The phrase ‘no pain, no gain’ still rings true for everyone who aspires to do great endeavours in their lives, and this was certainly the case for a street vendor in Johor.
For seven years, Jasmin Pannoot spent hours toiling under the hot sun by walking for about 10 kilometers every day around Dataran Pontian and Laman Diraja Pontian selling curry puffs, popularly known as ‘epok-epok’ in the state.
Struggled to make a living
Speaking to Kosmo, the 49-year-old said he kickstarted his Karipap Ale-Ale business with only RM40 in capital after having experienced several failed business ventures.
He revealed that he had a hard time adjusting to the hard work and stigma that came with being a street vendor.
At first, it was difficult to overcome the embarrassment of being a street vendor, but for the sake of my wife and seven children, I put aside all that and focus on survival,” he said.
Jasmin also said that he suffered immobility in both hands due to carrying baskets laden with curry puffs for hours. This then led him to purchase a trolley to help ease his efforts in selling curry puffs.
On top of that, Jasmin proceeded to launch a shop under the guidance of the Rubber Smallholder Authority and was able to make about 2,000 to 5,000 epok-epok a day.
Now earns up to RM80K a month
Today, Jasmin’s curry puff business had paid off massively for him, where he now earns between RM60,000 to RM80,000 a month and occasionally up to RM100,000 during the school holidays.
“The curry puffs I sell have various fillings such as potatoes, eggs, sardines, chicken, beef, pineapple, cheese, and vermicelli, with prices ranging from RM1 to RM5 depending on the size.
“As for the frozen curry puffs, they are sold at RM8 per pack, depending on the product and filling, along with S, M, L sizes for direct sales or online purchases,” he said.
Jasmin also said that he has come in contact with Singaporean entrepreneurs on how to market his curry puffs in the city state in the future.
He also said that he’s pleased to see his business provide jobs for young Malaysians and currently has 15 employees who are young adults.
Who said that hard work doesn’t pay off?
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