Mrs. Warni's Manggi Empon
In a corner of Semanggi Village, Pasar Kliwon, Solo, there's a house that smells fragrant with spices every morning. It's there that a humble woman named Ibu Warni lives and runs her business. After suffering from an illness, Ibu Warni concocted a turmeric herbal drink until she was cured and sold it at the market. Since then, her business, "Empon Manggi," has become increasingly well-known and sought after by many.
Previously Packaged in Used Bottles, Now a Quality Product
Ibu Warni explained that she ran her business independently with limited experience. Due to limited funds and experience, she used used mineral water bottles to package her herbal drink, until negative comments hit her hard, and she temporarily stopped selling.
A major change in Ibu Warni's business journey began when she joined the local MSME community. From there, she was introduced to the DIVA UMKM training program. Ibu Warni's entrepreneurial insight and skills developed rapidly. One of the training mentors taught her how to create good packaging and good photography and video techniques to attract people. Eventually, Ms. Warni developed an attractive photo and logo. Slowly but surely, market response began to change. Many people began to notice her products. Many were drawn to the packaging. "How nice is the packaging? Can I order a bottle of this, Miss?" a customer asked. Ms. Warni confidently replied, "Yes, (and) I can even resell it."
Customers even started coming from outside the area. Some found her products through Google Maps and asked, "Do you have a turmeric herbal drink? Do you also have a herbal drink for vaginal discharge, Miss? What does that look like?" For Ms. Warni, this was all thanks to the increasingly convincing appearance of her products. "The packaging and logo really helped. Before, without those two things, I still lacked the confidence to sell," Ms. Warni said.
Change Can Start with Curiosity
One of the most memorable moments for Ms. Warni during the DIVA UMKM training occurred during the product photo editing session. During the training, she found herself struggling to use the photo editing app, even panicking for fear of making mistakes. She hesitated to ask questions, embarrassed that she was no longer young. However, her eagerness to learn outweighed her shyness. After holding back for a while, she finally mustered the courage to ask one of the mentors. "Excuse me, sir, how do you take a photo?" asked Mrs. Warni. Her curiosity didn't stop there. Mrs. Warni asked again, "Sir, let me ask you a question first, but don't leave. How did you click?" "I'm getting old, but I want to progress," she added.
Ms. Warni's feelings were a mixture of emotion and pride. She thought to herself, "I wish I had known this before. But it's okay, now I'm learning from scratch. From being completely incapable, to now being able to have a logo, packaging, and confidently market it."
Although much progress has been made, Mrs. Warni realizes that her journey isn't over.
Now, Mrs. Warni is able to actively market her products, sending 10 bottles to Keprabon every day, sometimes 20 bottles, and sometimes reselling them. She has even received large orders. "Initially, I joined the Pasar Kliwon MSME in the sub-district. I was offered an offer by someone there, so I displayed it there, and people saw, tasted, and then bought. After that, I ordered 300 bottles for an event."
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