Monday, November 09, 2026
Scaling Up publishes a price ladder from a $20 book to a $40,000-$120,000 annual coach retainer. Here is what each rung buys, who it suits, and when a coaching program is the better first step.
Last updated 10 November 2026. Published by Simple-Growth (Motherbase Limited). Market: New Zealand.
If you have been meaning to do something about AI and keep putting it off because of the cost, this is worth ten minutes. The government's AI Advisory Pilot co-funds up to half of an AI roadmap and its rollout, to a maximum of $15,000, for New Zealand businesses with fewer than 50 full-time staff. Applications are open to 30 June 2027. Here is what it pays for, what it does not, and the order to do things in so you do not lose the funding.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith runs AI workshops and coaching for Simple-Growth, so he is not neutral. This page does not say that Simple-Growth is an approved provider under the pilot, and you should not assume it. Facts come from the government pages and news report named below, read on 10 November 2026 (New Zealand time). Check the current rules with a Regional Business Partner advisor before you commit money.
According to the business.govt.nz funding page, the pilot covers up to 50% of eligible costs. The cap is $2,500 for an AI roadmap, which means assessing what your business needs, spotting where AI could help and writing an implementation plan, and $12,500 for implementation support, which means putting AI into your processes and helping your staff use it. You pay at least half. Funding is competitive and limited.
The page says you need a New Zealand Business Number, fewer than 50 full-time employees, and to be established and ready to explore practical uses of AI to improve productivity. You apply by registering with the Regional Business Partner Network and talking to a growth advisor. The page estimates four to twelve hours for the application.
MBIE announced on 15 May 2026 that the pilot would support up to 150 businesses, up from 50, and run until 31 January 2027. On 22 September 2026, interest.co.nz reported that the pilot had been extended by six months to mid-2027, that 150 businesses had already been through it and that 120 more were joining. The business.govt.nz page now gives 30 June 2027 as the date applications are open to. That is the date to work to, but confirm it with your advisor, because funding is limited and can run out before the date.
This is not for you if you want AI to fix a business whose real problem is pricing, sales or a team that does not follow up. AI makes a clear process faster. It does not make an unclear one clearer.
According to the business.govt.nz funding page, up to 50% of eligible costs: a cap of $2,500 for an AI roadmap and $12,500 for implementation support, so $15,000 in total. You pay at least half, and funding is competitive and limited.
New Zealand businesses with a New Zealand Business Number and fewer than 50 full-time employees that are established and ready to explore practical AI uses. You apply through the Regional Business Partner Network.
The business.govt.nz page says applications are open until 30 June 2027. MBIE's May 2026 announcement gave 31 January 2027, and a 22 September 2026 report said the pilot had been extended by six months. Confirm the current date with a Regional Business Partner advisor.
No. The page says work completed before approval is not funded, so wait for approval before you book or pay for anything.
Not sure whether AI is your constraint at all? A 30-minute conversation will tell you honestly, and you are welcome to take the answer anywhere.
Sources (read 10 November 2026): business.govt.nz, AI Advisory Pilot (New Zealand); MBIE, More practical AI support for small businesses, 15 May 2026 (New Zealand); interest.co.nz, Govt extends $15,000 AI grants pilot, 22 September 2026 (New Zealand). Related: AI workshop for NZ business owners: what to check before you pay. Last updated 10 November 2026.
Ready to find your one constraint?
Thursday, October 08, 2026
Most SME marketing budgets are weighted toward customers who already buy. The research says that is the smaller lever. Here is where brand growth actually comes from, and how to redirect your spend toward it.
Thursday, October 08, 2026
Most SME strategy problems are not thinking problems, they are seeing problems. Here is the one-page model that catches the two mistakes that quietly kill most growing businesses before they show up in the bank account.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Four pillars, one real constraint and a 90-day plan. Here is how the Simple-Growth System works, plus a 45-minute test you can run this week.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
When you are surrounded by your industry, it is hard to see the wood for the trees. Here is why an outside perspective finds growth moves insiders miss, and how US owners can use it.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Small businesses grow at half the rate of big ones, and it is not about budget. Techaisle's 2026 global survey reveals why depth of relationships beats contact count, and how to build your own Dream 10 this week.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Rising revenue feels like proof the business is winning. If your margin is quietly shrinking at the same time, you are growing broke. Here is the three-line check that catches it.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
January feels like the obvious month to commit to a coach. It is actually the worst one. Here is why the owners who get the most out of coaching start in November instead.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Wrong hires are now costing Australian SMEs an estimated 7.3 billion dollars a year. The mistake almost never happens in the interview room. Here is where it actually happens.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Somewhere in your pipeline right now is a buyer whose budget has to be spent before their financial year ends. Here is how to find them before a competitor does.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Most SME marketing budget goes to whichever channel the owner already knows, never the one that would actually work best. Here is the simple test that finds it.
Wednesday, October 07, 2026
Most strategic plans fail quietly, from an optimism nobody questioned out loud. Here is the 20-minute pre-mortem that finds the weak spot before you commit a dollar to it.
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
What a business coach for an NZ food, beverage or FMCG brand should do: price waterfall, real constraint, velocity story and a 90-day plan.
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
73% of small business owners feel more confident than ever, yet 57% have flat or falling revenue. Here is the real constraint behind the gap, and the 15-minute test that exposes it.
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
Most SME owners know their cost per click. Almost none know their true cost to win a customer, because the real costs live in four different spreadsheets nobody has ever combined.
Tuesday, October 06, 2026
A pleasant weekly chat and a structured coaching session can look identical from the outside. Here's exactly what should be happening in the room if the second one is real.