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.
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.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Buying a new platform feels like progress. Usually it's avoidance — the process was broken before the software, and stays broken after.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Your top performer's secret isn't a better pitch — it's a question sequence that gets the prospect to close themselves.
Friday, September 04, 2026
You don't need a national ad budget to get cut-through — you need dominance in the community your customers already trust.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Most strategy fails in translation, not ambition. Here's how to cascade a boardroom goal all the way down to a Monday task list.
Friday, September 04, 2026
56% of US shoppers have quit buying a brand over shrinkflation. Why quietly shrinking packs costs FMCG brands more than an honest price rise — and how to build a value-change system instead.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Most FMCG brands that succeed regionally never make the jump to national shelf space. Here's what the brands that do scale nationally build before the big order arrives — capacity, standardisation, and sell-through data — and why the brands that don't fail fast once they win it.
Friday, September 04, 2026
The owners who get the most from coaching don't walk in with good news — they walk in with a real problem. Here's why the progress-report habit quietly wastes coaching sessions, and what to bring instead.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Most productivity advice optimises the calendar you already have. The real fix is deciding what doesn't belong on it. Here's the 90/10 diagnostic for finding — and protecting — the small share of your week that actually drives growth.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Most sales training focuses on the pitch and the close. The outcome is usually decided in the first five minutes. Here's the diagnostic-first opening sequence that changes conversion rates without changing your product or your price.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Most SME marketing leads with product specs. Buyers respond to stories. Here's the system for finding, capturing, and multiplying the customer stories you already have — with an FMCG-specific angle on letting the shelf and repeat-purchase data talk.
Friday, September 04, 2026
Most SME owners treat pricing as a set-and-forget cost calculation. Here's why price is actually the highest-leverage growth lever in your business — and the three-number method for testing whether you're underpriced.
Friday, September 04, 2026
A new study puts SME admin overload at $17,000 per employee a year — and finds AI tools alone aren't fixing it. Why systems have to come before software.
Friday, September 04, 2026
A business can grow revenue 40% in a year and be in more financial danger at the end of it than the start. Here's why fast growth without a cash plan is a warning sign, not a win.
Friday, September 04, 2026
The first ninety days of coaching are almost always productive. Here's why so many engagements quietly plateau around month six, and how to keep them accelerating.
Friday, September 04, 2026
If your business needs you in the room to keep functioning, you haven't built a business — you've built a demanding job. Here's how to test and fix that.