By the end of 2009 I decided to leave my job in the United Nations and to be on my own. Partnering with a friend, we decided to open a cafe in the university area of Banda Aceh. We rented a place, bought the furniture, set up a company, and established and opened a cafe that we call Rise Up Coffeehouse.
The experience of running my own place has been intense. For the first time of my life I had to assume responsibilties such as paying the salaries of my staff myself, and learning how to operate a successful business, not theoreticaly like what I learned during my MBA studies, but in reality.
The experience has been incredibly valuable and has taught me a lot. The dynamics of needing to create value, offer good products at reasonable price, promote, invest in advance and take risks, optimise management efficiency of management and staffing, etc... has taught me the essence of what entrepreneurship is.
I matured a lot with this experience and learned the reality of doing "business". Now when I read books about entrepreneurship or about running own business or promotion or getting clients, I know what it means!
My goal is to set up this cafe to remain a support for me and to keep a resident status in Indonesia and to have a work permit and lasting local partnership.
Today I am happy to realise that the Cafe has been established and is running smoothly and well. It's a source of inspiration and joy to Acehnese university students, with good music and service. I have a legal resident status and working permit in Indonesia and a registered company in Aceh and staff and partners. My transition from NGO worker to entrepreneur is achieved. It's a big step for me in manifesting life on my terms, to quote my coach Tony Robbins.
One great thing i learned is understanding first hand what it means to earn money from business, what it means to create value, what it means to reach out to customers, what it means to determine target clients, and what it means to balance skill and talent and passion with product and packaging and pricing and basic economics! I believe all of this is useful too for my writings about subjects related to creating wealth and money and running businesses.
To know more about my Cafe, please check our facebook page at www.facebook.com/rise.up.coffeehouse!
And I hope you come here one day have a coffee! It's just a one hour direct flight away from KL and I'll offer you free drinks on the house! :)
