About us
Welcome to SME Sustainability Melbourne — a community for small and medium business owners, operators, and managers who want to understand sustainability, take meaningful action, and future-proof their business.
🌱 Why this group exists
Australia's 2.5 million SMEs contribute 57% of GDP and employ over 7 million people. Yet most sustainability support, guidance, and resources are built for large corporations — not the businesses that make up the backbone of our economy.
Whether you're just starting to think about sustainability, responding to questions from customers or supply chain partners, or ready to build a proper ESG framework — you're in the right place.
Join us at the Sustainable Business Network—Melbourne SMEs Meetup, where small to medium business owners come together to discuss and promote sustainable practices in areas such as energy, environment, and corporate sustainability.
📅 What we do
We meet monthly for free knowledge-sharing events, and run quarterly paid 4-session
courses (SME Sustainability Starter Program) for businesses ready to take structured action.
Free monthly events cover topics like:
→ What ASRS means for SMEs and their supply chains
→ How to measure your carbon footprint for the first time
→ SDGs explained: which of the 17 goals actually apply to your business
→ Free tools you can use today in your small business.
→ GRI sustainability reporting for small business
Our paid 4-session program takes you from zero to a documented sustainability baseline, GHG emissions snapshot, A free Sustainability Profiling Tool and a written action plan — in just four weeks.
🎓 About your host
This group is hosted by Nash Balaghee, GRI Certified Sustainability Professional, sustainability consultant at Finoptis Consulting Services, and an incoming Master of Sustainability student at Deakin University.
Nash brings over 20 years of financial and business advisory experience to sustainability — meaning he speaks the language of business owners, not just sustainability academics.
🤝 Who should join
✔ SME owners and directors wanting to understand ESG and sustainability
✔ Business managers tasked with responding to supply chain sustainability requests
✔ Finance professionals curious about the ASRS impact on SMEs
✔ Anyone exploring a career transition into sustainability
✔ Sustainability champions inside small businesses
This is a practical, jargon-free, genuinely welcoming community. All industries welcome. No sustainability experience required.
Join us — and let's move your business from reactive to ready.
Hosted by Finoptis Consulting Services | finoptis.net
Upcoming events
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The 2026 SME Green Advantage: How to Win Clients with ESG & Sustainability
·OnlineOnline🔴 FOUNDING MEETUP (100% FREE): Is your business ready for 2026? Join us to learn how to turn sustainability into your biggest competitive edge.
This is a practical, jargon-free 1-hour online session designed specifically for small and medium business owners and managers.
If you are starting to get questions about carbon footprints, ESG, or supply chain compliance from your larger clients and suppliers—and want to know how to turn those questions into a competitive advantage—this session is for you.
You don't need any prior knowledge. You just need to be curious.
### 📅 WHAT WE’LL COVER IN 60 MINUTES
- ✅ The SME Definition: What sustainability actually means for a small business (not the multi-million dollar corporate version).
- ✅ The 2026 Shift: The 3 external forces bringing sustainability to your doorstep right now—whether you're ready or not.
- ✅ The UN SDGs Demystified: The UN Sustainable Development Goals explained in 5 minutes—and how to identify the few that actually matter to your bottom line.
- ✅ Supply Chain Reality: What ASRS (Australian Sustainability Reporting Standards) and Scope 3 emissions mean for your client relationships and winning tenders.
- ✅ Your Free Toolkit: 2 powerful, free tools you can set up this week.
- ✅ The 3-Step Roadmap: The exact first steps every SME should take to kickstart their journey without overwhelming their team.
> 💡 Our Promise: The first 45 minutes are 100% pure, commercially-grounded education. For those who want hands-on help implementing the roadmap, we will spend the final 5 minutes sharing details about an optional, 4-week intensive cohort. No hard sales pitch, no pressure.
### 👥 WHO SHOULD ATTEND
- SME Owners & Directors looking to future-proof their operations and protect their revenue.
- Business Managers who are receiving sustainability questionnaires from major clients or government bodies.
- Finance, Operations, or HR Leaders who have suddenly been handed the "sustainability remit" and don't know where to start.
### 🎙️ YOUR HOST
Nash Balaghee | GRI Certified Sustainability Professional & Consultant at Finoptis Consulting Services
Nash brings over 20 years of financial and business advisory experience to the sustainability space. This means the session isn't just about "doing good"—it is commercially grounded, practical, and focused on business survival and growth. Nash is a member of EIANZ and the Economic Society of Australia, and is currently completing a Master of Sustainability at Deakin University.### 🔗 LOGISTICS
- Platform: Online via Zoom.
- Link: A Zoom access link will be emailed to all registered attendees 24 hours before the event.
- Questions? Reach out directly at nash@finoptis.net or visit finoptis.net.
AFTER THE SESSION
Attendees who want structured, hands-on support can join our SME Sustainability Starter Program — a 4-week cohort course capped at just 6 businesses.
Details shared at the end of the session.
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