Monday, November 09, 2026
US owners spend 22 hours a month on financial admin alone (Xero, 2026). Gary Keller's focusing question shows SME owners the one task worth handing off first.
The short answer: Making It Happen is a self-paced online masterclass for owners who already have a plan and are not finishing it. It costs US$297, one payment, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is not the right first step if your problem is finding customers, or if you want a person checking in on you every week.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this program, so this is a vendor's description. The facts below come from the live sales page, read on 11 November 2026. Market: United States. Last updated 11 November 2026.
The sales page lists video training, pre-made templates, a key points summary, real-world examples from big brands and small businesses, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith's hard-learned tips, with instant digital access. It does not state a total running time or lesson count, so ask before you buy if that matters to you.
| Option | Cost | Best for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Making It Happen | US$297, one payment | Turning an existing plan into routines and accountability | Self-paced, no live coach |
| A productivity book | Low | Ideas and inspiration | No templates built for your business, no support |
| A peer group or an operating system such as EOS | Quoted on request | Structure and outside accountability | Bigger commitment; ask for twelve-month costs in writing |
| One-to-one coaching | Quoted after a free call | A plan built around your constraint, with regular review | Larger investment |
Many owners use a program to get moving, then add coaching for more accountability. That is a choice, not a rule. If you are weighing a peer group, read how to choose between a peer group and a coach.
The US Census Bureau's Business Trends and Outlook Survey found that about 17% of US firms with fewer than 20 employees said they use AI, against about 30% of firms with 250 or more employees, as reported by the Minneapolis Fed (29 May 2026). The gap is not only about price or access. Smaller teams have less time to set tools up and make them stick, which is why a routine and a named owner for each priority matter as much as the tool.
The sales page gives no total running time. It is self-paced, so you set the speed.
Yes. The page states a 30-day money-back guarantee: if it is not useful, ask for a refund.
It is written for ambitious SME owners in New Zealand and the USA.
Book a free 30-minute call with Kevin and talk through one-to-one options.
Pick the one priority you keep postponing. If you can name it and the plan is clear, Making It Happen is built for you. If you cannot name it, take the free call first.
Sources: Minneapolis Fed on US Census Bureau BTOS data (US firms by size, April 2026 supplement, reported 29 May 2026). Price, modules and guarantee from the live sales page, 11 November 2026. Results vary. Back to the growth tips hub.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Some coaches build a business out of being needed forever. Here's the Graduation Test: three questions that reveal whether your coach is transferring real capability, or just keeping you on retainer.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Most owners respond to a bottleneck by fixing something else entirely. Eli Goldratt's Theory of Constraints explains why that backfires, and documented case studies show a mean 69 percent lead-time reduction once the real constraint is found.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Roughly four in ten B2B purchase attempts end in no decision at all. It's rarely about price. Here's Alex Hormozi's Value Equation, in plain English, and why it explains almost every stalled deal in your pipeline.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
41 percent of consumers now always read reviews before choosing a business, and 31 percent won't use one rated under 4.5 stars. Here's the Review Velocity System that turns happy customers into a steady stream of five-star proof.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
64 percent of executives say they're juggling too many conflicting priorities, and most SME strategies die from addition, not ambition. Here's the three-step Strategic Short List that turns six priorities into the one that actually moves the needle.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
A third of small business owners are absorbing this year's cost increases out of their own pocket instead of raising prices. Here's the three-step Margin Audit that turns that guess into a safe, thirty-day pricing test.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Before you approve the next hire, run the revenue-per-employee test. Some of the growth you are trying to buy with headcount is sitting in tasks AI can already take off the list.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Owner-dependent businesses sell for roughly half the multiple of businesses that run without them. Dan Sullivan's Who Not How question is the simplest fix most owners never try.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
The tasks only one person in your business can do are a hidden cost waiting to land. Here is how to clear the backlog in an afternoon using a recorder instead of a blank page.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Chasing every lead in the run to year end is how you end up delivering the deals that cost you the most. Here is the Right-Fit Filter that catches a bad deal before you quote it.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Big brands never approve a campaign on gut feel alone. Here is the cheap, 48-hour pretest SME owners can run on any piece of marketing before a single dollar goes to media.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
There is no single best business coach in New Zealand, only the best fit for your stage and your problem. Here are six criteria, an honest map of the NZ options, and where Kevin D'Ambros-Smith fits.
Sunday, October 04, 2026
Most SME strategies are really just revenue wishlists with no diagnosis behind them. Here is the three-part test that separates a real strategy from a wish, and what to fix first if yours fails it.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
94% of small businesses using AI across multiple functions have cut spending on marketing, data and bookkeeping, and they are more confident than ever. Here is the three-question audit to run before you cut judgment along with the invoice.
Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Chasing a poor-fit customer to hit a year-end number rarely pays off. Here is the Right-Fit Growth Filter SME owners use before saying yes.