Rendy Ekaputra’s business began with his mother’s leftover scraps.

As a budding entrepreneur, in 2011, Rendy took the excess materials from his mother’s handbag business and created five bags of his own. And with the sale of three, DYA DHAIRYA, a handbag and accessories brand in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was launched.

Today, Rendy works with 25 artisans to make bags out of leather and canvas. He says demand for his handbags, purses, and laptop cases has grown steadily. With DYA DHAIRYA’s sales team fielding an increasing number of customer inquiries from across Indonesia and neighboring Malaysia, Rendy wanted to ensure their engagement was consistent and well organized.

So, in June 2018, DYA DHAIRYA began using the WhatsApp Business app. The business receives about 20 new customer inquiries each day, 70 percent of which result in sales.

“With WhatsApp Business, we can personalize our exchanges and be more persuasive with customers who at first are just inquiring about our products and haven’t decided to buy,” explains Rendy.

The business receives about 20 new customer inquiries each day, 70 percent of which result in sales

The WhatsApp Business app’s labels feature helps DYA DHAIRYA organize customer inquiries and orders. And the away messages feature allows the business to operate outside regular hours.

“I work during the day, so I can only browse their products and make inquiries in the evening, when they are closed. They always reply quickly and the next day, send me pictures of the bags via WhatsApp,” says a customer who lives more than 840 miles away in Indonesia’s South Kalimantan province.

Rendy wants to expand his brand’s reach and focus on finding ways to attract more people to his bright and versatile offerings.

“I began with no knowledge about the bags business,” he says. “I hope DYA DHAIRYA will become a top-of-mind brand for women in Indonesia.”

With the WhatsApp Business app allowing Rendy’s start-up to connect with customers the way a larger business could, it is off to a promising start.