How This Business Owner Went from Earning $250 a Month to Owning a Six-Figure Company

Meet Ari Krzyzek, whose business is on track to reach $500,000 in annual revenue. Read all about it in Open Books, Buffer’s series of small business owners giving us a peek inside their books.

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At Buffer, we’ve long aimed to default to transparency, a practice we believe helps eliminate inequality and gives everyone a greater chance of succeeding.

Financial transparency is especially close to our hearts, which is why we’re proud to share Open Books, a series of small business owners giving us a peek inside their books in the spirit of being open about finances as well.

Join us as we explore the highs, lows, and hard-won financial lessons that have paved their paths, and discover how you can apply their insights to your own small business journey.

How This Business Owner Went from Earning $250 a Month to Owning a Six-Figure Company

Ari Krzyzek began her design journey working for Bali’s top hospitality company, earning just $250 per month. Growing up in Bali with no exposure to financial planning, she believed this was a fair salary at the time.

After relocating to the U.S. and marrying her now-husband, Peter Krzyzek, she became inspired by the vast potential of freelancing and remote design work, and they co-founded Chykalophia (see-ka-lo-fia) in 2011: a web agency helping women-led brands in B2B tech and Femtech DTC transform their websites into platforms that drive business growth.

Navigating the financial aspects of running and growing a sustainable business initially proved difficult due to her lack of financial knowledge. Starting the company with just $200 and her laptop, she didn’t have any clue what she really needed to fund a business, from general administrative and operating expenses to marketing and so much more.

But she bootstrapped her way through every problem, learning how to manage a budget effectively and understand the basics of business finances. Her dedication to networking within the Chicagoland business community led to significant growth by 2016, allowing her to commit full-time to their venture. Since then, she has worked with small businesses, startup founders, and notable brands including Google, Verizon, Sephora, Honest, and Adobe.

Today, the company is on track to reach $500,000 in annual revenue. Here, she shares her growth path and the business and financial lessons she’s learned along the way.