When Your Business Looks Rich, But You're Actually Broke

by: Hayu

The problem most Indonesian entrepreneurs won't admit. Last month, at a Batu co-working space, a room full of business owners confessed something uncomfortable: their businesses appeared profitable on paper, but they were constantly stressed about their financial situation. Sound familiar?

The Three Mistakes Killing Your Cash Flow

Mistake 1: Treating your business account like a personal ATM

Most Indonesian SME owners mix business and personal money freely. Result? You never know if your business is actually generating profit or if you're spending your own capital.

Mistake 2: No regular salary for yourself

You take money whenever you need it, sometimes a lot, sometimes nothing at all. This isn't freedom; it's chaos. If your business can't pay you a consistent salary, something's broken.

Mistake 3: No bookkeeping (or pretending receipts in a shoebox count)

You don't need expensive software. You need to track accurately what comes in and what goes out, honestly. Every. Single. Week.

But Money Isn't Your Only Problem

Here's what the workshop revealed: Even entrepreneurs who master their finances hit walls they can't break through on their own. Can't speak English well enough? You're locked out of international markets, no matter how good your product is. Great at making things? Useless if you can't market them online. Want to export? Good luck navigating regulations without guidance.

The Real Solution

Indonesian entrepreneurs don't lack talent or hustle. They lack integrated support. Teaching bookkeeping alone doesn't help if language barriers keep you from selling internationally. Improving your product means nothing if no one knows it exists. That's why Memayu Hayuning Foundation is building a complete upskilling roadmap—not random workshops, but connected training that addresses financial literacy, language skills, product quality, and market access together.

The Bottom Line

"Profit is vanity, cash is sanity" isn't just about accounting. It's about building businesses that actually work—not just ones that look good on Instagram. Ready to stop pretending and start building something real?