How do you make a successful export product? Give the people what they need.

Stefan Sinclair, owner of tattoo studios Two Hands and Flash City, and Flash City barbers.

Seasons Gourmet creator Mark Harman has his sights set on more food ventures.

Damian Curtain, director, Espresso Carwash Cafe.

James Dobson, designer of Jimmy D and co-founder of Children of Vision, a physical and online clothing boutique carrying a selection local and imported cult fashion labels such as Deadly Ponies, Bernhard Willhelm, Company of Strangers and Jimmy D.

Of course every small business owner will wax lyrical about how important customer service is to them. I asked the companies featured this week to come up with some specifics so you could all compare it with what you do.

Maree Glading and business partner, Jessie Stanley, are The lovely little food company, a boutique food business that produces a range of handmade gourmet pies called I Love Pies.

Rob Chemaly, General Manager, Retail, Foodstuffs on what kind of customer service he is looking for from small food businesses.

Managing Director, Mark Sceats, founded SureFire Search 12 years ago, a specialist online marketing agency that focuses on search engine optimisation, search engine advertising, display advertising and web analytics and online strategy.

Chef looks forward to busy summer, after fightback from breast cancer.

Benjamin Clark of Benjamin Black Goldsmiths has a contemporary jewellery design studio and workshop based in Nelson and an online business.

Angus Ogilvie, Managing Director, Generate Accounting Group on small businesses handling very fast growth.

Chris Pescott, CEO – Perceptive, a market research company that specializes in customer experience research for a NZ and Australian client base.

Making it doesn’t come easy in the changing world of fashion. With her business about to turn 10, designer Juliette Hogan talks to Zoe Walker about her complex relationship with the industry.

It seems the main concern for small businesses when they have a big growth spurt is cash flow.

Custom Residential founder says firm wants to give vendors a more bespoke service.

Clare Parkes, CEO Clarian Human Resources which works with business owners and HR professionals to maximise their people resources through challenge, development and change.

Brett Wells, director of Rockshop, a music business which has 30 stores in New Zealand.

A Wellington filmmaker has attracted $600,000 in start-up funding for his cloud-based video sharing software.

Paul Robinson, Director of recruitment and HR specialists, Randstad.

Waiheke-based entrepreneur Pete Russell is on a mission to revive the local food market, one city at a time.

Social media giant Facebook is offering 12 small companies in Australia and New Zealand the opportunity to accelerate their businesses.

Heidi Johnston, owner Windowmakers, an award winning manufacturer of window and doors systems. Johnston and her husband Bruce, bought the company in 2002.

Engineers tend to be experts in their field and the idea of bringing in a coach to their self-made businesses is not something they will naturally do.