Who would have thought that one’s own hobby could in turn generate a massive income for the whole family? This situation seems to be really happening for 41-year-old Zarini Jaafar, whose interest in gardening and landscaping ended up helping her financially in a big way when she joined the online shopping platform!
According to reports, Zarini was previously active in selling beauty products online, sometime around 2009. Fast forward 8 years later, she opted to come up with her own skincare brand called Darina. She then expanded her business venture in Kelantan by selling halal-certified cooking paste.
That being said, things have not been easy for this female entrepreneur. Her business was put to the test when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country. In this case, Zarini’s products failed to reach high purchase targets, both in terms of social media channels and through stockists.
However, Zarini didn’t wait too long to bounce back and chose to focus on selling her products on Shopee instead. Aside from the aforementioned products from her own brand, she can also be seen offering bamboo stakes for sale on the popular e-commerce site.
“I have been using these bamboo cuttings as stakes for my tree plants at home. One day, I decided to add this bamboo poles as a sale product in my Shopee store, in addition to my Darina products. As of 15th December 2021, I have sold 15,489 sets – with each set containing 25 bamboo sticks, making it 387,225 bamboo sticks already sold,” Zarini said in an interview.
As revealed by Zarini herself, the bamboo spikes themselves have generated sales of more than RM50,000 in 2020, and increased to over RM130,000 this year. She also shared that her highest sales were in June and August this year, in line with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha seasons.
Zarini also revealed that she hires her fellow villagers, especially those who came from the Pasir Mas and Tumpat area in Kelantan. Most of them were unable to find a stable job due to the prolonged MCO period. “Even during the recent flood crisis, they would help me transport the bamboo and send it to us on a boat. Their commitment to this task is truly inspiring,” the businesswoman was quoted as saying.
When asked about the tools she use in Shopee to help promote her store, Zarini shared that she focuses a lot on Shopee Ads for now. Zarini also revealed that the platform has also given her many opportunities to earn revenue and promote her brand, starting with Affiliate Seller links.
“At the same time, I have now been a Star seller for three months, and was recently appointed Shopee Affiliate Ambassador. I am very grateful for all this, because by being an ambassador, it allows me to help promote other sellers’ products as well as earn incentives,” Zarini said.
When asked about her plans for the coming year, Zarini responded, “I want to open a factory, so that I can increase the production of my bamboo spikes. There are also many other products that I would like to include in my catalog so that more people can buy from my store.”
She added by saying, “At the same time, I want to focus on my cooking paste business in order to help and support the factory workers in my hometown.”
Source: VOCKET.
