Social Enterprise Services: Developing Stage
Things I can help with
Business Health Check – Diagnosing the root cause of your business challenges
Money Matters – Conducting a strategic financial analysis to assess performance and drive strategic changes; or helping refine pricing strategy
Strategy Development – Creating and implementing business strategies and plans; facilitating strategy workshops; or general guidance on how to work more strategically than reactively
Market Insights for Growth – Using your understanding of customers, competitors and trends more strategically; identifying new product/service opportunities
Social Procurement Readiness - Helping you to identify procurement opportunities, ensuring you’re ready to submit a winning RFx response, and have the capability to deliver what you promise
Operational Efficiency – Optimising how you spend your time, who does what and improving business processes
Impact & Purpose – Measuring impact effectively and ensuring you have robust impact data to share with key stakeholders
Fractional Leadership & Operations – Bringing senior executive and strategic capability into small to medium purpose-led organisations through flexible, part-time support
Case studies
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The opportunity
Open Table is a values-led not-for-profit working to improve food access, food literacy and community connection. With strong programs and growing impact, the organisation was refining its three-year strategic plan and wanted to ensure the process genuinely engaged both board and staff.
Like many small purpose-led organisations, Open Table operates with limited resources and a lean team. The CEO was seeking external facilitation that would balance rigour with creativity, strengthen shared understanding and translate big-picture aspirations into clear, practical priorities.
My approach
Impact Practice was engaged to design and facilitate a highly interactive strategy workshop with Open Table’s board and leadership team.
The session combined structured strategic frameworks with participatory exercises that drew on the lived experience and insights of all participants. Together, the group refreshed and validated the organisation’s vision, mission and values, explored strengths and development areas, clarified value propositions across key programs, and imagined Open Table’s future direction. This work informed the identification of clear strategic priorities.
Following the workshop, I provided detailed feedback on the draft strategic plan, supporting the CEO to finalise a practical, future-focused roadmap.
Throughout the process, the emphasis was on creating a safe, engaging space for honest reflection, shared learning and collaborative decision-making.
The outcome
Open Table developed a clear, aligned and practical three-year strategic plan, grounded in shared understanding and collective ownership.
The organisation now has greater clarity around its purpose, priorities and programs, and a robust framework to guide decision-making, governance and future growth.
“Olivia was recommended to us as someone who understands small not-for-profits and social enterprises, which is exactly what we were looking for when we began our strategic planning work.
She worked closely with us to create an engaging, thought-provoking process that brought our board and staff together to really reflect on our organisation, what’s working, and where we want to head next. Olivia brings a great mix of sector experience, insight and practical judgement, and she was clear and well organised throughout — the process felt well structured, and things happened when she said they would.
Olivia was also just lovely to work with — warm, a great listener, and easy to collaborate with. I’d happily recommend her to other purpose-led organisations looking for practical, values-aligned strategic support.”
Case studies
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Unravelling the challenge
After 15 years of organic growth, The Social Studio (TSS)—a social enterprise working with people from Melbourne’s refugee and new migrant communities—faced a changing external environment: shifts in consumer behaviour, rising operating costs, increased competition, and evolving expectations from funders. With limited resources and a heavy reliance on external funding, TSS needed to clarify its purpose, refocus its strategy and build a more self-sufficient future by increasing its own-earned income.
Stitching together a new approach
Brought in to support the CEO and Board, I led a strategic reset focused on aligning business operations with social impact, while also identifying opportunities for innovation, new revenue streams and long-term sustainability. This included a deep dive into data and financials, revealing—for the first time—insights into product performance, margins, and operating efficiency. I introduced new costing and margin tools in manufacturing and repairs, implemented team debriefing processes, and built capacity to use student outcomes data for decision-making.
I facilitated strategic planning workshops to evaluate current performance, sharpen purpose, generate ideas and explore new priorities. From this, I developed a strategic proposal that reorients manufacturing towards a vertically integrated TSS label and repair business, embeds trainee designers and makers into the product lifecycle, and invests in brand development and digital growth.
Weaving a stronger future
TSS is now on a clearer path to sustainability and impact. Manufacturing has been repositioned to prioritise high-margin, purpose-aligned internal work. A new Brand & Design Manager role will strengthen the in-house label while deepening training outcomes. The growing TSS Mend business is poised for scale, supported by operational improvements and new systems. A revitalised digital strategy will boost reach and revenue—unlocking more paid opportunities for young people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds.
Curious about working with me?
If you’re interested in exploring how we might work together, let’s schedule a call to see if I can support your goals.
Book a free phone or video call, where you can share more about your organisation, goals and the project or support you’re looking for.
I’ll talk you through the services I offer and you’ll have the chance to ask any questions about how we might work together.