In the article before has been told about the beginning of my career, which began when I was 15 years old. My first career was as a tailor (from 1993 - 2002). For those of you who haven't read, please click here: THE STORY OF MY BUSINESS JOURNEY - Part #1 (Becoming a Tailor)
In the article, it was told that I (finally) quit as the tailor. In mid-2002 I began to take a career as a trader.
Maybe some of you asked me: "What is the reason you don't work as a tailor again?"
Yup! Because at that time I began to see signs of a decline in the prospect of tailors in Indonesia. This is caused by several factors, including:
This change began to occur since the early 90s. When it's was very rare a young people to wear clothing made of cotton fabric (shirt and pants suit)
At that time the majority of teenagers already wearing casual clothes (levis pants and t-shirts). This new clothing suit is considered more trendy and modern at that time.
While the use of clothing made of cotton has changed for office clothes, schools, and other official events.
Clothes made from cotton fabric are the primary source of income for the tailors (including me). So, if clothes from cotton are rarely used, then the history of the tailor is immediately finished. Has been increasingly eroded by time and changing times. A job of the tailor is becoming increasingly lonely!
Clothes from convection products are very different from the results of stitching a tailor.
The difference, among others: in the convection industry does not pay attention to the neatness of the seam. Convection prioritizes the production of clothing with large quantities (the selling price is low). While on the tailor, quality is more important. So that the clothes produced by a tailor are not much, and the processing time is much longer.
The characteristics of clothing products from convection are: the stitching density is very 'loose,' and the zipper is easily broken. So the main difference between the convention and the tailor is on fabric and tidiness.
The tailor is being 'eliminated' by convection because convention has cheap cost in production.
For example a pair of underwear produced by convection at a selling cheap price of $ 7.
While on the tailor, the cost of wages for tailoring services is around $ 6 (not including the cost of buying cloth).
So if someone wants to make clothes use the tailor service, it requires a total cost of around $ 15 for just one pant. Indeed! The price difference is very far from convection. If it is likened to a boxing match Mike Tyson VS Oscar De La Hoya, then this tailor versus convection is an unbalanced competition.
Some of the above signs are what I have observed. In conclusion: the future of the profession as a tailor will end soon!
And I have to dare to decide to change careers. Now, what is the most appropriate choice? Yes! Finally, I chose a job as a trader!
Do you know what my first business was?
Selling DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) at Pandeglang market, Banten province, West Java. (in 2002 - 2003). That's where I first went to 'merantau'.
Note: 'Merantau' (British: Wander) is a term in my country (Indonesia) that is given to people who go from their hometowns to more crowded cities. Usually, their destination to trade. (So that the standard of living expected can change for the better).
Yes, since mid-2002 I finally decided to go to another city and have a career as a DVD merchant.
Maybe you want to know what the reason I chose to sell this DVD product is? Because in that era this product was the best selling in the market.
Oh yeah, the first place I chose was the Banten district (West Java). There is my uncle. He is there trading cloth and tools for tailors.
At that time I was migrating for the first time, so I had to study first with my uncle who had experienced life in that city.
This method is indeed commonly practiced by all migrants in Indonesia.
Why we have to 'study' with one of our brothers in there? The reason is that our brother will function as our mentor. Because, in general, people who are first going to wander usually are still awkward with their new environment.
In the city of Pandeglang, I am selling a DVD dish in a sidewalk stall, which was an overhang of the roadside (in front of the market).
I made a trade stall with a 3 x 1-meter table model. The roof is made of thick tarpaulin. If it rains, around the booth must be 'covered' with plastic.
There is a sad and touching story when I trade in the Pandeglang market.
Because it was my first time to migrate, so of course I was not good at how to lobby those market managers. Usually, it is common in Indonesian markets, that is, if you want to get a trading location (strategic stalls), then you have to be good at lobbying market managers.
In addition to being good at lobbying, we must give 'service fees' to market management so that the affairs can be more smooth.
Now the problem is==> both of them (money and lobbying skills) I did not have at the time. 😅
In the end, I got a 'dead area' stall. Namely in a narrow alley / small road (entrance to the market).
So illustration the position of my stall is something like this:
If other traders (who have been trading there for a long time) have a stall position right on the side of the road (so that there are always lots of people passing by). Well, the location of my stall was behind that traders' stalls. A 'dead stall'!
How sad 😥
However, because at that time I was migrating, so that I still did and I just do it. My principle is only one: the important thing is I trade! ☺
So, between the merchant stalls with the other traders' stalls, there is a space of 2 meters. The space functions as an entrance hall into the market. Well, inside that alley is the location of my stall.
As a result, the buyer will only come shopping at my stall if the DVD product he is looking for happens has been sold out by other stall. In conclusion: I only can get the remains of their customers! 😭
The above conditions lasted for six months.
How many DVDs are sold per day?
When that can only sell as many as 5-10 DVDs per day!
So the market manager is required to curb street vendors in their respective regions. Including the Pandeglang market is also affected by this obligation.
Fyi, according to the regulations, street vendors cannot sell on the roadside, because it cause road congestion. The location that is allowed to trade is within the market area (my place is included as approved for trade).
It's just that; some market managers abuse their authority. They often let street vendors sell off the road because they get bribes from the traders.
Maybe you will ask: "What is the reason that the street vendors are willing to pay bribes to get a place on the roadside?" (even though it violates the rules and makes traffic jams).
The answer is: Because the area on the side of the road is considered more strategic because many people pass by on the roadside.
Do you still remember about a command to controlling the street vendor before? (orders from the local government).
Well, due to the control, so that the location of my stall which was previously in a 'dead area,' has now turned into the most strategic area! Because all traders (who covered my booth) have now been evicted by the local government and market administrators!
All traders who are on the roadside overlay must be disciplined and moved to vacant land behind the market! And because the location of my stall is in the alley, so it is not included in the area affected by curbing.
After that, the situation suddenly changes to 180 degrees. If before I can only sell 5-10 DVDs per day, then since that eviction I can sell up to 50 DVDs per day!
Since then I have been able to set aside net income from trading this DVD piece. So that I can continue to play cash flow to develop my business further. Every net profit accumulated, I put it back again to a new product. Put it again, again and again. Spin like that all the time.
I continue to run the method above as much as possible. Because I had guessed, that my 'strategic stall' would not last long.
My guess is right!
Four months later, the street vendors returned to trading on the roadside. They can return to being able to trade there because they do a 'special lobby' with some market managers. And finally, my stall is covered again.
But I am still grateful because for four months my capital and stock of goods has been increased. And I managed to save the results partially.
After the traders returned 'down the mountain' (read: back to roadside). So that my stall was back covered and 'dead.' I tried to keep going to continue trading, even though the conditions returned bitterly.
The average turnover per day after that is very minimal and dropped. Poignant !!
And finally, there was an incident which eventually became a trigger for me to decide to go (Hijrah) to Jakarta.
Maybe you feel a little curious, and ask: "What is the trigger?"
I will write the answer in the next series of articles.
See you later :-)
UPDATE! Article Part #3 has been published. Please click HERE.
In the article, it was told that I (finally) quit as the tailor. In mid-2002 I began to take a career as a trader.
Maybe some of you asked me: "What is the reason you don't work as a tailor again?"
Yup! Because at that time I began to see signs of a decline in the prospect of tailors in Indonesia. This is caused by several factors, including:
#1. There have been significant changes in the trend and style of dress, especially among young people Indonesia.
This change began to occur since the early 90s. When it's was very rare a young people to wear clothing made of cotton fabric (shirt and pants suit)
At that time the majority of teenagers already wearing casual clothes (levis pants and t-shirts). This new clothing suit is considered more trendy and modern at that time.
While the use of clothing made of cotton has changed for office clothes, schools, and other official events.
Clothes made from cotton fabric are the primary source of income for the tailors (including me). So, if clothes from cotton are rarely used, then the history of the tailor is immediately finished. Has been increasingly eroded by time and changing times. A job of the tailor is becoming increasingly lonely!
Maybe You Also Like This: WANDERING TO THE CITY OF PADANG (My Story)
#2. More and more clothing businesses appear that produce cheap pants and clothes in bulk.
Clothes from convection products are very different from the results of stitching a tailor.
The difference, among others: in the convection industry does not pay attention to the neatness of the seam. Convection prioritizes the production of clothing with large quantities (the selling price is low). While on the tailor, quality is more important. So that the clothes produced by a tailor are not much, and the processing time is much longer.
The characteristics of clothing products from convection are: the stitching density is very 'loose,' and the zipper is easily broken. So the main difference between the convention and the tailor is on fabric and tidiness.
The tailor is being 'eliminated' by convection because convention has cheap cost in production.
For example a pair of underwear produced by convection at a selling cheap price of $ 7.
While on the tailor, the cost of wages for tailoring services is around $ 6 (not including the cost of buying cloth).
So if someone wants to make clothes use the tailor service, it requires a total cost of around $ 15 for just one pant. Indeed! The price difference is very far from convection. If it is likened to a boxing match Mike Tyson VS Oscar De La Hoya, then this tailor versus convection is an unbalanced competition.
So that the tailor profession slowly began to disappear.
Some of the above signs are what I have observed. In conclusion: the future of the profession as a tailor will end soon!
And I have to dare to decide to change careers. Now, what is the most appropriate choice? Yes! Finally, I chose a job as a trader!
Do you know what my first business was?
That is:
Selling DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) at Pandeglang market, Banten province, West Java. (in 2002 - 2003). That's where I first went to 'merantau'.
Note: 'Merantau' (British: Wander) is a term in my country (Indonesia) that is given to people who go from their hometowns to more crowded cities. Usually, their destination to trade. (So that the standard of living expected can change for the better).
Yes, since mid-2002 I finally decided to go to another city and have a career as a DVD merchant.
Maybe You Also Like This: YOU WANT TO SUCCEED? TRY TO GO WANDER!
Maybe you want to know what the reason I chose to sell this DVD product is? Because in that era this product was the best selling in the market.
Oh yeah, the first place I chose was the Banten district (West Java). There is my uncle. He is there trading cloth and tools for tailors.
At that time I was migrating for the first time, so I had to study first with my uncle who had experienced life in that city.
This method is indeed commonly practiced by all migrants in Indonesia.
Why we have to 'study' with one of our brothers in there? The reason is that our brother will function as our mentor. Because, in general, people who are first going to wander usually are still awkward with their new environment.
In the city of Pandeglang, I am selling a DVD dish in a sidewalk stall, which was an overhang of the roadside (in front of the market).
I made a trade stall with a 3 x 1-meter table model. The roof is made of thick tarpaulin. If it rains, around the booth must be 'covered' with plastic.
There is a sad and touching story when I trade in the Pandeglang market.
Here's the story:
Because it was my first time to migrate, so of course I was not good at how to lobby those market managers. Usually, it is common in Indonesian markets, that is, if you want to get a trading location (strategic stalls), then you have to be good at lobbying market managers.
In addition to being good at lobbying, we must give 'service fees' to market management so that the affairs can be more smooth.
Now the problem is==> both of them (money and lobbying skills) I did not have at the time. 😅
In the end, I got a 'dead area' stall. Namely in a narrow alley / small road (entrance to the market).
So illustration the position of my stall is something like this:
If other traders (who have been trading there for a long time) have a stall position right on the side of the road (so that there are always lots of people passing by). Well, the location of my stall was behind that traders' stalls. A 'dead stall'!
How sad 😥
However, because at that time I was migrating, so that I still did and I just do it. My principle is only one: the important thing is I trade! ☺
So, between the merchant stalls with the other traders' stalls, there is a space of 2 meters. The space functions as an entrance hall into the market. Well, inside that alley is the location of my stall.
As a result, the buyer will only come shopping at my stall if the DVD product he is looking for happens has been sold out by other stall. In conclusion: I only can get the remains of their customers! 😭
The above conditions lasted for six months.
How many DVDs are sold per day?
When that can only sell as many as 5-10 DVDs per day!
But ...,, maybe this has become my fortune. It turned out that (not long after that), there was a policy from the local government to control street vendors.
So the market manager is required to curb street vendors in their respective regions. Including the Pandeglang market is also affected by this obligation.
Fyi, according to the regulations, street vendors cannot sell on the roadside, because it cause road congestion. The location that is allowed to trade is within the market area (my place is included as approved for trade).
It's just that; some market managers abuse their authority. They often let street vendors sell off the road because they get bribes from the traders.
The answer is: Because the area on the side of the road is considered more strategic because many people pass by on the roadside.
Maybe You Also Like This: MY BUSINESS JOURNEY IS LIKE DAVID FIGHTING WITH GOLIATH
Back to topic!
Do you still remember about a command to controlling the street vendor before? (orders from the local government).
Well, due to the control, so that the location of my stall which was previously in a 'dead area,' has now turned into the most strategic area! Because all traders (who covered my booth) have now been evicted by the local government and market administrators!
After that, the situation suddenly changes to 180 degrees. If before I can only sell 5-10 DVDs per day, then since that eviction I can sell up to 50 DVDs per day!
Since then I have been able to set aside net income from trading this DVD piece. So that I can continue to play cash flow to develop my business further. Every net profit accumulated, I put it back again to a new product. Put it again, again and again. Spin like that all the time.
I continue to run the method above as much as possible. Because I had guessed, that my 'strategic stall' would not last long.
My guess is right!
Four months later, the street vendors returned to trading on the roadside. They can return to being able to trade there because they do a 'special lobby' with some market managers. And finally, my stall is covered again.
But I am still grateful because for four months my capital and stock of goods has been increased. And I managed to save the results partially.
In that city of Pandeglang, I learned to be a trader for about one year.
After the traders returned 'down the mountain' (read: back to roadside). So that my stall was back covered and 'dead.' I tried to keep going to continue trading, even though the conditions returned bitterly.
The average turnover per day after that is very minimal and dropped. Poignant !!
And finally, there was an incident which eventually became a trigger for me to decide to go (Hijrah) to Jakarta.
Maybe you feel a little curious, and ask: "What is the trigger?"
I will write the answer in the next series of articles.
See you later :-)
UPDATE! Article Part #3 has been published. Please click HERE.
Comments
Post a Comment
- You are allowed to share articles and content on this blog.
- We apologize in advance: no ads, no spam, no link
All will enter spam folder
- Explanation of the rules please see T.O.S (Term of Service).
Thank you for your visit.