6. A Compassionate Economy Embedding Fairness, Forgiveness & Support
Business doesn’t need to be all about brutality
This article is part of our Rethinking SME Support series, where we’re exploring how Central & Local Government, Economic Development Agencies, Chambers of Commerce and Business Associations could better support NZ’s SME community through collaboration, fairness and a new mindset. This is not about blame. It’s about possibility and how we can build a more connected, human, regenerative support ecosystem.
Throughout this series, we’ve explored many practical dimensions of SME support advice, finance, capability, collaboration. But there’s another layer that is just as important and often overlooked -
👉 The values and culture that underpin how support is delivered.
At RegenerationHQ, we believe that building a better SME support system is not just about better processes or more integrated programmes. It is about embedding a new mindset and set of values one that puts fairness, compassion and forgiveness at its heart.
Because in the end, supporting SMEs is not a mechanical task. It is about supporting people in one of the most complex and human journeys there is - running a business.
Why Values Matter in SME Support
What we hear again and again from SME owners is this -
“It’s not just what help is offered it’s how it’s offered that matters.”
When support feels transactional, impersonal or judgemental, trust breaks down no matter how good the offer on paper. When support feels human, fair and forgiving, owners lean in even when the support is imperfect.
The best SME support ecosystems we’ve seen globally are not built just on content but on culture.
Fairness Equity, Not Equality
Fairness in SME support does not mean treating all businesses the same.
It means recognising that different businesses and owners start from different places and face different barriers and opportunities.
That means -
✅ Designing for equity actively addressing structural barriers faced by Māori, Pasifika, women-led, migrant and refugee-owned businesses.
✅ Offering flexibility so that support can meet businesses where they are, not force them through a uniform process.
✅ Recognising diverse definitions of success not all businesses are seeking scale or profit maximisation. Community impact, intergenerational resilience and cultural outcomes matter too.
Fairness also means shifting language and metrics away from narrow economic indicators and toward more holistic measures of business and community wellbeing.
Compassion Means Seeing the Whole Person
Compassion in SME support means understanding that business ownership is a deeply human endeavour not a purely rational or financial exercise.
It means -
✅ Recognising the mental and emotional load many owners carry and offering support that respects and responds to that reality.
✅ Building relationships, not just transactions so that owners feel seen and supported, not processed.
✅ Supporting wellbeing alongside capability not treating owner wellbeing as an optional extra.
✅ Training support actors in agencies, EDAs, Chambers, associations to work with empathy, cultural competence and trauma awareness.
We’ve seen globally that compassion is not a “soft” value. It is a strategic enabler of trust, resilience and long-term impact.
Forgiveness Creating Space to Learn and Try Again
Business is an iterative process. Mistakes are part of learning and growth. Yet too often, support systems and the funding frameworks that sit behind them operate from a compliance-first, risk-averse mindset.
Forgiveness in SME support means -
✅ Normalising second chances creating space for businesses that have failed or struggled to try again, without stigma.
✅ Supporting experimentation enabling SMEs to test new ideas and models without fear of disproportionate penalty.
✅ Embracing a learning culture where both owners and support actors can acknowledge what hasn’t worked and adapt.
✅ Designing funding and evaluation models that reward progress and learning not just flawless performance.
Forgiveness fosters innovation, resilience and inclusion. Without it, we simply reinforce privilege and conformity.
Why This Matters Now
Embedding fairness, compassion and forgiveness is not a nice-to-have. It is critical because -
✅ The complexity and emotional load of SME ownership are growing.
✅ Trust in government and public systems is fragile especially among underserved communities.
✅ Diversity in NZ’s SME sector is increasing and system rigidity risks exacerbating inequity.
✅ A regenerative economy depends on trust, creativity and human resilience which these values enable.
In short - values shape outcomes. Without this mindset shift, technical improvements to SME support will only go so far.
What This Could Look Like in Practice
Some practical shifts we would love to see -
✅ Values-based training and frameworks for SME support actors
✅ Equity-first design embedded in all new support programmes
✅ Wellbeing support normalised across all SME support touchpoints
✅ Mentoring and peer support prioritised alongside formal advice
✅ Funding models that reward relational work, not just transactional delivery
✅ More opportunities for businesses to recover and rebuild after failure
✅ Stories of compassionate support and second chances actively shared across the ecosystem
A Closing Word
At RegenerationHQ, we believe that embedding fairness, compassion and forgiveness is foundational to building a truly regenerative SME support system in Aotearoa.
This is not just about better outcomes for businesses. It is about building a system that models the kind of economy and society we want to create.
An economy where every owner, regardless of background or journey, can access support with dignity. A system where learning is valued over perfection. A culture where human connection and community wellbeing sit alongside economic performance.
That is the vision we will carry into the next and final article in this series, where we’ll reflect on what we’ve learned and explore where we might go next, together.
We hope you’ll stay with us.
Stay Connected
If you’d like to follow this series and be part of the conversation about building a better SME support system for Aotearoa, here’s how to get hold of us –
📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
🌐 Contact Form www.regenerationhq.co.nz/contact
If you’d like to read more RegenerationHQ thinking on SME business and other things, go here – www.regenerationhq.co.nz/articlesoverview
🔹 RegenerationHQ Ltd - Business Problems Solved Sensibly.
Supporting NZ SME Owners to Exit Well, Lead Better and Build Business Value.
Coming next in the series -
👉 Toward a Better System What We’ve Learned and Where We Go Next