Wednesday, November 04, 2026
Riding a feast-or-famine sales cycle with no idea who to chase? The CLV/CAC method turns a quiet month into a plan, not a panic.
Choose an Icehouse programme if you want to learn alongside other owners in a structured, in-person group, and your turnover fits one of its bands. Choose one-on-one coaching if you want a plan built around your business alone, on your timeline, with someone holding you to it. Many owners sensibly do one, then the other.
A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide, and Kevin D'Ambros-Smith coaches for Simple-Growth. Kevin is also a partner of The Icehouse and has presented on its programmes, so he is not neutral. That is why this page explains who each option suits instead of ranking them. Everything said about The Icehouse comes from its own programmes page, read on 5 November 2026 (New Zealand time). If something is out of date or wrong, let Kevin know and it will be corrected. Market: New Zealand.
| Icehouse programme (its own page, 5 Nov 2026) | Who it is listed for | Length | Published price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner Manager Programme | Owners with $3M+ turnover | 3 days a month over 5 months | Not listed |
| Business Owner Programme | Owners with $1M to $3M turnover | 3 days over 3 months | $6,295 + GST |
| Smart Governance Programme | Mature businesses with $5M+ revenue | 5 days over 3 months | $7,850 + GST |
| Financial Skills Workshop | Owners, leaders and employees | 2 days | $2,295 + GST |
| Sales Skills Workshop | Owners, leaders and employees | 3 days | $5,895 + GST |
| AI Foundations for Business Leaders | Decision makers in leadership | 2.5 days, residential | $6,995 + GST |
Also listed without prices: the Leadership Development Programme and the Owner Manager Exchange (alumni only). No dates were listed for any programme on the page read, and the page mentioned no co-funding.
This is not for you if you want someone else to do the work. Neither a programme nor a coach can.
"Kevin has some amazing ideas around marketing, things we would have never thought of ourselves. He has gone above and beyond what he needed to!"
Amy Nixon
Tiny Forgages (quoted word for word from Icehouse coaching feedback)
Its programmes page lists $6,295 + GST for the Business Owner Programme and $7,850 + GST for the Smart Governance Programme. The Owner Manager Programme price was not listed on the page read.
Yes. A programme gives you a framework and peers; coaching applies it to your business. Be clear about what each is for, so you do not pay twice for the same problem.
Possibly. The Management Capability Development Fund can cover up to 50% of one-to-one and up to 75% of group training costs, capped at $5,000 per business per year, for businesses with fewer than 50 full-time equivalent staff. Check current rules and eligibility with the Regional Business Partner Network.
No. Clients are chosen by mindset, not sector, across 30+ industries.
Not sure which suits you? A 30-minute conversation will tell you honestly whether a programme, coaching or neither is the right move, and you are welcome to take the answers anywhere.
Sources (checked 5 November 2026): The Icehouse programmes and workshops page (the provider's own listing, not independently verified); business.govt.nz, Management Capability Development Fund (New Zealand). Related: Business Mentors NZ or Simple-Growth? and more growth tips. Last updated 5 November 2026.
Thursday, October 08, 2026
Revenue can climb for years while the actual value of the business barely moves. Here are the eight drivers that decide which one you are really building, and why owner independence usually matters most.
Thursday, October 08, 2026
If every session with your coach leaves you comfortable, that is the warning sign, not the proof it is working. Here is why direct feedback outperforms kind feedback, backed by Gallup's data.
Thursday, October 08, 2026
A global survey of over 10,000 workers found trusted employees nearly twice as productive as distrusted ones. If your calendar fixes keep failing, the real constraint may be trust, not time.
Thursday, October 08, 2026
Most sales conversations present cheapest to most expensive. New research found flipping that order lifted revenue by 10.8 percent, with no price changes at all. Here is how to use it.
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.