Friday, November 06, 2026
Quiet months aren't bad luck. Byron Sharp's How Brands Grow explains why customers forget you between purchases, and the fix that isn't a bigger ad budget.
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
Monday, September 21, 2026
Most strategic plans are built on what founders assume customers buy — not what they actually say. Here's the one-week audit that closes the gap.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Most SME marketing still targets a customer persona sketched out years ago. Here's how to find out who's actually buying — and fix the mismatch.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Most SME sales proposals are built to impress, not to close. Here's the one-page format that gets buyers to yes faster.
Monday, September 21, 2026
If Sunday afternoon has become the least relaxing part of your weekend, it's a design problem, not a discipline one. Here's the fix.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Most owners choose a coaching format by budget, not by stage. Here's the test that shows which format actually fits your business right now.
Monday, September 21, 2026
Private label deals look like free growth — until they quietly cost you margin, capacity, and control. Here's how to protect your brand before signing.
Monday, September 21, 2026
New global research says 68% of small business owners now choose stability over speed — and that's the smarter growth strategy. Here's the 3-step Depth Audit to grow without breaking what you've built.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Most growth strategies don't fail because the market changed — they fail because nobody tested the assumptions underneath them. Here's the four-question audit that catches the weak spot before it costs you a year.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Your website, socials, and sales team may all be telling a slightly different story. Consistent brands see up to 33% more revenue — here's the one-page Message Map that fixes the drift.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Sales closes the deal, then delivery loses the customer within a quarter. The one-page Handover Brief that carries the promise, the anxiety, and the customer's real definition of success forward.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Every interruption costs roughly 23 minutes of refocus time, not seconds. The Protected Block system that stops "always available" from quietly destroying your most productive hours.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Coaching doesn't feel like steady progress — it dips hard around week five before the real structural change lands. Here's the 90-day curve nobody warns owners about, and why it matters.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
The instincts that built your first million will cap your next five if you don't replace them. Greiner's Growth Model explains why — and the Stage Check that shows if you've already outgrown your playbook.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
A new NielsenIQ study found 58% of shoppers don't care if it's your brand or the store's own. Here's the 3-step test to see if your FMCG brand earns its price premium.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
Chasing every dollar of revenue isn't a growth strategy — it's a collection plate. Here's the four-question filter Kevin uses with clients before any deal gets signed.