software into a sharp climb.
Where do they need guidance?
Acting ‘without fear’ and being able to start a business with very little capital essentially means you need very little in the way of structures or established processes in the early stages. However, once there is reasonable growth, a lack of processes can quickly create problems. Entrepreneurs are often driven by opportunity. They seize the moment and opportunities can end up driving their business strategy instead of the other way round. The first opportunity is often not the best for the long term. These companies are generally owner centric and that person needs to learn to let go, to empower others and to establish a solid foundation, which is about the business, not the person who set it up. As a business grows, so do the complexities, much of which has to do with dealing with people. This is not necessarily the strength of an entrepreneur.
In which sectors do you particularly see young business owners being successful?
Success is being achieved across a range of industries, including entertainment, software, or those that are engineering based. Some common threads are creativity in development and delivery of the business offering and the integration of online technology and social media into the business model. Shannon Harris is an example of this, using YouTube not only as a marketing tool but also as a service delivery platform. Setup is inexpensive, there are few barriers and the distribution channels are simple but have a very wide open mass market.
Are there business experts who deal specifically with young business owners?
There are business experts available, the key is to look for advisers that have extensive networks and can help the business implement operational plans that will grow the business, not just manage compliance issues.
Further enquiries, please contact:
Andrew Harris
Grant Thornton New Zealand, Partner, Privately held Business
T +64 (9) 3082986
E andrew.harris@nz.gt.com