Try to remember, along the way from home to your activities, how many grocery stalls did you pass? Dozens, tens, or even hundreds? Even though recently supermarkets have grown rapidly as if beating the mushrooms in the rainy season, in fact the interest of those trying their luck by opening a grocery store has never waned. Not only in villages, in housing complexes, even on the sides of big roads, we often find grocery stores, ranging from small stalls to large agents supplying goods to the stalls.

Euromonitor International 2018 research reviewed in Databoks shows that the majority of people in Indonesia, India and the Philippines still like to shop at grocery stores, with 92% of all retail market transactions being grocery store transactions. Even though it attracts huge interest, not all grocery stores are able to survive. It's not necessarily that they are less competitive with big shops and supermarkets, but this could be due to sloppy business management or capital problems.

This business management problem can be overcome by Qasir who has provided a solution in the form of a free, unpaid cashier or point of sales application. This application has been downloaded by more than 100,000 users throughout Indonesia. With this application, entrepreneurs, from micro businesses, small businesses, to even medium businesses can start implementing neat business records.

Why is this business recording so important?

One ​​definite consequence of sloppy business records is that grocery store owners are unable to differentiate between personal finances, capital funds to be turned over, and also profits. In fact, quite a few business people are accustomed to using capital money for personal needs. Likewise, vice versa, through the use of personal funds to cover business losses. To develop a business, business actors can actually take advantage of various available financing facilities. Even so, how can business actors convince financing institutions if business records are not neat?

Business actors need to understand other ways of thinking and look from the perspective of financing institutions. Providing funds for business financing means giving great trust, so business actors need to show that they are able to carry out these responsibilities well. Yes, business will experience ups and downs along the way, but in any case, financial institutions, banking and non-banking, will always require neat business records as a crucial consideration in financing. Financing institutions must make careful decisions in order to be able to guarantee repayment of loaned funds. Like it or not, neat records need to be a priority for business people if they really want greater capital or financing.

Is neat business records a necessity?

All business decisions come back to the individual owner, but cannot be separated from the respective consequences. Neat records will make applying for capital much easier. Vice versa. Even so, implementing these systems and habits is not as easy as it says.

That's why Qasir offers a second solution, namely a financing solution. The financing that Qasir provides is not providing credit in the form of cash or fresh funds, but in the form of wholesale goods that are usually purchased by merchants (entrepreneurs who use the application) for their shops. This facility is called the due payment facility.

“The data we have can be used by other companys, but only for the benefit of our merchants. For example our fintech partners . Of our 100,000 users, they can know "How many people are eligible for funding? They don't need to collect any more data, because Qasir already has it all. In fact, we also have data that banks don't have, because most business people in Indonesia don't have bank accounts," said Michael Liem, CEO of Qasir.

To date, there have been more than 30 merchants who have received this financing facility, while the total financing that has been provided has amounted to more than IDR 80,000,000.00. To get this facility, merchant Qasir only needs to have a minimum shopping history of three times. The documents required are also very simple, only a photo of your KTP, a photo of your place of business and your Family Card (KK). In this temporary payment facility, Qasir collaborates with several financial technology companies (fintech) that are registered and supervised by the Financial Services Authority (OJK), including Qazwa, KoinWorks, and Hijra.

Interested, BossQ?

Tempo Payments, Indonesian Grocery Store Financing Solutions

One ​​of the merchants who has enjoyed the temporary payment facility is Pak Jayadi, owner of the Sahabat Setia grocery store in the Pejaten area, South Jakarta. Due to his smooth shopping history, Mr Jayadi has even received this facility five times, with a total credit of more than IDR 30,000,000.00.

“Usually, to shop a lot we have to wait for the capital money to be collected first. In fact, there is already a lot of demand from buyers and we can't wait. Now, we can shop a lot first for stock and meet demand, while paying later after the money has been turned over. This facility really helps me who is starting up a grocery business that I previously had. closed," explained Jayadi. If purchases of merchandise stock are made via the Qasir application, payment is made directly by transfer to the selected fintech. In paying off his financing, Mr. Jayadi can choose several tenor options, namely 7 days, 14 days, 21 days and 28 days.

Apart from recording and financing, the third solution offered by the Qasir application for business management is wholesale shopping for merchandise. As we know, grocery store owners always rack their brains to get goods at cheap prices, even if the difference is only a small amount.

With awareness of stock price constraints, Qasir bridges large agents and grocery stores so that related business actors can buy and sell wholesale goods online via the Qasir application. By cutting the value chain in the business, both parties are able to get the expected profits. Regarding shipping, everything will be taken care of by Qasir with very affordable shipping costs.

Together with Qasir, grocery store entrepreneurs are able to get solutions in recording, capital, and purchasing business goods. Not stopping here, Qasir also presented a solution in the form of education for entrepreneurs driving the nation's economy.

Sophisticated applications and perfect systems will be meaningless if they are not supported by entrepreneurs' awareness to improve their business management. Qasir fully dedicates himself to empowering MSMEs, including through a strong mindset and knowledge. For this reason, Qasir continues to strive to provide persuasive education, such as through partners who are deployed directly to merchants as well as a number of various workshops and seminars. This program is not only carried out in Jakarta, but also in several areas such as Bandung, Yogyakarta, Malang, so it is hoped that it can provide benefits more widely and evenly. This kind of education is routinely held independently by Qasir and collaboratively with various parties who have the same vision in advancing micro business actors and small traders. Strive together for mutual progress.

Are you one of the many grocery store owners in Indonesia? Or maybe you have relatives and acquaintances who are developing a similar business? It's no coincidence that you got this information. It could be that Qasir is the right solution for all business obstacles and the right support so that business quality continues to improve. Grocery stores do not have to be inferior to supermarkets, but with the right strategy and work procedures, this type of business can survive and become a mainstay.

The choice is yours, BossQ.