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.
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 If something is out of date or wrong, let Kevin know and it will be corrected.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.
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.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
Most businesses plan for Q4 in January — after it's already over. The owners who consistently outperform their peers write their Q4 plan in September, while there's still time to act on what they find.
Wednesday, September 09, 2026
A new survey shows the average small business owner is running five jobs at once — and burning 200+ hours a year proving it. Here's the two-hat framework that gets your time back within 90 days.
Tuesday, September 08, 2026
New 2026 consumer data shows most shoppers are value-seekers, not bargain hunters — yet 95% still rate brand trust as important. Here's the six-point test your FMCG brand must pass to earn the sale without discounting.
Tuesday, September 08, 2026
New 2026 grocery data shows branded FMCG products are being promoted twice as often as private label — and still losing share and loyalty. Kevin D'Ambros-Smith on why discounting harder is the wrong fix, and what pricing architecture looks like instead.
Monday, September 07, 2026
A 2026 Fed survey of 6,525 small businesses found owner confidence at a 6-year low — while actual revenue, employment and profitability held steady. Why the gap, not the economy, is the real risk for SME and FMCG owners.
Sunday, September 06, 2026
Burst campaigns reset to zero every time. Here's why a sustainable weekly cadence beats an intense one-month push, and how to protect it through the slow months.
Sunday, September 06, 2026
Most SME sales forecasts are built by adding up pipeline value — and it's almost always wrong. Here's how exit criteria, deal age, and weighted forecasting fix it.
Sunday, September 06, 2026
Most of what fills an owner's calendar isn't driving results. Here's how to run a structured 80/20 audit that identifies the real 20% — and what to do with the rest.
Sunday, September 06, 2026
One-on-one coaching diagnoses and designs strategy. A peer accountability group enforces it. Here's why the combination produces follow-through that neither achieves alone.