Teuku Wisnu Admits It's Not Easy to Be a Businessman, Reveals the Ups and Downs of Starting a Business

Kapanlagi.com - Celebrity couple Teuku Wisnu and Shireen Sungkar are still captivated by business in Malang Raya. Now, they combine the farm concept (elements of agriculture, plantations, and livestock) into their souvenir business. An area of about 1 Ha on Jalan Ir. Soekarno Mojorejo in Batu City has been transformed into a family tourist destination complete with a mini farm, live kitchen, café, and a center for souvenirs and MSME products.

Teuku Wisnu candidly admits that the journey to becoming a businessman is not as easy as it seems. He has faced various challenges and ups and downs since he started his business, but he welcomes the new tourist development he is building in Batu right now.

1. Lift the Concept of Educational Farming Tourism

Malang Strudel Shireen Sungkar/Instagram/shireensungkar

Tourists with their families can enjoy a stretch of green grass fields, interact with livestock, while also receiving educational explanations from tour guides. Visitors can also see the strudel production process live in the kitchen.

In addition, several communities also showcase various reptiles such as snakes and iguanas that can be photographed with children.

"Because I had previously been in business, my first business was in the farming sector. I opened a sushi restaurant with friends in South Jakarta, in Kebayoran Baru. Since then, I thought, this business is quite fun," said Teuku Wisnu accompanied by Shireen Sungkar, Saturday (2/5).

2. Reasons for Choosing Malang and Batu to Develop Business

Both Teuku Wisnu and Shireen Sungkar admitted to choosing Malang Raya, especially the City of Batu, as a business destination that is still considered promising, especially with their previous business that also yielded success.

"There are several factors; we cannot deny that Malang Raya, especially Batu, has quite high traffic. Many people come here, both from East Java and West Java; earlier we met guests from Tasikmalaya, even people from Sumatra come here as well. So we see that the market is quite high," he explained.

The second reason that drives them to do business in Malang Raya is related to the Indonesian culture of buying souvenirs for relatives and family. The high number of tourists to Batu and its surroundings must be complemented by supporting businesses, including typical souvenirs.

"Indonesians seem to feel incomplete without buying souvenirs. For example, when we go for Umrah, the sellers are Arabs, but they can speak Indonesian. This means they understand the market; Indonesians like to look for souvenirs. That's why we see here that Indonesians feel incomplete if they don't bring souvenirs," he added.

3. Bring External Influences to Localize

Instagram/shireensungkar

Of course, every business must be accompanied by a contemporary touch. Like Strudel, which is a layered pastry cake filled with fruits that is popular in Europe, especially in Austria. It then tries to be packaged with a new vibe by blending local potential.

"This is the Indonesian version, so it can be accepted by the wider community. There will definitely be an apple variant, so the Malang touch is strong, apples, pineapples, and so on," he explained.

His business initially started small in the Singosari area, Malang Regency and has continued to grow by opening several branches. Currently, a branch has been opened in Batu with a family tourism concept that combines several complementary facility elements.

4. Admits to Having Failed in Business

Teuku Wisnu admitted that he has faced failure in business several times. He moved from one business to another. The husband of Shireen Sungkar confessed that he had encountered financial issues, including during the Covid-19 pandemic. The tourism-based business could not operate due to restrictions on visits, while he still had to pay employees and cover operational costs.

"From the farming business in Jakarta, I moved to another business, but I failed several times. It's not that easy either. It's about how we execute a business," he revealed.

"We ended up selling anything we could sell, even selling mattresses, we sold. Malang Strudel sold mattresses, how about that? Why? To pay the employees' salaries," he said, laughing.

5. Business is a Long Process

Teuku Wisnu and Shireen Sungkar's Business/Instagram/shireensungkar

For him, business is not just an opening, but a long process that must be navigated along with its challenges. It is not just what is visible to the public, but behind that, one must keep the wheels of the company running.

"It's not just at the beginning, when we introduce ourselves with the engagement we have with the potential we possess as influencers, public figures, in front of others, but business is not just in front. The journey is long, there are many things to pay attention to, such as the supply of materials we need for our production, operations, and marketing as well. There is much to think about," he explained.

6. QnA Teuku Wisnu and Shireen Sungkar's Business

1. Why does Teuku Wisnu admit that it is not easy to be a businessman? Teuku Wisnu admits that it is not easy to be a businessman because he faces various challenges, from a lack of initial knowledge, losses in the property business, to the drastic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his ventures.

2. What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Teuku Wisnu's Malang Strudel business? The COVID-19 pandemic caused Malang Strudel's revenue to drop drastically by 70-80 percent, and only two out of ten of his stores remained operational, forcing him to fight hard to avoid bankruptcy.

3. What innovations has Teuku Wisnu made to face his business challenges? Teuku Wisnu has innovated by shifting to online sales, targeting not only tourists but also local residents, and developing new product variants such as Malang Strudel Premium and other flavor variants.

(kpl/fbi)