Female Founder Name: Zirlandia Milkovic
Business Name: GDPR Gard
Website: gdprgard.eu
Tell us about your business. What products or services do you offer?: GDPR Gard is an online GDPR compliance suite for small businesses in the EU. It offers a free 30-second AI audit that checks a website against 10 GDPR requirements with no signup, and a free fine-risk calculator. There's also a membership at €19/month with 14 industry compliance packs, done-for-you Starter, Professional and Retainer packages, and my ebook "GDPR Made Simple for Women Founders."
What inspired you to start your business?: As a developer and GDPR consultant, I kept seeing small business owners, especially women founders, put off GDPR because it felt expensive and full of legal jargon. I wanted to give them plain-English tools they could use in an afternoon.
How long have you been running your business?: I launched GDPR Gard in August 2026 and run it alongside my other work as a developer and author.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how did you overcome it?: Doing everything alone, from building the product to marketing it. I got past it by using AI tools to multiply what one person can build, and by sharing my work publicly.
What strategies have helped you grow your business?: Giving real value away for free, like the audit, the calculator and blog guides, and then offering paid help to people who want it done for them.
What tools or resources have been game-changers for your business?: AI assistants for building and writing, and Netlify for hosting.
What trends do you think will shape your industry in the coming years?: More enforcement against small businesses, the EU AI Act adding new obligations, and AI making compliance affordable for small teams.
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about your business?: GDPR isn't only for big companies. Fines and complaints reach small websites too, but most fixes take hours, not months.
Reflecting on your time in business, what is one piece of advice you would give to another woman to help her on her business journey?: Start before you feel ready. Ship something small and useful, put your name on it, and improve it in public. Waiting for perfect is the most expensive mistake.
How can people connect with you or learn more about your business? (e.g., website, social media, etc.): gdprgard.eu, X @ZIRLANDIAS, and my books at bookpilot.org.
