Yogyakarta, November 3rd 2021─Digital Literacy Fisipol UGM held the 7th Ask Me Anything Session titled “Adaptation and Innovation: The Fool-Proof Way to Develop Your Small Business” on Wednesday (3/10). The event invited Agisti Dewi Rani from Bukalapak as the speaker and it was live streamed through Digital Literacy Youtube Channel, seen by the public and students.
The discussion was divided into two sessions, which are the material sharing and question and answer session. With the rise of internet users in Indonesia, e-commerce has the opportunity to grow to 54% in 2020. The rise of e-commerce is not without its challenges which can be divided into the technology, infrastructure, and financial inclusion aspect.
“In regions outside the city, we can see that having the internet is a privilege. Internet is still a scarce resource in Indonesia and a lot of people still use cash as a form of transaction even though most of the transactions in cities are now cashless,” Agisti said.
To respond to that situation, Bukalapak aims to bring a fair economy for all by providing a technological platform that can be used to develop the economy. Bukalapak helps small business owners to develop themselves so that it can increase their productivity and contribute towards the economy.
Furthermore, Bukalapak as a platform has three products which are Bukalapak, Mitra Bukalapak, and Buka Pengadaan. Bukalapak is a marketplace that connects online sellers to online buyers. Mitra Bukalapak accommodates small shops to move to the next level through technologies and innovations developed by Bukalapak partners. There is also Buka Pengadaan which accommodates B2B and B2G business, for example when small businesses want to become a supplier.
Agisti said that small shops have a big impact on Indonesia’s economy. Mitra Bukalapak has 8,7 users that includes small shops throughout Indonesia that act as suppliers or dropshippers.
“We realize that the total of retail sales in Indonesia actually comes from small shops. They are the ones who have a big impact seen through the big transaction size in these shops. That is why Bukalapak thinks that they have a potential which should be developed,” he said.
Bukalapak also does empowerment programs through the Bukalapak community. With the tagline “Increase your knowledge, increase your sales,” hopefully the knowledge given can be applied to increase the sales of business owners.