Most self-employed Kiwi entrepreneurs set out to make a comfortable living providing a service rather than aiming for world market domination, but innovation is very highly valued. Many magazines and newspapers regularly feature small businesses, often niche clothing or food retailers, or small manufacturers. In business as in sport, New Zealanders like to think that they are punching above their weight on the world stage, but there are a large number of genuinely inventive businesspeople doing fascinating things.
If you are considering starting a business in New Zealand, there are a number of places to get practical advice, including employment law, grants, planning and mentoring. A good place to start is http://www.nzte.govt.nz/ , the web portal of government organisation New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. Some regions also provide excellent business support, advice and courses, such as the City Council-run CDC in Christchurch, http://www.cdc.org.nz/ . Many of the services provided by these organisations are free, and they can be an excellent way of developing business-to-business networks when you are new to the area.