Sidoarjo, Wednesday, August 6, 2025 – The Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Airlangga (FEB UNAIR) together with the Business Competition Supervisory Commission (KPPU) held a community service (pengmas) activity as part of the effort to empower MSMEs in the digital era. In this program, the student group @aksiumk.sidoarjo chose the Sidoarjo area as the location for the community service and accompanied three local MSMEs, namely Alvino Jaya Motor, Warung Nasi Campur Munaro, and Herman Jati. This activity took place from July to August 2025 and was a form of real contribution in supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number 8, namely Decent Work and Economic Growth.
The background to this activity stems from the reality that many MSMEs still struggle to utilize digital technology to grow their businesses. Some common obstacles include a lack of understanding of digital marketing, low financial literacy, and suboptimal use of platforms like Google Maps or online food delivery services. Therefore, a community service team consisting of three Economics students was present to provide direct and targeted assistance. Documentation of this activity was also shared through the Instagram account @aksiumk.sidoarjo.
At Alvino Jaya Motor, an automotive MSME located at Bluru Kidul No. 65, Sidoarjo, assistance was provided through the activation of the @motoralvinojaya Instagram account, the creation of a product catalog, and promotions in the WhatsApp group. In addition, the @aksiumk.sidoarjo team also assisted with the activation of QRIS for cashless transactions, location updates on Google Maps, and the creation of a Linktree for consumers to more easily access service information.
Meanwhile, for Warung Nasi Campur Munaro, the focus of mentoring is on digitalizing services and strengthening branding. The business is now listed on the GrabFood and ShopeeFood platforms, complementing its previously GoFood-only presence. Students also helped create logos, banners, and promotional posters, and provided education on customer service in the culinary industry. Promotions are also conducted through WhatsApp groups, and the business's location information on Google Maps is updated.
Meanwhile, for the Herman Jati water refill depot, mentoring activities included digital marketing and copywriting training, promotional material creation, QRIS activation, and optimizing business visibility through Google Maps. All of these steps aim to increase competitiveness and ease of service access for customers.
The impact of this initiative has already begun to be felt directly by MSMEs. Salsa, the owner of Warung Nasi Campur Munaro, admitted that the number of orders has increased since her business was listed on more food ordering platforms. "I didn't expect more customers to come from the app than before. Hopefully, it will get even busier in the future," she said.
In addition to benefiting MSMEs, this activity also provides a hands-on learning platform for FEB UNAIR students to apply the knowledge they have learned, from financial management and digital marketing to understanding the ethics of business competition. Supported by the KPPU (Commission for the Competition and Development of Indonesian Businesses), students are also provided with education on the importance of running a business fairly and sustainably and avoiding practices that harm the market.
This community service program is not just a short training program, but a strategic step in building a more adaptive MSME ecosystem to current developments. As stated by Alvino, owner of Alvino Jaya Motor, "This program has been very helpful to me. I hope activities like this can be carried out regularly so that MSMEs don't get left behind." Through this collaboration, FEB UNAIR and KPPU are strengthening the synergy between academics, government, and business actors in creating resilient and sustainable local economic growth. By: Kevin Putra Setiawan
