Icehouse and Spark Join Forces to Help Kiwi SMEs Work Smarter

There's a gap sitting at the heart of New Zealand's productivity challenge, and it's not the one most people expect.

It's not a lack of ambition. It's not even a lack of awareness. It's the space between knowing something matters and actually doing something about it.

New research commissioned by Spark and conducted by Clemenger Group across 397 New Zealand business leaders has put some hard numbers to a problem we've been seeing up close for years. And frankly, the findings don't surprise us, but they do demand a response.

The Disconnect Is Real

Here's what the data shows: 71% of SMEs with between 10 and 49 staff agree that applying new technologies could deliver significant productivity gains for their business.

Yet only 25% of those same business owners said technology was the most important area to focus on for improving efficiency.

Read that again. Three in four SMEs believe tech could move the needle, but only one in four are actually prioritising it.

So where is the focus going instead? For 60% of respondents, the answer is people: staff development, upskilling, and recruitment. Which, to be fair, isn't wrong — people will always be the engine of any great business. But what the data suggests is that many owners are treating technology and people as an either/or choice, when the most productive businesses are integrating both.

The Barriers Are Human, Not Technical

More than half of all New Zealand businesses said they face barriers when it comes to implementing new technology. For start-ups, that figure climbs to 74%.

For smaller businesses (under 50 staff), the two biggest blockers were a lack of knowledge (42%) and cost (40%). For mid-sized businesses between 50 and 99 staff, 58% pointed to investment constraints or competing priorities.

What sits underneath all of these numbers (and what we hear repeatedly in our programmes and coaching) is something harder to quantify: hesitation, fear of disruption, and the very real difficulty of carving out headspace when you're already running at full speed.

The barrier isn't really the technology. It's the confidence and the capability to know where to start.

Why We Partnered With Spark

This is exactly why we're proud to be partnering with Spark on a series of workshops designed specifically for Kiwi SME owners.

Icehouse CEO Olivia Blaylock put it plainly: "We're combining Spark's nationwide reach and digital expertise with Icehouse's experience in business growth to support owners with the capability and confidence they need to make smart, sustainable decisions."

Because that's the real work. Not just handing someone a new tool, but building the decision-making skills and business clarity so they know when to use it, why, and how it fits into the way they actually run their company.

The workshops are built around Icehouse's Three Circles Framework, which we've developed through years of working with thousands of Kiwi business owners:

• The owner themselves — energy, resilience, wellbeing, and time management
• The owner's role in the business — delegation, role clarity, and decision-making
• Core operations — processes, customer delivery, and cash flow

Each attendee leaves with a 30-day action plan tailored to their business, a weekly review rhythm, one process improvement to test immediately, and a Stop, Start, Systemise list they can action straight away.

This Isn't Just Another Workshop

Something else worth naming: one of the less-talked-about productivity killers for small business owners is isolation. The weight of carrying the decisions, the pressure, the responsibility, often alone.

That's why these sessions are as much about connection as they are content. Getting in a room with other business owners who are dealing with the same challenges has a way of cutting through the noise faster than any framework ever could.

Workshops are being held at Spark Business Hubs in seven locations across the country (Queenstown, Christchurch, Wellington, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Tauranga, and Auckland) starting in March 2025. Spark customers can attend for free, more information can be found here.

The Bottom Line

New Zealand's productivity challenge isn't going to be solved by more information. Business owners already know they need to move faster, adopt smarter tools, and build better systems. The knowledge gap isn't the problem.

What's needed is practical support, real-world frameworks, and maybe most importantly, a trusted community that helps owners take the leap from knowing to doing.

That's what Icehouse has always been about. And this partnership is another step in that direction.

Want to know more about the workshops or how Icehouse can support your business growth? Get in touch with our team.