Canstar Blue’s SMB Internet Provider award winners are...

New Zealand is no good for small businesses.

At least according to nearly two-thirds (63%) of respondents to a survey of Kiwi small businesses, commissioned by Canstar Blue.

This is despite SMBs (small-medium businesses) employing nearly a third of our workforce and contributing more than a quarter of our GDP.

Half (50%) of all businesses surveyed also stated that it is getting harder to be a small business here.

Despite this pessimism, a majority (82%) of those surveyed said technology makes it easier for them to carry out business operations like making and collecting payments, yet almost three-quarters (74%) have no plan to invest in new technology in the next twelve months.

Working remotely or from home is a hot topic in the workplace and small business is no exception as nearly half (42%) of small business owners say that either they or their employees sometimes work remotely or from home.

"Small businesses often operate on very tight margins and it's not surprising that more than a quarter (27%) told us that value for money is a key driver of overall satisfaction," says Canstar Blue general manager Jose George.

Canstar Blue has also announced the inaugural winner of its NZ Small Business Internet Provider award: a tie between 2degrees and Slingshot.

"This result highlights the intense competition among broadband providers for New Zealand small business," adds George.

"Both 2degrees and Slingshot scored 5-stars in overall satisfaction, with both scoring 5-stars in four out of our five drivers of satisfaction.

"We're thrilled to receive this award," says 2degrees business operations team member Richard Hann.

"We strive to deliver a simple and seamless service for business owners. We know they're hugely busy and need a reliable connection, and plans that are easy to understand and good value.

Slingshot general manager Taryn Hamilton says, "We're chuffed to win this award. Service is at the heart of everything we do at Slingshot, and awards like this prove that investment into a Kiwi call centre and great online self-service tools make the difference to busy Kiwis.

Canstar Blue have also announced that Skinny won its inaugural NZ Small Business Mobile Providers award.

"This is a great achievement for Skinny – winning 5-stars in all five drivers of customer satisfaction," says George

"It's noticeable that Skinny is especially popular among sole traders and online-based businesses, another testament to Skinny's great personalised customer service."

Skinny's brand manager Ally Young says, "On behalf of the team at Skinny, we're immensely honoured to receive an award in a category that we don't commercially market to.

"Small businesses are clearly liking our simple, low-cost, well-serviced products that get the job done for them – sometimes businesses don't want all the 'bells - whistles'. This shows there is a need for a no-frills brand like Skinny in this segment, and we will strive to look after this group of customers in the future.

Customer Satisfaction Ratings