What to Do to Start Your Business: A Guide for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
The founder of Dakara Indonesia shares her story of building her very own fashion brand
When you first think of building your own business, you’re probably clueless and have no idea where to start, especially if you have never had any formal education in business or other related fields. However, this is completely normal! Ayu Purnama, the owner of Dakara Indonesia, felt the same way when she first decided to start her own business.
“On one hand, I was happy that I finally realized what I wanted to do. On the other hand, wasn’t sure where to start. Should I start by making a proper business plan? Should I start by finding the right supplier? I had so many questions, and I really had no idea. One thing’s for sure, I wanted to start this business as fast as possible because I could no longer stay in a nine-to-five job. I needed to take care of my sick father,” explained Ayu.
With the blessing of her parents (especially her father), persistence, and hard work, her fashion business grew considerably in just a few years. Today, Dakara continues to empower dozens of people, most of whom are widows and breadwinners who need to provide for their families.
How was she able to significantly develop her business in just a few years? Here are several tips you can learn from Ayu on how you, too, can successfully start and nurture your own business!
Work on your business plan
A mature concept and a proper business plan are the compass that will guide you in your entrepreneurial journey. Deciding on what to sell in detail is a must, as it will help you set stepping stones on what to do next.
In Ayu’s case, she knew from the very start that she wanted to make a fashion brand with a signature design from songket, a traditional Indonesian fabric made with tenun. Meanwhile, tenun itself is an artful Indonesian technique of weaving threads of different colors.
She then transformed this idea into action items; for instance, creating a list of requirements for vendors, and listing out several potential suppliers and tailors that might fit into the criteria.
“I’ve always wanted to make fashion designs using tenun. Not only because I love tenun but also because tenun itself is very unique and pleasant to see. Knowing this, I always try to align even the smallest details with what I want in the first place,” said Ayu.
Research, research, research
Research is not always about creating a report based on a specific methodology. In building a business, research is more about trying to understand what your potential market might want or need. This is also a perfect time for you to look into your list of potential vendors or suppliers.
“I even went to Solo, Central Java, by myself to find the perfect tenun and visited the dozens of vendors and suppliers on my list one by one. Just when I was about to give up, I met with this old man who asked me to come to his place, which turned out to be a tenun manufacturer and had the right tenun I wanted to use for Dakara,” Ayu recalled.
The old man, who had just met Ayu, even allowed her to choose and take with her all the fabrics she liked, then pay him later — after she made revenue from her products. This would not have happened if Ayu did not go the extra mile and only listed out or checked out a few potential suppliers. The more, the merrier! Make sure that the list is relevant and at least meets your initial criteria.
At this stage, she also took time to decide on the simple fashion pieces that would perfectly fit her target market. Through the process, she realized that outerwear would be the perfect solution as the designs can be one-size-fits-all; she wouldn’t have to worry about sizing just yet. This would also allow her to avoid production delays.
Choose the perfect channel to market your products!
A great product needs a great marketing platform on which to sell, so you need to expand your options by not limiting yourself to only one offline or online platform. For example, at first, Ayu only focused on a brick-and-mortar store. She rented a retail space and opened up a Dakara shop. However, this strategy did not provide the best results.
“I thought having an offline store was the best option, but I was wrong. When the pandemic hit, Dakara moved to Tokopedia as an online platform, and this was when sales started to rise significantly. After joining Tokopedia, we were able to reach a wider audience; 90% of our sales come from Tokopedia. This made me regret [focusing on a physical store]. Why didn’t I join Tokopedia in the first place?!”
Today, she can sincerely say that Tokopedia has helped her grow her business. The idea of selling products online at Tokopedia has opened up many opportunities, propelling Dakara forward with amazing momentum. The brand has even expanded its offering to include blouses, face masks, hats, bags, and souvenirs.
Selling online through Tokopedia also provides Dakara access to helpful features and beneficial campaigns to boost sales. For instance, during Ramadan and Idul Fitri, Dakara experienced a 200% increase in sales after joining several different marketing campaigns on Tokopedia throughout the festive period!
So, were these tips helpful enough to help you start your own business? Ultimately, it all depends on YOU. Knowing what to do is great, but actually using that knowledge and putting them into action is the key to getting your business off the ground. A plan will never work without action, so #MulaiAjaDulu and start your entrepreneurial journey now!
