An ongoing project by The Why
The Business Foundations Project
A closer look at the everyday reality of running a business.
Every business has its own mix of people, customers, systems, spending and decisions. How those parts work together can make a difference to the experience of running it.
The Business Foundations Project is an ongoing initiative from The Why, exploring what New Zealand business owners are experiencing, what is working well and what they would like to improve.
Your experience can contribute to that understanding. The Business Reflection is a place to start.
20 questions across six sections. Participation is voluntary, every reflection question is optional, and we do not ask for your name or contact details.
Read about the projectWhy we're doing this
It is easy to talk about what businesses should do. Understanding what is actually happening inside them takes more listening.
We want to hear how owners describe their businesses in their own words. Where is their attention going? What decisions are they pleased with? What has been difficult to move forward? What would make the coming year feel successful?
The Why's work involves looking at the wider situation before deciding what needs to change. This project follows that same approach: start with people's experiences, look for connections and explore what those experiences can teach us.
We are interested in what is working as much as what is challenging. You do not need to be struggling to contribute.
What could you get from taking part?
The reflection gives you a reason to pause and put some of your thinking into words.
Considering where your time goes, how you make decisions and what you want to achieve may help you notice a priority you have been putting off, recognise something that is working well or identify a question worth discussing with your team or advisers.
You may come away with a clearer view of what deserves your attention. There is no expectation that you will have all the answers.
This is a reflection, rather than an assessment of your business. You will not receive a score, diagnosis or personalised report from completing it.
How the reflection fits into the project
Take a look across your business
Answer the questions that feel relevant to your experience. You can skip any reflection question.
Contribute your perspective
Your submitted answers become part of the material reviewed within The Business Foundations Project.
Help build useful understanding
We will look across responses for recurring themes, different experiences and questions worth exploring. The aim is to inform practical educational resources and reporting.
Findings will describe the experiences of those who take part. An open, voluntary reflection cannot, on its own, establish what all New Zealand businesses are experiencing.
Before you take part
The reflection is intended for New Zealand business owners, including people working on their own and those running businesses with teams.
Taking part is voluntary. Every reflection question is optional. Please avoid including names, client details, commercially sensitive information or anything else that could identify you or another person in your written answers.
We do not ask for your name, email address, phone number or business name.
The survey platform creates a system record for each completed response and records submission and page activity. It may also retain technical information, so we do not describe the process as completely anonymous.
Responses will be reviewed and analysed within The Business Foundations Project. Public findings will be presented as combined themes, patterns or observations with identifying details removed.
Questions about the project? Contact Geoffrey at geoffrey@thewhy.nz.
See our Privacy Policy for more detail.
Questions people often have
What does running your business look like from where you sit?
Whether things are going well, changing or taking more effort than you expected, your experience is worth understanding.
Take a moment to look across your business and contribute to The Business Foundations Project.
No contact details requested. Every reflection question is optional.