Juggling a full-time job and caregiving responsibilities for a loved one can be incredibly challenging.
Nurjan, however, braved herself to face these challenges that was thrusted to her head-on. In fact, she turned the pressure of facing these responsibilities into a motivation for her to finally focus on working her business full-time.
In the year 2016, she made the difficult choice to quit her job. Then, she focused her full attention on caring for her husband, who suffered from slip disc – something she could not easily do when she was working in her 9-5 job, as the company she last worked for didn’t give her the annual leave that she was due.
While getting into homemade food business full-time is a new thing for Jan, entrepreneurship is not. She has been selling homemade products since 1995. Previously, Jan has been selling raya biscuits, nyonya kuehs and mixed acar to her close friends and relatives. Due to a high demand, she started to take more orders and that is the beginning of Jan’s Kitchen.
“I don’t regret quitting my job, it was the right thing to do. And now, the rezeki (meaning ‘sustenance', 'provision', 'blessings') I have is from God, and I accept it,” Jan said.
A FAMILY RECIPE
Jan’s skillful combination of traditional spices with various ingredients makes her acar a true wonder. She shares with us that this was a family recipe passed down to her by her mom, “Last time I would watch and help my mother when I was younger. Obviously when we made the acar back then, it was for our own meals and not for sale”.
She buys the main ingredients for her acar from her local mini market, whereas for the fruits, she will go down to the kampung area (‘village area’) to get them fresh. Other than being locally sourced, Jan’s acar is special because it is also crafted to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.
Jan explains, “Acar is generally simple to make, but not everyone can make it good enough as a product for sale. While it is typically a spicy delicacy, I understand that not everyone has the same tolerance. That is why I have catered my recipe to suit the general public's palate. My acar is a unique blend of spiciness, sweetness, sourness, and saltiness - all at once. This blend ensures that most consumers can be satisfied with its taste.”
Crafting the perfect mixed acar is a time-consuming process, with the ingredients requiring a two-to-three-month pickling period. However, the results are more than worth it, as a single batch can yield up to 30 jars of this delectable condiment.
Now comes the question: what exactly goes into Jan's mouth-watering mixed acar? Fortunately, Jan is generous enough to divulge her recipe!
She says, “I mix a lot of different fruits in my mixed acar such as nutmeg, belimbing buluh (cucumber tree), pickled mango, birds eye chili, garlic, shallots, dates, raisins, pickled radish and lime”.
MARKETING IS A CHALLENGE
There is no doubt how crucial marketing can be for small businesses because it helps them reach out to potential customers and increase their brand visibility in the market. However, for Jan, marketing her mixed acar has been quite challenging.
“Not everyone eats acar. Not to mention, mixed acar is more like a side dish rather than a snack that could be immediately consumed. Hence, it is not easy to convince people to buy mixed acar as it requires taking away the food,” Jan said.
Jan's approach to attracting others in buying mixed acar, involves striking the perfect balance between the three fundamental taste components: spicy, sour, and sweet. Although she acknowledges that it is impossible to please everyone, Jan strives to cater to a wide range of taste preferences with her recipe.
Even though there’s a gap in social media marketing, her mixed acar has managed to still attract an impressive demand – thanks to the power of word-of-mouth advertising. Initially, she only sold her product by request or shared it to her oved ones. However, her mixed acar has generated good reception that people are now demanding for more. This became evident when she recently entered into a brand deal.
ANGEL COMMUNITY
Angel Community is a community center that empowers and supports people from various backgrounds, including the OKU community, single parents, young entrepreneurs, and women entrepreneurs. The center provides a platform for these groups to showcase their homemade products, helping them reach a broader audience and grow their businesses.
Jan connected with Angel Community through her niece, Farrah Dina, who is also a fellow homemade seller. Initially, Jan had two products available for sale at the center: nyonya kueh, and mixed acar. However, logistical obstacles, including transportation issues from Kedah to Penang, prompted Jan to re-evaluate her offerings. After careful consideration, she decided to discontinue the sale of her nyonya kueh, which had a short shelf life, and now only sells her mixed acar at the center.
FUTURE PLANS & ADVICE
Determined to expand her product reach beyond her current distribution channels, Jan is currently searching for a suitable packaging for her mixed acar in preparation for it to be listed under the brand Ayamas. Additionally, Jan is excited to soon introduce a new product to the Jan's Kitchen line - Sambal Ayam Penyet.
As mentioned before, Jan has been selling her homemade products for almost 30 years. Despite the challenges that come with turning her business into her full-time job, Jan remains content with what she has achieved in her small business, which began as a means of generating side income. Her unwavering motivation stems from a simple yet powerful belief, she tells us, “If others can do it, then I can too”. This mindset fuels her passion for entrepreneurship.
Finally, as a seasoned small business owner, Jan’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to start small and master the necessary skills themselves, as she believes that a business owner who lacks hands-on experience is unlikely to succeed. In her words, “You can’t jump into a business expecting to become a boss straight away – that won’t work. You must start from the bottom, know how to cook the product yourself first. Afterall, experience is crucial before hiring employees”.
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Come and join us to support Nurjan by booking an event space with or order catering services from Angel Community!
Contact us at +60163560805.
Are you a homemade seller and in need of support? Register to be one of the Angel Community’s homemade seller at https://angelcomm.wixsite.com/care/seller.
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