Andrew Fairgray: 2degrees Chief Business Officer on business optimism shooting up in new Shaping Business Study

New Zealand's business sector seems to be taking a turn for the optimistic, according to new data from 2degrees.

The latest Shaping Business Study says 18 percent of business leaders feel like their companies are thriving, 34 percent feel more optimistic about the future and 53 percent anticipate revenue growth. 

2degrees Chief Business Officer Andrew Fairgray says the change in Government and improved global environment is helping boost the mood of the business community.

"We're starting to see more businesses seeing the benefit of using digital technology to support their businesses, we're seeing the global environment starting to improve - hopefully people are starting to realise there is opportunity to move forward." 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Heller Duper se al rising level of optimism In a
survey that's just been done by two Degrees. They talked
to over seven hundred businesses. They found thirty four percent
of businesses are feeling optimistic. That's up from only thirty
two percent last year. Fifty three percent of businesses now
expect revenue to grow in the next year. That's up
from fifty percent last year. Andrew Fairgray is the chief
business officer at two Degrees.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Hi, Andrew, hither, how are you?

Speaker 1 (00:23):
I'm well, thank you. Did this surprise you that there
are more businesses feeling optimistic than last year?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
It was a very pleasant surprise. I think we should
look at it as marginally improved. When I looked at
it and reflected on what might be driving this. We've
had a change of government, and we've obviously got very
resilient businesses that are looking for some positivity to move forward.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
What is going on here? How do we explain it
apart from obviously a change of government? Andrew, which is
fair enough, right, That's just that that's marginal stuff. Are
they seeing any green shoots?

Speaker 2 (00:59):
I think we are starting to see some green shirts.
We're starting to see more businesses seeing the benefit of
using digital technology to support their businesses. We're seeing the
global environment is starting to improve. Hopefully people are starting
to realize there is an opportunity to move forward. Undoubtedly
the cross pressures are still there for all businesses, but

(01:20):
relative to we can put our heads down or we
can look up and leverage all the assets that we
do have to move forward. And we often talk about
the benefits that New Zealand can have for their businesses
as the witless economy and all the great things that
can be done. And you have to look at what
rocket Lab they've done with fifty launches. It's just phenomenal
what they've been doing.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
Yeah, and then how do we explain the businesses reporting
their anticipating the increase in businesses reporting their anticipating revenue growth.
Is that because they think we are through the worst
of it when it comes to inflation and interest rates
and so on.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
That's what I'm hoping, and they are also seeing opportunity.
It's been a long COVID hangover and now with a
change government, I really think they're starting to think there's
going to be some opportunities to move forward. This was
taken in April, So I'm hoping that this will transpire
now for next year because it's the fifth year we've
been running the survey, so it's a good opportunity for

(02:13):
us to get some real data to say this isn't
a one off, this is actually a real movement and
hopefully it's point in the right direction with some green shoots.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Are you seeing green shoots in your business?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
We're starting to see more and more businesses wanting to
leverage the technology that we offer. So therefore, as a
player that's very proud to offer value in the market
and really been clear of what we're doing, the new
scale that we had since we merged in twenty twenty
two with Vocus, we're starting to see some real positivity
there as well.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Are you struggling still with employment? Is it hard to
find people who have the right skills?

Speaker 2 (02:51):
That's something that came out in the survey Heather that
people with technology skills it's really really hard to find.
I'm putting it down to probably those people who held
back taking their overseas experience are now going overseas and
we quite haven't got the immigration settings or the environment
right to track the right level of schools that we
need to support businesses through this technology change.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
How do we deal with that? How do we fix that?

Speaker 2 (03:16):
I think we need to have a whole look at
the education system. How are we supporting people from primary
school to secondary school into tertiary organizations and what does
that look like. How do we give people clear pathways
so they know very early on what to do. How
do we work better with tertiary educations and tertiary educations
we're better with the commercial sector to drive outcomes. We

(03:37):
partner with the Chamber of Commerces throughout New Zealand to
look at leveraging their tools and library of resources that
they have. So it's really just about how can we
keep educating each other to move forward.

Speaker 1 (03:49):
Mark, were you one of the businesses that actually participated
in the survey? No, everyone, If you were, would you
have said more optimistical or less optimist?

Speaker 2 (04:01):
I would have said more optimistic, But I'm that type
of person. I think we have great assets in New Zealand.
It's about getting things right and focusing on what matters
and everyone doing their bit and looking to move forward.
We can't change the past, but we can definitely create
the future.

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Good stuff. Andrew Listen Thank you so much, really appreciate it.
Andrew fair Gray, the chief business officer at two degrees.
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