Wednesday, November 04, 2026
Riding a feast-or-famine sales cycle with no idea who to chase? The CLV/CAC method turns a quiet month into a plan, not a panic.
Lisa Campbell owns Woodhill Distribution Ltd, a New Zealand distribution business. She wanted to know whether her prices and freight costs were protecting her margin, and whether growth in New Zealand and Australia could be a plan rather than a hope. This case study shows what the coaching covered, what Lisa says changed, and what we do not claim.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this page and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith coached this client, so read it as a case study, not a neutral review. Market: New Zealand. Last updated 4 November 2026.
Distributors sit between suppliers, freight and customers, so a small slip in any one of them quietly eats the margin. Lisa was making day-to-day decisions on pricing and freight without a clear picture of what each product and shipment really cost to deliver. Beyond that, she had no longer-term plan to lift her eyes from the daily work.
The pressure is not unusual. In the September 2026 NZIER Quarterly Survey of Business Opinion (reported by Westpac, survey run 9 to 28 September), firms' past-three-month average selling prices read +27 and next-three-month expectations +45, while the report notes cost pressures eased only a little. When prices and costs are both moving, owners who do not know their true delivered cost are guessing.
"Kevin helped me get a clearer picture of my pricing and freight costs, giving me more confidence in my decisions and a better understanding of how to protect my margins. He also helped me look beyond the day-to-day and build a five-year plan — making growth in New Zealand and Australia feel like a realistic, achievable goal. Alongside that, his guidance on improving my visibility in AI and search has helped me think more strategically about how customers find the business."
Lisa Campbell
Owner, Woodhill Distribution Ltd (quoted word for word)
This is a testimonial-led case study. We have not published revenue, margin or growth figures for Woodhill, so none are stated here and none should be implied. The outcome Lisa describes is confidence, clarity and a plan. Whether it lifts sales is something only her results over time will show.
It is probably not for you if you want someone to run the business for you, or you are not willing to look at your own numbers.
Yes. Coaching is chosen by mindset and ambition, not sector, across 30+ industries.
This page states no price. Eligible New Zealand businesses may be able to access co-funding through the Regional Business Partner Network, though funding is not guaranteed. See what NZ business coaches charge: https://www.simple-growth.com/growth-tips/how-much-does-a-business-coach-cost-in-nz-2026-price-guide
No. Every business starts from a different place, and this case study states only what the owner has said.
Want a clearer picture of your own pricing, freight and five-year plan? A 30-minute conversation is a good place to start.
Sources (checked 4 November 2026): Westpac IQ, NZ first impressions: NZIER QSBO September quarter 2026, 6 October 2026 (New Zealand, survey run 9 to 28 September). The testimonial is quoted word for word from the person named. Last updated 4 November 2026.
Friday, October 30, 2026
Nearly three in ten US owners name unpredictable demand as a top stressor. Here's the always-on marketing system (RACE) that replaces the feast-and-famine cycle.
Friday, October 30, 2026
If a prospect asked what makes you different, could you answer in one sentence? Here's the three-question positioning map that gets you there before your next pitch.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Most sales die at silence, not at no. Here is how to build a first AI agent for sales follow-up in five steps, with a human in charge and NZ privacy and spam rules covered.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
AI speeds up whatever you point it at. Here is how to match it to the one link in your business that is actually limiting growth, before you spend on tools.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
36% of NZ SMEs use AI, but the smallest firms trail by 34 points. Here is a four-question test for choosing your first AI job, and a 30-day plan.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Nearly half of SME owners say their business doesn't have a money problem — it has a time problem. Here's the 90-day Freedom Plan to fix it.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
A business with four equal customers loses 25% of revenue the day one leaves. Here's the customer-concentration math most SME owners never run, and three moves to fix it.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
A lot of owners try the wrong format, see no shift, and decide coaching doesn't work for them. Here's what a peer room is actually good for, what 1:1 coaching is actually good for, and a 3-check way to pick.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
HBR's review of meeting research found about 70% of meetings kept employees from the work they were meant to enable. Here's Verne Harnish's meeting rhythm, sized for an SME before year-end.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Reps close 2.9x more deals at month-end and lose 11.4x more margin doing it, one major study found. Here's why the plan is the problem, not the rep, and three fixes.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
45% of US consumers used AI for a local business recommendation this year, up from 6% last year. Here's why schema markup won't fix your AI visibility, and what will.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Jim Collins found that companies which broke away from average performance could name, with brutal precision, what they could be best in the world at. Here's the three-circle test and the goal that pairs with it.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Big-brand positioning is a decision, not a budget. Five questions, a one-sentence position and a five-touchpoint audit you can run this week.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Which jobs should a US small business hand to AI first? Published US data, a five-check test and a 30-day plan to pick one job, track one number and keep the decisions that matter.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Most small business owners already believe AI works, but barely one in ten has invested in using it properly. Here is the simple ladder for turning casual AI use into real, compounding productivity gains.