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Having a sense of humor is critical. Just ask Mar Su Lim, a 69-year-old shopkeeper in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. Mar Su is a true entrepreneur, having started up 16 different business. And though he may joke that there are never enough customers, it’s easy to see that this Kisaran, North Sumatra, native loves his work.

What’s the best part about owning your own business?

This is my latest business venture. I do this for fun [laughs]. I have to run a business so I don’t go senile. The most important thing is that the store makes money and attracts a lot of customers. I like working here, it’s fun for me to tend to customers, it’s relaxing.

Do you have any grandchildren?

Yes. I have many, more than a dozen. I have six children and 16 grandchildren and they all come over to my house for New Year’s celebrations. I’m the youngest of nine siblings. Can you imagine, me the youngest one, and I’m almost 70 years old? [laughs] My fourth brother and my second sister are still alive, but the others have already passed away.

Tell us about this business.

I’ve run this store since 1986, that’s 24 years. This is the latest of 16 businesses that I have started up; my children handle the others. This store sells prayer equipment for Buddhists, Hindus and Confucianists.

We sell mostly to Buddhists. Hindus buy joss sticks and candles. Sometimes people purchase candles for when the electricity dies. Waiters in restaurants near here also buy candles to keep flies away.

When is your store busiest?

Each year there are four different events that bring a lot of people to the store: Lunar New Year; the Qingming Festival, when people pray at the graves of their ancestors; the Hungry Ghost Festival, when people remember and pay tribute to dead family members in the seventh month of the Lunar calendar; and Cap Go Me, or the Lantern Festival, which is the celebration of the last day of the Lunar New Year.

You’re probably busiest during the New Year’s celebrations. What do people buy?

They buy joss sticks, incense, decorations, lanterns, red envelopes and New Year’s cakes.

What did you do on New Year’s Eve?

My entire family came to my house and we had dinner together.

What kind of food did you have?

We ate all sorts: chicken and fish. What’s important is that we spend the day only eating delicious food [laughs].

And what do you do the following day?

We all go out and sing karaoke!

What kind of hours does a store like this keep?

Usually, we open from 8 a.m. till 7 p.m., but during the New Year we have to stay open until 9 or 10 p.m.

How many employees do you have?

Just me and two girls. They say they like working here because I’m nice. They say I’m humorous and they like me because I tell a lot of jokes.

Do you import everything you sell or are some of the prayer items made here in Indonesia?

We import candles, joss papers, incense, statues and incense holders from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Republic of China, Taiwan and India. We also have products from Medan, Jakarta and Surabaya. Customers can choose between local or imported goods based on their budget.

Let’s say I had a bad year, what would you suggest I buy to change that?

We don’t sell anything like that here. Me, you, everyone, we have a brain with which to think and hands with which we can work, we can change our own luck. The most important thing is to work conscientiously, not sleep conscientiously [laughs].

Do you ever get complaints from customers?

Occasionally. Sometimes they complain about the bad quality of certain candles or the scent of a certain incense. It’s rare though.

What’s the worst part about owning a shop like this?

The worst thing is that there are never enough customers and never enough money [laughs]. But really, if you ran a store that didn’t make a profit, what would be the point?

 

Mar Su Lim was talkingto Erika Febriani Indra.