PEKAN – With the Covid-19 pandemic, many small traders struggled to continue doing business with the movement control orders (MCO) and consumers who are more careful with their expenditures.
The continuous MCO had forced many traders to either stop operating or to completely close down businesses as they are no longer able to sustain them.
Fikriamin Adenan, 44, who previously owned a mobile phone accessory shop at Bandar Dara Chini, is among those who suffered the same fate.
Fikriamin had started the business about 10 years ago but was forced to close it down during the MCO period. He then began to focus on his part-time job as a photographer which he took up after his marriage as it promised a more lucrative income.
His business faced challenges as he had to move to Labuan in July last year to accompany his wife, a teacher, who was transferred there.
In Labuan, he was not idle. He started improving his skills in making various types of burgers, including inventing a special black pepper sauce using his own formula. He was also running a burger stall that received positive support from the locals which further encouraged him to do better.
Just as his business slowly picked up, his wife was again transferred to another school, this time in Negeri Sembilan.
“I received the news of her transfer with happiness and sadness. Happy because she can work in a school closer to her family. Sad because now I have to restart my business,” he said.
“I decided to return to Chini and start the burger business from home while my wife stayed in Negeri Sembilan with our two children. Once a week or during public holidays, I will go there to be with my family,” he said.
Refusing to give up or merely depend on his fate, Fikriamin who is a skilled cook, started the business on a small scale from home, providing various Western and traditional food.
“I do everything, from buying the items for cooking and preparing them. Alhamdulillah, I received good support from the locals here. Sometimes, I even get orders from customers from as far as Kuantan and Pekan for my crispy chicken burger and grilled chicken burger,” he said when met at his home.
Fikriamin uses social media applications like Facebook and WhatsApp to promote his food where customers are encouraged to order the food a day earlier.
“For now, I use the pre-order concept because I do everything on my own – from preparing, packing the food and delivery. So, if I take orders on the spot, it will be difficult for me to manage.
“Sometimes I have to turn down requests because of the distance factor, such as from here to Kuantan which is about 90km away. Unless the order comes in with high quantity – then I will be able to cover the transportation cost,” he said.
For now, he said most of his customers are from around Felda Chini, which encompasses five settlements and other nearby villages.
Apart from the early order concept, Fikriamin also works closely with a friend who runs a business selling coffee on wheels, where they can turn various spots around Bandar Dara Chini as their sales points.
“I am saving up to open and operate from a more permanent stall. The location has been identified, I am just waiting to save up enough money,” he said.
When asked why he choose to sell various types of burgers instead of the usual food items, he admitted that he liked to experiment.
“I also feel that the food items that I offer now are not a menu just for those living in urban areas,” he said.
“The response from the customers here is very good and many of them repeat their orders. They have also asked me to increase the number of food items that I make as I only prepare based on the number of orders received,” he said.
Currently, he makes up to 50 burgers of various types each time he opens for business. The sale of these burgers helps to support his family’s expenses. Besides that, his part-time job as a photographer also supports him financially. – The Vibes, November 10, 2021
#PetraKasih is an initiative under the Vinod Sekhar Foundation to assist and promote food stalls and small traders, including home-based businesses, during the pandemic. Each week, Getaran will highlight the plight of different food traders. If you know a food stall or small trader in your area and feel they deserve to be featured, contact us at [email protected].
*This story first appeared in our Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran.
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