Small businesses built this country. Their books should be the easy part.

Growing up in Malaysia, small businesses have always been part of everyday life.

The makcik selling kuih in the morning. The uncle running a small workshop. Someone selling waffles, goreng pisang, taking orders through WhatsApp, or running a business from home.

These businesses may be small, but they matter. More than 7 in 10 Malaysian MSMEs are micro businesses.

Having worked in audit and accounting, I've seen how important good financial records are. They can help a business owner understand whether they are actually making money, prepare for tax, speak to an accountant, or have the records they need when they want to grow.

But most micro business owners did not start their business because they wanted to do bookkeeping.

They are busy serving customers, making products, delivering orders and earning a living. Keeping receipts and maintaining proper records can easily become an afterthought.

My dream has always been to find a way to give back to the community, and Aliran is one small way I hope to do that.

We built Aliran to make bookkeeping simpler and more accessible for everyday Malaysian business owners, without expecting them to understand accounting jargon.

We do charge for some of our plans because there is a real cost to keeping Aliran running, improving it and supporting the people who use it. Our hope is simply that the value Aliran gives you is worth far more than what you pay for it.

If Aliran can save a small business owner a few hours, help them understand their business better, or make life a little easier when tax time or an opportunity comes along, then I think we're building something worthwhile.