Ways to Work Together

Different kinds of support for different stages, from untangling overwhelm and resetting foundations to ongoing, thoughtful check-ins.

Support is available for businesses in Brisbane and across Australia, with flexible consultation and collaboration options.

Celia and Michelle sitting at a desk working on a retreat project together using their laptops.
Celia - working together

Come in and have a comfy seat

You can leave your coat – and all those heavy business hats – by the door for now.
This is a space to slow down, open up about what’s going on, and work out what actually needs attention (and what doesn’t).
What follows isn’t a linear path. It’s more like a ‘choose your own adventure’ – you simply step into the room that fits where you are right now.

You put the kettle on, I’ll get the mugs - let’s do this together.

There are a few different ways we can work together, depending on where you are right now.

Think of these as rooms in the house – each designed for a different need, pace, and level of support. You don’t have to visit them all. You simply go where it makes sense for you.

The ‘Home Office’ includes the following support services:

Support That Meets Your Business Where It’s At

Strategic Support for Sustainable Business Growth

Business growth is rarely linear. Challenges, change, pressure, and uncertainty are all part of the journey. The key is having the right support at the right time.

These services provide a structured and practical pathway designed to help business owners gain clarity, strengthen operations, and build greater resilience for long-term sustainability and success.

Small Business Surgery

When you need clarity

A focused starting point to work out what is really going on and where to focus first.

This is for you if:

  • Things feel stuck, messy, or reactive
  • You want an honest outside perspective
  • You need clear, practical next steps

Small Business Operations Reset

When things feel harder than they should

This work focuses on how the business runs day to day, bringing more structure and ease.

This is for you if:

  • The business has grown but feels clunky
  • Too much relies on you to hold it together
  • You want more consistency and breathing space

Small Business Resilience

When you want long term steadiness

This stage is about building a business that can handle change without constant stress.

This is for you if:

  • You want the business to feel more stable
  • You are navigating ongoing change
  • You want confidence in what comes next
“Celia has been able to provide valuable advice based on her own extensive experience, and access to resources that have helped immensely. Her connections with community are invaluable, and unparalleled. I believe that she is well positioned to help many businesses on a daily basis.”
Woman sitting at a cafe table outside, enjoying a coffee and reading a book
Michelle M
Local small business owner

working Together

Small Business Surgery

A calm, focused space to get everything out of your head - and back into perspective.

The Small Business Surgery is often where people start.

Most people arrive here after feeling overwhelmed for a while. They’ve tried new platforms, followed advice from various online resources, bought shiny tools… and still don’t feel any clearer.

The Surgery exists so you can pause before wasting more time, money, or energy.

It’s a judgement‑free, no‑obligation session where you can do a full brain‑dump – and we’ll look at it together.

This is for you if:

  • You feel overwhelmed, stuck, or mentally overloaded
  • You know something isn’t working, but can’t quite name what
  • Everything feels urgent and important at the same time
  • You want perspective, not another “system” to manage

What happens in a Surgery:

  • You get everything out on the table
  • We look for patterns, pressure points, and root causes
  • I’ll help you say the things you already know, but haven’t said out loud yet
  • We identify the simplest, most sustainable next step

Sometimes that clarity alone is enough to get you moving again – because you realise you already have more answers than you thought.

My goal here is not to create long‑term work for myself.
It’s to help you find the most cost‑effective, appropriate way forward – even if that means pointing you to a different person, tool, or approach.

Practical details:

  • Up to 60 minutes
  • Preferably in person (it’s easier to feel genuine care in the room)
  • Notes encouraged – I’ll flag important moments to capture
  • I may send a short summary afterwards if it’s helpful

Investment: $150 + GST

"Celia has worked with my business for over 10 years, and owning Nurturing Confidence would be a lot lonelier and a lot more overwhelming without Celia consistently by my side along the way.
I was a one-woman show struggling to hold all the pieces together as my business grew. Celia stepped in, did the work to really understand the unique strengths and challenges of my business and what I wanted it to grow into. Celia set up processes that meant I could focus on doing the delivery that I excel at and over time increasingly step back from the business support work that I don’t enjoy (and am not very good at!). We worked together to bring in the right people to support our growth along the way.
As our General Manager Celia leads our processes and strategy to minimise the time I need to spend on the business, and maximise the value I can bring when I do have that time to spend. Celia consistently adds value through being my strategic sounding board and accountability partner and this allows me to really trust that our business is consistently aligned with our values and tracking towards our version of success."
Amy Jackson standing with arms folded
Amy Jackson
Nurturing Confidence: Leadership Coach/Facilitator Speaker.

working Together

Small Business Operations Reset

For when clarity isn’t enough - and the foundations need attention.

An Operations Reset usually follows a Surgery, when someone realises:

“I can’t keep wearing all these hats – and I don’t even know which ones I should be handing over.”

This is where we slow things down enough to untangle properly.

This work often includes:

  • Clarifying who is doing what – and why
  • Identifying where decisions are getting stuck
  • Reviewing systems and platforms (and removing duplication)
  • Researching better ways for tools to work together
  • Establishing a realistic baseline for growth
  • Making sure the business actually fits your life right now

Sometimes the business is doing fine – it’s just growing faster than your capacity. Other times, growth needs to pause so the foundations can catch up.

How we work:

This stage is flexible and shaped around your capacity.

  • You continue business as usual, with small, agreed tweaks
  • I do focused research, set‑up, untangling, or analysis
  • We meet as needed, within clear boundaries and timelines
  • I don’t work side‑by‑side with you – the “stretch” matters

That stretch is intentional. It helps you feel the impact of changes as you’re working, so we can adjust as we go – and so you start spotting patterns yourself.

When this work is landing, things feel:

  • calmer
  • more focused
  • less reactive
  • more deliberate

Decisions start looping less. Confidence grows. And often, you’ll begin suggesting the next steps yourself – which is exactly the point.

Sometimes I’m the one who has to gently “break up” at the end of this phase – stepping back in small, deliberate ways, and leaving the door open on my way out.

Practical details:

  • Starts from $1,200 + GST per month
  • Up to 10 hours per month, including meetings, research, operational work, set‑up and untangling
  • Scoped and agreed clearly before we begin

working Together

Small Business Resilience

(delivered by check ups)

Preventative care, not crisis support. The Quiet Room.

Small Business Resilience sits at the other end of the scale from the Surgery.

This is not for moments of overwhelm. It’s for after the shift has happened.

Think of it as a check up – a calm, steady space to:

  • reflect
  • notice patterns early
  • make small adjustments before things spiral

This is for people who:

  • Have worked with me before (Surgery and/or Operations Reset)
  • Are honest, reflective, and willing to listen
  • Want to stay well – not just cope
  • Understand their patterns, and want help spotting them sooner

I don’t offer this work to new clients, and I won’t continue it if:

  • the energy feels like overwhelm again
  • agreed actions haven’t been followed through
  • it needs to move back into a Reset container

That boundary protects both of us.

When resilience is working, you’ll notice:

  • decisions are made earlier, with less second‑guessing
  • boundaries are clearer (time, clients, tools, scope)
  • you can zoom out before reacting
  • you recover faster when life or work changes
  • growth happens because you’re back in control

One of the quiet joys of this work for me is hearing that someone has:

  • hired a specialist to assist with growth
  • handed over the right hat
  • put a tool in place that genuinely helps

I believe that the best leaders manage themselves out of a job – and I take that seriously.

Practical details:

  • Up to 60 minutes per Check up
  • Same investment as a Surgery: $150 + GST
  • Usually once or twice a year, or when something significant shifts

Perspective

Stepping back to see what’s really going on, and what actually matters next. Space to untangle complexity, notice patterns, and make clearer decisions without the noise, urgency, or overwhelm.

Partnership

Working alongside you, not over you. Thoughtful, judgement free support that respects your experience, your values, and your capacity, without hierarchy or pressure.

Sustainable Progress

Turning insight into steady, workable next steps. Grounded support that helps ideas become actions, decisions feel lighter, and progress happens at a pace that fits real life.

A note on fit (because it matters)

I’ve been supporting small businesses since around 2005, often starting in what looked like ‘admin’ roles and quickly moving into much deeper work.

I particularly enjoy working with:

  • owner‑operators
  • family businesses
  • businesses where roles and life boundaries are blurred

I won’t get involved where:

  • key decision‑makers aren’t aligned
  • decisions can’t realistically be made

That’s not judgement – it’s care.

If you’re not sure where to start

That’s normal.

  • If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the Small Business Surgery is almost always the right first step.
  • If you need deeper change, we’ll know soon enough.
  • If you’re steady and just want to stay that way, Resilience Check ups might be the right fit.

Put the kettle on. There’s no rush.

Support That Meets Your Business Where It’s At

Strategic Support for Sustainable Business Growth

Business growth is rarely linear. Challenges, change, pressure, and uncertainty are all part of the journey. The key is having the right support at the right time.

These services provide a structured and practical pathway designed to help business owners gain clarity, strengthen operations, and build greater resilience for long-term sustainability and success.

Small Business Surgery

Clarity Before Bigger Decisions

A focused starting point designed to identify pressure points, uncover blind spots, and help you regain direction with practical, grounded advice.

  • Honest review of current business challenges
  • Identify operational bottlenecks and growth barriers
  • Gain an outside perspective without overwhelm
  • Practical recommendations you can act on quickly
  • Ideal for businesses feeling stuck, reactive, or uncertain

Small Business Operations Reset

Create Better Structure, Systems & Stability

Once the key issues are identified, this stage focuses on improving business operations, communication, processes, and day-to-day management.

  • Review and refine operational workflows
  • Improve structure, accountability, and consistency
  • Reduce inefficiencies and unnecessary stress points
  • Align people, priorities, and business goals
  • Build stronger foundations for sustainable growth

Small Business Resilience

Build Long-Term Strength & Sustainability

The final stage focuses on helping your business become more resilient, adaptable, and better prepared for future challenges and opportunities.

  • Strengthen long-term business sustainability
  • Improve adaptability during change or uncertainty
  • Develop healthier business habits and leadership confidence
  • Focus on continuity, resilience, and future planning
  • Create a more stable and supported business environment
Central Business Associates

Get In Touch

 If you’d like to get in touch, you’re welcome to reach out by phone or use the form below.