Earning Less Than RM1 Per Delivery Order – M'sian Shares Her Business Struggles During MCO
"My heart ached when I saw that I was left with barely any earnings."
By Timothy Tuan — 04 Aug 2021, 12:30 PM
From kopitiams to cafés, we've seen many F&B businesses being impacted by the Movement Control Order (MCO), with some even having to close down
Though lots of vendors and restaurants have tried their best to adapt by offering takeaways and delivery services, or even selling meal kits and frozen food online, many are still struggling to stay afloat in these difficult times. With a lack of customers and dwindling sales, not only do they have to worry about not making a profit, some may not even make enough to cover costs.
Let's also not forget that there are many F&B businesses, such as hawkers and roadside stalls, that lack the capacity, knowledge, and resources to engage with delivery platforms.
Like many other businesses, local satay vendor Jijah Satay has also been impacted by the current situation.
Owned by Nursyahliza binti Syafrizal, who goes by Liza, Jijah Satay provides an array of satay creations, such as satay in a cup, frozen satay, personal sets, and more.
Inspired by her father's satay business, Liza started her own satay stall by the roadside in 2016. From the beginning, her journey wasn't an easy one. She knew nothing about running or even promoting a business. And as if learning how to start a business from scratch wasn't hard enough, Liza also had to take care of her kids at home.
"The only thing I had with me was my satay recipe. My kids were very young then, so I had to juggle between caring for them, and learning how to start a business," shared Liza.
As she learned the ropes and started growing her business, she started accepting delivery orders via WhatsApp. But as there were no e-hailing or delivery services available at the time, Liza had to make the deliveries herself, sometimes even bringing her kids along.
Over the years, Liza began to receive more delivery and even catering orders, giving her confidence that her business had a bright future.
But when the first MCO was imposed last year, everything went downhill.
Backed into a corner, with reservations to cater for events cancelled and the number of orders declining, Liza tried everything she could to stay afloat.
From coming up with different promotions and menus, to offering free delivery, and even switching to selling frozen satay online, she tried it all. She even got agents to help sell the frozen satay to boost her business. However, it was not enough. Due to the MCO travel restrictions, Liza struggled to reach out to her customers and agents. To add on, she even faced issues with her supplier.
"Because of the MCO, I had issues with the supplier as well. Due to this, I had to cancel all orders and stop my business operations for a while, which affected my income greatly," said Liza.
Needing extra income, Liza tried partnering with delivery services in order to reach out to more customers
At first, she saw an increase in the number of orders, which assured her that things may just improve. But little did she know that exorbitant hidden fees and charges would be imposed. The fees ended up deducting 99% of her revenue, leaving her with less than RM1 of gross profit.
"My heart ached when I saw that I was left with barely any earnings from using their delivery services," Liza shared.
Upon finding out about her frustrations and struggles, Sama-Sama Lokal by Maybank approached her to lend a helping hand
"I was on their platform last year (as a call-to-order merchant) and their service really helped boost my business. I wanted to sign up again (as an online merchant) this year, but I missed the chance. Thankfully, I have the opportunity again."
Since partnering with Sama-Sama Lokal again, Liza began to see an increase in the number of orders.
"We received way more orders, especially from new customers. Even our regular customers were satisfied that they got to use Sama-Sama Lokal to make their orders, as the platform would always have promotions. My business is in Ulu Kelang, Ampang, but now I have customers from PJ who get to enjoy my satay without worrying about expensive delivery fees.
"The best part is that I would immediately get my earnings credited to my bank account by the next day. And I would always get 100% of my earnings back. All the time.
"I'm really thankful to the team behind Sama-Sama Lokal. They always go out of their way to help local businesses thrive during these challenging times," she shared.
If all goes well, Liza hopes to expand her business in the future.
Thanks to platforms like Sama-Sama Lokal, many are able to sustain their business, especially during these trying times
Be it hawker stalls, restaurants, cafés, sundry shops, or retailers, Sama-Sama Lokal has been supporting and helping local businesses thrive.
Other than having no commissions and sign up fees, the platform also lets businesses keep 100% of their earnings. Additionally, the platform also connects businesses to the right delivery partners to safely deliver all orders.
From time to time, Sama-Sama Lokal will also provide new incentives for businesses to drive their sales. In fact, over the past year, the platform has reached over 12 million customers, from those living in Kuala Perlis all the way to Pasir Gudang.
Interested to register? Find out more here.
On a different note, whether you're looking for some good food or to stock up on necessities, you can show your support by ordering from local businesses via Sama-Sama Lokal
The best part? From now until 31 August, Sama-Sama Lokal will be having promotions to not only help businesses earn more, but also help you save more!
Check out their ongoing promos:
1. Enjoy RM8 off your orders daily
- Spend a minimum of RM20 to enjoy the promo
- Valid 2x per user per day
2. Get 30% off (up to RM10) and RM10 off delivery fee
- Make sure to use their promo code: SHOPMYSSL
You can order here.
Terms and conditions apply.
Show your support by ordering from local businesses like Jijah Satay via Sama-Sama Lokal today!
To find out more about Jijah Satay, you can head over to their Instagram page or WhatsApp +60 16-980 4052.
