As New Zealand’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) build on a steady summer season, new insights show more local businesses are expecting an increase in trade over the first three months of 2026, opening the door to increased investment from the sector and more growth across the economy.
According to the latest nationwide survey of 500+ SME owners and decision makers commissioned by MYOB, a third (33%) of SMEs polled have more work or sales lined up for the first quarter of 2026 compared to usual. A further 40% have the same amount of work as they would normally expect for the period, however, a quarter (25%) say they have less in the pipeline than usual.
The sales outlook is particularly encouraging for several key sectors that have done it tough over the last few years, with 38% of manufacturing SMEs, 37% of retail businesses, and 33% of construction and trades businesses surveyed reporting an increase in orders or work commissioned before the end of March.
Helping to bolster revenue in the first quarter, a third (33%) of SMEs are planning to run sales, discounts or promotions around the end of the financial year. While just under a third (32%) of this group plan to run a sale similar to last year, 22% say they will start earlier – building on the trend seen last year prior to Black Friday, while 16% will offer increased discounts and 11% plan to have a greater range of offers available.
MYOB Chief Customer Officer, Dean Chadwick, explains that while many SMEs are still navigating uneven demand and ongoing cost pressures, the results suggest business activity for the new year is starting on firmer footing.
“SMEs ended 2025 with largely steady trading conditions in the final few months of the year, though performance varied across the sector. While more than a quarter of businesses exceeded their sales expectations and most met their forecasts, a quarter saw a softer-than-predicted performance.
“The start of 2026 appears more settled. With a third of businesses reporting more work lined up for the first quarter than usual, alongside a large proportion seeing stable pipelines, we’re seeing signs of a segment that is steadying and beginning to look ahead. As a growing number of businesses move to execute their strategies for growth and bring forward their own spending, this is good news for the wider economy too.”
MYOB’s latest survey indicates that local SMEs are moving on their own spending plans, with 44% of those surveyed planning to bring forward deductible business purchases, on things like supplies or equipment, before 31 March.
“We know from our research at the end of last year that many local businesses are planning to take advantage of the Investment Boost to maximise business investment this year,” explains Dean. “We can also see from the latest data that businesses are making good on the growth ambitions they signalled at the end of last year – not only seizing opportunities to increase sales before the end of the financial year, but also upping their own spending on plant, supplies and equipment to boost their operations.”
“Ultimately these are all positive signs that, after a few incredibly challenging years, activity is trending in the right direction for the country’s half a million plus SMEs.”
