Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – When visiting Pekalongan, batik is one of the souvenirs that is always sought after. Various contemporary motifs and designs always steal attention. Batik manufacturers continue to innovate to provide products that suit customer needs and of course keep up with the times.

One of the local batik and fashion producers that is well known in Pekalongan is Zialova Batik. Providing a variety of fashion products ranging from negligees, gamis, to mukenas, this business started by Nur Afidatul Azimah has apparently been established since 2017.

The woman who is familiarly called Afida tells of her business journey which began with resellers. When I was a home seamstress, sales on line It wasn't very busy yet, so he tried to open a shop on line in marketplace.

“So I used to be a home tailor, then because I'm the type of person who can't just do this, in 2017 I finally tried to be a resellers. I sell batik cloth that I take from shops, then photograph it myself and post it for you marketplace. As time goes by, orders increase. “At first it was only 1-2 codes, but it continued to increase and finally we had to prepare stock at home,” he said in a written statement quoted on Sunday (17/6/2024).

As demand for orders continued to increase, he started opening a shop at Banjarsari Market, Pekalongan City in 2018. Unexpectedly, this was the start of an increasing number of customers and resellers.

Zialova Batik presents a wide variety of products that suit the needs and interests of today's people. Some of the products presented include mukenas, negligees, robes, and koko shirts and sarongs which are specially provided for the month of Ramadan.

Zialova products themselves have been marketed to various cities. Not only around Pekalongan, but also outside the city, outside the island, the products are even brought by suppliers from Malaysia.

BRI KUR Loans as Business Turnover Capital

As someone who started a business from scratch, Afida admitted that the main obstacle was limited capital. Fortunately, the People's Business Credit (KUR) loan from BRI really helped his business continue to run and develop.

“Around 2018-2019, when orders for uniforms started to increase, I was also confused about looking for additional capital. Coincidentally, there was a friend who worked at BRI and offered a KUR brochure. I calculated why the interest was so low. So finally I applied for it and got a loan of IDR 10 million,” he said.

As his business capacity grew larger and other needs and costs for production increased, he again applied for a KUR loan from BRI with an amount that continued to increase. Everything is used for additional operational capital which helps the business's financial turnaround.

Zialova Batik is also an MSME supported by Rumah BUMN. Afida said that she often received training which was very useful for developing her business. He was also invited to participate several times events BRI for exhibitions.

Afida also has high hopes for this start-up business so that it can continue to grow and provide benefits to the surrounding community. “Hopefully Zialova Batik will continue to improve and be able to open branches outside the city, the business will continue to develop and can help improve the welfare of the local community. Because we are producers, there are lots of local workers from the surrounding community who help, so hopefully it can be even more useful. And for tourists or “Homecoming travelers to Pekalongan, please stop by our outlet,” he explained.

BRI, as the largest bank in distributing KUR in the country, is always consistent in providing capital support for MSME players and providing business assistance in product development and digitalization efforts for MSME players.

“The story of the Zialova Batik fashion producer and MSME player in Pekalongan is an example of how the financing provided and the business assistance we provide can boost the business capacity of MSME players,” said BRI Micro Business Director Supari.

As is known, BRI is the bank that is the largest KUR distributor in Indonesia. From January to April 2024, BRI succeeded in distributing KUR worth IDR 59.96 trillion to 1.2 million debtors. This achievement is equivalent to 36% of the KUR distribution target broken down by the government to BRI in 2024, namely IDR 165 trillion.

[Gambas:Video CNBC]

(nightingale)