A different direction?
December 2025
In this issue:
- Exploring a different direction. It may be complimentary!
- Company of Clueless Clowns . How we can save millions of dollars annually.
- New Wages legislation (very brief).
- Inspirational: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.
- Do phone calls cost me? Answer: no.
- Inspirational: Why you should watch Chefs table on Netflix.
- It’s the festive season. How you should pronounce French Champagne names!
- Humour and observations.
- Festive Season closing….or not and the last word.
A different direction.
I have gone in many different directions in my life, and business life. I have thought of ideas, created something and brought it to market. Many times, these endeavours failed. Not for the want that it was a bad idea, but for me not breathing enough life in to the project or good.
Thus, it’s failure was entirely on me.
This is important to understand, because the analogy here is your business needs your breath. It is the wind that powers its sails. Through the fun days the grind days, the back against the wall days, and getting up every morning.
It takes a lot to make your own pathway, and you have to have the skills to navigate sales, cost of sales, staff, GST, PAYE, holiday pay, be conscious of profit and business smarts.
We need business smarts. You need business smarts.
A new direction may well be complimentary to your core business. For example, we here at FALC have gone in a different direction to our core FALC activities. Why?
We recognised that not everyone can afford what is essentially high end accounting. So, we built TAXBUSTERS Ltd to provide very basic accounting services at very basic prices.
Thus, TAXBUSTERS Ltd is complimentary to FALC.
It could be that you want to tap into a new market or change gears up a bit. Maybe introduce new products or an extension to your current portfolio.
A new direction does not have to amount to a 360 degree change. Just a change. Businesses today cannot afford to be “stuck in the mud” as the old saying goes. Changes are happening and happening fast. Look at the impact Temu has had on almost every retail item you can buy here in NZ.
All it takes is some thought, an idea and some focus.
Here are a few famous examples of changing direction, the technical phrase is pivot:
Apple: Began as a company selling budget computer kits to individuals who couldn’t afford them, but later shifted to building and selling its own high-end devices like the Macintosh, iPod, and iPhone.
YouTube: Was originally created as a video dating website. After this initial plan did not gain traction, the founders pivoted to the video-sharing platform we know today.
Sony: Has a long history of diverse products, starting with items like rice cookers and heating blankets. It has since changed direction to focus on consumer electronics, gaming platforms, cameras, and more.
Nintendo: Began in 1889 as a playing card company. It has since evolved through various industries before becoming the successful video game company it is today.
Avon: Started as a book publisher. The founder, David McConnell, began giving away small perfume samples to customers to encourage book sales. When he noticed the customers were more interested in the perfumes, he changed the company’s direction to focus on cosmetics.
American Express: a financial services giant, was founded in 1850 with an emphasis on express mail, transporting valuable goods, stock certificates, and currency throughout its home state of New York and later expanding to other states. Throughout the late 1800s, the company added money orders and traveller’s checks to its portfolio. However, in the mid-1900s, American Express reinvented itself and what it was best known for by offering a charge card that extended credit to consumers and businesses.
Play Doh, one of the strangest business pivots ever might be that of the popular children’s modelling clay Play-Doh, which was first sold as a cleaner that could remove coal residue from wallpaper in the 1930s. As oil and gas furnaces became more popular in the 1950s, demand fell for the product and the makers considered getting rid of the business. The owners heard about a schoolteacher using the clay in arts and crafts classes in their hometown of Cincinnati. After realizing the potential of a children’s toy, the company quickly pivoted to a more colourful product.
You Tube, Google-owned video-streaming service YouTube is among the most visited websites globally, with billions of videos being consumed there daily. However, the site was started in 2005 by co-founders Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, and Chad Hurley as a dating website. They even took out ads offering to pay people $20 a pop to post videos of themselves. The approach failed, but as users of the site began to post whatever videos they felt like uploading, the founders embraced the idea. They revamped the website to make it easier for people to upload nearly anything. Google purchased the site in November 2006 for $1.6 billion in stock. As of June 2022, users upload more than 500 hours of video on the site every minute.
Shell Original Business: Decorative Shells. Founded: 1833
Original Focus: Marcus Samuel started a small business in London selling antiques, which included decorative shells. This business eventually grew into an import-export business trading various goods, including shells.
Pivot: In the late 19th century, Marcus Samuel’s sons expanded the business to include the importation and transportation of kerosene oil from the Far East. They built a fleet of steam tankers to transport the oil, which marked the beginning of their transition into the oil industry.
Current Focus: Shell is now a global energy company involved in the exploration, production, refining, and marketing of oil and natural gas.
Samsung
Original Business: Grocery Store. Founded: 1938
Original Focus: Lee Byung-chul started Samsung as a trading company in Korea, dealing in
groceries, dried-fish, noodles, and other goods.
Pivot: Over the decades, Samsung diversified into various industries, including textiles, insurance, food processing, and retail. The most significant pivot came in the late 1960s when Samsung entered the electronics industry. Current Focus: Today, Samsung is a leading global technology company known for its electronics, including smartphones, televisions, and semiconductors.
Nokia Original Business: Paper Mill.Founded: 1865. Original Focus: Fredrik Idestam founded Nokia as a pulp mill in Finland, producing paper and other wood-based products.Pivot: Nokia diversified into rubber products, cables, and electronics over the years. The most significant shift came in the 1980s and 1990s when Nokia focused on telecommunications and mobile phones. Current Focus: Nokia is now a major player in telecommunications infrastructure, technology, and licensing.
Shopify
Original Product: Online snowboarding equipment store.
Current Product: E-commerce platform.
Pivot Story: Shopify started as a way for the founders to sell snowboards online. Frustrated with existing e-commerce software, they developed their own platform, which they eventually turned into a business.
Not surprisingly, these are only a few. Many others include Tiffany, Suzuki and Coca Cola.
Should You Reinvent Yourself or Completely Change Your Business?
These examples of global brands that have completely changed direction illustrate how businesses can successfully pivot from their original products or services to new markets, often resulting in greater success. These are all inspiring examples that demonstrate the importance of adaptability and recognizing new opportunities when the original plan doesn’t work out. So never be afraid of completely reinventing yourself or changing direction in your business.
Although it might seem frightening to go in a different direction and change your offering, never let the opinions of others or fear of what people might think stand in your way. Can you imagine if the likes of Shell, which today is worth $222.98 Billion, had stuck to just selling shells because they were afraid of pivoting in business? There’s a good chance the painted shells would not be turning over more than $200 billion dollars annually and known as a trusted brand around the world.
So let this be a lesson to you. If reinventing yourself or completely changing direction is something you want to do, then don’t let anything or anyone stand in your way. The only way to see if a new idea is going to work is by seizing the opportunity and trying it out for yourself.
How we can save millions of dollars.
NZ currently has the most inefficient parliament in the history of NZ, and for most “civilised” countries around the globe. New Zealanders are overrepresented by list MP’s (these people are not elected by the way) and dysfunctional time wasters.
Remember MP’s are on a great financial salary – an average MP is on $181200.00!
Dysfunctional partes are parties whose members have nothing to offer, get caught up on issues NZ cannot deal with, or are just not coherent in today’s world and the real issues we all face. Greens total 14 with 2 co leaders (between $201000.00 to $239200.00) – yes that is a lot for Chloe.
The Māori party total 4 with 2 co leaders. And as at 10 Nov 25 2 are now independents.
Most, if not all have no business skills or qualifications that are relevant.
I best describe theses economically challenged dimwits as “Clueless”.
Why?
Ethically they are bereft of doing good. They have no plausible mantra of country and citizens first.
Look at the raft of morons Greens have gone through over the last 2 years. Gutter list MPs.
If you are a business, and lets say your business was NZ inc, would you pay a director a lot of money to achieve absolutely nothing year in year out? Sack these time wasters!
Each MP casts around $1 million with support staff. We get rid of Greens and TP Māori we will save around $20 million we can invest in health, education, Police etc.
Employment Leave Act (new).
There is going to be a significant overhaul of New Zealand’s leave entitlements following the announcement recently that the Holidays Act 2003 will be repealed and replaced by a new Employment Leave Act. These changes aim to simplify the notoriously complex leave system, providing greater certainty for both employers and employees. Here’s a summary of the key changes and what your business will need to do to prepare.
The core change in the new legislation is a move away from the current system of accruing leave in days or weeks to an hours-based accrual system for both annual and sick leave. This means employees will earn leave entitlements for every hour they work, starting from their first day of employment.
This shift to an hours-based model will require a fundamental change in how most payroll systems are configured and how leave is managed.
Key Changes at a Glance:
- Hours-Based Leave Accrual: Both annual and sick leave will be accrued in hours, providing a more precise and transparent calculation of entitlements. This will eliminate the complexities of calculating leave for employees with variable work patterns.
- Pro-Rata Sick Leave: Sick leave entitlement will now be directly linked to the number of hours an employee works. This marks a departure from the current system where all eligible employees receive the same number of sick days regardless of their working hours.
- Leave Compensation for Casuals and Extra Hours: A new “Leave Compensation Payment” will be introduced for casual employees and for any hours worked by other employees that are outside of their regular contracted hours. This payment will be a percentage of their earnings for those hours and will be paid with their regular pay, in lieu of accruing annual and sick leave on that work.
- Fairer Parental Leave Pay: The new Act will ensure that employees returning from parental leave are not disadvantaged when taking annual leave. Their holiday pay will be calculated based on their full pay rate, rather than being averaged over a period that included their lower parental leave payments.
- Mandatory Itemised Pay Statements: Employers will be legally required to provide employees with a clear and detailed pay statement each pay period. This statement must itemise all earnings and deductions, including a transparent breakdown of leave accrued and taken.
- Increased Flexibility for Cashing Up Annual Leave: The amount of annual leave that an employee can request to cash up will be increased, offering more flexibility for both employees and employers.
How Employers Will Need to Adapt:
The implementation of the Employment Leave Act will necessitate significant adjustments for employers. Key areas of focus will include:
- Payroll System Updates: Your current payroll system will likely need to be updated or replaced to accommodate the new hours-based accrual and reporting requirements. It is crucial to begin conversations with your payroll provider to understand their transition plan.
- Review of Employment Agreements: Employment agreements will need to be reviewed and updated to reflect the new leave entitlements and calculation methods.
- Clear Communication with Employees: It will be essential to clearly communicate these changes to your employees, explaining how their leave will be calculated and managed under the new system.
- Training for HR and Payroll Staff: Your staff responsible for payroll and human resources will require thorough training on the new legislation to ensure compliance.
While the changes are not expected to come into full effect immediately, with a proposed 24-month implementation period after the legislation is passed, proactive preparation is highly recommended. Businesses should use this lead-in time to audit their current leave management practices and develop a clear plan for a smooth transition to the new Employment Leave Act.
Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara.
You can buy this book from Mighty Ape/ Audible. Will has his blood invested in hospitality and its management. Hospitality is like every other business, we buy we work we sell we take care of customers.
This book was a real eye opener for me as it so sharply defines management and service. I have never come across such a well written practical and easy to read guide on what you should be doing, and why you should be doing it.
Heartily recommended as it has changed the way I observe everything.
It portrays the remarkable power of giving people more than they expect.
Why you should watch Chefs Table on Netflix.
Will Guidara’s world revolves around people. Chefs Table caters for my passion for food and high end food at that, BUT front and centre in this extremely well made and filmed series are people. This deals with restaurants but more so on the personal struggles and challenges faced, what they had to do to reach their goals, what they had to sacrifice and the lengths they go to a perfect their craft.
These people are astonishing! And very real personal stories.
How to pronounce French Champagne!
Bollinger: say Boh-lahn-zhay
Pol Roger:say Pol- Roh- zheh
Tattinger: say Tet-ahn-zhay
Moet & Chandon: say Mo-wet e Shon-don
Piper Heidseck: say Pee-per E-dseck
Ruinart: say Roo ee-nar
Lanson: say Lohn-soh
GH Mumm: say GH Moom
Krug: say Khroo-k.
Laurent Perrier: say Lohr-rohn-Peh-riay
Louis Roederer: say Loo-ii-Roh-dehr-air
Billecart Salmon: say Bill-khah Sal-moh
Salon (currently around $1500/750 mls retail. Say Sah-loh
And lastly:
Veuve Cliquot: say Verv Khlee-kho.
Now you can talk like the pros!
HUMOUR and observations
A message from my Samsung Galaxy Phone.
Recently my Samsung Galaxy phone gave me a message. It said: You used your phone 1 minute less than last week.
Fabulous!
Pringles Fun facts.
Pringles are made with dried potatoes (mashed together and is less than 50% of the total ingredients. Includes also vegetable oil, degerminated yellow corn flour, cornstarch, rice flour, maltodextrin, mono-and diglycerides, salt and wheat starch. As such they are not chips! Degerminated…sounds delicious.
VIDEOS
A delightful and funny narrative showing two small golden lab pups and a ball in a pool.
Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/VDUpmGU7nQY
AND
A classic dog vid featuring the voice of Russell Crowe. Absolutely silly:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/oaIUKW4PUTM
An email from AIR NZ.
Not very clever here Air NZ, waiving a joining fee on someone who has already joined.
F1 race update a few months ago
Wow. That is amazing, passing yourself. I would have thought that impossible.
Salt?
Pepper I think.
Seedless Watermelon
Shame about those seeds!
What’s wrong with this picture?
Everybody needs a huge crane in their front yard!
Across the road from a restaurant I was at. It was huge. Not seen that before. The residents were inside watching the telly!
17 November 25 News (Stuff) editorial:
Seriously? Labour created the big issues in the first place.
Copthorne Hotel not taking any chances:
How to dumb down children:
ANZ BANK- Disgraceful!! .20 November 2025
The boss of ANZ Australia has offered an unreserved apology for widespread misconduct, including the bungling of a multibillion-dollar bond sale and ripping off customers.
Chief executive Nuno Matos said the failures, which led to the bank being slapped with a AU$240 million (NZ$276 million) penalty, were the result of a lack of self-awareness and a “good news culture”.
It does not get worse than this folks. Corruption at its highest.
FLUFF from STUFF!
How can these run side by side??
The importance of grammar and English
Almost Big Bull. Nice try.
A message from Mercury Energy.
This was 26 November. Not heard back. Higher than normal is the standard nonsense.
Internet phone banking with Westpac the other day. A message pops up: “Do you want Westpac to monitor your messages” ?
This is not on Westpac.
Last but not least:
If you think you have done it hard, listen to this woman. Here is the link. Sobering.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JT0uA0iQ_TU
Closing:
We are only having stats. GST is due 15 Jan 2026 for the October November 2025 period, pay rolls continue.
The last word.
Getting through this year has been a struggle I have to say. The winter months to me are always long, slow and hard, but then time does what it does and here we are facing another Christmas.
Other than this we don’t have much else planned and will be guided day by day as things develop. Nice and easy.
Personally I love Auckland at Christmas. The roads are pretty deserted from around 22 December onwards, life immediately becomes more peaceful with less pace and shopping is a breeze.
We here at FALC enter our 23rd year in practice next February! Another milestone for us.
To you all….. have the very best of the festive season that is! Make it nice! as Will G famously said.
