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.
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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
DELIVERED THROUGH IMPACT PRACTICE
Open Table is a Melbourne not-for-profit working to improve food access, food literacy and community connection. I facilitated an interactive strategic planning process with the board and leadership team, helping them refresh the organisation’s vision, values and priorities and develop a clear, practical three-year plan grounded in shared ownership.
“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
DELIVERED IN MY PREVIOUS ROLE AT THE SOCIAL STUDIO
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 needed to clarify its direction and build a more self-sufficient future. I led a strategic reset that included a deep dive into financials and product performance, strategic planning workshops, and a proposal to reorient manufacturing, grow the TSS Mend repair business and invest in brand and digital growth.
Image: Benjamin Thomson
DELIVERED IN MY PREVIOUS ROLE AT AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS
As General Manager, I led a multi-year transformation of Red Cross’s national op-shop network: 164 stores, 100+ staff and 4,500 volunteers. I developed national retail and merchandise strategies, reduced cost of goods sold from 19% to 5% of revenue, opened flagship stores in premium locations and repositioned the brand in the sustainable fashion space. The business shifted from loss-making to delivering a significant surplus, directly funding Red Cross’s humanitarian programs.
DELIVERED THROUGH MY CONSULTING WORK AT SOCIAL TRADERS
ASRC Cleaning was established and delivering impact, but needed investment to scale. I led a consulting process that included social procurement and ideation workshops, customer research, market testing and detailed financial modelling. The resulting three-year growth strategy projected 30% revenue growth and 8 new employment opportunities for people seeking asylum.
“Olivia’s mix of real-world commercial experience, business acumen and depth of business theory really helped size up our growth opportunity.”
— Steve Betinsky, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Read the full case study here
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.