Real businesses. Real responsibilities. Practical lessons.
Small Biz Optimize is led by Mahtab Lahijany (Matty), whose approach to business advisory has been shaped by nearly 18 years of hands-on ownership and commercial responsibility. From acquiring and improving established businesses to developing specialist products and evaluating acquisition opportunities, her experience spans the decisions that business owners face every day.
The examples below show how she approaches problems: understand the evidence, use resources carefully, improve the underlying systems and make decisions with the longer term in mind.
Improving a business often means working within imperfect conditions: limited budgets, competing priorities, operational pressures and changing markets. Matty has experienced these pressures as an owner and decision-maker.
Her work has involved acquiring businesses, controlling costs, developing teams, introducing digital workflows, strengthening customer delivery and preparing ventures for greater independence from their owners.
Across industries, the principle remains consistent: sustainable performance depends on how well a business is built, how effectively it serves its customers and how clearly its results are evaluated.
Matty acquired an established training business through an arrangement funded from business cash flow, without an upfront personal payment. At acquisition, the organisation generated approximately $1 million in annual revenue but carried substantial overheads and limited net profitability.
Her focus was on improving the fundamentals: removing unnecessary costs, digitising operational records, automating workflows, outsourcing suitable development work and supporting the sales team through targets, training and performance tracking.
These changes helped the business operate for several years with minimal day-to-day owner involvement.
THE PRACTICAL LESSON: Strong revenue does not automatically create a strong business. Systems, cost discipline, people and reliable delivery all matter.
Matty acquired Get Grilled for $10,000 when weekly revenue was approximately $500, then invested a further $10,000 in refurbishment, stock, a website and delivery integration. She also identified an additional revenue opportunity by renting unused parking spaces.
The premises were developed into a quality takeaway operation. Matty sold an initial 50% stake for $50,000, followed by the remaining stake for $75,000.
The experience illustrates how operational discipline, market responsiveness and attention to overlooked assets can change the commercial options available to an owner.
THE PRACTICAL LESSON: Business improvement is not always about spending more. It often begins with making better use of what already exists.
As a founder and business owner of Saffronice, Matty has worked across product development, packaging, sourcing partnerships, supplier relationships, customer acquisition and quality assurance.
Her technical background informed quality and operational systems, while specialist development projects included work on an encapsulated saffron extract with a nano-engineering firm.
She also introduced automated sales and operational workflows, reducing the business’s need for routine daily owner involvement while supporting international customer fulfilment.
THE PRACTICAL LESSON: Innovation creates opportunity, but reliable operations are what allow a product business to deliver consistently.
Ecoence is a research-led agritech concept co-developed by Matty following four years of hands-on greenhouse research into factors influencing saffron bioactive compounds.
She helped translate that research into an agritech concept incorporating AI, IoT and blockchain, supported by a comprehensive business plan. The concept placed fifth nationally following a multi-round competition.
Ecoence demonstrates her ability to connect technical research with commercial questions, while recognising the distinction between a validated business operation and an emerging venture concept.
THE PRACTICAL LESSON: A promising idea becomes more useful when its assumptions, commercial model and delivery requirements are examined systematically.
Alongside operating businesses, Matty has assessed 24 Australian businesses offered for sale over a two-year period, with asking prices ranging from $500,000 to $5 million.
Her reviews considered financial performance, the extent to which a business relies on its owner, operational resilience and the evidence behind the commercial opportunity.
This practical acquisition-review experience informs SBO’s buying and selling advisory work, including Matty’s Triangle Business Valuation & Acquisition Method (TBVAM)™: Evidence, Commercial Judgment and Decision.
Each business is different, but recurring questions are familiar. Are the numbers telling the full story? Do the systems support reliable delivery? Are key decisions concentrated in one person? What could be improved before the next stage of growth or a potential sale?
Matty uses the Build, Serve and Evaluate framework to help owners work through these questions, clarify priorities and develop realistic next steps. Her role is to bring a structured and constructive outside perspective while respecting the owner’s knowledge and circumstances.
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.
Whether you are addressing operational challenges, exploring a business opportunity or planning the next stage of development, a thoughtful conversation can help clarify where to begin.
Talk with Matty about your objectives and the kind of support your business may need.
