A local entrepreneur is encouraging unemployed Malaysians to put in the hard work and venture into business after a chat with a roadside vendor revealed the elderly man earns at least RM6,000 a month.
Hafizi Norizan took to Facebook to share how a casual conversation with the vendor led him to make some rough calculations regarding the man’s monthly income.
He wrote: “Earlier, I stopped by the roadside to buy coconut water to break my fast. As far as I can remember, he has been running this business at this same spot for over 10 years. While he was preparing my drink, I spontaneously started interviewing him.”
“I asked, ‘Uncle, how many coconuts can you sell on a normal day?’ He responded casually, ‘150 if it’s a good day, and around 100 if it’s raining.’ My brain automatically went into calculator mode. I took the average as 120 coconuts a day.”
Crunching the numbers
Based on these calculations, if the uncle sells 120 coconuts a day, that totals 3,600 coconuts over a 30-day month. With each coconut priced at RM5, he generates monthly sales of RM18,000.
“Yes. RM18,000. From selling coconut water by the roadside,” Hafizi noted.
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He also discovered that the uncle only takes two days off a year, during Chinese New Year, meaning he works 363 days a year. Furthermore, the vendor pays roughly RM450 a year in fines to the local council, which he considers “rent” for his roadside space. Hafizi factored this in as approximately RM50 a month.
Additional costs included RM300 a month for petrol for the uncle’s three-wheeled motorcycle, RM360 for plastic bags and straws, and RM10,800 for the wholesale cost of 3,600 coconuts. After deducting all expenses, Hafizi calculated that the uncle earns a net profit of RM6,490 a month.
“No office. No shop. No branding. No marketing team. Just one thing: work.”
The reality of entrepreneurship
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Hafizi went on to share how many people tend to complain about the difficult economy and the hardships of life, yet a man in his 60s is successfully earning over RM6,000 a month as a roadside vendor through sheer grit.
Consequently, he is encouraging those who have yet to find stable employment to not only consider starting a business but to pour all their effort into it.
“I am not inviting people with good careers to resign and sell coconut water. Running a business is not as easy as people think. The weather is hot, it rains, and it is exhausting. If your mental health isn’t strong, you may give up within three months,” he cautioned.
“Selling coconut water by the roadside is an example of an opportunity for the jobless because they have nothing to lose if they fail,” he added.
What do you think about this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Also read: Malaysian Entrepreneur Shares Powerful Life Lesson He Learned From Tissue Seller in Bukit Bintang
