Practical coaching and strategic consulting for Australian small and medium business owners.
Running a business means balancing people, customers, finances, operations and constant decisions. When these pressures compete for attention, it can be difficult to know what to tackle first.
At Small Biz Optimize, we help owners understand what is happening across their business, establish priorities and take informed, practical action. Our boutique advisory practice is led by Mahtab Lahijany (Matty), drawing on nearly 18 years of hands-on business ownership and experience improving, acquiring and selling businesses.
No two business owners have the same objectives, constraints or definition of success. One may want more reliable operations. Another may need room to lead a growing team. Someone else may be preparing for a major commercial decision.
We begin by listening and examining the available evidence, not offering a predetermined formula. Together, we identify what matters most, what is known, what needs further investigation and which actions are realistic for your circumstances.
Our role is to support better decisions and stronger business capability—not to replace your judgment or create unnecessary dependency on an advisor.
Our work follows two connected disciplines. Business Coaching develops the owner’s clarity and capability; Strategic Consulting examines the business itself, its performance and opportunities for improvement.
Depending on the situation, an engagement may draw on one or both approaches.
Develop your thinking, leadership and confidence as a business owner.
Business ownership can be isolating. Important choices do not always have obvious answers, and everyday demands can leave little room to consider the bigger picture.
Through structured conversations, constructive challenge and practical accountability, Matty helps owners clarify priorities, assess options and build the confidence to act.
Coaching is a collaborative process. You remain responsible for your decisions; we help you examine them more clearly and turn intention into action.
Identify the issues affecting your business and create a workable plan for improvement.
When a business faces operational pressure or a growth decision, an outside perspective can help reveal gaps, competing priorities and opportunities that are difficult to see from within.
We take a systematic view of operations, people, processes, customer value and available commercial information, then work with you to develop practical recommendations.
The scope of each engagement is agreed beforehand, based on the information available, your objectives and the type of support required.
We work with established SME owners who want to improve how their business operates; growing businesses needing more structure and accountability; and owners facing important changes or decisions.
You may be seeking more reliable day-to-day delivery, a clearer growth plan, improved team capability or a business that relies less heavily on your constant involvement.
We also support business owners who want to understand their readiness for acquisition or sale. Detailed buying and selling support is covered on our dedicated service page.
Our approach treats a business as an interconnected system. People, operations, finances, customer relationships and leadership influence one another, so isolated fixes rarely tell the whole story.
Look at how people, processes, leadership and resources work together. Improve the structures that enable reliable delivery.
Consider how the business understands its market, develops its offering, delivers consistently and maintains customer relationships.
Examine performance, risks, profitability and resilience. Use what the evidence shows to decide what to sustain, change or explore next. Build the capability. Serve the market. Evaluate the value.
Discuss your goals, circumstances, constraints and concerns.
Review relevant evidence, processes, responsibilities and performance information.
Identify the most important issues and the opportunities worth pursuing.
Set out practical next steps, responsibilities and measures of progress.
Provide coaching, guidance or review as agreed in the engagement.
Revisit results, test assumptions and adjust where the evidence calls for it.
Matty’s advisory perspective has been shaped through direct responsibility for businesses across vocational training, hospitality, product development and international commerce.
Her work includes reducing overheads and automating operations at Edmore Training; acquiring, improving and selling Get Grilled; developing Saffronice’s products and operational systems; and contributing to the research-led Ecoence concept.
This experience is supported by a background in food technology and audit engineering, bringing attention to evidence, quality, systems and workable solutions.
We value clear communication, honest assessments, the willingness to question assumptions and the judgment to involve specialist expertise when needed.
Wyndham provides mentoring, workshops, AI training, grants, innovation programs, and capability development.
Businesses needing long-term support often use consulting programs at Small Biz Optimize.
Yes. It is designed for small businesses with no technical experience.
Many SPARK workshops and mentoring sessions are free or low-cost.
Yes. Start-ups have access to mentoring, workshops, planning help, and capability programs.
Owners wanting structured planning can access start-up support from Small Biz Optimize.
You do not need a perfect plan before starting a conversation. Whether you are facing a specific challenge or looking for greater clarity about your next stage, we can begin by understanding your situation.
Tell us about your business, the decisions in front of you and what you would like to achieve.
