Becoming a successful entrepreneur at a young age is a dream for many. It is also true for Buyung Samudra (Business-IUP 2019), who dreamed of building his own business successfully. This alumnus of the International Undergraduate Program (IUP) Management Studies, FEB UGM, shared his experience in building a dimsum and Chinese food restaurant business called Taigersprung.
In a recent episode of FEBerkarya: Unveiling the Epic Tale behind Taigersprung’s Success, Buyung revealed that he was still a sophomore in 2020 when he started developing Taigersprung. Buyung began the company with his classmate, Ian Wirawan Jamesie (Business-IUP 2019). Today, Taigersprung has become a very popular dim sum restaurant in Yogyakarta and has expanded to four branches: two in Yogyakarta, one in Semarang, and one in Solo.
Buyung shared that the development of Taigersprung came from a gap in the dim sum food market. At that time, young people in Yogyakarta, especially fellow students, struggled to find affordable dim sum. This problem led to the opening of a dim sum restaurant offering great taste at prices that fit a student’s budget.
Overcoming COVID-19 Pandemic
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, Buyung has a strong entrepreneurial spirit. But the road to building Taigersprung wasn’t always smooth. The restaurant struggled to achieve success in its early days. The founders established it at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, but restrictions on activities and public concerns about buying food from outside sources hampered its sales. To keep the business afloat, Buyung and Ian cut operating costs. However, instead of cutting employees’ salaries, they did not take wages for the first four months. They also shared various tasks, such as buying raw materials at the market and working as cashiers.
“The lowest point was during COVID, when many people were reluctant to eat out or order food through delivery services. At that time, we knew sales wouldn’t increase, so we decided to cut operating costs,” Buyung said.
Balancing college and running a business was no easy feat. However, Buyung admitted he didn’t have to struggle to manage his time between school and business thanks to the online distance-learning system implemented during the pandemic. This system allowed him to take online classes while managing the restaurant. His routine of studying and managing the restaurant lasted about two to three months in the early days of the business, when they had to minimize operating costs.
Applying Academic Knowledge to Business
Buyung acknowledged that his education at FEB UGM helped him run his business. He gained valuable knowledge from various business development courses, including Consumer Behavior. The insights he gained from this course helped him create an Ideal Customer Avatar (ICA). This profile outlines the ideal customer’s characteristics, including demographics, psychographics, behaviors, needs, and barriers. By understanding the ICA, Buyung could develop Taigersprung’s menu and business strategies more efficiently, without extensive, costly research.
Buyung had a message for those who want to start a business: take the first step boldly. He also emphasized the importance of optimism in starting a business, as long as it’s not excessive. In the future, Buyung hopes to have a broader, more positive impact on the community, especially on his customers and employees.
“I want to positively impact society and create job opportunities. Currently, Taigersprung has 75 employees, and they motivate us to grow even bigger,” he concluded.
Writer: Najwah Ariella Puteri
Editor: Kurnia Ekaptiningrum
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