Nowadays, many growing businesses do not only belong to one owner, but are owned by a married couple or called Soul-mate. This type of business should be based on a commitment. Thus, it can be managed and can grow well. This idea came from Dyah Suminar Zudianto, the wife of Herry Zudianto – the former Yogyakarta Mayor and the owner of Margaria Group in a talk-show entitled “Successfully Managing Business with a Soul-mate” held by Magister of Management Program of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (MM-UMY) in UMY Integrated Campus on Saturday (6/30). Other speakers attending was Prof. Dr, Heru Kurnianto Tjahjono – the expert of Human Resource Development, Wahyudi Nasution and Erwina – the owner of Bunda Collection, and Muridi – the owner of Bakmi Mbah Mo. The moderator for this seminar was Widyatmoyo from Dayainsani Production.

Zudianto stated that running a business was like running a household that we should ensure the fair portion. Moreover, when one of us was the employee, make sure that no one is abandoned. Moreover, she added, a businessman or an entrepreneur also had to use the information technology well. Zudianto said, “The development of information technology lately has been growing rapidly. Thus, we need to be able to use and benefit from it to support and develop our business.”

Talking about business scale, Erwina Nasution – the oner of Bunda Collection asserted that starting a business did not have to begin from something big, but could also be from small things. She explained, “We don’t have to start with something big, but start with something small but do it maximally and start from something that we like.”

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Heru Kurnianto Tjahjono asserted that as a businessman, there are five things we need to build in ourselves in order to be successful. He explained, “The five things we need to build are openness to others’ experience, openness in an agreement, openness to changes, openness to others including our partner, and openness to the pressure we face.”

Prof. Tjahjono added that a businessman should have a clear concept, have a suitable competence, have credibility in handling problems, have a broad connection and network, and care about social things happening around him/her. Therefore, the business built together would be successful.