PERMINTAAN MUSIMAN DAN STRATEGI BERTAHAN UMKM DI SEKITAR KAMPUS DI KOTA KENDARI

Abstrak

This study examines how micro enterprises around university campuses depend on the academic calendar and how they survive its recurring fluctuations in demand. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, it analyses ten conveniently selected micro enterprises in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (food stalls, beverage kiosks, a barbershop, a photocopy shop, a fruit vendor, a flower-bouquet maker and a grocery kiosk). Data came from structured interviews and observation sheets collected in September–October 2026 and were examined through thematic analysis that compared the enterprises. The findings show that the academic calendar works as an institutional seasonality operating in three nested cycles: daily lecture hours, weekly lecture days versus weekends, and semester terms versus breaks, punctuated by academic events such as thesis examinations and graduation. The direction of dependence differs by spatial node: on-campus businesses peak on lecture days, while some off-campus businesses, notably a grocery kiosk in a boarding-house cluster, peak at weekends. Perishable stock, fixed rent and weak bookkeeping deepen vulnerability, whereas unpaid family labour and other household income act as buffers. Survival strategies combine widespread reactive coping with proactive strategies such as digital channels, products timed to academic events and new branches, which most enterprises pursue but on a small scale; relational practices such as deferred payment and customer rapport help retain students across semesters. Off-season planning, simple bookkeeping and campus–vendor coordination are recommended.