Business is not a name game, says Olga

The Jakarta Post , JAKARTA | Mon, 02/02/2009 11:42 AM | People

JP/P.J.LEO

JAKARTA: Fame does not guarantee success in business, says actress and presenter Olga Lydia.

“I’m sure that the prominence of the owner of the business has some effect on the business but I don’t know how much,” Olga told The Jakarta Post on Saturday. “But the most important thing is not the fame but the quality of the service.”

The 32-year-old started her businesses four years ago — joint ventures with colleagues and friends — which include a pool and lounge at Setiabudi Building and a restaurant at the Crowne Plaza, both in Jakarta.

“So far, all of the businesses have quite a lot of regular visitors. This is what we want. We want to have a kind of circle of customers,” she said.

Olga, who started her career as a model, will soon open another business — a restaurant and pub in Kemang, South Jakarta. This is also a joint venture with her friend actress and presenter Anya Dwinov and some “expert” partners.

“I’m lucky to have friends who are experts in the business and that makes me confident to make the investment even though many people might be very careful about investing in this so-called ‘crisis’ year,” she said.

The new restaurant and pub have been under preparation since last October and are scheduled for completion in late February.

“I chose this business because I like to eat. Choosing a business close to our hobbies or interests can help,” she said.

The actress, who loudly rejected the controversial pornographic law, graduated with a degree in civil engineering study from Bandung’s Parahyangan University in 1994.

She has hosted dozens of TV shows including the News dot Com and Republic Mimpi on Metro TV and Beyond Marketing Today on JakTV. — J/Matheos V. Messakh