At aXia Consulting we strongly believe in helping small to medium businesses. Each month we will interview a business owner to learn more about his/her entrepreneurial journey and business, as well as to get some advice from a fellow business owner. This month we are shining the spotlight on Marilie from Nyfti.
Tell us a little about your business and your background
Nyfti is a business solutions provider. We focus on bringing solutions and services to businesses to assist in management, maintenance, and growth. This is not an easy task as all businesses are different and the solutions differ between each business, but it is also what makes our business so interesting and fun. Our clients not only learn from us – we learn from our clients!
The challenge is not that our clients do not know how to grow their businesses, the challenge often comes down to resources. Anyone who has had a growing business will understand – it is super exciting and you are so proud, but at the same time, you feel like you are running around like a headless chicken and worried that people will notice that you are trying extremely hard to keep things together – fake it ’till you make it, right!
A few fun facts about me – I am originally from an area called the Bluff in Durban, SA. I have an identical twin sister who is similar to me and my complete opposite! You may not believe this but I am a bit of a cat lady. I studied Consumer Science at the University of Pretoria from 2008-2011 and then I did a post-grad in IT Project Management through the University of Cape Town in 2017. None of the above could have prepared me for running a business! I learn something new every day!
What/Who inspired you to start your own business, and how has that initial inspiration evolved over time?
What inspired me – Pure desperation!
I was one of those unlucky people who was in the entertainment and hospitality industry when lockdown hit SA in March 2020. That’s why I had to reinvent myself and take any work that anyone was willing to offer. I completely burnt out at the end of 2020, stopped working for 3 months, and moved in with a friend who was willing to take me in without any guarantee of rent – I also wasn’t a bundle of joy, bless her soul for sticking it out with me! I was running out of savings. From there I just pushed on as failing was no option, I had no safety net and no job offers…
I was extremely lucky to be spotted by Xero South Africa. It is a long story about how I got there, but I started facilitating the implementation of a software called Xero Practice Manager (XPM). Xero promised to send me work if I can prove that I can successfully set up this software for accountants in SA. I phoned up an accountant that I barely knew and asked whether I could implement his XPM for free to learn how to do it so that Xero could send me some work. I was doing these implementations for almost a year before I received any income from these projects, but it paid off in the end, it was not easy!
What keeps me inspired? – Firstly, I have employees and they have families. They need salaries! Secondly, I have given up way too much to get here to give it up now. Thirdly, I secretly love the thrill, the challenges, the creativity, and the adrenaline that comes with this business – I also absolutely love the people that I meet along the way!
What is a challenge you’re currently facing and what do you think will help you overcome this challenge?
Talent acquisition and people management will probably make it to the top of my list of a continuous challenge in running a business, especially a startup that is growing with limited resources. Finding the right people, with the necessary skills, experience, good work ethics, and positive attitude is a constant challenge. I, therefore, put a lot of effort and focus into staff retention and enablement once I find the right people by getting to know my staff and understanding the human behind the employee, getting to know what is important to them not only in a work environment but also from a personal point of view. Mutual respect is very important for a healthy long-term relationship of any kind.
Another continuous challenge that we face is managing client expectations, you can spend hours and days on project scoping and contracts, but a lot of clients will still take the arm even though they are only willing to pay for the pinky! Learning to say no to clients even though you need the business and the income can be very difficult, but again, healthy boundaries are extremely important for sustainability. In the long term, you will attract clients who respect you and your time, and you will naturally end up doing more for these clients, and long-term relationships are built and nourished. Don’t allow the clients who disrespect you to take away valuable time from the clients who do – you will end up losing the good clients.
Can you share a significant milestone or accomplishment that you are proud of achieving in your business?
My life took a bit of a downward turn in 2019 when my mom was diagnosed with leukemia and then kept on spiraling downward until I found myself in a deep dark hole that I struggled to get myself out of. I had the unfortunate experience of being surrounded by people who made me believe that I was not good enough, not smart enough – just never enough. I believed them.
Winning the Xero App Integrator Award in 2023 helped me to climb out of this hole. It made me realise that I am good enough and smart enough. For Xero, this was a routine award to hand out. For me, it was a reason to believe in myself again, and to learn to like myself again, and gave me the courage to move forward. A lot in business comes down to mental energy to push through the hard times and to get up when you fall – this award motivated me to get up again.
How do you stay motivated and inspired during challenging times in your industry or market?
Life didn’t come with a safety net for me, sometimes you just don’t have a choice but to keep on moving – it’s like riding a bicycle, if you lose momentum you fall, you just need to keep on going.
It becomes even more challenging when you realise your staff is like your children, they are now your dependents – and they have their dependents. There is just no option of failure or giving up.
What is your approach to building a strong brand presence, and how do you differentiate yourself from competitors in your industry?
We are in the professional services industry and the only way to build a brand that can stand out above others is to provide an exceptional service! There are a lot of people who do what we do – we just need to do it better!
We differentiate our brand by being authentic, we don’t pretend we’re something that we are not. We are people, we work hard, we make mistakes and learn from them. At Nyfti, we admit when we are wrong or when we cannot help, even if that means we lose business. Like everyone else, we want to make an honest living.
How do you prioritise and manage your time effectively as a small business owner wearing multiple hats?
Planning. Prioritising. Routine. Good habits. Healthy boundaries. Discipline.
I always tell my staff and my clients: “Choose your battles”. There are so many things fighting for our attention in our everyday lives. You need to decide what is worth your attention and your energy.
Things I prioritise during the workweek include sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Its not always easy to prioritise these things, but I try. I know I need 8 hours of sleep, so I make sure I plan my lifestyle accordingly. I know that I feel better when I exercise, so I make sure that I just do a 20min yoga if I do not have time for anything more than that. If I know I need to work late to reach a deadline I make sure I eat something that’s easy, like taking soup out of the freezer (always keep your freezer stocked) or running to Woolies to ensure I still get in some healthy nutrients.
Make sure you also plan your personal time, if you do not plan to do things for yourself you end up never doing things for yourself, so make sure you plan for rest and relaxation.
I am not married and I do not have children, my priorities will differ from someone who has a family, it’s not necessarily easier for me, but different. Being on your own all the time comes with a whole lot of other challenges.
I find it yet again very important to surround yourself with people that will keep you accountable. People who will give you that nudge or even a push when you start drifting in the wrong direction!
What words of advice would you have for someone wanting to start their own business?
Surround yourself with the right people! Starting a business is not only risky but can be a very lonely place. Make sure you have a support network, people who are going to keep on supporting you even if you fail. You will definitely fail at something at some point.
You want to make sure you also surround yourself with people who will keep you accountable and grounded. People who will tell you when you are wrong. Who will tell you things that you do not want to hear.
Make sure you set healthy boundaries from the start between yourself personally, and your business. You are not your business! Remember to keep on doing the things you love and enjoy. You cannot run a sustainable, healthy business if you do not look after yourself. Burning out is no joke and is an actual medical diagnosis when your body forces you to stop.
Looking ahead, what are your future goals and aspirations for your business?
We have a few plans for the business. This includes building more long-term sustainable revenue streams that are not so dependent on our time. The Nyfti Online Academy that will be launching soon! We are also branching out to Europe and the US which is very exciting. I am happy to say that we are growing our global footprint.
_______________________________________________________
If you are looking for accounting software for your business, get in touch with us at admin@axiaconsulting.co.za. We can offer a 60% discount for the first 6 months of a Xero Accounting Software Package.
English 
Afrikaans