English
Surabaya – Ravica Ulya Arifin (20), semester 3 student of Management Study Program at the Faculty of Business Economics Unusa (Nahdlatul Ulama University of Surabaya), already has two Japanese Takoyaki specialty food outlets. Now armed with entrepreneurship studies (KWU), he is eyeing the premium restaurants and hotel markets.
“I already have two Takoyaki outlets, in Kutisari and in front of the Korem. Instead of finishing college and going home, I choose to go home from college selling and developing a business, “said Vica, her nickname, at Campus B Unusa, Monday (6/1).
Takoyaki is a food from the Kansai region in Japan, in the form of small balls with a diameter of 3 cm-5 cm made from flour dough filled with pieces of octopus meat.
If the original contains octopus meat, Vica innovates to make Takoyaki from chicken, sausage, cheese, salmon, or crab. The goal is of course that the selling price can be cheaper. He sells per box containing 8 items for IDR 10,000, the taste varies.
In order to introduce their products more to Unusa, when the Millennial Speak Up Bazaar held by BEM FEB Unusa, Vica along with two colleagues Ahmad Fauzi and M. Nurholis tried to sell 500 Takoyaki items and turned out to be sold out. Many students and lecturers bought Takoyaki.
“Thank God, the money can be more than 700 thousand rupiahs and more than 300 thousand rupiah profit in one day,” he said happily.
Selling well selling, of course, attract the interest of his friends. They are even interested in partnering to sell Takoyaki. Entrepreneurship knowledge gained at Unusa has proven to be increasingly pumping up Vika’s enthusiasm to develop her business.
Parents’ Business Blood
Basically Vica inherited the business spirit of her parents, Zainal Arifin and Mistri. Now his parents own the Takoyaki outlet on Giant Jl Diponegoro. Their Takoyaki business began in 2015, having previously sold oyen ice and other foods. Even as a child, Vica saw how her parents started a fishing game business for kids at the mall.
Since high school Vica has started helping her parents. Even after graduating from high school, Vica chose to be unemployed a year to learn to sell, even though the decision was opposed by her parents who wanted her to continue college.
“I was unemployed for a year, not joining the parents’ business, but joining a Chinese businessman selling ice cao because my parents objected and wanted me to go to college,” he said.
During her five months as an ice cao employee, Vica learned a lot about selling and promoting. Vika was not ashamed to have to shout to invite the visitors at the Atom Market to stop by the ice cao shop. “Let’s have a drink,” he shouted at the time.
Once entering the new school year, as requested by parents, Vica attended Unusa. At that moment, he began to develop the Takoyaki business by opening his own outlet on Jalan Kutisari. Vica runs the business after college. He does promotions and selling. If he is in college, he is assisted by his younger brother who has just graduated from high school.
“I sell while distributing brochures, while explaining what is Takoyaki,” he said.
Vika is not ashamed or hurt if the person she is approaching refuses to be explained, or even discards her brochure.
Armed with tenacity, his business in Kutisari began to have customers. When his turnover improved, Vica began recruiting employees to help him when he had to go to college.
But recruiting employees turned out to be a challenge in reinstalling a business. The employee worked well when accompanied, but apparently changed when Vica had to go to college.
“I see turnover gradually decreases. Why? When I suddenly came to the booth between lectures, it turned out that my employee was sloven in service. So it’s natural that many customers are lost, “he said.
The incident was actually made a lesson, Vica was not discouraged despite having to start again from the beginning of selling while promoting. He spoke of new employees and changed the pattern of work relations with employees. The results are quite satisfying.
After the outlets in Kutisari got better, Vica then opened a booth at the Korem Surabaya, precisely in front of SMK 3. She also had to start repeating sales while promoting. Turnover began to grow.
Vica’s key in business is to take risks, dare to promote and there must be innovation.
“Just start the business first. Business must be brave to take risks. The risk of thinking while walking is actually learning for us. Start a business from a small scope to study. Then there must be innovation, “said Vica, who aspires to develop Takoyakinya into a premium business by cooperating with restaurants or hotels.
About innovation, Vika is making a sweet Takoyaki recipe made from a sweet flour dough and containing chocolate, cheese or other.
“Sweet Takoyai doesn’t exist in this world. Takoyaki in Japan tastes salty. Why do I make Takoyaki sweet, because female consumers tend to prefer sweet taste, “he said while laughing.
Vica feels happy because some of her fellow students at Unusa are starting to be interested in running a business like her. There was even a friend who took the initiative to open a kebab business.
“I continue to be motivated so that he immediately starts his kebab business. Must be brave enough to start a business while you are young and have plenty of time, “he advised. (Hap/Public Relations Unusa)
