{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1775299,
        "msgid": "under-rp100-000-ulimus-expands-into-modern-retail-and-supports-autism-inclusion-1780289141",
        "date": "2026-05-31 10:12:00",
        "title": "Under Rp100,000, UliMus Expands into Modern Retail and Supports Autism Inclusion",
        "author": "Basuki Eka Purnama",
        "source": "MEDIA_INDONESIA",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Business",
        "summary": "UliMus, a home-based crispy shallot business launched with under Rp100,000 during the pandemic, has expanded into modern retail chains while creating opportunities for autistic individuals. Supported by BRI's Rumah BUMN programme, monthly revenue has grown from Rp1.5 million to Rp7 million, with significant international sales from Japan, Thailand, and Australia. The venture exemplifies how UMKM support initiatives drive sustainable growth and social inclusion.",
        "content": "<p>The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point in the business journey\nof Romauli Sri Astuti Sitorus. Amid stagnant sales of the abayas she\npreviously sold, the 47-year-old, known as Uli, began a new venture from\nher home kitchen in Petojo Selatan, Gambir, Central Jakarta. With\nstartup capital of less than Rp100,000, she launched a crispy fried\nshallot business named UliMus. From this home-based business, Uli\nsuccessfully entered modern retail markets while creating opportunities\nfor autistic individuals to participate in her operations. \u201cDuring the\npandemic, everything was affected. I used to sell abayas, but for a\nwhole year not a single piece was sold,\u201d she recalled during an\ninterview at UliMus\u2019 production house on Thursday (28 May). Uli\u2019s\nbusiness idea began when her son studying at a boarding school in\nParung, Bogor, disliked fried shallots. This prompted her to find ways\nto make him enjoy the snack. \u201cSo I challenged myself to make fried\nshallots he would like,\u201d she said. From there, Uli experimented with\nvarious flavours, leading to the creation of barbecue-flavoured fried\nshallots. Each visit to her son\u2019s boarding school, she brought her\ncreations to share. The product received positive responses not only\nfrom her son but also other students. This enthusiasm inspired Uli to\nsee potential for expanding and selling her product more widely. The\nbusiness was named UliMus, a combination of Uli and her husband\nMustofa\u2019s names. This identity has since grown. The business was\nlaunched in 2020 with relatively small capital. At the time, shallot\nprices were affordable, so initial production costs were under\nRp100,000. Her products were sold in small packages for around Rp10,000\neach to help supplement her son\u2019s boarding school allowance. \u201cInitial\ncapital was under Rp100,000. I sold small packs for Rp10,000, and the\nsales were enough to top up my son\u2019s pocket money,\u201d she said. From these\nsimple sales, Uli began to see profits. Even in the early days, she\nmanaged to earn around Rp600,000 in profit and recoup her startup costs.\nOver time, product prices were adjusted in line with rising raw material\ncosts. Currently, UliMus products are sold from Rp25,000 for 50g packs,\nwhile in modern retail outlets prices reach up to Rp35,000. Flavours\ninclude barbecue, balado, and original. The products are now available\nat modern retail chains such as Hero in Taman Anggrek Mall and Sarinah.\nUliMus also plans to expand distribution to dozens of Indomaret outlets\nin Central Jakarta soon. Uli\u2019s business took a pivotal turn in 2023 when\nshe joined Rumah BUMN, an initiative by PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI)\nJakarta. There, she received training in financial literacy, product\ndevelopment, and operational management. The most significant benefit\nwas not technical knowledge but a shift in business mindset. \u201cI want\nthis business to last beyond a year or two; it must grow significantly\nand benefit society,\u201d she stressed. Uli admitted she previously focused\nsolely on sales. After participating in mentoring programs, she began\nunderstanding the importance of sustainable business vision. \u201cOur\nmindset needed to change to keep evolving. If an SME\u2019s mindset remains\nstatic, the business will stay stagnant,\u201d she said. One of the most\nimpactful programmes was Rujak Kupas (Ruang Kupas UMKM Tuntas), a\ncoaching clinic helping entrepreneurs define their business direction\nand goals. \u201cWhat we \u2018peel\u2019 is ourselves as business owners. How to build\nthis business for the future. My key is focusing on what I do,\u201d she\nstressed. Beyond training, Rumah BUMN also provided market access and\nintroduced UMKMs to modern retail opportunities. According to Uli, the\nmentoring continues even after training ends. \u201cThey don\u2019t just leave\nyou. They continue guiding and monitoring,\u201d she said. The mentoring\ngradually impacted UliMus\u2019 growth. Previously earning Rp1-1.5 million\nmonthly, her revenue now reaches Rp5-7 million per month. During last\nyear\u2019s Eid period, her revenue even hit Rp25 million in a single month.\nIn addition to online sales via marketplaces, Uli actively participates\nin various UMKM bazaars and exhibitions. Uli recounted a memorable\nexperience at the 2024 Nusantara UMKM Bazaar at Soekarno-Hatta Airport,\norganised by Rumah BUMN Jakarta. She was surprised many buyers were\nforeign nationals. \u201cWe never expected so many foreign buyers\u2014from\nThailand, India, even Japan,\u201d she said. UliMus products were also\npurchased by consumers from Japan and Singapore at exhibitions in\nJakarta. The largest overseas sale was around Rp2 million for seven\nkilograms of products. An Indonesian diaspora living in Australia even\nvisited her production house and bought products worth around AU$100. To\ndevelop her current products, Uli spent nine months experimenting and\nresearching until she found a recipe that met customer tastes. Se<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/under-rp100-000-ulimus-expands-into-modern-retail-and-supports-autism-inclusion-1780289141",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}