Eligible social enterprises may be able to fund their work with me through a SEDI Grant (up to $120,000) — ask me how.
Social Enterprise Advisory and Strategy
I work with social enterprises across Australia, from startups through to established organisations. Think of me as your plug-in strategy consultant, operations troubleshooter, sounding board or impact advisor - whatever the gap, I can work with you on a specific project, as a one-off advisor, or through an ongoing fractional leadership arrangement.
With 25 years of business experience across social enterprises, government and corporates - 15 of those in the for-purpose sector - I bring a practical, commercially grounded perspective to the specific challenges of balancing purpose and profit. Based in Melbourne, I work with purpose-driven organisations across Victoria and Australia.
Maybe you're overly reliant on grants and need to diversify your income. Maybe your operations aren't running smoothly, your P&L isn't giving you the insights you need, or you're stretched too thin and starting to feel the pull of mission creep. Or maybe things are going well and you're ready to grow, but you want external support to test your ideas and build the case.
That's where I come in.
-
Strategy development: business plans, strategic planning workshops and strategic guidance
Growth strategy: market research, ideation workshops, idea assessment and financial modelling
Business health check: diagnosing the root cause of your challenges
Financial analysis and pricing strategy to improve performance
Business model design, including for new revenue streams
Social procurement readiness: identifying opportunities, preparing winning responses and building the capability to deliver
Operational efficiency: improving how you spend your time, who does what and how things get done
Social impact measurement and reporting: making sure you have robust data to demonstrate your outcomes and social impact to stakeholders
Fractional leadership: bringing experienced executive support into your organisation on a flexible, part-time basis
Starting a social enterprise: refining your purpose, testing your ideas, designing your business model and getting your financials in order
Case studies
The Australasian Veterinary Boards Council is a small not-for-profit navigating a significant governance transition, with a new Board starting in weeks and no clear plan for operational priorities. I designed a short, focused engagement around facilitated workshops with the three-person executive team, helping them surface what mattered most and build a practical workplan organised around four delivery-focused work streams. The CEO described the work as “exceptionally practical and exactly what we needed.”
“Olivia is very different to other consultants. She connected with what we actually needed and was practical about it. She understands the NFP environment and the unusual stresses that can be placed on small for-purpose organisations.”
– Kate Simkovic, CEO, Australasian Veterinary Boards Council
Read the full case study here
Open Table is a Melbourne not-for-profit working to improve food access, food literacy and community connection. Led by a small, committed team achieving a great deal with limited resources, the organisation was ready to refresh its three-year strategic plan and wanted a process that genuinely brought the board and team into the conversation. I facilitated an interactive strategy workshop, then supported the CEO through the drafting of the plan itself, helping develop a clear, practical strategy grounded in shared ownership. The result is a plan the organisation is now actively using to guide decisions.
“Olivia brings a great mix of sector experience, insight and practical judgement. I’d happily recommend her to other purpose-led organisations looking for practical, values-aligned strategic support.”
— Peta Christensen, CEO, Open Table
Read the full case study here
The Social Studio creates education, employment and creative opportunities for people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds. After 15 years of organic growth, the organisation faced a shifting environment: changing consumer behaviour, rising costs and evolving funder expectations had prompted a deliberate look at the organisation's next strategic chapter. As Head of Social Enterprise and Growth at The Social Studio, I led a strategic reset, starting with a data deep dive that surfaced clear insights into product performance and margins for the first time, then facilitated strategic planning to identify a new direction. The result was a proposal to reorient manufacturing, grow the TSS Mend repair business and invest in brand and digital growth.
Image: Benjamin Thomson
Australian Red Cross had a bold vision: to transform its national op-shop network into a modern, vibrant social enterprise. At the time, the retail division was running under a state-based model despite a national restructure, with fragmented systems, inconsistent approaches and limited metro presence. As its General Manager, I led a multi-year transformation across 164 stores, 100+ staff and 4,500 volunteers, developing national retail and merchandise strategies, reducing cost of goods sold from 19% to 5% of revenue, and opening flagship stores in premium locations. The business moved from loss-making to delivering a significant surplus, directly funding Red Cross's humanitarian programs. It's the kind of commercial and social thinking I now bring to clients.
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.