Our guide to global domination

Aotearoa has an enviable history of exporting—and the rules of the game have changed as the information age opens up new markets. So let’s say your enterprise is humming along nicely, but you haven’t yet cast your eyes beyond our borders. And why not? There’s a mine of resources at your disposal, and there’s never been a better time to expand your horizons and take your business to foreign shores. But before you do, be sure to do your homework: mistakes can be expensive.

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You heard it here first

Derek Handley is living proof that it can be done. He and brother Geoffrey founded The Hyperfactory in 2001, a pioneer in the mobile marketing space, which they recently sold in a deal that “sets a significant benchmark for the sale of a New Zealand business in the emerging technologies sector”. (You may recognise them from the cover of our latest issue.)

On September 9, Derek will take centre stage at the University of Auckland Business School to share his experiences and explain how a Kiwi company can become a significant powerhouse on the world stage. If you’d like to be part of that audience, RSVP to Darsel Keane at d.keane@auckland.ac.nz.

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Room to grow

Are you looking to expand beyond your home office, but stymied by the lack of cost-effective rentals out there? If that’s the case, Sharedspace is for you. Basically, it provides a way to find and list commercial space available for sublease (including temporary pop-up retail stores). Not all businesses can afford a large office, but most shared spaces come furnished and with more flexible contracts. Added bonus: sharing a floor with other professionals can be a great networking opportunity. It’s free to sign up and create a listing, so what are you waiting for?

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We'll drink to that

Congrats to the winners of our Chivas Regal competition in last week’s Weekly. We were inundated with tales of woe of Father’s Days past but these two really broke our hearts:

Father’s Day, 1974.
Mum and Dad had just finished an extensive kitchen redecoration which included newly painted turquoise cabinetry and fabulously loud aqua-toned vinyl - goodbye linoleum, this was the SEVENTIES!
Enter 12 year old moi, rugged up in my dressing gown, 7am Father’s Day morning.
Bacon and eggs, toast and a cup of proper percolated coffee were on my agenda for a special Father’s Day breakfast.
I made a huge mess : Pots, pans and grease everywhere. Until, oh dear, there was no bench space left.
So where did I put the scalding hot frying pan while I got Dad’s toast buttered ?
ON THE FLOOR!
From that day on, the ugly burnt circular scar in the spanking new vinyl beside the stove was referred to as “The Fathers Day Meltdown”.
A Father’s Day present to floor any Dad!

- Stephanie Liebert

Worst Father’s Day present: When I was about 10 years old I bought my Dad a pleather wallet from Farmers for Father’s Day.
Upon opening the present he scrunched up his face and said it looked ‘a bit feminine’ – as it turned out it was a women’s wallet. 

- Eve Hodgson

Hope your dads find the Chivas Regal both manly and renovation-friendly. Enjoy.

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The way of the future

This news report, which originally ran in 1981, describes the cutting-edge concept of turning on your computer to read a newspaper. Electronic journalism, they call it. And before there was dialup, there was dialup via rotary telephone. How far we’ve come in two decades.

Turning over a new leaf

Designer Jacqueline Lee has been working with used books for almost a decade. To be precise, she picks them out at library sales, then dyes, bakes and otherwise repurposes them in the name of art. On her website she says: “For almost a decade I have found myself drawn to the intimate, tactile, and symbolic qualities of used books. I am interested in how these recycled books come with their own histories of use and meaning and how they serve as potent vehicles of expression.”

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The write type

Whether you’re after a way to drive your colleagues crazy, or something suitably pretentious to bash out that first novel on, these modding instructions will soon see you tapping away on a modern work of art—the USB typewriter. It’s intended as a full keyboard replacement for either PC or Mac. Seriously.

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Best of both worlds

If that all sounds like a bit too much work, the Valentine notebook takes its cue from the classic typewriter design of the same name, but has its feet fully planted in the laptop camp. In place of a paper sheet, it features a flexible visual display, and the fire-engine red manages to err on the side of appealing rather than obnoxious.

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Get the message

For a fresh dose of graphic inspiration, check out this collection of promotional posters. Negative space never looked so good. Created for IBM, these illustrations effortlessly make full use of every square pixel.

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Choose your own adventure

This is really clever: what looks like a typical YouTube video turns out to be the polar opposite. And don’t worry, other than a bit of coarse language, it is work-safe—if you want it to be, that is.

Quote of the week

 Keep your eyes and mind wide open and always look a gift horse in the mouth.

— Allan Bowie urges caution when looking to expand abroad.

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