BRI Boss Hery Gunardi Reveals Five Keys to Building a Successful Business

BRI Director Hery Gunardi shared tips for starting a business from the perspective of a senior banker at the Jogja Financial Festival held at the Jogja Expo Center, Yogyakarta, on Saturday, 23 May 2026. The event was attended by 1,000 participants from the MSME entrepreneur community, students, and the general public.

Hery explained that there are five tips that the public can follow to start a business. First, prospective entrepreneurs should start with industries that have low entry barriers, meaning it is not difficult to enter. This means that prospective entrepreneurs can try types of businesses that do not have fierce competition. “So, if you want to start a business, start with an industry that is not difficult to enter,” said Hery, who was alongside Chairman & Founder of CT Corp, Chairul Tanjung, in the Education Class session.

Second, he continued, is understanding market behaviour. Prospective entrepreneurs must understand the business landscape they are targeting, including both buyers/clients and competitors. “Who are the players? Who are the competitors? Who holds the largest market share? Why are they so big? Why are they more advanced? We learn from those who are already advanced,” said Hery.

Third, prospective entrepreneurs must have good business and financial management, even when they are just starting out. From his experience leading BRI, many MSMEs have failed due to poor financial record-keeping.

“Most of them still do not separate personal expenses from business expenses; they are recorded together. So, they don’t know which is profit and which is loss because the money is used for daily expenses. The correct way is to separate personal and business financial records so that it is clear whether the business is profitable or not,” said Hery.

Fourth, he reminded that the crucial moment for a new business is in the first six months, not in profit. The important thing in the early stages of starting a business is cash flow. Hery reminded that the production of goods must be smooth so that payments are not delayed.

“For example, you actually have the potential for good cash flow, but you are still in debt to customers, so your cash flow is delayed. Usually, this happens because the cash is not enough,” explained Hery. Therefore, good and disciplined management is essential.