What is a Shareholders Agreement and why does my company need one?

The short answer is that if you are the sole shareholder of your company then you don’t. A shareholders agreement becomes relevant when there is more than one owner.

A shareholder’s agreement is a contract between the owners of a company designed to document each owners’ rights, responsibilities, and expectations relating to how the company will operate.

Have you been dreaming of becoming your own boss?

There are of course many upsides to owning your own business. Are you considering the shift from employee to business owner? Or perhaps you are looking to expand your current business by purchasing a complementary or competitors’ business.

Here are our top 5 tips for purchasers to consider when deciding to buy a business in New Zealand.

July is almost done and while there is still a definite nip in the air, the days are slowly getting just that little bit longer, and hopefully will become a little bit warmer. The second half of 2024 is now upon us and whilst there are still plenty of challenges out there for many, here is hoping the next six months brings some more of those potential winds of (positive) change.

This month, we have compiled information on sale and purchase agreements from our property team, as well as a detailed discussion on cross-leases. Our immigration team have a useful case study for any migrant looking to make the move here (or for those, already here who want to stay) and we finish off with a video from our private client team, answering some key questions on trusts and wills.

Survive to 2025, seems to be the motto for 2024. There is no doubt that times are tough out there for many people and businesses and as we reach the mid-point of the year, with winter setting in, it is a good time to take stock and think about how you might make it through the next six months.

Our employment law team have some sage advice on social media and staff commentary as well as getting the restructuring process right. We also take a look at how to manage your debtors in this tougher climate as well as the results of our recent net promoter score survey.

The winter chill seems to have arrived early this year, with May bringing some very cool temperatures across the country, along with a very sudden cold snap. We were however treated to a spectacular display of lights over the country as the earth was subjected to a solar storm - a fair few of us braved the colder nights to take some incredible photos (the above was one taken by one of the team).

Despite the longer nights and cooler temperatures, the team at Turner Hopkins have been keeping warm, by keeping very busy.

Twenty years in this business and I have seen plenty of ups and downs, particularly when it comes to the way INZ processes applications. Over that time, I have also seen how easily, good quality applicants can be caught out by INZ simply taking a different approach to all applicants.

These ups and downs also tend to happen as the political winds change direction and right now we are seeing exactly that as the new coalition Government is trying to clean up the mess left by the previous Government.

Blink and you will miss it…Easter has been and gone and we are now near the end of the fourth month in 2024. The colors of autumn are everywhere and the days are shorter, and getting a little cooler as we gradually move into winter.

With many businesses working through financial year end, now is a good time to start planning ahead for the next 12 months and with tighter economic conditions out there, the more planning ahead you can do, the better.

March madness has its origins in various places because for some reason this particular month creates an unusual degree of chaos in various quarters. In the US it is synonymous with the start of the basketball season, bringing a rush of tournaments and players to the front and centre of the American sporting calendar.

In New Zealand (and particularly in Auckland) it is often associated with a sudden increase in traffic, as students are all back at school, including the Universities. That of course translates to longer commute times and everyone realising that summer holiday are in fact over and we are now really back at work for the year…

Love is in the air this month with February bringing us Valentine’s day (love it or otherwise) and cause to celebrate relationships in all their shapes and sizes. To keep with the theme of the month, Februarys newsletter is all about love and relationships.

Our Family Law team have produced an insightful article on some of the more practical elements of love, as well as demystifying some of the legal concepts involved with a life with your better half.

We also take a look at the process to bring in your loved one from offshore, if love has found you in another country, and take a look at some of the common pitfalls people experience in the partnership Visa process.

Welcome to 2024 and our first newsletter of the year. The theme for this month is “planning” and making sure you start the year off right by thinking about all of those tasks that often get put off for too long.

We have some useful tips on what to plan for in the year ahead, a few updates from the team and what they got up to over the holiday break as well as the results of our recent Net Promoter Score survey.

2023 has been a big year for everyone, including the team at Turner Hopkins. We made our long-awaited move to new premises in June, we rolled out our new, fresh branding, and our updated websites were also released in September.

It has been a year of significant change, but change focused on ensuring we can continue to deliver outstanding service to our clients, no matter where they are located.