Watch closely. We are about to find out if we have learned anything from the financial crisis, writes Liam Dann.

It is unfortunate that some Government sloppiness about business relationships has clouded the coverage of John Key's trip to China, writes Liam Dann.

Dairy pervades the economy and the cultural landscape - our obsession with flat whites, free milk in schools and even our political scandals, as witnessed last week.

Rate rises can seem a bit baffling, but the formula is pretty simple and the Reserve Bank has seldom been more explicit, writes NZ Herald business editor Liam Dann.

From a Chinese perspective it makes perfect sense. After more than 20 years of rapid export-led growth it is time to fine-tune the economy, writes Liam Dann.

New Zealand's richest man, Graeme Hart, has seen his wealth swell by some $2 billion over the past year and looks well placed to do even better as the global economy improves.

The economy is not suddenly perfect just because the economic cycle has turned for the better, writes Liam Dann. There is still serious work to be done,

Liam Dann asks: "Is the Government decision to sell as little as 30 per cent of Genesis a back down or just pragmatism? That probably depends exactly where you sit on the political divide."

It might be worth $23 billion because it's the new app the cool kids are using but I can confirm WhatsApp has already lost some of its street cred, writes Liam Dann. I've signed up.

You have these occasional moments, fleeting points in time when everything aligns.

There's a bit of a "coals to Newcastle" feel about the exciting news that US investors have backed Kiwi gourmet burger chain BurgerFuel Worldwide, writes Liam Dann.

Let's use present momentum to develop sectors that have the potential to transform New Zealand's economy.

Well, this was supposed to be the quirky, light-hearted year-ender column, full of whimsical reflections on the big business events of 2013.

Liam Dann considers the extremely difficult diplomatic position NZ could face this century as China grows in economic strength and asserts its political muscle.

Being seen as eco-friendly can be a marketing advantage but there are deeper issues in life and business, writes Liam Dann.

Business editor Liam Dann on why the Air NZ share sale is a very different prospect from the SOE partial privatisations.

There's never been a better time to be a journalist or a news junkie, writes Liam Dann.

Kiwis need to brace themselves for an economic boom, writes Liam Dann, because after years in the doldrums we may not be prepared for the rebound that's coming.

The Labour Party under David Cunliffe already looks sharper than the David Shearer version, writes Liam Dann, when it comes to picking up on business and economic issues and turning them into ammunition for political attack.

Twitter.inc last week filed the documents for an initial public share offer that will see it raise US$1 billion.

An 'open for business' Australia can only be good news for New Zealand, as its economic health remains vital for ours.

The threat of Western intervention in Syria has markets on edge and looks set to add another layer of complexity to the global economic outlook, writes Liam Dann.

Fonterra "got away with it" over the botulism scare - but NZ's reputation took a big hit in China and that won't suddenly be undone, writes Liam Dann.

After Fonterra's Sri Lankan stand-off at the weekend it is tempting to say the company is having a shocker of a year, writes Liam Dann.

Culture - it's a word that can be filled with meaning or thrown about in a way that means nothing at all.

Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings has apologised to New Zealand but this is just the start and he will need to do more, writes Liam Dann.

In the short-term at least, Fonterra's brand and reputation are in tatters, writes Liam Dann. How much of the damage is superficial and how much is lasting will depend on how this plays out.