My Mother, A Superwoman And The Very Persistent Merchant

Note: Tulisan ini adalah terjemahan Basa Enggres bebas dari artikel ini

Try you see the photo below; it was my mother's picture around 2003. At that time she was selling accessories and children's toys on the terrace of the school — namely an education foundation General Soedirman, Cijantung area, East Jakarta.

My mother started building her business by selling various toys and accessories for the kids — the initial capital her efforts about 50,000 rupiahs. Now, after 16 years, starting from the small business (which she has built so hard) has overgrown into six toy stores. (All of its children developed this family business group, but the early pioneer was my mother).

Really, not an easy thing for my mother to pioneer this family business. For decades she was willing to sunbathe and 'challenge' the sun and wet in the rain. All the hard work that she did solely to raise money for the future of her children later.

Starting from the extraordinary hard work, my mother finally managed to form and educate all her children. Proven today all her children are quite successful with their respective business.

A wonderful mother! ☺

I will describe the full story to you.

In respect, usually, people will more appreciate the meaning of sincerity, process and the results of someone's hard work. So, although not a wealthy man, but if the treasures obtained are pure of hard results, then everyone will surely appreciate it. And that's the kind of person who has successfully changed his life.

So, in this case, it is not about how much money or wealth.

For, if the amount of wealth that became the standard measure of success, then a son of a conglomerate will always remain rich, even though he never worked. What is the cause? Yes, it is clear, because he is the son of the rich man! : D

A condition is very different from my mother. She does not come from the descendants of the rich. But even so, my mother is a diligent, hardworking and business-spirited!

That is the wealth of the soul!

Yes! The wealth of the soul has been seen since her youth. Before married, my mother has been accustomed to trading food. The place Mom was trading is was at an elementary school across from my grandfather's house.

After father and mother married, our family moved from Pariaman city to Riau province. We settled in that Malay lands from 1977 to 1985.

When in Riau, my mothers sell anything that can be sold. Usually, my mothers often sell local fruits such as rambutan, durian, mango, and others.

Incidentally, at that time our family settled in the area near the strategic port of Dumai, so the fruits that mothers sell are always in demand.

In 1985, my father's business went bankrupt for one thing. So that our family back home to the hometown (Pariaman West Sumatra).

In 1989 our family went back to Jakarta. It was a tough time. The reason is that our family is a new person who came to the city of Jakarta. So we are still confused to start a business from where. Moreover, the wheel of life in Jakarta is very heavy; everyone is just busy with his own business. At that time our family still tried to be steadfast in all these circumstances.

In 1990. My mother started trying to open a business. My mother's first business was to sell a small grocery store at home. But eventually, the home business was aground, because the business competition in the capital city of Jakarta is very tight.

In the middle of 1995, my mother tried her luck to open a snack business, that is cassava chips. So, when in the morning, mom and I went to the market to buy raw sweet potatoes. After returning home, we both peeled the fresh sweet potatoes. After that, the cassava is then shredded. Then the pieces of cassava fried to crisp. Be the snack of cassava chips.

Furthermore, the cassava chips are wrapped in small plastic and then sold to a grocery store with a consignment system. Grocery stores that help to sell our family-made cassava chips. Usually, my mother gives an advantage in the form of a percentage for the grocery stores.

In the process of making cassava chips, our family is divided according to some tasks. My mother's job is in the frying pan, I am in the parts of cassava cutters, and my five younger brothers and sisters are assigned to wrap cassava chips.

I was deliberately choosing on the parts of cassava cutters because the job was quite dangerous. If not careful, then the hand can slip on the cassava cutters. And that's very dangerous! This part is impossible given to my young brothers and sisters.

Maybe some of you are a bit surprised, and ask: "What is my dad's duty?"

My father is rarely at home. He works as a dressmaker in the market and will go home at night. So all the work to make these cassava chips, we do at home together with my mother, brother and sister, and myself.

This cassava chips business had run for three years, i.e., until mid-year 1998. After that, the company of cassava chips had to stop. The reason is that the riots occurred in May 1998. At that time the condition of the country of Indonesia is very chaotic; everything becomes difficult. So our family can no longer buy cassava into the market because the logistics path is being disrupted.

In 1998 this was the most challenging period our family ever experienced. At that time, because of the tough situation, so that our family can only eat once a day.

When in 1999, our family's economic condition improved somewhat. At that time my mother tried to open another business; the mother bought large amounts of cookies in the snack factory. Furthermore, the cake was repackaged into a small plastic. After all, the cake has been repackaged, then sold by consignment to the grocery stalls that are around our place.

Do you know what vehicle we use to deliver the cake?

Use a car? No,,, Using a motorcycle? Also not,,,

The truth is,,, we deliver it using a 'natural vehicle', aka by walking hehehe ☺☺☺

You may ask again: "What is the required distance when sending the cake to the grocery store?"

I replied: "If estimated, the total distance is about 2 to 3 kilometers". Pretty good for exercising. ☺

Perhaps a distance of 2-3 kilometers is not a long distance if taken by the motor vehicle. But by foot? Hhhhhhhhhh ,,,, I think the range so far was enough to make leg cramps and rheumatism hehe :)

Now we go back to the topic.

In early 2000, my mother tried to sell children's toys in an elementary school located on Ciracas street.

The necessary capital investment my mother had when it was around 50,000 rupiah. At that time the best-selling toys were Uno and Yugi-oh card cards. Were popular toy at the time. My mother's toy business is growing very fast, so she can set aside money from the merchandise to save.

In 2003 my mother moved the merchandise to an Islamic elementary school in Cijantung, East Jakarta. Since moving to this place, my mother's toy business continues to overgrow.

This situation is not surprising, because most of that elementary school students, are from a middle to upper economic class, so they have high purchasing power.

In 2007 my mother's business was growing. Customers and buyers increasingly crowded. 

Savings money from her company even more and more collected. At that time, my mother began to think to develop her business. So in the middle of that year, my mother ventured to expand the company into a bigger, that is to establish a toy store.

And the toy shop finally really stands, located in the area of ​​Condet east Jakarta.

Mom and I are posing in front of her shop (In 2016).

Unexpectedly, it turns out my mother's toy store is also crowded.

Yeah!, because I already know and witness firsthand how incredible the prospect of the toy business, in 2010 I tried luck to pursue a career as a toy businessman (like my mother).

Capitalize on my savings worth 10 million Rupiah. Coupled with borrowing money to my mother (as additional capital investment) worth 20 million Rupiah, eventually, my toy store began to stand in 2010. I gave the toy store nameplate "Toko Mainan Serba Murah." Located in East Jakarta Pekayon Kalisari area. Try to see photos of his shop below.

 My toy store.

And again unexpectedly, it turns out my toy store was also crowded visited buyers!

So in just two years, I was able to pay off the loan money to my mother.

And after that, it seems like luck continues to side with our family. Because a few years later all my siblings also successively pursue a career as a toy businessman. And it turns out their toy store is also crowded! Currently, 5 of my younger brothers and sisters, each of them has a toy store.

Photos of me with 5 of my siblings, each of whom already has their own business.

Thus, as I wrote at the beginning of this article, my mother has successfully changed her family's life and destiny. My mother has also succeeded in nurturing and educating children into successful businesspeople.

So, no doubt if I say that my mother is a superwoman and a very persistent merchant.

So this real story, I have told the truth in this article. Hope can be an inspiration to you all, especially for women. 

That woman can also have an essential role in life, especially for family and children. May the glory and mercy of God always be bestowed on such women. Amen.

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