The economy in Indonesia is currently struggling. Many people are holding on tightly to their money, only spending on basic needs like food, transportation, and essential bills. As a snack seller, I heavily rely on the middle class those who still have some cash left to spend on non-essential items like snacks. But even they have started limiting their spending, and it's becoming harder each day to keep my business going.
Making even $10 a day feels like a major challenge now. I try to sell food with a reasonable profit margin, but my customer base mostly comes from the lower-income class, who are extremely price-sensitive. Many of them look for the cheapest option, and this puts pressure on me to keep prices low, which reduces my profit. I want to improve my product, but better ingredients cost more, and I can’t raise prices without losing buyers.
Meanwhile, some other snack sellers still get a lot of customers. The main reason is that they are already well-known in the community. People trust their products and are willing to pay more for them. I have tried many methods to grow my business changing recipes, adjusting prices, offering promotions but the results are always the same. On average, I only make around $5 per day.
This amount is not nearly enough to support a family of five. Every day is a struggle to make ends meet. I’m sharing this in hopes it provides some useful insight or awareness. Thank you for taking the time to read about my experience.
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