How Temilola Onalaja is Transforming Profitability Strategy for Founders Across Africa and Beyond

By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun

The business world is increasingly driven by hype, hustle, and short-term growth sprints, Temilola Aderonke Onalaja is bringing something rare: structure. Over the past decade, the Nigerian-born, UK-trained finance strategist has been quietly building a cross-border blueprint for profitability one that has now crystallized into a model used by finance firms, institutions, and entrepreneurs in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and the United States.
Her proprietary framework, known as the Onalaja S.T.A.R. Strategy™, is set to become a digital platform by the end of Q4 2025. But before that, she is laying the intellectual groundwork with two deeply anticipated publications:
• S.T.A.R. Strategy for Founders: Tech-Driven Finance Discipline for Startups and Scaleups
• The Profit Jar: Unlock the Streams Within
These works, both written from the frontlines of operational finance and strategic redesign, are earning her growing recognition as one of the continent’s leading voices in profit architecture.
“Profit isn’t a reward for effort, it’s the outcome of design,” Onalaja said in a recent interview. “What I’ve created with the S.T.A.R. Strategy is a framework that turns guesswork into sustainable growth.”
A Model Born of Pressure and Precision
The S.T.A.R. Strategy™ which stands for Synergy, Technology, Analytical Precision, and Risk Mitigation originated from Onalaja’s hands-on work in turnaround finance, revenue recovery, and enterprise cost discipline. Through her consulting firm, SMET Consult/ SMET Financials LLC, and years of executive leadership, she saw a pattern: most companies don’t fail from lack of effort, they fail from lack of structure.
Her methodology has been cited in multiple regional publications, adopted by finance units in multinational companies, and referenced in academic discussions about startup failure and hospital financial loss prevention. According to previously published expert reports, implementation of the strategy has led to:
• 27% reduction in unnecessary tax exposure for a health enterprise
• 32% increase in retained profit for a multi-unit service provider
• Over ₦250 million recovered in untraced income and system leaks across three major clients
• Adoption by more than 40 businesses in three sectors within 18 months of rollout
These outcomes are not just testimonials they are data points that underscore the model’s real-world value.
The Books: Making Strategy Tangible
The first of her upcoming releases, S.T.A.R. Strategy for Founders, outlines the framework in technical detail. Written for C-suite executives, founders, and finance professionals, the book presents a full diagnostic approach starting with identifying system leaks, moving into layered revenue modeling, and ending with scalable finance protocols.
Its companion, The Profit Jar, takes the same philosophy but presents it through the lived experience of business owners. Using the metaphor of a “jar” that leaks value without proper design, the book examines pricing, burnout, growth fatigue, and the illusion of revenue in founder-led ventures. Together, these books form a dual-pronged playbook: one for high-level strategy, the other for practical day-to-day transformation.
“We’re moving from spreadsheets to systems. From panic-mode to predictive finance,” Onalaja explains. “That shift is not just academic or theory, it’s deeply operational.”
Going Digital: Democratizing Discipline
In late 2025, Onalaja’s strategy will take a new form: a web-based platform, powered by the S.T.A.R. framework, enabling users to self-assess their businesses for leaks, misalignments, and inefficiencies. Features will include:
• Automated diagnostic tools
• Custom audit reports
• Pillar-specific recommendations
• Educational tutorials for startups, hospitals, and government finance teams
The platform will eventually expand to a mobile app, designed to offer financial clarity at scale targeting not only profit-seeking startups but also institutions where fiscal misalignment poses existential risk.
“This is not just another finance tool. It’s a decision support system,” she adds. “We’re translating the core principles of financial integrity into actionable steps accessible to a global user base.”

Recognition and Influence
Temilola Onalaja’s impact extends beyond her firm and her publications. She was honored with the Accounting Icon Award by Sparklight in 2024 and regularly serves as a judge for enterprise competitions across Nigeria. She has reviewed multimillion-naira procurement bids for healthcare infrastructure, advised investor-backed companies, and lectured university finance students on strategic operations and cash flow control.
Her work has been cited in BusinessDay, Vanguard, and BF&T Ghana, and has also been referenced in expert letters from CFOs, asset managers, and operations consultants, several of whom credited her framework with transforming how they monitor revenue, reduce leakage, and plan for scale.
While her growing visibility makes her a recognizable name in boardrooms and academic circles alike, Onalaja remains focused on the mission: helping businesses become sustainably profitable without burnout, confusion, or dependency on investor cash infusions.

As her two books prepare for global release and her digital platform nears launch, Temilola Onalaja is quietly setting a new benchmark in African finance leadership one where strategy, structure, and integrity form the new bottom line.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top