Tuesday, November 03, 2026
The Entourage or Simple-Growth: who each suits, what The Entourage publishes on price and proof, and seven questions to ask before you apply. Checked 4 November 2026.
Choose The Entourage if you run a six, seven or eight figure business and want a large community, in-person events and a structured programme you apply to join. Choose Simple-Growth if you want one experienced coach working with you one-on-one on the single constraint holding your business back, with the first conversation free and no programme to buy first. Whichever you pick, ask for the price in writing and name the one problem you want fixed, or you may pay for the wrong help.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith is an independent business coach, so he is not neutral. That is why this page explains who each option suits instead of ranking them. Everything said about The Entourage comes from its own web pages, read on 4 November 2026 (New Zealand time). If something here is out of date or wrong, let Kevin know and it will be corrected. Market: New Zealand.
This is not for you if you want someone to guarantee a number. Neither provider can honestly promise one.
| What you want to know | The Entourage (its own pages) | Simple-Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Price of coaching | Not shown. The coaching page offers a free 30-minute call with an Entrepreneur Development Manager. | Not published for one-on-one coaching. Discussed on the free 30-minute call. |
| Price of short courses | The Profit Program page does not state a price in its text. It offers a 14-day money-back guarantee. | Self-paced programmes from US$97. |
| Who it is for | Six, seven and eight figure businesses for Elevate and Accelerate. | Ambitious owners and founders in any industry, chosen by mindset, not sector. |
| Proof published | Ten client results with headline numbers, and totals such as 3,500 businesses. | Named client testimonials word for word, and an NPS of +72 from coaching clients surveyed through The Icehouse. |
| Free first step | Free 30-minute call. | Free 30-minute call. |
Neither of us publishes a price for one-on-one coaching, so the honest advice is the same for both: ask for a written 12-month total, excluding GST, before you commit.
The Entourage publishes strong headline results, such as one client moving from $150K to $700K a month. That is useful, and worth asking about. Two things to check when you read any provider's totals: the pages we read give different totals in different places, for example $6b revenue generated on one page and over $2 billion on another, and a community of 1m on one page and 500,000+ on another. Ask which figure applies today and how it was measured. Apply the same test to Simple-Growth: our NPS of +72 comes from coaching clients surveyed through The Icehouse, not from all clients, and our testimonials are quoted word for word with no numbers added.
Xero's small business data for the September quarter 2026, published on 29 October 2026, shows New Zealand small business sales up 5.6% on a year earlier but wages up only 1.3%, and the average time to be paid at 25.4 days. Sales are growing, so the pressure is on margins and cash. The right coach or programme is the one that fixes your biggest constraint first, whatever that turns out to be.
"Kevin understood a manufacturing and trades business from day one. No jargon, no theory, just clear advice on where to focus so that we had clear targets and ideas we could act on straight away to improve our customer acquisition and engagement."
Heidi Johnston
Windowmakers (quoted word for word)
Neither is automatically better. The Entourage suits an owner who wants a large community, events and a structured programme. Simple-Growth suits an owner who wants one coach and a focus on the single constraint first. The right answer depends on your business and how you like to learn.
The pages we read do not state a price for coaching or in the text of the Profit Program page. It offers a free 30-minute call, so ask for a written total there.
One-on-one coaching is discussed on the free 30-minute call. Self-paced programmes start from US$97. Eligible New Zealand businesses may be able to access co-funding through the Regional Business Partner Network, though funding is not guaranteed.
No. Some owners join a community for events and learning and work with a coach one-on-one on their own business. Be clear about what each is for, so you do not pay twice for the same thing.
Take the free 30-minute call, then take the answers to any other provider. You owe nothing for asking.
Be the owner who picks the help that fixes your biggest constraint first, with the written price in hand.
Not sure which suits you? A 30-minute conversation will tell you, and you are welcome to take the answers anywhere.
Sources (checked 4 November 2026): The Entourage, Business Coach in Auckland, NZ and The Entourage, Profit Program (both the provider's own claims, not independently verified); Xero, New Zealand small business jobs grow 2.5% year-on-year in September quarter, 29 October 2026 (New Zealand, Xero Small Business Insights, sample size not stated). Net Promoter Score of +72: coaching clients surveyed through The Icehouse. The testimonial is quoted word for word from the person named. Last updated 4 November 2026.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
The Entourage or Simple-Growth: who each suits, what The Entourage publishes on price and proof, and seven questions to ask before you apply. Checked 4 November 2026.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
A New Zealand owner connected her ERP, email, website and analytics to AI. What changed, what the early numbers show, what we do not know yet, and what you can copy this month. Checked 4 November 2026.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
The spreadsheet's been updated four times and nothing new has changed in three weeks. Here's why waiting for certainty is the real growth-killer, not the risk itself.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
The thought isn't "how do I grow this" anymore, it's "can I keep doing this." That thought isn't proof you're failing — it's proof you're carrying it alone.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
Twenty minutes at the kitchen table turns into two hours, again. Here's why willpower isn't the fix — and the one question that actually frees up your week.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
"I'm also talking to someone else." Most owners improvise an answer in that moment and sound like everyone else. Here's how to have the answer ready.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
Half your customer base needs chasing, discounting or managing. The fix usually isn't your delivery — it's who your marketing is attracting in the first place.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
You've run the numbers four times and still haven't decided. It's not the decision that's the problem — it's that you're making it with no one to pressure-test your thinking.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
An agency, a freelancer or doing it yourself with AI: who each suits, what one NZ agency publishes on cost, and six questions to ask before you pay anyone. Checked 4 November 2026.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
Scaling Up gives a leadership team a four-decision platform. Coaching finds the one constraint to fix first. Here is who each suits, what is public on cost, and six questions to ask. Checked 3 November 2026.
Tuesday, November 03, 2026
Three self-paced programs at $97, $297 and $497. Here is the problem each one fixes, who it suits, who should skip it, and how to choose in five minutes. Checked 3 November 2026.
Monday, November 02, 2026
Strategic Coach, Tony Robbins Business Mastery or one-on-one coaching? A fair, source-linked guide for US owners, with a five-question test to match the format to your stage.
Monday, November 02, 2026
Research published by Adobe Acrobat in October 2026 shows 88% of UK business owners don't trust their own branding, even though 72% call it essential. Here's the gap, and the 3-step fix that closes it.
Monday, November 02, 2026
The New Zealand AI advisory pilot co-funds up to half of an AI plan for small businesses, capped at $15,000, and has been extended to mid-2027. What it is, what to check, and a practical first 30 days. Checked 2 November 2026.
Monday, November 02, 2026
Seven things you can check before you hire a business coach, and how ActionCOACH, Business Mentors NZ, EOS, Simple-Growth and The Icehouse compare on each. Method and bias disclosed. Checked 2 November 2026.