Built on Real Experience
We've been solving budget variance challenges since 2019, working with over 300 Australian businesses to turn financial confusion into clear, actionable insights
Why We Started solivolirae
Back in 2019, I was consulting for a mid-sized manufacturing company in Melbourne. Their monthly board meetings were painful – three hours of arguing about why they were 0K over budget, but nobody could pinpoint exactly where or why.
That's when it hit me. Most businesses have decent accounting software, but they're missing the analytical layer that makes sense of the numbers. They can tell you what happened, but not why it happened or what to do about it.
So we built solivolirae specifically to fill that gap. Not another accounting platform, but a specialized service that takes your existing financial data and transforms it into clear, actionable intelligence about budget performance.
Today, we work with companies across Australia – from family restaurants in Adelaide to tech startups in Brisbane. The problems are surprisingly similar, even if the numbers look different.
Numbers That Matter
In early 2024, we earned certification as a Chartered Financial Analyst service provider, and we're proud members of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. But honestly, the metric we care most about is how many late-night "budget crisis" meetings we've helped eliminate.
How We Actually Work
Most consultants give you a report and disappear. We stick around to make sure you can actually use what we find.
Deep Data Integration
We connect with your existing systems – QuickBooks, Xero, MYOB, or even Excel sheets. No ripping and replacing, just smart connections that preserve your workflow while adding analytical power.
Pattern Recognition
Our team manually reviews variance patterns across different time periods, departments, and expense categories. We look for the story behind the numbers, not just mathematical differences.
Actionable Recommendations
Every analysis comes with specific, implementable actions. We don't just identify problems – we provide step-by-step solutions that fit your team's capabilities and timeline.
The Reality of Budget Analysis
Here's what surprised me most after six years in this business: the biggest budget variances usually aren't dramatic. They're small, consistent patterns that compound over time.
Like the Adelaide restaurant that was consistently 15% over budget on food costs. Turned out their portion control training was from 2018, and menu prices had increased faster than portion awareness. Simple fix, big impact.
Or the Brisbane software company hemorrhaging money on "miscellaneous expenses" – which turned out to be subscription services that different departments had signed up for independently. They were paying for three project management tools and didn't even realize it.
Meet the Person Behind the Analysis
Marcus Chen
Founder & Lead Financial Analyst
Why I Love This Work
I spent eight years in corporate finance before starting solivolirae, and I got tired of being the person who delivered bad news without solutions. "We're over budget" is not helpful information unless you can explain why and what to do about it.
What makes budget variance analysis fascinating is that every business has its own financial personality. A construction company in Perth will have completely different variance patterns than a consulting firm in Sydney, even if their revenue is similar.
My job is pattern recognition mixed with business psychology. Numbers tell stories, but you have to know how to listen.
Ready for Better Budget Control?
Let's talk about your specific situation. Most initial consultations reveal at least 2-3 immediate opportunities for improvement.
Schedule a Consultation