Doing business with friends has its own ups and downs. However, Ria Sarwono and Carline Darjanto from COTTONINK proved that friendship and professional matters can be carried out together with the same vision.
The COTTONINK brand, which was born from the cold hands of Ria Sarwono and Carline Darjanto, is one of the pioneers of local fashion labels, more than a decade ago. With initial capital of IDR 500,000 from each pocket, today, eleven years later, they have managed to achieve a turnover of hundreds of millions of rupiah every month.
Among the pioneers of local fashion labels, Ria Sarwono and Carline Darjanto present a new color with their fashion label which they named COTTON INK. Who would have thought, with initial capital of IDR 500,000 from each pocket, today, eleven years later, they would have managed to achieve a turnover of hundreds of millions of rupiah.
Initially, their brand was popular on online networks. Now, they have opened offline stores in several of the biggest malls in Jakarta.
Now, both of them share business tips with friends that you can follow. Come on, listen and follow the story!
1. Start from things you both like
In 2009, when President Barack Obama was crowned as president of America, Ria and Carline were among the people who were amazed by his reputation and charisma. This admiration prompted them to make 24 T-shirts with Obama's portrait and sell them on Facebook.
The capital needed at that time was IDR 1,000,000, which Ria and Carline each received from their parents in the amount of IDR 500,000. Unexpectedly, their sales were greeted enthusiastically by their friends, so the two of them returned to producing goods. The lesson is, producing and selling things you like can make you more enthusiastic.
2. Be keen to see opportunities
Long story short, after successfully selling t-shirts, Ria and Carline produced scarves which could also be made into cardigans or just to sweeten up your appearance. This production was sold out in a short time. In fact, the sales lines they chose were only around Facebook and Blogspot which are currently busy being used to display Outfits of the Day.
Seeing an opportunity, they began to register their label at Brightspot Market, a prestigious annual event involving Indonesian creative actors. From there, Ria and Carline's journey continues to climb. Sales proceeds which were originally around five million soared to fifty million rupiah!
3. Focus on doing business on time
At that time, Ria, who had her main job as a piano teacher for children, and Carline, who was involved in the textile industry, decided to quit and focus on pursuing her business. Until now, their brand is very popular among online buyers. Not only that, they also succeeded in opening shops at Plaza Senayan, Pondok Indah Mall, Kota Kasablanka, and Senayan City.
They have proven that their decision at that time to quit their jobs and focus on business was the right decision.
4. Building Healthy Communication
The test of Ria and Carline's friendship actually presents a very personal challenge. There was no counting how many times they argued. The argument was quite serious which made the two of them understand each other better.
Ria admitted that even though Carline was often blunt, what Carline said was actually constructive. Carline didn't hesitate to apologize if her way of saying something had hurt Ria.
Things like that test their friendship as well as their solidarity in business. In the end, they realized that as long as they had each other, they would be fine. Ria concluded that communication is one of the most important elements in almost all relationships, including business relationships.
For Ria and Carline, they must be able to respect business partners like traveling companions; because they will always need each other.
5. Have the same idealism
In building the brand, Carline and Ria were both looking for the right soul to breathe into COTTON INK. They create content from YouTube to magazines. The models they choose are not all professional models with ideal bodies, but rather models who represent a variety of body shapes and beauty.
The goal is so that their customers can feel related to the messages they build through COTTON INK. With the same ideals and good intentions, the brand image can be stronger.
6. Discipline
Ria still remembers how the rejection she received from her dream campus forced her to always do her best. That day, his father told him to continue studying, even though he failed to be accepted at his favorite campus. From there, Ria was determined to be more serious about building her career for the future. Her father believed that lectures could make her more disciplined, this was later agreed by Ria and felt the benefits herself.
Until now, discipline has been the key applied by Ria and Carline in running their business. Thanks to discipline, they can remain consistent with the results of their work. Ria reminded him that having a plan is good. However, actualizing the plan is much better. Then, we must be consistent with this plan, so that the image in consumers' minds is strongly recognized.
7. Good Crisis Management
Facing critical times during the pandemic, Ria and Carline agreed to postpone the opening of their newest store. They also prioritize which large expenses must be prioritized and which ones can be paid in installments. In principle, cash flow over profit.
They also shifted their sales focus to online lines and reduced production quantities. Both believe that there are many lessons to be learned from this crisis, if we are willing to reflect on the simple blessings we have received.
In the midst of a pandemic like this, Ria and Carline admit that making the most of technological developments is the key to survival. Many things can be used on Instagram, such as polls, for example.
Until now, Ria and Carline are still involved in content matters, or relations with consumers. Because they believe, so far, only the two of them best understand the authentic identity of COTTON INK.
Those are tips for doing business with friends that can be learned from Ria Sarwono and Carline Darjanto's journey while running COTTON INK. What will you implement first here?