Saturday, November 07, 2026
Haven't paid yourself properly in months and haven't said so out loud? You're far from alone, and the silence is doing more damage than the number itself.
Before you sign with a business coach in New Zealand, ask twelve things: which problem they will fix first, how they work, what proof they hold, who actually delivers, what it costs in total, how you can leave and how success will be measured. Coaching is largely unregulated, so the quality check is yours to run. Use the checklist below on anyone, including me.
Kevin D'Ambros-Smith is an Auckland-based business coach and advisor who has coached 200+ businesses one-on-one across 30+ industries.
Because nobody else will do it for you. The International Coaching Federation states that "coaching is generally not regulated in most areas of the world", which means anyone can call themselves a business coach. Credentials, track record and fit are things you have to test.
The other protection is on your side of the table. New Zealand's Fair Trading Act covers anything written or said about products or services, and a trader must have reasonable grounds for a claim when they make it. So it is fair to ask a coach to show you the evidence behind what they promise.
Ask these in a first call. A good coach will welcome them. A coach who gets vague or defensive has just answered a question for you.
Watch for guaranteed results, because no honest coach controls your market. Be wary of pressure to decide on the call, of long lock-in terms with no exit, and of a coach who cannot explain how they work in plain language. Treat a ranking or award with no named source the same way you would treat a testimonial with no name: interesting, but unproven. And notice whether they ask more questions than they answer in the first conversation. Diagnosis comes before prescription.
Ask for the terms in writing before you pay anything. Look for the length of the engagement, the number and format of sessions, what is included between sessions, the total fee and how it is invoiced, the notice period to end early, and how your business information is kept confidential. If anything is unclear, ask for it in plain words. For a larger commitment, it is reasonable to have your lawyer read it first. I am not a lawyer, and this is a checklist, not legal advice.
The Fair Trading Act also says traders cannot rely on fine print to correct a misleading overall impression, so what you are told on the call should match what the contract says.
Sometimes. The Regional Business Partner Network can connect eligible New Zealand businesses with advice and funding. Its Management Capability Development Fund subsidises up to 50 percent of management training costs, up to $5,000 a year excluding GST, and you start by meeting a growth advisor for a discovery session. Eligibility and what qualifies are decided by your regional partner, so check before you assume. Simple-Growth is an approved Regional Business Partners Network provider, and I am happy to explain how co-funding works on a call.
Fairly, and you should hold me to it. I start by finding the real constraint in the business before an owner spends another dollar. My background is three global agencies and nine companies founded or co-founded, and I have coached 200+ businesses one-on-one since 2017. Coaching clients surveyed through The Icehouse return a Net Promoter Score of +72.
Here is what one owner says about the work:
"Kevin being from a creative, advertising agency background, he just sees different opportunities so clearly. I would not have considered the B2C market as an opportunity before working with Kevin and now it is a major focus for us. He has opened up so many new opportunities for us."
John Roberts, Co-owner and COO, Oragene
Speak to two or three. Use the same twelve questions each time and score the answers afterwards. Comparing like for like shows you who has done the thinking, and who is relying on a polished pitch.
Long enough to see change, short enough to leave if it is not working. Ask what progress you should expect by the end of the first few sessions, and make sure the agreement lets you exit with reasonable notice.
It is worth it when the coach finds the constraint holding growth back and you act on it. Agree a number to measure in week one, so you can judge the return rather than rely on how the sessions feel.
A mentor shares their own experience, often unpaid. A coach is paid to diagnose, challenge and hold you accountable to a plan. Our guide on coach, consultant or mentor explains when each fits.
If you are comparing coaches, bring this list to a conversation with me and ask every question. There is no obligation. If you are not sure what kind of help you need yet, the Find Your Growth Fit questionnaire will point you in the right direction. Our online programmes are launching soon; join The Inside Track to hear first.
Kevin and The Simple-Growth Team
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
68 percent of US Google searches now end with no click at all. Here's what that means for small business marketing, and the fix that doesn't depend on getting the click back.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Most strategic plans are tactics with better formatting. Here's the one-sentence test, borrowed from Sinek's Golden Circle, that tells you if yours has a real why behind it.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
A private, unwritten goal succeeds about 35 percent of the time. One with a weekly accountability check-in succeeds more than 70 percent of the time. Here's why that gap exists.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Roughly 65 percent of small businesses are tied so closely to their owner they'd struggle to run without them. Here's Gerber's E-Myth framework for finally getting out of the technician's chair.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
42 percent of B2B businesses do nothing proactive during the pre-Christmas slowdown. Here's what the ones who keep selling do differently, and why January rewards them for it.
Monday, October 19, 2026
Is Vistage worth it? A fair, source-linked look at what peer advisory groups offer US business owners, a checklist for deciding, and how one-on-one coaching differs.
Monday, October 19, 2026
Most small business owners know they don't compete on price, but can't say, in one sentence, what they compete on instead. Here's the three-step framework that fixes it.
Monday, October 19, 2026
A strong December can feel like proof you're growing. It can also be the reason nobody builds the pipeline that carries January. Here's the three-question check to run now.
Monday, October 19, 2026
A good coach doesn't start with your goals. They start with three numbers most owners can't answer on the spot, and that gap tells them exactly where to begin.
Monday, October 19, 2026
Most SME owners have tried an AI tool this year. Few can say, in hours, what it actually saved them. Here's the test that tells the difference, and the first step to take.
Monday, October 19, 2026
By the time a prospect calls you, they've already done most of their own research. Here's the sales approach built for exactly that moment, and why most SME pitches skip it.
Monday, October 19, 2026
Social platforms can change the rules on your reach overnight. Here's the one marketing channel no algorithm can take away from you, and why most SME owners still starve it.
Monday, October 19, 2026
A new survey says 53% of small business owners are stuck on finding customers. Here's the one-question test that finds out whether that's really your constraint, or just the easiest one to blame.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
ActionCOACH, Business Blueprint, government-backed advice and independent coaches compared fairly for Australian owners, with best-for and not-ideal-if for each.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
An executive coach develops you as a leader. A business coach works on the business itself. Here is how to tell which one an NZ SME owner needs before paying for either.