Sunday, November 08, 2026
A fresh 164-team B2B sales survey finds 59% of small teams never calculate pipeline coverage, and most deals slip twice before closing. Here is the 3-step Pipeline X-Ray to run this week.
Last updated 9 November 2026. Published by Simple-Growth (Motherbase Limited). Market: New Zealand.
If you run a business turning over $1 million to $3 million, the Icehouse Owner Operator Programme costs $6,295 + GST for three one-day workshops, one a month. A one-to-one coach costs a different amount for a different job. The choice comes down to whether you need a curriculum and a peer group, or a diagnosis of the one thing holding your business back.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide, Kevin D'Ambros-Smith coaches for Simple-Growth, and Simple-Growth partners with The Icehouse, so he is not neutral. That is why both options below are described the same way: what it costs, what you get, who it suits and who it does not. Everything about The Icehouse comes from its own pages, read on 9 November 2026 (New Zealand time). If something is out of date, tell Kevin and it will be corrected.
According to the Icehouse's programme page, the Owner Operator Programme is a practical academy for ambitious owners: three one-day in-person group workshops, held monthly over three months, with an optional one-on-one session with an Icehouse business coach. The price shown is $6,295 + GST. The page lists the current group meeting on Tuesday 15 September, Tuesday 20 October and Tuesday 17 November 2026, and says it suits New Zealand owners turning over $1 million to $3 million, in groups that mix industries and regions. It also says Management Capability Development funding may be available through your Regional Business Partner, that partners sometimes offer scholarships, and that payment plans may be available.
The Icehouse's about page says over 4,000 Kiwis have taken part since 2001, and over 1,400 owners have completed its flagship Owner Manager Programme. These are the provider's own figures. Because the current group finishes on 17 November, ask the Icehouse when the next intake starts.
| Option | Published cost | Format | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Icehouse Owner Operator Programme | $6,295 + GST | Three one-day in-person workshops, monthly, plus an optional one-on-one session | NZ owners turning over $1M to $3M who want a structured curriculum and a peer group |
| One-to-one coaching with Simple-Growth | Discussed on a free 30-minute call; co-funding may apply for eligible businesses | Find the real constraint, then a 90-day plan with owners, dates and measures | Owners whose growth is stuck and who cannot name why, at any stage |
| Business Mentors NZ | $295 + GST registration, 12 month journey | Volunteer mentor, matched after registration | Owners who want a sounding board and a wider network |
Costs are taken from each provider's own pages. Simple-Growth's coaching fee is not published here; it depends on the format and is discussed on the call.
This is not for you if you are hoping someone else will do the work. A programme, a mentor and a coach all need you to act. Many owners use both: a programme for peers and structure, then a coach to apply it to their own numbers.
Possibly. The government's Management Capability Development Fund, reached through the Regional Business Partner Network, covers half of one-to-one training costs or three-quarters of group training costs, up to $5,000 per business a year, for eligible businesses with under 50 full-time equivalent staff (business.govt.nz page, last edited 3 August 2026). The page describes the application as four to 12 hours of effort, and approval is not guaranteed. Speak to a Regional Business Growth Advisor before you pay, so you know whether you qualify. Simple-Growth is an approved Regional Business Partner Network provider.
The Icehouse programme page lists $6,295 + GST for three one-day in-person workshops held monthly over three months, with an optional one-on-one session with an Icehouse business coach.
The Icehouse says it is for New Zealand business owners with $1 million to $3 million turnover, in groups that mix industries and regions.
Possibly. The Icehouse says Management Capability Development funding may be available through your Regional Business Partner. The fund covers half of one-to-one costs or three-quarters of group costs, up to $5,000 per business a year, for eligible businesses with under 50 full-time equivalent staff. Approval is not guaranteed.
No. A programme gives you a curriculum and a peer group; a coach builds a plan around your own numbers. Many owners use both, one after the other.
Not sure which fits? A 30-minute conversation will tell you honestly whether a programme, a coach, a mentor or nothing at all is the right move, and you are welcome to take the answer anywhere.
Sources (read 9 November 2026): The Icehouse, Owner Operator Programme (New Zealand; provider's own information); The Icehouse, about us (provider's own figures); business.govt.nz, Management Capability Development Fund (New Zealand); Business Mentors NZ (provider's own information). Related: a four-step ladder for business help in Auckland and what NZ business coaches charge. Last updated 9 November 2026.
Ready to find out which route fits your business?
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.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Most SME owners can tell you their revenue. Almost none can tell you which customers are actually making them a profit. New 2026 research shows why that gap is the real growth problem, and a three-step fix.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
The average small business gets 27 percent of revenue from one customer. Here is the three-question check that tells you whether your growth is real, or just concentration in disguise.
Sunday, October 18, 2026
Coaching can return seven times its cost, PwC research suggests, but rarely from where owners expect. Here is where the real ROI on a business coach actually shows up.