GIDEON HARTONO: THE FOUNDER OF APOTEK K-24

A businessman from Yogyakarta is successful to develop chain pharmacy that opens for 24 hours. For partnership candidates, an opportunity is open for franchise!

Building business does not have to start from complicating market survey. Moreover, spending a lot of money that does not guarantee satisfying result. Business instinct sometimes becomes a guidance that leads to success. At least, this is what Gideon Hartono did in order to establish franchise business Apotek K-24.

When he decided to build a pharmacy business that opens for 24 hours in Jogja, he did not start it with market research at all. He did not think as well whether the pharmacy he ran would be accepted by people or not. One thing for sure, Gideon relied on his instinct as a businessman. His instinct said that there is high chance in pharmacy business in that education city.

In fact, the business instinct of the father of two sons was proven to be sharp. It can be proven when he started his pharmacy business with Apotek K-24 brand, people’s responds were great. Since it was first opened on 24 October 2002, the number of customers kept increasing. On the first three months, people’s response was not that obvious. However, entering the next trimester, the customers’ visit was increasing significantly.

The success of first pharmacy opened on Jl. Magelang, Jogja, motivated him to launch similar outlets in other places. In 2003, exactly on 24 March and 24 August, he launched two more outlets in Jl. Gejayan and Jl. Kaliurang. Meanwhile, on the last 24 February, he took a step to spread his wings in Semarang, Central Java to open similar outlet.

It seems like the 24th in each month is Gideon’s special date. In fact, he always opened new outlet on the 24th. Moreover, the salary of his employees is also distributed on that date. “Everytime I open new outlet, I always choose the 24th. It has the same thing to do with the employee’s salary. If the 24th falls on Sunday, the payday will be forwarded, not postponed. However, it is not related to hongsui because I do not believe hongsui, “ said the doctor of Puskesmas (Community Health Center) Gondokusuman II. who took leave because of some responsibilities.

The father of two sons who is also medical doctor said that he did not think that the pharmacy he established will be developed that quick. Not long ago, he even got an award from Indonesia World Record Indonesia (MURI) because Apotek K-24 set the record of the first pharmacy that always opens for 24 hours, 365 days, and never closes with the same price during the day, night, weekdays, and holiday. “Since it was first opened, it never closed even once,” said Gideon who felt happy with that award.

According to Gideon, he did not think that the market potential for pharmacy in Jogja and Semarang was still that huge. He revealed that the income of every outlet he managed kept showing increasing number. Right now, every outlet in a month is able to record selling number about 350-500 items which is up to Rp. 250-300 millions.

Gideon said that he did not take large profit from the medicine he sells. He took profit from selling income. Actually, if he wanted to, he got a fairly large margin from the distributor in between 20-40 percents. However, he did not take the whole profit margin. “I only take about 17-25%, and the rest is for the customers to enjoy,” he said.

According to Gideon, he entered pharmacy business not to be oriented to profit. There is an idealism he wanted to achieve with that pharmacy, such as serving people to get an easy access to find medicine.

That is why he planned to open Apotek K-24 as many as possible.

At least, he wanted to develop it in all cities in Java. To achieve that goal, he applied franchise system. Right now, at least there are several businessmen who are ready to purchase franchise. However, there are only two outlets which are ready to launch this year. Both of them are in Jogja and Surabaya.

Actually, according to Gideon, there are already many investors who are willing to purchase Apotek K-24 franchise. However, those potential investors are not all accepted. He applied tight selection because he does not want to open an outlet which is later closed because it cannot be developed. At least, the franchisee has to be prepared to be business operator, “we do not want to get passive investors,” he said.

Before deciding to sell franchise, Gideon admitted that he has to do a survey about the location eligibility for business location. Location is the most considered factor. “If the location is good, we can make decision after it.” said the man who loves reading.

Gideon said that some of his business location are all in rent status, with rental period from 3 to 6 years and the rental price is about Rp. 17 to 40 million in a year. However, to survey the location, he is very selective, at least he has to know the owner personally. In the agreement, he applied point that if the contract cannot be extended, the building are not allowed to be used for the same business.” If they do not agree with that point, we prefer to step back because it shows bad intention,” he said.

To get franchise, at least the investor has to prepare budget for Rp. 300-Rp. 600 million. The amount of investment depends on the preparedness of potential investor. The potential investor who already owned pharmacy business but it did not work well so that they want to join K-24 chain, it obviously needs smaller investment budget compared to those who started from zero.

Meanwhile, according to Nur Feriyanto, M.Si, a business analyst from Indonesia Islamic University (UII) Yogyakarta, there are several things that help Gideon to be successful in building Apotek K-24. Besides because of his competence in taking market opportunities, he is also smart in running his business strategy.

According to the Vice Director of Post-Graduate Management Program UII, Gideon saw that there is market’s need in pharmacy that opens for 24 hours in Jogja. Even though there is already pharmacy that did the same concept, it seems to still lack of it because there is no guarantee that the price is always the same all the time, “This is what Apotek K-24 provides, it opens nonstop with the guarantee of the same price and unchanged, even if during the day or night,” he said.

One thing that is also interesting according to Nur, since the first time the pharmacy established, Gideon seems to have prepared mature concept by building the branding and clear positioning. It can be seen from the interesting appearance from all outlets of Apotek K-24. “The sure thing is, both of exterior and interior make it easy to differ Apotek K-24 from other pharmacies.” said Nur.

Seeing the success of this man, it is possible that there are many people who do not think that Gideon built his business from his own effort. Since he was teen, Gideon had tried to be independent. He was born from poor family that makes him work harder to help making money for his family.

The fifth child from seven siblings, since he was in junior high school, he already helped his family to make money by working as a freelance photographer. When he was high school, he often joined photography competition and won. “I purposely joined photo competition with money prize because I needed to make money,” said the man who was born on 10 October 1963.

Besides making money from joining photo contest, this man who loves to read also provide mathematics, physics, and chemistry private lesson in his small house which was located in Kranggan, Jogja. “I gave all the money I got to my mother,” he said. He felt proud when he could give money to his mother.

From the savings he deposited to his mother as the prize of photo competition, he succeeded to create small photo studio. Here, his photography business developed. Therefore, in the 1990s, Gideon succeeded to launch photo studio with the most sophisticated tools in Jogja at that time. “Thankfully, I have photography skill which helps to change our life,” he said.

From the photography business as well Gideon can invest money as much as Rp. 400 million to build an outlet of Apotek K-24. Gideon now prepares a system so that the operational of the pharmacy outlets would not depend on him anymore. With the most advanced system, it is expected that Gideon did not need to handle company operation. Even though some of his business is handled by the family member, he keeps wanting to do his business professionally.

Sumber : http://forum.kafegaul.com/showthread.php?t=135197