Sunday, January 21, 2007
Reflection Journal Question (Min 100 words):
1. The pushcarts booths are set up by Malay Small business enterprises. From what you can see, what do you think are the major challenges that these small malay enterprises faced and what would you recommend them to do in order to remain profitable?
From what I can see, I think the major challenges that these small malay enterprises faced would be the customer, the things they sell and the location. Why is this so? This is because all the things that they sell there is either about Al-Quran or Arabic things, aromatheraphy and Malay food. From what I saw today, most of the student that been here is either Chinese, Malay and Indian. There's very rare people look at the pushcart because of the things that they sell weren't attractive.
The students doesn't have the intentions of looking at the Arabic things and Al-Quran as youngster nowadays are more into fashion or hip stuff wheres the things that being displayed at the pushcart doesn't attract much people to look at it. Even some of the Malay people doesn't look at the religious stuff but the food that being offered at the other 2 pushcart. The location of the pushcart was at the wrong place. They shouldn't have choose to sell the things outside the National Library area wheres people rarely walk to the place unless they have to drop off the book there or walking towards Bugis Street or Victoria street. They should have choose a wise strategy if they want to sell their things. The strategy that being used by them are weak.
I would recommend them to do in order to remain a profitable would be they choose a better place to sell their things like the way they put the pushcart. From what I had seen today, the pushcart area was a bit covered by other pushcart they shouldn't have organise or put the pushcart in this way because the chances of people looking at other pushcart is slim. Change the pushcart arrangement by arrange the pushcart further a bit of one another pushcart, so that the customer or the people who visits the NLB will be able to visit the pushcart in a non crowded area like today. By changing the strategies of the pushcart will enable the people to look at their pushcart higher. The items that being sell by the pushcart also have to be interesting and doesn't cost much because there's not much people who willing to buy things that cost too expensive as they aren't able to attract the attention of the teenagers except for the food stalls that being offered. Not much people will buy aelo vera drinks that cost $84 for 24 sacks only and doesn't have any pictures or information that would support their products except a flask of the drink being offered to the visitors as tester.
Do you think people will be buying cooking ingredients outside NLB even though it cost you $1 per packet. I know some people would buy and not much people will be buying because they came to NLB is borrowed books or return books. So no choice looking at the cooking ingredients. They should sells some thing that's attracts teenagers and people to buy the things such as traditional games, as you can see today there's a lot of people who wants to play the traditional Malay games because they haven't been touch to that cultures and there isn't a single pushcart that sells this kind of stuff. I was a bit sad as the things sold there weren't interesting. Since it's a small malay enterprises, they should have offers to sell some traditinal games so that the traditions of the games doesn't being forgotten and they will be able to earn profits if they sell the traditional games.
*I think mine is more than 100 words*
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1:18 AM
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