Aspiring Entrepreneurs: Pop-Up Store Workers
KUALA LUMPUR: Pop-up stores are a great way for the young to develop a taste of what to expect, especially when they are aspiring to become an entrepreneur in the near future.
By undertaking this type of labor, it presents students with invaluable insights whilst also letting them develop a certain mindset that may very well come in handy in the entrepreneurial business or surrounding fields of work.
With that being said, it’s not as easy as attending a shop and handing over customers a bowl or food according to what they want; it’s an experience much more than that and is something that just can’t be learnt through rudimentary lectures and practicals alone.
Asking students who had experience participating in these pop-up store events, their insights tell that there is a plethora more than what is to be seen by the common passersby.
For the 22-year-old Degree in Broadcasting student studying at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TARUMT), Qiao Yi or Joey as she prefers to be called by is a food vendor helper of a stall serving tantalizing food of Hong Kong origin.
Qiao Yi, 22-year-old, who also goes by Joey, is a food vendor helper of a stall serving tantalizing food of Hong Kong origin. She is a degree student studying broadcasting at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TARUMT).
Despite it being her first time taking part in such an event, she has learnt a great deal about the potential benefits working at such pop-up stores can provide, coupling it with the advantages it may bring to an aspiring entrepreneur’s future.
“It increases the communication skills for the students, especially when they are doing events so they meet many people. During the PNP for the event, they can communicate with students…
“I think through the process of when we help them, we can know how stalls operate. Maybe if people are interested in starting their own booth or small shop, it can help them to know how this micro-business actually works,” She said.
Through these types of business, Joey thinks that it can benefit students and help improve their communicational skills and give them a good understanding on how these types of micro-businesses work.
For the 21-year-old Degree in Information System student studying at TARUMT, Yue Qi Fuh, as the organizer who is responsible for gathering students to help participate in operating a food stall to raise funds for their society, he looks into the process of how it’s organized.
For the organizing process, Yue Qi states that they start with a meeting first, and as the person who came up with the idea of operating a food stall, he is the one responsible for gathering all of the committee, discussing how they’re going to proceed, and finally delegating roles.
“For example, one person goes and finds the suppliers for the waffles, and one person is in charge of applying the activity to DSA (Department of Student Affairs),” He added.
“You learn a lot. You learn how to manage your time, you learn how to do all of this work, and manage an entire team of people, like helpers and such. You get a lot from this experience.” Yue continued when asked if he recommends if others should participate.
All in all, for students wanting to learn and gain experience that they may very well need when pursuing an entrepreneurial career, pop-up stores or micro-businesses alike are an effective way