Kuta Bali is a soup bowl of small businesses all trying to figure out capitalism. Some have success then find out the local environment swallows them up, or too many people copy them. Others simply never crack it and disappear from view. One person who has been around for a while and is prospering is a friend of Ika's called Yoche (pronounced Oche) from W.Timor. Yoche is a quiet person but her shop on Poppies I is a little beacon of stability for her friends who are mostly Indonesians from all over the country, here in Bali trying to make a living. My opinion of Yoche is high.
She seems a very nice, honest and good natured person, that's why I am recommending her to those overseas wanting to import her goods.
Baliblog: Yoche you are from Kupang, W.Timor. How old are you?
Yoche: I'm 27.
Baliblog: How many years have you been in Bali?
Yoche: I've been here 8 years yeah.
Baliblog: How many years have you had this shop?
Yoche: 5 years.
Baliblog: You opened this shop with your sister. What's her name?
Yoche: My sister's name is Yenni.
Baliblog: Does she still work here?
Yoche: No.
Baliblog: Why did you open this shop, or what gave you the idea?
Yoche: Well before my sister is working with someone and they sell something like this.
Baliblog: Did you start with the masks, or start with the beads?
Yoche: No. The first is start is beads.
Baliblog: You have a lot of nice masks.
Yoche: Yeah.
Baliblog: So basically its masks and bracelets and necklaces.
Yoche: And anklets and belts.
Baliblog: Tell me about the kinds of beads you use.
Yoche: Plastic.
Baliblog: All plastic?
Yoche: No. Some plastic, some glass, some coconut, and then bamboo, shells.
Baliblog: I don't know anything about jewelry, so I just want you to tell me things that I can write. What kind of styles do you have?
Yoche: Styles?
Baliblog: Is there a design or style that you like?
Yoche: The shell one and then this one is our best seller (blue necklace).
Baliblog: Okay, people are going to ask me about prices and I don't want you to give me your best price, just the medium price.
Yoche: If making a bracelet, 1 set, its 15,000rp (necklace and bracelet), and the shell necklace is 5,000rp.
Baliblog: What kind of large numbers are you looking for? If someone can buy 100, or 1,000, or 10,000 what is a good number for you?
Yoche: If more than 100 pieces I can give the blue necklace and bracelet for 10,000rp per pair.
Baliblog: What about more than 1,000 pieces?
Yoche: Maybe around 7,000-8,000rp.
Baliblog: If someone overseas is sitting reading this and are wondering how do I get the money to you and how do you get this stuff to me. How does it work?
Yoche: They send me money and then I send their items which ever way they want it. I can do from cargo or from DHL. If they want it quick, then from DHL.
Baliblog: Cargo, is that regular mail or is that shipping company?
Yoche: Shipping company.
Baliblog: How do you accept payment, by credit card of what?
Yoche: No. They can send money to my bank account or use Western Union.
Baliblog: Okay Yoche, supposing someone walks in off the street and wants one of the small carved masks. What's the best you can do?
Yoche: I can for 22,000rp.
Baliblog: What about the big ones?
Yoche: The big one are 75,000rp
Baliblog: What about the long thin masks.
Yoche: They are 50,000rp.
Baliblog: How long does it take you make one of these bracelets?
Yoche: I can make 100 for a day.
Baliblog: Your shop is open 7 days a week?
Yoche: Yes.
Baliblog: What hours open and close?
Yoche: 9am till 10pm.
Baliblog: What do you think makes your beads better than other people's beads?
Yoche: Because I make by myself so I make sure that its really strong, good quality, so not like the other. They make so quick you know, they don't care about the quality. Once before I have some orders so I cannot do by myself, so I hired someone else. When they were finished I checked all of them and some broke. That's why I don't like to pay someone to make it. That's why if I have an order I ask them to give me a little bit more time, so I can do by myself.
Baliblog: Anything else you'd like to tell the customer about your shop?
Yoche: Yeah like they can trust me. I can send for them like, on time. I do my best.
Aini Shop(Made to order necklace, bracelet, handicraft)
Poppies Lane I #38D
Kuta
Bali
Email : yen_44@hotmail.com
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{ 4 comments }
G’Day Nick,
Nice interview of a nice lady and her business. She would be good to trade with if one wanted to buy bulk from her but a tad ruthless in bargaining!.
Does she sell only topeng from Bali or does she have topeng from Jawa and the other islands?.
Good foto of your bike mate!.
Hi Nick
Was in this shop on Bali in Oct 2004
and the jewlery is really good and
beautiful. It was also a good price
and it has held together unlike
some others I bought at the same
time frim diffrent shop.
From Debra
Barrie, I’m not an expert on masks, she does have some nice one though.
Debra, I wondered why Yoche is doing so well when there are many bead shops. I think what she says is true, she has been around for 5 years for a reason, good quality and trustworthiness. Yoche told me she has 30 customers overseas ho are repeat customers. She sees the value in being honest and reliable.
G’day Nick,
I’ll check the shop out. I collect topeng and have a good collection from Jawa and Sumatra etc.
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