KUALA TERENGGANU: It was worth a sacrifice by a young mother from Terengganu to travel all the way to Jakarta, Indonesia, to learn to repair shoes and handbags, as the knowledge and skills have enabled her to make a living.

Aini Eliani Khalid, 28, said handbags and shoes required special care to make them long lasting, like cleaning them with special lotion and shampoo.

"Although it looks easy, maintaining shoes and handbags requires a high degree of care, especially the branded ones that cost thousands of ringgit," she said when met at her house near Kampung Tualang, here.

It was for that reason that she was prepared to attend various courses , including abroad, to improve her skills to enable her to set up Shoelab Services to help repair shoes and handbags, as such a service was not available in Terengganu then.

"Whether they are canvas, leather, velvet, nylon or PVC shoes or handbags, I can repair and clean them so that they look new again.

"The charge varies from RM20 to RM60 for cleaning and RM60 to RM150 for recolouring. The bags and shoes have to go through a specific treatment process just like in a beauty spa. It starts with removing the dust and dirt, washing, wiping and drying them, which has to be done repeatedly for optimum results," she added.

Aini Eliani, who graduated with a Bachelor's degree in International Business from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), said since she opened her Shoelab Services, she had helped to repair some 800 shoes and handbags.

"There was an occasion when a customer sent a real worn out shoes, the smell was terrible smell and there was a frog and animal faeces inside them," she added.

Apart from promoting her business on social media such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, she said, it was also spread by word-of-mouth by customers who are satisfied with her work.

Aini Eliani, who said, she was now able to earn between RM3,500 and RM4,000 a month from the business, thanked various government departments and agencies, such as the Terengganu Entrepreneur Development Foundation (YPU) and SME Corporation Malaysia for their support and assistance.

"I received a funding grant from YPU through the Usahawan Graduan Sejahtera Programme of RM12,000 and RM15,000 though the SME Corp's Tunas Usahawan Belia Bumiputera Programme," she added.

She also attended various courses and training organised by Institut Keusahawanan Negara Berhad and MARA on the ins and outs of business.

On her plans, Aini Eliani said she hoped to produce her own brand of shampoo, detergent and moisturizing lotion for shoes and handbags.

-- BERNAMA