Entrepreneurship Seminar: “Just Do It!”

On Saturday, May 4, 2013, the fifth Division of EDSA held the entrepreneurship seminar as one of their programs. Seminar under the theme of Creating Your Own Business was held in PLA FBS UNY (3rd floor) since 8 am. EDSA invited 2 speakers who has been successfully running their respective businesses and were expected to motivate the participants: Ferry Irawan (the owner of Mangrove Grafindo) and Fika Enggar Prayogo (pro organizer and training providers, and fresh fruit supplier). 

Like in the previous years, the Entrepreneurship Seminar by EDSA is actually not a new event. The previous generations also held the same event. For this year, Dyotra Nurul Baiti (English Literature, UNY 2012), the Chairman of the Committee, said that there was no big change at this event. They even re-appointed Fika Enggar Prayogo as one of the speakers. Unlike the last-year-seminar, they chose Creating Your Own Business as the theme of the seminar.

"We decided to choose Mas Fika (again) as the speaker because he’s easy going," said Dyotra, "and for this year we also invite another speaker, namely Mas Ferry Irawan. Our seminar is aimed at students in particular, with the theme of Creating Your Own Business."

The seminar was opened by the speeches from each: Dyotra, Fajar (Chairman of EDSA 2013), and Mrs. Kun Setyaning Astuti as Vice Dean III UNY FBS. 

The first speaker in this seminar was Ferry Irawan, who opened the session by telling the beginning of his business when he founded the Mangrove Grafindo. Ferry admitted that generating a promising business was not easy, but it was pretty tiring. He described that at the very beginning, Mangrove was a community of 15 alumni of SMAN 1 Yogyakarta (which later evolved into the printing business with only 2 people left—Ferry and his friend, Rizki Akbar). Ferry even decided to quit from his college in the Mechanical Engineering Faculty in his fifth semester to focus on his business. Mangrove itself had experienced the ups and downs; started from places for business, problems in managing money, up to having the downfall in 2007. In that year, Ferry said, he felt the need to get up to try a new business which was the digital printing. Until now, Mangrove has been successfully doing business in the digital printing and offset printing and finishing with a turnover of 15 billion rupiah (while his initial capital was only 1,5 million rupiah).

Ferry added, to do business, what people need to do is being brave. “Just do it,” he added, “Do not be afraid. We all have to do the science of ATM—Amati, Tiru, Modifikasi (Observe, Imitate, Modify).”

Fika Enggar during his presentation.

Ferry Irawan shared tips of doing business. 

Moreover, Ferry said that the fight for new ideas is also important in developing the business. Positive thoughts can help to grow the business, with the help of the people around. The ability to manage money should be considered, to avoid the fallout that might come up. Besides, the spiritual strength must also be instilled with the conduct of worship to God. 

Ferry’s presentation was ended by some questions from the participants. Ferry emphasized his explanation on the importance of doing business while maintaining a spiritual balance. All the ups and downs that occur may have been destined by God, so people only need to keep doing best. 

In line with Ferry, Fika also revealed that failures in business gave many lessons for entrepreneurs. He shared his personal experience of building a laundry business with a capital of 25 million rupiah which apparently only lasted for 6 months. He himself said that he had received financial help from campus twice, but both failed. But it did not break his spirit. Right now, he is an active provider on an outbound training and also a fresh fruit supplier.

According to Fika, business is a set of challenging activities and risks, because they need to totally be focused on. However, unlike Ferry, Fika did not decide to quit from his college. He recently completed the examination of his thesis last Friday and is still being a success entrepreneur. Fika explained that all of those did not take a short time, but they should be faced with confidence and in earnest. 

Fika said that entrepreneurs should develop intangible assets. This kind of assets is not an asset that can be viewed and purchased (tangible). It is an asset that should be increased. Maximizing the tangible assets and developing intangible assets can help one to make ready of his/her business.

Fika also explained that as future entrepreneurs, people should have the eyes of possibility. Unlike the eyes perception and probability, the eyes of possibility can see many possibilities that appear to be developed because basically, entrepreneurs should be able to see the unseen, and hear the unheard. 

This seminar ran in quite conducive condition. Dyotra mentioned that the constraints in organizing this seminar lied in the matter of publication. However, on the day of the seminar, the number of participants was quite a lot. This seminar did not only contain of presentations and question-and-answer sessions; but the seminar attendees were also treated to enjoy the entertainment by 4 students of Music Department of UNY who performed 3 songs with stringed instruments. 

The seminar participants themselves admitted that the seminar was beneficial. Mega and Dilla, students of English Literature of UNY 2012 said that the event was really useful and inspiring in the matter of opening their own business.

Dwi Aprilia Kumala Dewi