SMALL BIZ OPTIMIZE | SME BUSINESS ADVISORY
Practical business advice backed by real-world experience.
Running a successful business takes more than ambition and hard work. It requires sound decisions, capable people, effective systems and the ability to adapt.
At Small Biz Optimize, we help Australian small and medium business owners overcome challenges, improve performance and make informed decisions about their future.
Led by Mahtab Lahijany (Matty), our boutique advisory practice brings nearly 18 years of hands-on business ownership, commercial judgment and creative problem-solving to every engagement.
Every business has its own challenges, opportunities and ambitions. Behind the financial statements and daily operations are people who have invested their time, resources and energy into building something meaningful.
We believe good business advice begins with listening.
Before recommending changes, we take the time to understand your business, what matters to you and what may be holding you back.
Our role is to bring clarity to complex situations, challenge assumptions constructively and help turn good decisions into practical action.
Because building a better business should also mean building a better future for the people behind it.
Whether you need a fresh perspective, stronger operations or support with an important commercial decision, our services focus on building sustainable business capability.
Business Coaching
Stronger leadership. Clearer decisions. Greater confidence. Business ownership can be rewarding, but it can also be demanding and isolating. We work with owners to clarify priorities, strengthen decision-making, improve accountability and develop their leadership capabilities. The objective is to help you become a more effective business owner while reducing unnecessary dependency on your daily involvement.
Strategic Business Consulting
Understand the challenges. Identify opportunities. Take action. We examine the systems, people, processes and commercial decisions that influence business performance. From operational improvement and strategic planning to cost management and business turnaround, we help identify practical solutions aligned with your resources and objectives.
Business Buying & Selling
Better information for important commercial decisions. Buying or selling a business involves more than negotiating a price. We help assess operational strengths, earnings quality, owner dependency, commercial risks and opportunities for improvement. Our focus is on helping buyers and owners understand the evidence behind a business's value and make more informed decisions.
Our Approach
Three interconnected pillars for a stronger, more resilient business.
We see every business as a living system. Its people, operations, finances, customers and leadership must work together to create sustainable results. Our advisory methodology simplifies this complexity into three essential areas.
Strengthen the foundations.
Create effective operations, capable teams, clear responsibilities and reliable systems that allow your business to function consistently.
Deliver genuine customer value.
Understand your market, improve products and services, strengthen customer relationships and deliver what your customers value.
Measure what matters.
Examine business performance, profitability, risks and opportunities. Use evidence to guide decisions, strengthen resilience and plan for the future.
Build the capability. Serve the market. Evaluate the value.
Principal Business Advisor | Entrepreneur | Business Owner
Matty has spent nearly 18 years building, acquiring, managing, improving and selling businesses.
Her professional background combines business ownership with food science, agricultural engineering and audit engineering, giving her an analytical yet practical approach to commercial challenges.
Her experience spans vocational training, hospitality, product innovation, international commerce and research-led business development.
She understands that business decisions are rarely straightforward. Owners must balance financial realities, employees, customer expectations, changing markets and their own personal goals.
Matty’s approach begins with listening, examining the evidence and working collaboratively to identify practical opportunities for improvement.
She believes a successful business should create value for customers, support the people within it and provide greater independence for its owner.
Business Experience That Goes Beyond Theory
Our approach has been shaped by real ownership responsibilities, commercial decisions and the challenges of operating businesses across different industries.
Business Acquisition & Operational Improvement Acquired an established training organisation generating approximately $1 million in annual revenue through a business cash-flow-funded arrangement. Reduced unnecessary overheads, improved operational systems, developed the sales team and introduced automation to reduce daily owner involvement.
Business Turnaround & Exit Acquired an underperforming hospitality business, invested in improvements and developed additional revenue opportunities. The business was subsequently sold in two stages for a combined $125,000.
Product Innovation & International Commerce Co-founded and developed a specialist saffron business, managing product development, supplier relationships, quality systems and international sales. Established automated sales and operational processes to reduce routine owner involvement.
Research, Innovation & Business Development Co-developed an agritech business concept integrating research, technology and strategic planning. The concept achieved fifth place nationally in a multi-round business competition.
Good advice should lead to meaningful progress. Our approach is structured, practical and flexible enough to reflect each business’s circumstances.
We begin with your goals, challenges, priorities and understanding of your business.
We review relevant information, business systems and performance to distinguish facts from assumptions.
Together, we determine which issues and opportunities deserve attention first.
We translate findings into achievable actions, clear responsibilities and measures of progress.
We provide guidance, coaching and constructive feedback as agreed changes are introduced.
We review outcomes, learn from the evidence and adjust the approach where necessary. Our purpose is not to make decisions for you, but to help you make better-informed decisions with greater confidence.
You can certainly start with what feels most right to you — consulting, web design, or SEO. Many of our clients begin with just one service and later add other complementary services as their business grows. The Small Biz Optimize ecosystem has been shaped by 25 years of building, operating, and selling small businesses, with a sharp focus on efficiency. Our goal is to help you grow without wasting money on overlapping processes. Each service stands strong on its own, but they work even better together as a complete ecosystem.
Efficiency is our goal. We respect the time, money, and effort you’ve already invested in your site. Our team will explore every possibility to improve or upgrade it — and, if needed, redesign it — without losing the parts you love. The result: a faster, more modern website that’s built to convert visitors into customers.
SEO is a technical, long-term, and highly sustainable investment. It’s not an overnight fix, but it pays off when done right. Most clients see noticeable improvements within 3–6 months, depending on factors like your industry and competition. The key is consistency — our data-driven approach keeps your site aligned with Google’s latest algorithms and ahead of your competitors.
Absolutely. Every business benefits from consulting and coaching — even coaching businesses themselves. Our role is to simplify the complex, uncover unseen or overlooked issues, and bring clarity to your operations. We then provide a practical, step-by-step plan you can confidently follow. You don’t need a degree in business — you just need the right attitude, and we’ll guide the rest.
The Small Biz Optimize approach comes from over 25 years of real-world experience in building, operating, and selling small businesses. We know the challenges because we’ve lived them. What sets us apart is our ability to connect consulting, web design, and SEO into a single, integrated system — always with a full focus on sustainable revenue, customer return, and long-term business value. This isn’t theory — it’s a proven ecosystem designed for sustainable growth.
The SBO ecosystem is strategically designed to connect three core elements into one continuous path of growth. It starts with consulting, where we dive into your business and industry, identify your customers, and understand their needs and psychology. From there, we develop a clear action plan to either build a personalised website or optimise your existing one for peak performance. Finally, we apply sharp, targeted, and ongoing SEO — through content, images, video, and eBooks — to bring in steady, qualified traffic.
Consulting gives you clarity and direction. Web design builds or refines your site so it converts visitors into customers. SEO ensures the right people find you. Each part works on its own, but together they create a cycle of growth that’s sustainable and repeatable.
While we proudly support businesses in these three major hubs, we are an online-first service capable of working with clients anywhere in the world. That said, we are local to Australia and deeply familiar with the Australian business culture, expectations, and demands.
Our strategies are always focused on efficiency, sustainable revenue, customer return, and long-term business value. With that vision, we’re able to deliver results and value to businesses of any size, in any industry, no matter your location — whether you’re in a capital city or a growing regional area.
Here’s the refined set:
One of the most valuable skills any business owner can develop is asking: “What brings more efficiency to my business?” and “How can I measure it?” Once you focus on efficiency and measurable results, price becomes far less important.
That said, we understand small business owners often work with limited resources. Our pricing is honest and designed to bring far more value than it costs. For example, one of our clients invested $600 per month and saw returns of over $10,000.
With SBO, the focus is always on value and efficiency. Let’s talk and get to know your business — so we can find the smartest path for you.
At Small Biz Optimize, our focus is always on efficiency. Results vary depending on your industry, starting point, and how engaged you are in the process — but this is always a win–win partnership.
We work in a structured, organised way, and the more promptly you provide business information, the faster we can deliver. What you can expect is:
Together, these build sustainable revenue, customer loyalty, and long-term business value.
At Small Biz Optimize, we believe in partnerships, not lock-ins. Our role is to give you clear, data-driven guidance on how long it may take for your business to reach its goals. The choice to continue or step away is always yours.
If you ever decide to move on, everything that belongs to you will be returned, and we’ll part on good terms. Our approach is simple: when your business wins, we win too.
A fresh perspective can be the beginning of meaningful progress.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen operations, develop your leadership, explore growth opportunities or make an important commercial decision, we’re here to listen.
Tell us a little about your business and what you hope to achieve.
Small Biz Optimize | Boutique Business Advisory | Coaching | Strategic Consulting
Brisbane, Queensland | Supporting Australian Businesses
