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A software engineer in Sri Lanka turned to entrepreneurship after losing his job and decided to open a small supermarket in his village instead of waiting for another offer
His small idea has now grown into a steady local business with strong daily sales. (Image: LinkedIn/Samitha Sulakkana)
A young software engineer in Sri Lanka has shared how losing his job turned out to be the start of a new business journey. After being laid off, he decided not to wait for another job and instead opened a small supermarket in his village.
What started as a simple local store has now grown into a steady business with strong daily sales. The store is reportedly making around Rs 50,000 in daily turnover, showing how quickly it has picked up in the area.
Job Loss Led To A New Start
The post was shared on LinkedIn by Samitha Sulakkana, where he spoke about how the layoff changed his plans. He said he had always seen himself working in software engineering, but the sudden job loss forced him to rethink his path.
In his post, he explained that instead of waiting for another opportunity, he decided to create one for himself. He noticed that his village did not have a proper mini supermarket, which gave him an idea for a new business.
“I was affected by a major layoff at my company. Like many professionals, I suddenly found myself facing uncertainty about the future,” he wrote.
He added, “As a software engineering graduate, I always envisioned my career in the technology industry. Software engineering is still my passion and I hope to remain connected to it. However, during that challenging period, I realised that opportunities do not always arrive in the form we expect. Instead of waiting for another opportunity, I decided to create one.”
Turning A Local Gap Into A Business
After identifying the need in his village, he took a risk and opened his own store. He said he wanted to do things differently from a regular shop and improve how customers interacted with the business.
Using his technical background, he built a simple online ordering system that allowed people to place orders from home and pay cash on delivery. This helped make shopping easier for local customers.
“As my first step, I developed a simple online ordering system with Cash on Delivery, allowing customers to place orders conveniently from home,” he wrote.
Growth In A Short Time
Within a few months, the store started seeing steady growth. He shared that in just three months, the business reached more than Rs 50,000 in daily sales. He also said that running the store helped him learn more about customer needs and daily business challenges.
Interacting with people from his village gave him better understanding of what they actually want from a local shop.
“Three months later, the business has grown to over Rs 50,000 in daily turnover. More importantly, I have gained valuable insights by interacting with customers daily and understanding the needs of my community,” he wrote.
Social Media Reacts
The post received positive reactions from users, with many praising his decision to start something new after losing his job.
A person wrote, “Brilliant. You are truly inspiring, Samitha.”
Another user shared, “Same story happened to me, buddy, last year. So I started my own clothing brand. QA is not just for software; it is about everything around us. I am now a quality-assured clothing brand owner, making beautiful outfits for my customers. Keep going, the ladder has more steps to climb.”
Another comment read, “Proud of you, Samitha.” Some users also asked him to share more details about his business journey, including challenges and costs, while others simply called it “Awesome” and “Inspiring.”
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