My name is Faisol Anwar. I graduated from ITS with a degree in chemical engineering. Currently, I run a business selling premium bed sheets and bedding accessories under the brand name Glamour Home. I was born and raised in a family of merchants. From a young age, I was involved in my parents’ business activities. I often accompanied my father on trips to collect goods from other cities, where I learned the skills of negotiation and supplier management. During my university days, I enjoyed participating in various competitions, from research competitions to entrepreneurship contests. I saved the prizes from these competitions for my future. During my studies, I was a student with numerous achievements. When I first started university, my father once said to me, “I am sure you are smart.”
In my second year of university, I joined a programme at IPB called Science Techno Park IPB. At that time, I was taught about the business side of innovative products. From then on, I knew in my heart that I wanted to be a businessperson.
Using my savings from college, I started recruiting tailors around my neighbourhood. After producing the bedsheets, I went around offering them to shops, but the market traders’ response was not very good.
I employed various strategies to penetrate the market. Faced with well-known and affordable manufacturer bed sheets, I ended up competing on price, even though the profits at that time were very small. Gradually, my bed sheets gained acceptance in the markets of Surabaya, Mojokerto, Jombang, and the surrounding areas.
To increase capital and bed sheet stock, I took the plunge and applied for a business loan from the bank for a substantial amount. My parents’ house certificate served as collateral for the loan I took out to expand this business.
However, over the years, cash flow slowed down. Price competition became increasingly unhealthy. Payments from shops were also not smooth, with many requesting payment delays. Finally, I made the decision to sever most of my working relationships with partner tailors. I was devastated by the bankruptcy and the large amount of debt I was left with. On the other hand, this made me stronger and more determined not to give up.
I no longer thought I could earn a salary. Basically, all profits went straight into the business to pay off debts and instalments. At that time, I tried to sell any goods using a reseller system. I visited shops and malls to negotiate with business owners. I offered the items I sold through social media. At that time, e-commerce was not as strong as it is now. This business was still related to my previous bed sheet business, but this time I targeted the upper class by making premium bed sheets, blankets, and bed covers. The method I used was online promotion and sales.
After paying off my bank debt, my business grew rapidly because I had more capital to invest. Eventually, I was able to rent a house for my office, and I had quite a few employees. I also had more partner tailors. Then the second major challenge came. The Covid-19 pandemic was very difficult at that time. Lockdown regulations caused the tourism industry to decline, which had an impact on my bedding business.
I tried to turn difficulties into opportunities for profit. Together with my fellow KSE alumni, I worked hard to produce as much PPE as possible for use by healthcare workers throughout Indonesia. The lesson I learned from this ordeal was that I gained a new line of business, namely supplying bed sheets for hospitals, which I continue to this day.