PERTANIKA JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

The development of small and medium enterprises has become the Indonesian government's priority to strengthen the national economy. Traditional society is a group which needs special attention since not all government's development programmes can be implemented and are suitable. Traditional society has its own experience in developing business such as the patron-client relationship. The patron-client relationship is one of the existing cultural heritages. Amidst views which considers the relationship exploitative, the pattern is still spreading in traditional society. This study shows that patron-client relationship is the best choice for traditional society since it does not erase their culture. In fact, it helps to develop and protect culture amid today's modernity.