Andrew Dickens Afternoons

So is it time to stop harping on that we’re going to hell in a handcart?The past few months have been dubbed the winter of discontent as business confidence dropped and the most strident critics of the government said they were wrecking everything.  But while that narrative flowed conflicting data kept coming out suggesting the New Zealand train was still chuffing along happily in its tracks.  Whether it was the growing tax revenue from greater activity or historically low unemployment rates, there was a succession of cold hard facts that stood at odds to the sentiments and feelings of the business community.Today we hear that nearly two-thirds of small businesses are expecting to grow over the next 12 months. The Xero survey says our small businesses are  keen to take on more staff, invest in technology, introduce environmentally conscious initiatives, and tap into overseas markets. Two-thirds or 64 per cent are looking to grow in the next 12 months. I call that a pretty confident outlook.Which is not to say