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The Conversation
The Conversation
Antje Fiedler, Senior Lecturer, Management and International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Small business, big pressure: why the backbones of the NZ and Australian economies need more support

Bevan Goldswain/Getty Images

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the Australian and New Zealand economies, employing 42% of Australia’s workforce and 31% of New Zealand’s workers.

But rising costs, weak demand, digital disruption, tariff-driven trade tensions and inflation are pushing many small businesses to the brink of failure.

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