Financing Access Paves the Way for Wingko Babat Business Growth

Funds from banking were also used to buy grating machines, which helped his kitchen’s capacity continue to develop. Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA) - The aroma of coconut and glutinous rice wafts from a simple production house in a corner of Semarang City. There, Slamet and his wife, Novi, process wingko babat dough almost every day, a traditional snack made from grated young coconut, glutinous rice flour, and sugar. Behind the blazing stoves, this small business holds a long story of courage in leaving one’s comfort zone, persevering amid raw material price pressures, and utilising financing to grow. Slamet is not an entrepreneur who dreamed from the start of becoming a wingko maker. Previously, he worked as an employee at one of the large furniture manufacturing companies. The repetitive work routine made him bored. From that point, he began seeking another path. Around 2010, Slamet started learning to make wingko babat from a trader from Lamongan. Initially, the activity was just a side job. In the mornings, he sold, and in the afternoons, he still went to work as an employee. Four years later, he chose to focus on his wingko business. Building the business through loans. Slamet started on a small scale, with raw materials purchased ranging from two to three kilograms. From that small amount, he learned to read the market, maintain taste, and build customers gradually.