Directorate of Student Affairs UGM, through Sub-directorate of Student Character Development, held an online workshop on Special Management Skills entitled “Dare to be an Entrepreneur in Digital Era” on Saturday (27/6). This workshop is one of the activity series of UGM Student Entrepreneur Program 2020.
As a speaker, Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, B.B.A., M.B.A., the founder of OK OCE, was invited to share his experiences and tips in establishing a business. It was not his first time to be invited to the UGM Student Entrepreneur Program.
Sandiaga started his presentation by stating that most nations are currently suffered from an economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This crisis is more significant than the fiscal crisis in 1997/1998 or 2008. However, he was glad that Indonesia could survive because we were still in the fourth position in the world economic growth. “It is the time for us to think about strategies for increasing the national economy”, he said.
The most vital sector, according to Sandiaga, both affected by the pandemic or having the potential to revive the national economy is Small and Medium Enterprises or entrepreneurs. He said that around 97% of employment comes from Small and Medium Enterprises. However, only 3 of 10 businessmen are categorized as an entrepreneur.
Sandiaga said that the growth of entrepreneurs and Small and Medium Enterprises would be important in the future. It is due to the threat of demographic bonuses or more productive age compared to job opportunities.
Therefore, Sandiaga said that we must remain enthusiastic from now on, even amid a pandemic. He stated that there are many opportunities currently available for entrepreneurs. Things like health, teleconferencing, and teleworking. Besides, there is also a Massive Online Open Course in the educational sector that can be developed. The food sector is also potential because current conditions have cut off many logistics and production lines.
“Based on expert predictions, at the end of the year or early next year, this pandemic will cause a food crisis. Therefore, I advise these young entrepreneurs at UGM to think about foodpreneurs. Don’t just consume imported products, but prioritize local products from our farmers, “he explained.
Then, the important thing, according to Sandiaga, in executing this opportunity, is to optimize the digital platform. “By optimizing digital, the speed of our business will increase. Not only selling online, but also payment, fulfillment, and advertisement,” he explained.
Even so, Sandiaga still advised that the current priorities are to maintain our lowest health risks. That is because the pandemic is not over yet, and an entrepreneur’s most significant investment is his body. “In running a business, we still have to establish strict protocols to prevent the spread of this virus,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Dr. R. Suharyadi, M.Sc., Director of Student Affairs at UGM, stated that the Government’s Merdeka Learning scheme supports students to become entrepreneurs. It is because the scheme gives students the freedom to develop their potential outside the field they are studying.
“Thus, by joining this program, students will get three benefits at once. First, they will gain knowledge about entrepreneurship. Second, this activity will be included in their credits. Third, it can be a provision for preparing ourselves as entrepreneurs in the future,” he added.
Aside from Sandiaga Uno, the workshop also presented four UGM alumni who are also alumni of the program who have become successful entrepreneurs. They are Yoyok Rubianto, S.T. (CEO Chairman Yoshugi Media Group), M. Abdul Zulfikar, S.Pt. (CEO of PT. Madhar Madhava Manggala and Chairman of the Kajianmu Foundation), Andromeda Sindoro, S.Pt. (CEO of Sweet Sundae Ice Cream), and Bryan Erfanda Putra, S.T.P. (Captain Selling | Founder E Club). The four of them shared their respective business experiences with the UGM Student Entrepreneur Program 2020 participants.
Source: https://ugm.ac.id/id/berita/19627-menjaga-semangat-wirausaha-di-tengah-pandemi
