Wednesday, November 04, 2026

Only 39.7% of small businesses actually grew revenue last year, Federal Reserve data shows. If growth feels like the fix for your cash, team or time problems, the numbers say otherwise.

The short answer: plans stall because nothing in the week protects them, not because the plan is wrong. If you already know where you want the business to go but your weeks keep filling with other things, an execution program such as Making It Happen is the right shape. If you do not yet have a destination, start with a plan first.

A disclosure first: Simple-Growth publishes this guide and sells Making It Happen, so read it with that in mind. Checked 5 November 2026. Market: United States.

What Happens When A Good Plan Meets A Busy Week?

The US Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy counts 36,207,130 small businesses. Gallup's 2026 survey of US owner-employers found that 40% hold a plan today: 29% an informal one and 11% a detailed one. Writing a plan is only half the job. Acting on it each week is the harder part, because customers, staff and suppliers all ask for your time first.

The pattern is familiar. The plan is written in a good month. By week three the owner is back in the day-to-day, the plan sits in a folder, and a quarter later the same goals are on the list. Nothing was wrong with the goals. There was no rhythm to protect them.

The Five-Question Execution Check

Answer these honestly. Each "no" shows you where the plan is leaking.

  • Can you name the one result that matters in the next 90 days? If you have five priorities, you have none.
  • Is there a block of time each week that is already in your calendar for that result? Intentions do not survive an open calendar.
  • Does someone other than you know the target and the date? A promise to yourself is the easiest one to move.
  • Do you review progress on the same day each week, in under 30 minutes? Without a review, drift is invisible.
  • Do you know what you will stop doing to make room? Every new priority needs an old task to leave.

Four or five yeses: you probably do not need a program, just the discipline to keep going. Two or three: a structured program could help. Zero or one: start with the destination before the rhythm, which is what Know Your Future is for.

Who Does Making It Happen Suit, And Who Should Skip It?

If this is youBest fitPrice
I want a quick list of ways to lift sales this weekQuick Wins$97 one payment
I know where I am going but my weeks keep getting takenMaking It Happen$297 one payment
I am not sure where the business should be in three yearsKnow Your Future$497 one payment
I want someone to work on my numbers with meOne-on-one coachingQuoted by conversation

Prices are as shown on each live sales page on 5 November 2026. Making It Happen is self-paced, and its page states a 30-day money-back guarantee: if it isn't useful, ask for a refund. Skip it if you want a done-for-you service, or if you have not yet decided what the business is for. A self-paced program only works if you set aside the time, and the same is true of every program on the market.

A 90-Day Way To Start This Week

  • Week 1: choose the one 90-day result and write it as a number and a date.
  • Week 1: block two 90-minute sessions in your calendar for it, and tell one person.
  • Weeks 2 to 12: hold a 30-minute Friday review: what moved, what blocked, what stops next week.
  • Week 6: look at the number. If it has not moved, change the plan, not the target date.
  • Week 12: keep what worked, drop what did not, choose the next result.

You can do all of this without buying anything. A program, or a coach, simply makes it harder to skip.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Making It Happen cost?

The live sales page shows US$297, one payment, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check the page for current terms before you buy.

Is it the same as business coaching?

No. It is a self-paced online masterclass. Coaching is one-on-one and quoted by conversation. Many owners start with a program and book a call later.

Which program should I start with?

Use the table above. In short: Quick Wins for fast sales ideas, Making It Happen for follow-through, Know Your Future for direction. If you are unsure, a free 30-minute call will tell you.

Can I get help choosing before I pay?

Yes. Book a free 30-minute call with Kevin and take the answers wherever you like.

Be the owner whose plan survives the week.

See Making It Happen, or talk it through first. You can also read what Gallup found about written plans, and browse the growth tips hub.

Sources (checked 5 November 2026): SBA Office of Advocacy, Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026 (United States). Gallup, Business Planning and RFP Pursuit Vary by Ownership Type, 27 May 2026 (United States; survey fielded 26 September to 3 November 2025). Prices and guarantee from the live Making It Happen sales page. Last updated 5 November 2026.

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