Monday, November 09, 2026
Nearly three in four NZ businesses have no employees. If you are one of them, here is the order to spend on advice, AI training and coaching, who each suits, and a 30-day plan you can run alone.
Short answer: Know Your Future is a self-paced online masterclass for a one-time US$497 payment. It is for owners who are busy and growing, or stuck, without a clear picture of where the business is going. If you already have direction and need follow-through, look at Making It Happen ($297). If you want sales ideas this month, look at Quick Wins ($97).
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide and sells Know Your Future, so read it with that in mind. Everything about the program below comes from its live sales page, opened on 10 November 2026.
The sales page describes self-paced video training, a workbook to complete as you go, pre-made templates, a key points summary, real-world examples from big brands and small businesses, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith's practical tips. It lists six modules:
The page gives no total running time or estimated hours, so we cannot say how long it takes. Payment is $497 once, with a 30-day money-back guarantee: the page says that if it is not useful, you can ask for a refund. The page does not describe the refund process, so ask on the free call if that matters to you.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index for Q3 2026 (published 30 July 2026) reports that 54% of small business owners say inflation is their biggest challenge right now. Much of that is outside an owner's control. What you do control is where you point the business. That is our judgment, not a finding from the index. The index does not measure planning, and the page we read did not give fieldwork dates or sample size.
| Route | Suits you if | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Know Your Future ($497, self-paced) | You want a defined destination, a positioning idea and milestones you can act on | It is a thinking-and-planning program; value comes from finishing the workbook |
| Making It Happen ($297) | You have direction but not follow-through | Not a substitute for strategy |
| Quick Wins ($97) | You want fast sales ideas | Tactics without direction |
| Strategy offsite or consultant | You want a facilitated process and a bespoke plan | Cost and time; plan can sit unused |
| One-on-one coaching | You want a diagnosis of your constraint and ongoing accountability | Higher cost; start with the free 30-minute call |
How much does Know Your Future cost? US$497 as a single payment, with a 30-day money-back guarantee per the sales page.
How long does it take? The page does not say. It is self-paced.
Is it the same as coaching? No. It is recorded training with a workbook and templates. Coaching adds a person who tests your thinking and holds you to account.
Can I talk to someone before buying? Yes. Kevin offers a free 30-minute call, and there is no obligation.
Results vary and depend on the work you put in; nothing here is a guarantee.
Next step: See Know Your Future · Compare all three programs · Book a free 30-minute call · All online programs
Checked 10 November 2026. Last updated 10 November 2026.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
NZIER's September survey shows firms far more upbeat while actual trading was flat. Here is what that gap means for an NZ owner, and three numbers to check this week before you spend a dollar.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
NZ AI workshops range from a four-hour morning to a residential programme. Here is what the public prices show, what to ask before you book, and how to check whether government co-funding applies. Checked 6 November 2026.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
Quick Wins is a self-paced online masterclass of 15 sales strategies with templates and examples, $97 one payment. Who it suits, who should skip it, how it compares with other routes, and a 90-day way to use it. Checked 6 November 2026.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
EOS is an operating system for running a leadership team. A coach works on your numbers. A plain guide to who each suits, what is public on cost, and six questions to ask either way. Checked 6 November 2026.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
A volunteer mentor and a paid coach solve different problems. Here is who each suits, what each costs, and six questions that settle it.
Saturday, November 07, 2026
An NZ distributor wanted confidence in its pricing and freight costs. Here is what changed, what we can and cannot say, and how to copy the approach this month.
Friday, November 06, 2026
Most SME owners read a falling top line as a traffic problem and discount harder. In the businesses I coach, the offer is more often the real constraint than the price. Here is the three-step Offer Ladder to test it first.
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.
Friday, November 06, 2026
Finding out how last month went three weeks too late isn't a discipline failure. It's an accountability gap, and one weekly email closes it.
Friday, November 06, 2026
Doing the books, the invoicing and the tax yourself at 9pm? Simple-Growth's AI Productivity Audit sorts every repeat task into automate, augment or eliminate.
Friday, November 06, 2026
Some customers drain you, some fund you, and you can't always tell which. A one-hour grading exercise shows SME owners exactly where their real revenue sits.
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.
Friday, November 06, 2026
Scared of a big decision you've sat on for weeks? Porter's Five Forces gives SME owners a five-question test built for strategists, simplified for you.
Friday, November 06, 2026
If sales only happen when you are in the room, you own a job, not a system. Five parts and a five-day plan to build a sales process your team can run without you.
Thursday, November 05, 2026
You do not need a big budget to position like a big brand. You need a big brand's discipline. Here is the five-question brief NZ owners can write in an afternoon.