So many plans have been made by entrepreneurs in 2020. However, when the pandemic hit, all plans had to be put on hold. "That's what happened to Martabak Pizza Orins. "In 2020, we actually planned to expand to Bali, Medan and Makassar. However, when we saw in January, the world was again hit by a virus outbreak, it's not impossible that Indonesia too, in the end we postponed that plan. That's right, because even now it's not clear when it will end," said Sonny Arca, owner of Martabak Pizza Orins on QTalks via IG Live Qasir recently.

But this is the business world, full of dynamics. That's why every entrepreneur must have a plan B. For Orins, plan B is to postpone expansion plans, while looking for ways to maintain sales stability from existing outlets.

We all know that the corona virus has hit the economy as hard as it has hit health and life. Pandemic conditions have caused purchasing power to decline. So that purchases of secondary and tertiary goods inevitably decrease significantly. On the other hand, new businesses continue to emerge. As a result, competition increases and purchasing power decreases.

However, Sonny suggested, "There is no need to be discouraged in responding to this situation, because the door to sustenance will definitely continue to be there for those who are still willing to try."

If you are also affected and intend to open a business, then choose a culinary business, there's no harm in trying. The culinary business is indeed an interesting type of business to pursue, because after all, we know that food is one of the basic needs for humans. Under whatever conditions, humans will still need to eat.

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That's why this business is considered extensive and will continue to grow. This is no exception in the times leading up to the implementation of the New Normal like now. If you intend to enter the business world, there's no harm in taking this business into consideration.

However, to start a culinary business, make sure you have the right business plan and are observant in looking at the situation. Here are some lessons about building a culinary business from Sonny Arca, owner of the legendary Martabak Pizza Orins.

1. Sell ​​Online

You can run a culinary business without needing to open an outlet or special outlet, but simply by using an online shopping system via the internet.

According to Martabak Orins' experience, as many as 80% of its sales experienced a decline, especially outlets located in malls and dine-in outlets. Due to the PSBB, it is impossible to encourage sales at both types of outlets. Therefore, Orins maximizes online sales by delivery. "In the past, when conditions were normal, going online was still an option, now going online is a necessity," Sonny Arca explained.

2. Take Advantage of Existing Stimulus

In the current era, both the government, financial institutions, social foundations and community movements provide a lot of stimulation for MSMEs. You can also take advantage of this. As is also done by Orins martabak, by taking advantage of the promo program provided by the Go-Food and GrabFood platforms. "So it's true, purchasing power has fallen, but with the existence of vouchers from online motorcycle taxis, this has had an influence in increasing sales. This happened especially last March, Orins actually experienced an increase in average sales," said this graduate of the State College of Accountancy (STAN).

3. Pay Attention to Quality

Stimulus can indeed be used, but it cannot be 100% expected. "That's why what happened in April, when there was no intervention (stimulus in the form of discount vouchers), sales experienced a decline," said Sonny.

Sonny reminded us that what we must prioritize as an entrepreneur, whatever the business, is quality. In terms of culinary business, this means the quality of taste, raw materials, packaging and service. This is the principle that Martabak Orins continues to adhere to, which might also be useful for those of you who want to open a culinary business.

3. View Opportunities

"Even though all the malls are closed, the need for food will definitely not decrease. So, where do the people who usually eat at the mall go? The answer: They buy raw or ready to cook. This is where the shift occurs. This is actually a big opportunity for those who want to shifting (change businesses) or who want to start," explained Sonny.

This is where business opportunities for ready to eat (frozen food), foods with healthy menus, and ready to cook foods are born, all of which are marketed online. The advantage is, the cost-is lower than opening a restaurant.

However, with so many people thinking the same way and opening frozen food businesses, of course competence must be increased.

4. Don't Get Tired of Innovating

The culinary world continues to develop, and so do people's tastes. You must be willing to innovate and develop creativity. This is done so that customers don't get bored and you always have the opportunity to get new customers.

Innovation and creativity are not only in terms of product development, but must also be applied in terms of marketing. You can use chat groups for marketing. In terms of capital, you can also be creative in finding sources of funds from parties who provide stimulus to MSMEs.

"Do all kinds of ways to keep your business afloat. Don't give up, don't let it fall further, but you have to be more creative," said Sonny. He continued, "It's okay if sales are down, because the situation is like this. Just think about how to get around it, one of which is: just reduce costs."

In addition to the four tips for new entrepreneurs who want to open a culinary business, Sonny Arca also provides a recipe that keeps Martabak Orins afloat and at the top of the culinary martabak ranks.

"Firstly, if there is a complaint, it must be responded to properly. Whether the complaint is true or not. Apart from that, always maintain quality, whatever the conditions," said Sonny. In closing, Sonny added, "Stay positive, how do we get out of the pandemic healthy. Health is very important."