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Layoff to layaway: Stay-at-home mom books tenfold transaction surge with Mitra Tokopedia
More than a year on, COVID-19 has certainly disrupted many aspects of our lives.
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A new start: Stay-at-home mother Verra Febrina was three months pregnant when she was laid off from her factory job. She turned to Mitra Tokopedia, and since then her monthly transactions have increased tenfold.
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ore than a year on, COVID-19 has certainly disrupted many aspects of our lives. Aside from necessitating total change in our daily habits, the pandemic has left its mark on the global economy, with millions all over the world experiencing wage cuts, layoffs or job loss.
But the human spirit is as resilient as it is tough, and many have bounced back by starting their own businesses amid a shortage of job vacancies.
Just ask Verra Febrina, a stay-at-home mother in Malang, East Java, who had to start from square one when the pandemic struck. Verra was laid off from herfactory job in May 2020, when she was three months pregnant.
The experience was a shock to Verra, who was used to the daily grind at the factory, while her pregnancy meant it was hard for her to find a new job.
At her wits’ end, Verra started searching for ways to make a living from home, when she eventually hit upondigital marketplace giant Tokopedia’s program for merchants, Mitra Tokopedia.
“Even before coming across Mitra Tokopedia, I had already downloaded the Tokopedia app and used it regularly to buy phone credits as well as pay my water and electricity bills,” she told The Jakarta Post.
In addition to her familiarity with the platform, Verra also found that the fees were reasonable withglowing reviews from merchants, which cemented her determination to join the program.
As a new business owner, Verra started by offering a range of digital payment solutions from water and electricity bills, internet plans and phone credits, to monthly BPJS premiums. She also sells groceries and daily needs through Mitra Tokopedia’s wholesale service for walk-in customers.
“I think the features and services are very helpful and easy to use. The wholesale products are delivered straight to my store, so I don’t have to close up shop when it’s time to restock,” she said.
One feature she is particularly fond of is CatatanHutang (notes payable), which allows her to easily track digital records of her transactions, including layaways.
The usual method of manual bookkeeping was time consuming and not very convenient, she said, especially if the physical records were misplaced.
“The biggest benefit of the Mitra Tokopedia program is, of course, that I am able to make a living while staying at home. I’ve become a mother [now], so I can work while looking after my child and the house,” Verra said.
Verra’svirtual storefront is flourishingtoday with many regular customers who trust her business for their daily needs, after barely booking 10 transactions in the first month of operations.
Over time, herstore’s transactions expanded to more than 100 transactions per month and a monthly net profit of Rp 7 million [US$]to Rp10 million.
Verrasaid she often held in-store promotions as well as other promotional campaigns communicated by word of mouth to grow her customer base. Regular Tokopedia promotions like cashback rewards and discounts also helped her win customers, which also extended to wholesale products.
“I recommended Mitra Tokopedia to my sister who was also laid off, and her store is already open for business. I also told my friends who were laid off from the factory to try out Mitra Tokopedia. Some have started their own businesses, and they told me that it was a good source of income,” she said.
Going forward, Verrasaid she wanted to remain a part of the Mitra Tokopedia ecosystem. In the meantime, she added more products to her store and installeda second printer to keep up with the growing demand for digital products.
“The people in my village have started buying more and more digital products like phone credits and bill payment [services]. They used to buy them at nearby minimarkets, but after they found out that they could buy these products at my store, I ended up having to add another printer just for them,” she said.
