Pessimism worsens among legion of small businesses struggling to stay afloat – polls

Pessimism has continued to grow among NZ small businesses. (Image: Getty)

Fri, 01 Aug 2025

There is a worsening mood of pessimism among the legion of Kiwi small businesses and sole operators trying to stay afloat amid tough trading conditions, polls show.The polls – Xero’s Small Business Insights and Kiwibank’s State of Savings Index, both issued this week – threw light on the lot of smaller business operations in New Zealand’s lacklustre economy.Respondents to Xero’s questions showed almost one in three (29%) small business owners, from 152 quizzed, felt negative about the prospects of their busin...

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