Sunday, November 08, 2026
Vistage, EO and YPO each decide who may join. Here are the entry rules, who each suits, and when a one-on-one coach is the better fit.
Short answer: Making It Happen is a self-paced online masterclass for a one-time US$297 payment. It is built for owners who already know roughly what to do and keep not doing it. If your real problem is that you do not yet know where the business is heading, start with Know Your Future instead. If you need a quick sales lift, look at Quick Wins.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide and sells Making It Happen, 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, pre-made templates, a key points summary, real-world examples from large and small businesses, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith's practical tips. A workbook is mentioned in an image caption only. The page lists six modules:
The page does not state a total running time, video count or module length, so we cannot tell you how many hours it takes. Payment is $297 once, and the page offers a 30-day money-back guarantee: if it is not useful, you can ask for a refund.
Planning is rarely the bottleneck. The U.S. Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey (data collected 14 December 2025 to 3 May 2026) found that AI use among US businesses stayed between 17% and 20%, and that firms with four or fewer employees were below 20%. Our reading, which is a judgment and not a Census finding: a tool that exists but is not being used is an implementation gap, and that gap is common in small firms where the owner is also the person doing the work.
How much does Making It Happen cost? US$297 as a single payment, with a 30-day money-back guarantee according to the sales page.
How long does it take? The sales page does not say. It is self-paced, so you set the speed.
Is it the same as coaching? No. It is recorded training with templates. Coaching adds a person who diagnoses your constraint 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 Making It Happen · Take the five-question check first · Book a free 30-minute call · All online programs · Growth tips hub
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Large Firms With at Least 20 Employees Biggest AI Users (May 2026) · Making It Happen sales page
Checked 10 November 2026. Last updated 10 November 2026.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Everyone agrees December is too close to Christmas to prospect. One sales agency's own client data says the businesses that kept going saw 19 percent more leads the following January.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Most SME owners can describe next year's budget in detail and go quiet the moment you ask about year ten. A UK study of over 1,000 companies found that gap predicts success almost on its own.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Most SME owners build their people plan around courses. The research behind the 70-20-10 model says courses are the smallest lever you have, and it is worth knowing how shaky that research actually is.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
A lead called within five minutes is up to 100 times more likely to be contacted and 21 times more likely to qualify than one called 30 minutes later. Almost nobody does it.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Most SME owners think a logo is a brand. The agencies behind the world's biggest brands have never worked that way. Here is the five-layer model they actually use.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Nearly half of SMEs have run a SWOT analysis in the last two months, yet most cannot say it changed a single decision. Here is the simple matrix that turns the list into action.
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Burger King once sold a one-cent Whopper only to people standing next to a McDonald's. Here is the under-$5k version any SME owner can run, and what a 1760s potter teaches about removing buying risk.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Most small business owners feel confident about their sales pipeline right now. New research shows that confidence is measuring the wrong thing entirely.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Rising revenue and a shrinking bank balance usually mean the same thing: one account doing the job of four. A simple account split fixes it before it becomes a crisis.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
A coaching style that worked in your first month can quietly become the wrong one by your twelfth. The best coaches change how they coach you as you change.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Managers now spend over a fifth of their working week in meetings, and senior leaders admit most of it is wasted. A fixed meeting rhythm fixes more than your calendar.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Most SME owners set ad budgets and discount limits by gut feel. One number, worked out properly, tells you exactly what a customer is worth and what you can afford to spend to win one.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Most small businesses pour their whole marketing budget into this week's sale. The research on 30 years of advertising says that is exactly the wrong ratio.
Saturday, October 10, 2026
Most SME owners are confident they will hit this year's goals, and most will not. The fix is not more effort, it is a plan that fits on one page and gets checked every week.
Friday, October 09, 2026
The share of owners blaming the economy for not planning long-term has tripled in a year. Here's the one-page plan that actually fixes it, not excuses it.