The targeting debate has been around for more than 20 years, and yet we are still discussing how best to identify high-growth SMEs. Following a discussion of targeting issues and a review of some of the key literature on SME growth, the paper focuses on an empirical analysis of the performance of a panel of SMEs in New Zealand over a three-year period. The results show that, even when growth occurs in SMEs, it is typically discontinuous. In addition, most of the easily verifiable profile characteristics that are often used for targeting, such as size, sector, age, whether or not the firm is exporting and/or innovating, did not consistently distinguish growth firms from others. Possible conclusions are that policy makers need more effective long-term assessment of government programmes and/or that the heterogeneity of those enterprises able to achieve growth points towards the principle of self-selection. However, the authors suggest a more radical response based on investing more in education and training and aiming to make more explicit the implications of actions and non-actions by entrepreneurs with regard to growth.