15 December 2016

WHEN HARD WORK RESULTS IN SUCCESS


Everyone dreams of becoming successful. Karna was no exception to this. Karna aspired to own his own business, even though he was a company employee. With initial capital of just Rp 250 thousand, Karna together with his wife Suwarni decided to try and make his dream come true by selling chicken noodles. After a year of operating this small business, Karna and Suwarni's profits were not as great as expected.

 

Never give up. That's the motto of this couple. Having failed at selling chicken noodles, Karna tried his luck at opening a coffee shop. Learning from his previous experience, this time Karna didn't sell only coffee. He also sold instant noodles and his wife's home cooking. It came as a surprise to him when customers started raving about Suwarni's delicious home cooked meals.

 

In view of the overwhelmingly positive response to Suwarni's cuisine, Karna and his wife decided to change their coffee shop into a food stall named 'Warung Makan Suwarni', or 'Suwarni's Eatery'. The couple never looked back as even now Warung Makan Suwarni continues to grow rapidly and become more and more popular. Every day, Warung Makan Suwarni is open from 07:00 until 20:30 and it uses up to 50 kilograms of uncooked rice to meet the needs of its hungry and happy customers.

 

The success enjoyed by Karna and Suwarni in setting up their food stall did not come without its obstacles and challenges, one of which was that they had to keep moving the location of the food stall. "It really wasn't easy at first. During difficult times, I just held onto one principle. Think while walking, walk while praying, and pray while endeavoring in business. That is what I believe and what has kept my spirits up until this point," said Karna.

 

Karna and Suwarni's fast growing culinary business is also supported by BTPN through its Daya Program, a sustainable and measurable empowerment program that focuses on health, welfare and the practical training of entrepreneurial skills. This program is regularly held in all of BTPN's operational areas. Beneficiaries of the Daya Program not only include micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), but also customers who have entered their retirement years.

 

In addition to receiving a loan for additional capital, Karna and Suwarni also had the opportunity to attend some practical training courses on entrepreneurial skills held by BTPN. From these, they got a lot of inspiration and tips for developing their culinary business. For Karna, the material he liked the most was business adaptation. "By studying business adaptation, I was able to anticipate the changes that must be dealt with in operating my business. Being disciplined in attending the workshops conducted by BTPN was also one of the keys to my success," he concluded.