PABRIK KREATIF

PABRIK KREATIF

CREATE OUR OWN LUCK

Indonesia now only have 0.38% entrepreneurs of our population while Malaysia has 3% and Singapore has 7%. We need the minimum 2% of population to be entrepreneurs to gain nation’s prosperity. As entrepreneurs create jobs and change life one person at a time.

We still have plenty of room to grow, more than 50% of population are young people under 29 years old, and we have the biggest market out of 650 million people in South East Asia. All we need to do is starting. Big or small business, the most important thing is to start moving. Because as you move, no matter how small step you take, you’ll be ‘lucky’ - Create Your Own Luck

Ibu Mari Elka Pangestu said, “Real role of entrepreneurs stretches beyond business, because entrepreneurs great assets are their idea, creativity and innovation. Entrepreneurs tackle group problems of poverty and inequity and their innovations enable us to have a better life as well as to lead from development, so it is also about reducing poverty.”

She also mentioned the terms of productive poor and it struck us. The 70% productive poor are women. They are poor but that it doesn’t mean that they are not productive. They can be productive if you give them training to the point that they can become entrepreneurs.

Eric Schmidt from Google said that Indonesia has a loud democracy, a flourishing society, and an integrated media. Indonesian freedom of expression is something we should be proud of. BBC said Indonesia is the best place in the world to start a business, and it’s a sign for all of us to maximized our potential.

Social entrepreneurs like Tri Mumpuni has a  formula :  find out what’s the problem in society and offer solutions.

Tri Mumpuni saw problems on how Indonesian people in rural area are less developed than the urban. She analyzed that it could be because the lack of access of technology, because there are no electricity in those areas.

She & her husband then starting to find solution, helping villages to create and manage their own electricity, using it for their village development to the point where PLN from the government buy the electricity from them and the fund can be used to build schools and access to education. Amazing!

Gita Wirjawan, chairman of Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), said the key of success are the confident to take risk and not afraid to make mistakes (as long as you learn from it and don’t do the same mistake again), education (never stop learning), networking (don’t be timid) and luck that you get from opportunities meet preparation.

Quoting secretary Clinton, “And we particularly want to encourage women entrepreneurs, because, as the minister said, no economy can thrive if it leaves half the population behind. In fact, a recent United Nations study estimated that in the Asia Pacific region, the untapped potential of women has cost the region more than $40 billion in lost GDP over the last decade. So we’re supporting new micro finance projects, building peer networks, and offering mentorships with American businesswomen.”

In sync with Secretary Clinton. we strongly believe in promoting technology as catalyst for women development, either in personal area or in business.

Indonesian people, included young one and women already familiar with social media (we’re #2 Facebook Users after USA), but they have no idea on how to use technology more than chat or status update. For the older women, the problem is different. They’re afraid and don’t want to complicate their life with technology hehe. That’s the challenges.

Entrepreneurs face the same problem all over the world, one of them is the fear of failure (self confidence in building business). Aside from training & education, Indonesian people (especially women)  need more mentors & role models for entrepreneurs that they can look up to. So, entrepreneurs, if you are there, show up and be an inspiration for others.

“The big questions finally is how can we have a program and an ecosystem for this entrepreneurs that makes the good idea to help them turn these ideas into reality and help them to nurture it for it to become sustainable,” said bu Mari Elka.

We should plan to create a meet up with topic “Creative and Startup Founders” where we will invite some startup founders and we’re going to throw a pitching session special for people  who have great ideas, hopefully from there they can find partners. And there are many great technical people in our  community,  of course if it’s fit with the vision, some of them can also join the incubation

Our creative community should be going strong and we have to plan to invite inspiring people  to speak at some of our  events. Hope we can help spread the sparks!

!by Dian Nafi

Dian Nafi.  Pecinta purnama, penikmat hujan. Konsultan arsitektur, penerbitan dan PAUD. Pimred Majalah Digital De Magz. Pemenang Favorit Lomba Cerpen ROHTO 2011. Menang Lomba Menulis Bareng Ahmad Fuadi-penulis Negeri Lima Menara. Dan berbagai lomba menulis lainnya. Penulis Novel Mayasmara dan 8 buku solo-duet serta 52 Antologi lainnya. Di antaranya:  Twinlight (KotaKata) Titik Balik (Leutika), LL Serendipity (IndiePublishing) Be Strong Indonesia (#writers), Para Guru Kehidupan (Gerai Buku) Bicaralah Perempuan (Leu Prio) For The Love of Mom (Imania) Dear Love (Hasfa) Balita Hebat (Jendela-Zikrul Hakim), Man Jadda Wada Series- Berjalan Menembus Batas (Bentang), Storycake for Ramadhan (Gramedia Pustaka Utama) 101 Ide Bisnis Online (GPU), Gado-gado Poligami (Elex Media) Detik Demi Detik (PenaOren) Hajjah BackPacker (Imania) Twit@ummihasfa.diannafi.blogspot.com