ONLINE BOOKSTORE OPTIONS TO HELP YOUNG PEOPLE

“Books are the windows of the world”; This expression is a principle for all people who love reading, as well as Gerson João de Jesus Filipe Ximenes, who runs an online bookstore business. The young Timorese was born in Baukau on January 2, 1994. He is the second child of six children. Gerson's parents are João de Jesus Ribeiro Ximenes and Angelina Filipe Ximenes.

As a child, Gerson dreamed of working as a drug producer or opening a pharmaceutical industry in Baukau Vila, to help the sick. But today, Gerson helps fellow Timorese through another means is an online bookstore business that he calls 'I Learn Bookstore'

Gerson chose the name 'I Learn Bookstore' because he wanted to invite young people to know and share with others the importance of reading in one's life; for Gerson knew that when a man reads, he learns; The more he reads, the more he will know.

The business exists because of two important moments. First, in 2019 when Gerson began writing his monograph, he faced a challenge that he could not access and buy the philosophical reference books he needed in libraries and bookstores in Dili to support his research. At the time, Gerson thought another fellow student was facing the same problem as him.

Second, from June to July 2020, he participated in the 'readIN 100-People Reading Movement' activity that brought together Timorese youth to learn about the method and analysis of reading together with speakers and mentors, via webinar. This experience changed Gerson's mind about the preconception “Today Timorese are not interested in reading, let alone young people”. Through observing the interaction of participants and speakers at this fifth virtual meeting, Gerson concluded that many young people were interested in reading books with the categories of self-improvement, economics, biography and novel, and many participants confess that the book they need is not sold in bookstores in Dili.

Of the many groups enabled by this activity, Gerson chose the ‘Entrepreneurship’ group and read the book The Lean Startup (Eric Ries). This book helped him a lot, especially to understand how to choose products, determine customer potential, convey the message of a product's utility and pivot so that a business can survive (sustainable).

These two challenges are enough to motivate Gerson to find solutions to provide books or facilitate fellow Timorese, especially university students to get the books they need. But because he didn't have enough ideas on how to run a good online business, Gerson took advantage of the lockdown period (COVID-19) to learn by reading articles on google and watching tutorial videos on YouTube. Gerson did 4 months of research to find out about the value that the business will give to customers, potential book supplier companies, package transportation to Dili, sales and promotion strategies that are very important when running 'o business uses social media.

The first person to support Gerson's business idea and also make a capital investment of $200.00 was his mistress, Matilda Mártires. Thus, in July 2020, the first supplier that Gerson contacted and transferred $316.00 to buy books was @bukupreneur. The supplier also helped Gerson share information related to other large book companies in Indonesia. And until today, I Learn Bookstore can sell books in various categories and can meet customers' orders because it has permanent suppliers such as Gramedia Pustaka Utama, Periplus, BACA Publishers and Mizan Media Utama.

After waiting for a month and a half due to strict restrictions at the land border, the first package could arrive in Dili. And Gerson began selling these books in September 2020. When he started, many of Gerson's colleagues considered that he was taking a risk on a service that he himself would not be able to control because he lacked relevant knowledge and experience. But the experience of readIN's activities has convinced Gerson to continue the business with many potential customers who will help the business survive and become sustainable.

In addition, another challenge is that the demand of customers is greater than or more than the financial capacity of I Learn Bookstore in the first month of service. Therefore, at that time Gerson had to return to Baukau to ask for support of $ 500.00 to his parents and also ask for help to his friend Nedalia Francisca to lend $ 150.00 to him. With their help, I Learn Bookstore's obligation to process books ordered by customers was finally relieved.

To make more people aware of the existence ofI Learn Bookstore, Gerson took the initiative to create a whatapp group that brings together family and friends who want to contribute by posting photos of books and I Learn Bookstore services on their social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp).

Learning from the advice of Jeff Bezos, Gerson said “we always try to create a good impression on our new customers. Because it is well aware that the essential element of business success is the customer. Arguably, this is the key to why I Learn Bookstore has survived to this day.”

In November 2020, I Learn Bookstore had the opportunity to participate in the “Women and Youth Business Incubator Program” organized by The Asia Foundation Timor-Leste. After presenting a business plan and becoming a winner along with four other groups, I Learn Bookstore received $2,000.00 in capital investment support and other benefits such as business training, mentoring and networking events that the program offers. This experience motivated Gerson to decide to start studying accounting at the Institute of Business (IOB) in 2021.

During 2021, Gerson runs the I Learn Bookstore service together with his colleagues, Serílio Verdial and Eduardo da Silva who regularly help to deliver and share ideas related to customers' suggestions. But since in early 2022 the two friends began to focus on the profession of teacher and journalism courses, so, Gerson continued to work with his friend Nenia Alves and his brother Renio Ximenes. From working with this small, tireless team, to date I Learn Bookstore has served more than 500 customers, mostly university and high school students; also established a system of selling titip with Xanana Gusmão Reading Room and Leader Hypermarket, to facilitate customers to verify that I Learn Bookstore sells original books.

Gerson said that many customers wish success and thank the I Learn Bookstore team for facilitating and ensuring that they can get books that can have a positive impact on their lives, by improving their skills, changing their habits, outlook, and above all help their studies.

“I ordered a lot of books that touched on universal history and some self-improvement. Like the book by author Tan Malaka, it helped me to better understand the economy before and after the great wars that we went through until today”, I Learn Bookstore customer Nobelinha said 'you are.

Another customer, Alicia, stated that, “Books from I Learn Bookstore have helped me in the process of character formation, coming to terms with the reality of life that sometimes does not meet my expectations, knowing how to define a reason to always have courage and do not lose hope in difficult situations”.

On the other hand, Trilonia said, “I bought many books from I Learn Bookstore to support my studies as a reference and complete other topics that our lecturer asked us to do research on our own”.

When it was learned that Gerson was also a participant of the readIN 100-People Reading Movement, the organizer of the readIN activity, Nelania Doutel Sarmento, expressed her pride and joy. Nelania, who is also the first customer ofI Learn Bookstore, said “I feel very proud when I see participants from readIN activities themselves being inspired to establish their own business.”

Nelania explained further, she “believes that with the existence of I Learn Bookstore can contribute to expand the vision that the team wants to achieve by facilitating the creation of conditions for young people to access the books they need, empower themselves and broaden their perceptions with the reading they do.”

With the experience of I Learn Bookstore, Gerson and his team hope that this small business can serve more people and inspire many young Timorese to take the initiative to contribute to solving social problems through their creativity, so as to concretize the work in collaboration for the development of the beloved land of Timor-Leste.

Author: Gerson João de Jesus Filipe Ximenes and Nenia Adelfinato Soares Alves

* Secretary of State for Youth and Sports (SEJD) and Alumni of the Timor-Leste Youth Parliament (APFTL).