Friday, November 06, 2026
Revenue's up and the bank balance still isn't. Jim Collins's Hedgehog Concept shows SME owners why saying yes to everything is the real margin leak.
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
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Half your sales team hitting quota means the other half is being carried by one or two people whose method has never been written down. Here is how to fix that before someone resigns.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Seventy six percent of purchase decisions happen at the shelf, not in the weeks of advertising before it. Here is the Shelf Impact Audit for FMCG brands that have never actually tested their own packaging.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Your dashboard has too many numbers and no owner for most of them. Here is the Focus Metric Framework SME owners use to find the one number that actually drives growth this quarter.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Twelve million American businesses worth nearly $10 trillion need new owners within a decade - and most of them, as currently run, cannot be sold. Here is the three-part test that tells you whether yours is one of them, and what to fix first.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Bain found a 5 percent lift in customer retention can boost profits 25 to 95 percent. Here's the Cohort Retention Audit that reveals whether your growth is real or just replacing lost customers.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Research shows much of the feedback we receive is too comfortable to change anything. Here's the Pushback Test that reveals whether your business coach genuinely challenges you or just agrees.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
APA-published research found task switching can cost up to 40 percent of productive time. Here's the Work-in-Progress Cap that stops SME owners starting everything and finishing nothing.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Gartner found B2B buyers now complete 80 percent of their journey before talking to a vendor. Here's the Pitch Refresh Audit that stops your sales team pitching to a buyer who already knows.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Nielsen found 92 percent of consumers trust recommendations from people they know over any advertising. Here's the Proof Asset Audit that puts your own customers' stories to work instead.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Most leadership teams spend less than an hour a month on strategy, and half spend none at all. Here is the protected-time system that fixes it, and why accountability is the missing ingredient.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
93% of small business owners expect growth this year — but 75% no longer trust their own bank to fund it. Here's the Cash Flow Runway Check to close the gap.
Friday, September 25, 2026
Most strategic plans die quietly by March — not from a bad plan, but from no system to keep it alive. Here's the 90-minute review that fixes it.
Friday, September 25, 2026
Nearly half of buyers already ask AI platforms to recommend a business like yours. Here's how to make sure you're the one they mention.
Friday, September 25, 2026
Most SME owners discount before the buyer even objects — and call it good negotiating. Here's the sequence that stops you giving margin away for free.
Friday, September 25, 2026
Your Q4 plan will likely be forgotten by February unless something forces it back into view every week. Here's the 15-minute ritual that keeps it alive.