Sunday, November 01, 2026
Not every stuck business has a mindset problem, and not every one has a strategy problem. Here is how NZ owners can tell which kind of coach they need now, and why the best ones do both.
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 If something here is out of date or wrong, let Kevin know and it will be corrected.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.
Ready to pick the option that fits your business?
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Your calendar isn't a record of what you value — it's a record of what you haven't said no to. Run the audit that shows the real gap and how to close it.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Most stalled SME deals aren't lost to a competitor — they're lost to silence. Here's the Urgency Ladder framework that turns "went quiet" into a real answer.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Your website works 24 hours a day, yet most SME sites haven't been touched in years. Run the five-minute audit that shows exactly where it's losing you customers.
Thursday, September 10, 2026
Most SME owners make their biggest calls alone, with no one qualified to challenge them. Here's how to build a "kitchen cabinet" that gives you real strategic pushback — without a formal board.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Revenue is climbing and you feel like you're winning — until you check what's actually left over. Here's the simple two-number habit that stops growth from quietly eating your margin.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Your accountant, a podcast, a mastermind group and a mate all just told you something different about your business. Here's how to audit that noise and consolidate around one voice that actually knows your numbers.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Every new hire without a system takes twice as long to become productive, and you end up re-explaining the same things forever. The 90-Day Ramp Map fixes that in four steps.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Your best salesperson might be the one quietly eating your margin. Here's how to audit and rebuild your commission structure so it rewards the sales that actually grow your business.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Most SME owners quietly go quiet on marketing right when customers are buying the most. Here's the simple plan to hold your ground through Nov-Jan without burning out your team or your budget.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
That pricing review, that org chart, that product line nobody will kill — they're not neutral. Learn how to spot and pay down the strategic debt quietly taxing every decision you make.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Most business owners survive the slow season and wait for trading to pick up. The ones who grow fastest use the quiet to fix last peak's bottlenecks, cross-train their teams, and renegotiate supplier terms.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
When coaching starts feeling comfortable, most owners think they've outgrown their coach. Usually they've just outgrown the scope. Here's how the Scope Reset Conversation keeps a great coaching relationship producing great results.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
At five people, the founder is the system. At twelve, that system breaks. The Ten-Employee Wall is a predictable structural failure — and here's the Systems Reset framework that gets you through it.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
January is the hardest month to sell in — and the work that prevents the January gap needed to start in September. Here's the 90-Day Pipeline Bridge framework that fills the gap before it opens.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Category managers at major retailers are making their Q1 2027 ranging decisions right now. Most FMCG founders find out too late. Here's the Buyer-Ready Proof Pack framework that gets you into the conversation.