A POST by a nasi lemak vendor on the Entrepreneurs and Start Ups in Malaysia Facebook page has highlighted that going viral on social media is no guarantee of long-term business success.
In his Facebook post, Kumarsen Naidu lamented that despite a healthy number of shares, comments and likes, his business had failed to take off.
Although the engagement was nowhere on the scale of Akka Nasi Lemak or the controversy of the pork nasi kandar, many would have felt that it would have generated some interest instead of the lacklustre trading that the vendor reported.
The post was received a lot of comments with many urging the vendor to keep trying.
Some netizens even rendered inspiration to Kumarsen by reminding him of the age-old adage ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going’.
Others believed the current spike in cost of living may have something to do with the poor sales given some consumers are opting for cheaper alternatives.
Contrary to popular belief, one entrepreneur on the page dismissed the notion that businesses only need a social media injection to boost earnings pointing out that much patience is also required, particularly in the FnB (food and beverage) segment.
More than one netizen subtly suggested that perhaps the poster had got his social media strategy wrong given that he did not even provide the address of his stall in the current post.
As the page is dedicated to entrepreneurs and start-ups, it was not surprising to see many suggestions as well as to reasons why the business failed to take off.
One netizen advised the poster to maintain quality control with constant food tasting.
Very broadly, many netizens were very encouraging and urged the poster to persevere.
Judging from the number and variety of advice proffered, several things can be ascertained. Firstly, social media presence alone is no guarantee of success in FnB.
Secondly, like many other business ventures, many factors are inextricably intertwined such as location and pricing. Last but not least, being an entrepreneur or your own boss is tough – very possibly much harder than working a nine-to-five job.
The next time you entertain dreams of emulating social media food sensations like the aforementioned Akka Nasi Lemak, bear in mind that such instances of viral success are not guaranteed with many other factors at play.
FocusM wishes the very best of luck to all future entrepreneurs/nasi lemak vendors. – Feb 27, 2024
Main pic credit: Kumaresan Naidu via Entrepreneurs and Startups in Malaysia Facebook
