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Tips for Thriving in the Sambal Business: Insights from Sri Agustin, Praised by Jokowi
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o you remember Sri Agustin, the owner of the Wanstin sambal brand, whom President Jokowi praised while addressing 3,000 PNM Mekaar customers in South Tangerang on Feb. 19? The Wanstin brand earned Jokowi's praise for its creativity in combining the names Wawan, her husband, and her own name into a memorable sambal brand with excellent packaging.
Sri Agustin is a creative and innovative Mekaar customer. She revealed to us the secrets behind developing her sambal business, which she has been managing since 2014.
Managing a sambal business requires creativity and innovation due to its connection to food products, whose base prices are vulnerable to change depending on consumer demand and the season. During the chili harvest season, base prices can be cheaper, but prices may rise during the fasting month and approaching Eid.
Sri Agustin understands the business cycle of sambal and recognizes that every business has its own cycle. Her business surged in 2019 just as she was on the verge of quitting the sambal business due to a lack of capital. That is when she became a Mekaar customer and found the momentum for her business to grow.
Sri shares tips on how she developed her sambal business. First, love the business you manage. "By loving the business we manage, we will become more aware of its strengths and weaknesses. We will understand the rhythm of our business," says Sri.
Second, get to know your customers better. This way, she can communicate the product more closely to buyers, including promptly informing them of price changes in sambal products due to raw material cost fluctuations.
Third, she emphasizes the importance of separating business funds from personal funds.
For Mekaar customers, she advises them to attend weekly group meetings regularly. Through Weekly Group Meetings (PKM), new ideas will emerge to improve products and expand the market.
"The success of our business is greatly supported by the community we build. The mothers in the Mekaar group have actually boosted my sambal sales. They buy my sambal and many of them also help sell it as resellers, increasing their income," says Sri.
Sri highlights the many benefits of being a Mekaar customer. She receives guidance in product and market development alongside working capital. "I admit that after becoming a Mekaar customer, my business has continued to thrive," concludes Sri."
