EAST BELITUNG – Utilizing growing nearby plants made Juli Sutejo successfully developed the lemongrass oil business. The unique lemongrass smell has many health benefits like calming, ease of pain, and many other functions which have made the business he cultivated keeps on growing.
Juli starting developing the processed lemongrass business with his wife in 2015. He started this business after seeing the amount of lemongrass around their area. At the time he said almost every house in the area has lemongrass growing.
Juli said, at first he made the lemongrass rubbing the oil in a small amount. Turns out the market accepts this rubbing oil quite well and it motivates him to develop the business.
“At the beginning, I sold the rubbing oil to my close friend, then my close friend’s traditional massage customers who are also tourists seem to be liking the local rubbing oil,” he said.
The lemongrass rubbing oil from Juli is named ‘Abel’ and is well known by the local community because of its unique scent and has benefits. Seeing this potential, he keeps on trying to develop his processed lemongrass business into some other products such as fresh care and perfume.
“After seeing the market development, now people need perfume,” said Juli.
He doesn’t want to feel satisfied, he wants to introduce his product to a much wider audience. Of course, this is not easy because he will need enough capital to grow his business.
That’s why he accessed a business loan from PT Timah Tbk through the Micro and Small Business Capital Program (Program Permodalan Usaha Mikro dan Kecil (PUMK). He then successfully developed products like fresh care, perfume, soap, and rubbing oil.
“Best selling product is lemongrass rubbing oil and the marketing is at Tanjungpandan,” he said.
Juli said during the pandemic his business can keep on going with some sales drop. He used to depend on the tourist to buy his product. As the pandemic occurs, the number of tourists now has reduced as well.
“The problem is with the marketing because this product is not only displayed but must be presented or showed off in front of the tourists,” he explained.
Juli said he became PT Timah Tbk’s Foster Partner in 2008. Since then it has become a lot easier thanks to supporting from PT Timah Tbk. Not only business loans but also promotions.
“We are very helped by becoming PT Timah’s foster partner, they help us with promotions and giving out a business loan with small interest for small businessmen like me,” he explained.
He mentioned, his product has been marketed in online stores, local gift shops in Belitung, and through some social media. He ever got an offer to be a distributor in Bangka Island, but there are still some problems with the house standardization permit and many others.
“Hopefully PT Timah Tbk can keep supporting UMKM, in marketing either business loan and can help with UMKM constraints,” he ended. (**)
