r/nzbusiness

Hi all me and my friend are currently first time founders both in our final year in engineering and are having extreme difficulties trying to find a “good” startup idea.

Basically background is me and my friend both wanted to create our own startup in NZ and have thought about creating solutions for agriculture to construction to manufacturing trying to just think of a decent idea for any and all kinds of industries. Our main targets are trying to resolve problems or find ways to fit AI in the NZ market but unsure how to go about things.

And our approach to finding ideas are mainly through emailing, asking Ai and phone calls but there hasn’t been much success. We try these approaches since we are I guess ignorant to what is really required out there in the market so we were willing to just reach out and see if there any needs people that are in certain industries may have.

We have tried cold emailing, and phone calls asking companies on their approach to AI but most companies don’t have problems that they could think on the spot about what to do or there is already a company in the space already.

If the issue is our outreach what suggestions do people have since our approach has been mainly asking if there were any bottlenecks in certain industries and then we would go in and do the service for free and then mould that into an idea.

Our other thoughts was to go onto YC and look for companies that have succeeded overseas and try put our own twist onto it and then pitch it here in NZ.

And like all the ideas we could “chatgpt” are either like too niche or are ideas in spaces that are already developed so it’s been hard to think of what to actually do.

Any suggestions people may have on how to move forward cause we really would love any suggestions or if people wanted a solution built we would love to hear from you and take in any advice or ideas or even join a team if people need engineers.

We are a New Zealand-based AI company specializing in AI model training, computer vision, and graphics/image processing. Currently, we are seeking to collaborate with professionals who have deep corporate insights and strong local business networks to help us expand our B2B footprint. We welcome both recommendations and self-referrals.

Our primary goal is to promote tailored AI solutions and custom development to local Kiwi businesses. If you possess extensive corporate relationships and resources within NZ, we would love to connect and discuss how we can create mutual value through a strategic partnership. Please feel free to reach out to us!

I've heard so much of the benefits of AI in businesses around the world.

But for a plumbing, building or electrical business, how does it fit into the day-to-day business process?

I'm 16 from New Zealand and I've been trying to build my own business for the last year or so.

I've tried a few different business ideas. Some got a bit of traction, but none turned into something sustainable.

I also completed an electrical pre-trade course, but couldn't find an apprenticeship or entry-level job. I've applied for jobs, gone door knocking, and tried reaching out to businesses, but haven't had much luck.

I'm not looking for sympathy—I'm just trying to find a business I can genuinely build.

One idea I've been thinking about is almost like Tinder, but for homeowners and real estate agents.

Instead of just contacting the first agent you find, homeowners would answer a few questions about their property, timeline, and what they're looking for. The platform would then match them with a real estate agent that best suits their needs.

The goal would be to help homeowners find the right agent while helping agents connect with people who are genuinely planning to sell.

I'd love some honest feedback.

• Would you use something like this if you were selling your home?
• What would stop you from using it?
• Do you think there's any value in being matched with an agent instead of just finding one yourself?

Please be brutally honest. I'd rather hear why it won't work now than spend months building something nobody wants.

So a while back I asked how we could make it fairer to both the employer and employee in regards to employment law around the context of "Bad Hires". With the cost it’s putting on businesses, therefore discouraging SMEs from starting or growing, limiting employment opportunities overall.

Now there was a lot of your typical political commentary around "Employers are bad" or "Employees are bad", but there were one or two good conversations. One in particular that got my attention was from someone who would be from the other end of the political spectrum than myself.

Should we adopt Australia's Fair Work Act 2009 regarding minimum employment periods and probationary periods in exchange for stronger union protections?

Australia's minimum employment period means that an employee cannot file an unjustified dismissal claim during this period (same as NZ 90-day trial period) but can still claim for discrimination (same as NZ 90-day trial period). However, the main difference is Australia's periods are 6 months for companies with 15+ employees or 12 months for companies with less than 15 employees (NZ has a 90-day trial period / 3 months).

Six months is enough time for a company to take more of a risk when employing. It’s enough time on average to get a ROI and therefore determine if the hire is an economically sound fit for the company, without the added cost of performance managing bad hire's out.

On the flip side as per Australia's Fair Work Act 2009 do we stregthen Unions legal ability to bargaining power, broader right-of-entry access for union officials, and formal protections through the Right to Disconnect?

In doing so we would be strengthening the rights of the longer term employees through Union access and right to disconnect while lessening the risk of bad hires, by giving the businesses a fairer evaluation period.

Anyway, as before, just wondering about others views of aligning NZ to a more Aussie approach, or do we think Australia's laws are too swayed towards the employee?