Smesco Leads Way in Moving Small Business Online

Jakarta Globe: The Internet has revolutionized the way we do businesses. In Jakarta, for example, gone are the days we have to haggle over prices for motorbike taxi drivers, known locally as ojek. With a single click of our gadgets, an ojek can arrive at our doorsteps — and with a fresh hairnet and mask.

Online shops are also growing like mushrooms during the rainy season these days. Each of them offers unique merchandise at competitive prices. Some even offer cash-on-delivery payment options, making it much easier and more convenient for us to shop.

Seeing this up-and-coming trend, the Smesco Indonesia Company (Smesco), a public service agency under the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, is also upgrading.

The agency, which is aimed at developing and promoting Indonesia's SMEs, currently manages over 1,800 small-to-medium enterprises from all over the archipelago. Currently, the agency actively offers e-commerce trainings and facilities to its members.

At a recent press conference, the Jakarta Globe caught up with Atajudin Nur, who heads the business division at the ministry's SMEs marketing services agency.

Atajudin, who has been in charge of Smesco for about three years, discussed the necessity of Internet technology for today's businesses, as well as the government's commitment and support to grow Indonesia's small-to-medium businesses.

What is the role of Smesco in developing and promoting Indonesia's small-to-medium enterprises?

We offer expansive halls to display the products of our members at our office at the SME Tower [on Jakarta's Jalan Gatot Subroto]. Besides that, we also provide trainings and workshops to develop the businesses of our members. We also introduce international buyers to our members and do some business-matching sessions. All of our facilities and trainings can be used without additional charges for our members.

How can you become a member?

Just come to our office and bring samples of your products. We have a curatorial board that determines whether your products would be suitable for Smesco.

What kind of products does Smesco usually look for?

We look for products that are unique and cannot be found in other countries, so that the international guests visiting Smesco will be interested to buy and bring them to their home country. The products should also be well made with high-quality materials.

How many visitors do you usually have at Smesco?

Well, that depends. On weekends, we can get as many as 4,000 visitors per day. And most visiting state-guests are usually scheduled to visit Smesco.

How does the Internet era affect Smesco's members?

Internet is getting very important these days. As we all know, Internet accelerates the spread of information, facilitates communication and creates new business opportunities. According to our survey, SMEs that use the Internet, in their promotion or trade, grow twice as fast as those that don't.

How many Smesco members are Internet-savvy?

Most of them aren't. And that's why we provide regular trainings on e-commerce, twice a month, for all our member. Sometimes, we invite representatives from big [Internet] companies, such as Google and Facebook to give tutorials to our members.

Do you also work together with local marketplaces to promote the products of your members?

Yes, we do. Currently, we work together with Blibli.com and Bhinneka.com to showcase the products of our members. And we also have our own marketplace at Smescotrade.com, which was launched mid last year.

Is the marketplace reserved for the members of Smesco? What kind of products does it offer?

Yes, it's only for our members. It offers all the products, which are currently being displayed at the SME Tower, including fashion, furniture and handicrafts. Our website also supports credit card and e-wallet payments.

Fantastic. How does it go so far?

It's been great. More than 1,000 people visit our marketplace each day. About 70 percent of them are locals and 30 percent of them are people living abroad. Our members also report an increase of sales, some as much as threefold.

How much sales is the Smesco targetting this year?

Rp 50 billion ($3.5 million), which is a 10 percent increase from last year. So far, [our actual sales] have always exceeded our targets.

What do you think of the upcoming integration of Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets through the Asean Economic Community ? Would it pose a threat to Indonesia's SMEs?

It would definitely be a threat to local SMEs that don't continuously improve themselves. And that's why we've been aggressively giving capacity-building workshops to our members to improve their products' quality, design and packaging. We've also been facilitating the registration of the intellectual property [IP] rights of our members since January this year.

In your opinion, what are the main weaknesses of Indonesia's SMEs?

Most of them do business [only] to fulfill their daily needs. Once they have achieved [that goal], they’ll become complacent and don't want to grow any further. If they persist with such a mindset, sooner or later, they will fall behind their competitors.

What would you suggest to would-be entrepreneurs out there?

Do your research. Study what’s currently needed by the market and then create your product as the solution. If you do it the other way around, it would take a long time for you to succeed in the business world.

And which business field is the most lucrative right now?

Many international buyers are eyeing our agro industry. They're interested in our basil, celery and strawberries.

By: Sylviana Hamdani | on 4:56 PM September 06, 2015

Category: Life & Style, Community

UKM DIIMBAU SEGERA MENGURUS HAKI

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Kepala Divisi Bisnis Lembaga Layanan Pemasaran Koperasi dan UKM, Kementerian Koperasi dan UKM Atajudin Nur mengatakan, ada banyak produk asli Indonesia yang diklaim milik negara lain. Di antaranya kerajinan perak di Bali, batik, bahkan tempe pernah diklaim negara lain sebagai milik mereka. 

Karena itu, dia mengimbau Usaha Kecil Menengah (UKM) yang belum memiliki sertifikat Hak Atas Kekayaan Intelektual (HAKI) atas produknya harus segera membuatnya. "Memang pengetahuan pentingnya HAKI di kalangan UKM masih kurang, kebanyakan yang membuka usaha pendidikannya di bawah sarjana," katanya, Sabtu, (16/4). Oleh karena itu, Atajudin mengatakan, pengetahuan mereka soal HAKI dinilai masih rendah. Mereka sering berpikir yang penting produksinya jalan dan bisa berjualan.  

Makanya pemerintah saat ini menggerakan wirausaha pemula. Wirausahwan pemula ini, sejak mahasiswa dilatih berwirausaha dan diberi pengetahuan soal HAKI. Sehingga jika lulus nanti sudah siap jadi pengusaha yang berwawasan internasional.

Renungan UKM

M A A F

Kadang kita berpikir, dengan memberi maaf,
kita telah memberi sesuatu kepada orang lain.

Padahal tidak.
Saat memberi maaf, justru kita memberi sesuatu kepada diri sendiri.

Dengan memberi maaf, kita terbebas dari beban dendam, benci, marah, dengki, egois, dan sedih

Ingat!
Hidup ini akan terasa indah jika ada maaf diantara kita.
Karena kadang kala
Mata salah melihat,
Mulut salah berucap,
Kaki salah melangkah,
Dan hati salah menduga.

Padahal pelajaran hidup itu untuk mencapai kedamaian hati.

Karenanya
Jika aku adalah butiran debu yang mengotori hatimu, biarkanlah angin meniupku.
Dan jika aku adalah udara di sekitarmu, biarkanlah aku menjadi teman penyejuk hatimu.

Gatsu 94,2015

Puisi UKM

TUHAN, AJARI AKU CINTA

Ajari aku cinta
Agar aku bisa bersabar
Menemukan muhrim yang benar

Ajari aku cinta
Agar aku bisa bertahan
Menjaga kemuslimahanmu

Ajari aku cinta
Agar terhindar sentuhan haram
Agar terangkat derajat keimanan kita

Ajari aku cinta
Seperti makhluk Allah yang selalu berdzikir

Ku ingin memilikimu karena Tuhanku
Ku ingin memilikimu agar aku bisa menjadi imam yang benar
Ku ingin memilikimu untuk bersama meniti jalan kemuliaan

Kereta Commuter Line, Kesal Tapi Butuh

Kereta api Commuter Line adalah transportasi massal andalan warga Jabodetabek. Selain terbilang murah, naik Commuter Line lebih cepat dibanding moda transportasi lainnya karena bebas macet dan memiliki jalur tersendiri.

Itulah sebabnya, saat jam pergi dan pulang kerja, menuju atau dari Jakarta ke tempat tinggal pengguna jasa, Anda sebagai commuter pasti akan berdesak-desakkan di dalam Commuter Line. Sampai-sampai, kipas angin dan AC yang ada, tidak mampu mendinginkan udara dalam kereta. Hangat-hangat panas, begitu rasanya dalam Commuter Line. Memang kesal, tapi mereka butuh kereta api.

Cukup banyak perubahan yang dilakukan PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) untuk membenahi kereta rel listrik (KRL) menjadi Commuter Line di Jabodetabek. Mulai dari penggunaan tiket elektronik dan e-money sebagai alat pembayaran, jadwal pemberangkatan setiap tujuh  menit, sampai dengan pembenahan wajah stasiun kereta api yang tidak kumuh lagi. Sekarang sudah tidak ada lagi pedagang asongan di dalam dan di setiap stasiun kereta api.

Bagi sejumlah orang, perubahan tersebut merupakan perkembangan yang baik dari PT KAI. Namun bila dibandingkan dengan keberadaan kereta api di Indonesia yang sudah lebih dari seratus tahun, perubahan tersebut masih kurang. Apalagi jika kita bandingkan dengan kondisi perkeretaapian di Negeri Belanda, sebagai Mbah-nya pembangunan kereta api di Indonesia. Indonesia masih tertinggal jauh. 

Kereta api dalam kota di Negeri Belanda, misalnya Den Haag, memiliki jadwal keberangkatan setiap empat menit sekali.  Bila ada hambatan, maka penumpang bisa menunggu kereta berikutnya, empat menit kemudian yang informasinya dapat diperoleh di papan informasi elektronik yang selalu terup-date di setiap stasiun. 

Hal itu yang belum ada di Indonesia. Kereta Commuter Line di Indonesia yang penumpangnya luar biasa banyak berangkat setiap tujuh menit sekali. Informasi kedatangan kereta diberitakan lewat pengeras suara, bahwa kereta akan datang, tapi tidak diberitahukan berapa menit lagi kereta tersebut akan datang.

Di dalam Commuter Line yang berjalan, ada pengumuman mengenai nama stasiun berikutnya. Pengumuman itu berupa suara dari petugas yang ada di kabin. Tapi kadang-kadang petugas lupa menyampaikan informasi itu. Sementara di Belanda, informasi seperti itu disampaikan lewat papan informasi elektronik di setiap gerbong, yang juga berisi waktu kedatangan kereta ke stasiun berikutnya. Memang lebih detail dan menggunakan teknologi digital.

Kereta di Belanda, ramah bagi tuna netra. Tanda-tanda atau jalur khusus untuk tuna netra diberikan secara jelas, yaitu lantai dengan penonjolan dan setiap persimpangan. Dengan begitu tuna netra dipandu oleh tanda-tanda tersebut menuju dan keluar dari kereta api. Hal itu belum ada di Indonesia.

Dibanding Kereta Api di Belanda, Commuter Line masih memiliki kekurangan. Namun perubahan diharapkan akan terus ada demi kenyamanan dan kelancaran aktivitas pada warga di Jabodetabek.