Built From Real Financial Challenges
Back in 2019, we started consolefile after watching too many friends struggle with their yearly budgets. Not because they weren't smart or capable—they just never had someone show them a practical approach that actually fit Malaysian life.
We're not financial wizards or corporate consultants. Just regular people who spent years figuring out what works, what doesn't, and how to make budgeting less overwhelming for families and small businesses across Sarawak and beyond.
What Drives Our Approach
These aren't corporate values we printed on posters. They're the things we actually care about when we're working with students or reviewing someone's budget at 9 PM because they're stressed about next year's planning.
Honest Conversations
We had a student last month who wanted to budget for a business expansion that wasn't realistic yet. Instead of taking the enrollment fee, we suggested waiting six months. That's just how we operate—your success matters more than our quarterly numbers.
Malaysian Context Matters
Generic budgeting advice from Western textbooks doesn't account for how Malaysian families actually handle money. Multi-generational support, festival expenses, education priorities—we build our teaching around the reality of life here, not theoretical models.
Long-Term Relationships
Some of our 2020 students still email us with questions. We answer them. Because teaching someone to budget isn't a transaction—it's the start of their financial journey, and we're genuinely invested in seeing how things turn out for people.
How We Got Here
consolefile didn't start with a business plan. It started with frustration, a lot of spreadsheets, and eventually realizing we had something worth sharing with others.
Started Small in Kuching
Honestly, the first year was rough. We ran weekend workshops from a borrowed office space, charging just enough to cover materials. Eight people showed up to our first session. But those eight told their friends, and suddenly we had something people actually wanted.
Moved Everything Online
The pandemic forced our hand, but it turned out to be the right move. We could reach people across Malaysia without them driving to Kuching. Our remote programs launched in March 2021, and by year-end we'd worked with families from Penang to Johor Bahru.
Specialized in Annual Planning
We realized we were trying to teach too much—monthly budgets, debt management, investment basics. So we narrowed our focus to what we do best: helping people plan their entire year financially. That clarity made everything better for our students and for us.
Building for What's Next
Right now we're developing new content for our autumn 2025 programs, listening to what previous students struggled with, and figuring out how to make annual budgeting even more accessible. Still learning, still improving, still based right here in Kuching.
The People Behind consolefile
We're a small team, which means when you email us, you're talking to the same people who create the courses and teach the sessions. No corporate layers, no automated responses—just us trying to help you figure out your budget.
Thorsten Bjornsson
Program Development Lead
Moved to Malaysia in 2017 after working in corporate finance in Scandinavia. Got tired of spreadsheets that nobody actually used, so now I focus on creating budgeting approaches that real people can stick with for more than two weeks.
Specializes in small business annual planning and multi-year financial projections
Brinley Okafor
Student Support Coordinator
I handle most of the emails and program questions, usually while juggling my own family budget challenges. That's actually helpful—when students ask about unexpected expenses or changing priorities, I get it because I'm dealing with the same stuff.
Focuses on family budgeting strategies and education expense planning
Want to Learn More About Our Programs?
Our next annual budgeting course starts in September 2025. We keep class sizes small—usually around 15-20 people—so everyone gets actual attention and personalized feedback on their financial plans.
View Learning Programs
Looking Ahead to 2026
We're working on expanding our content library based on feedback from the 200+ students we've worked with so far. More case studies from Malaysian contexts, better tools for tracking irregular income, clearer guidance for businesses with seasonal revenue patterns.
Also experimenting with shorter workshop formats for people who can't commit to a full course but need specific help with parts of their annual planning. Still figuring out the details, but we're listening to what people actually need rather than what we think they should want.
