AUBMO encourages Bidikmisi students to be entrepreneurs during pandemic through creative business

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UNAIR NEWS – The COVID-19 pandemic has incapacitated many aspects of human life; the economic sector is one of the most severely affected. The youth, particularly students, must become lights and beacons of hope for Indonesia.

In response to this issue, Universitas Airlangga Bidikmisi Organization’s (AUBMO) Ministry of Entrepreneurship took an initiative to organize Creative Business activities. According to the Chief Executive, Uut Permata Sari, the goal of the talk show was to inspire and motivate Bidikmisi students to start a business during a pandemic.

“This sharing session is packaged in a casual discussion inviting speakers to share their entrepreneurial experiences,” she explained.

Aulia Citra Cahyani was invited to speak at the inaugural Creative Business conference, which was held online. Citra is a co-founder of Sakera Spicy and founder of Madura Foodie, one of the MSMEs’ digital marketers. Citra, a Marketing Management student, explained that business had been her hobby since senior high school.

“The online store was thriving at the time. Until one day, I dreamed of managing a business that has a physical presence and has outlets, “she stated.

Citra’s dream began to come true when she enrolled in the Entrepreneurship course at UNAIR. Students are expected to create their businesses as part of the course. Citra and her close friend Abdurrahman Aziz were successful in producing Sakera Spicy (Sakecy).

Long story short, the Covid-19 pandemic happened two months after the second outlet opened in Surabaya. Citra is forced to innovate to find new ways to survive in the face of a pandemic.

“It’s difficult, I had to close the two outlets temporarily. I was also forced to lay off my employees,” she stated.

Citra decided to return to her hometown of Pamekasan during the pandemic. A new business idea came up when she brought Sakecy products to Pamekasan and started a new business there. Pamekasan, was not badly affected by the pandemic at the time.

“The enthusiasm exceeded my expectations. But it was only the beginning. If we do not want to go out of business during this pandemic, we must immediately innovate,”she stated.

Citra and Aziz then innovated by creating frozen food products that were sold online via Shopee and Gojek. They even provide free delivery to ensure consistent sales. They also frequently promote their products on Instagram through influencer marketing.

“I’m confident that if we keep trying and working hard to create a product that is worthy and has value, we will be able to do it,” she concluded.

Author: Sandi Prabowo

Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia

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