Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Saskia Mardi, Founder of The Business Minimalist, located in Bali, Indonesia.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My clients refer to me as "the Marie Kondo of Business" or their "Creator of Calm." I work with online entrepreneurs from all over the world who have experienced success in their work but feel stuck due to a lack of time & mind-space or an abundance of chaos & overwhelm, by helping them to simplify & organise their business. I specialise in mapping out and streamlining business processes, creating custom task and project management systems in ClickUp, as well as working with people 1:1 or in group mentorship accountability programs, helping them to create more calm in their business with my 3-step process: Minimise, Systemise, Organise.
Tell us about yourself
The decade before I started my business, I helped run the backend of businesses, from startups to multinationals. While I loved my work, the 9-5 corporate world and I was not simpatico. And as minimalism played a bigger part in my life, I let go of not only physical things that no longer served me but also my corporate career. I had noticed more and more that my entrepreneurial friends, who while were great at in their own field, for the most part, didn't have a mind for the systems necessary to run, let alone scale, a business efficiently, which would cost them unnecessary time, money and energy. With my systems-focused mind, business background, and love of minimalism, I was able to bridge that gap, step in and help them to reduce the chaos and help them in finding a way to work that works for them.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Each and every time I see the impact clients have from embracing business minimalism, from working a day less per week to daring to let go of clients or services that no longer serve them, or helping them to get their business out of their head and into a system so that they can finally delegate and start growing a team.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Sometimes what feels right, might not look right. Some decisions are hard to make when they, at first, don't look like they make financial sense. When I made a pivot in my business and stopped offering a particular service, it also meant losing more than 50% of my revenue. But I knew I had to do it. That revenue cost me greatly energetically. And in the end, my other services, which brought me energy, ended up replacing my lost income. But trusting, and taking that leap, that can be hard.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get SUPER clear on what you are trying to achieve, and write out everything you think you need to achieve it.
- Imagine you only have the time to do 1 - 3 of those things. Circle them and only focus on them.
- Reverse engineer what is needed to achieve those 1 - 3 things in the next 90 days, break each thing down into its parts, plan out what you need to achieve each week, and then do that!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.saskiamardi.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saskiamardi/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saskiamardi/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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