The secret of successful female entrepreneurs
In recent years, responding to the "Women's Entrepreneurship" movement, hundreds of models of women who are good at business have appeared in Nghe An. They not only create economic values and community benefits but are also exemplary women who are good at both national and household chores.
Vibrant startup model
Ms. Tran Thi Nhu Hoa (born in 1979), residing in Hung Loc commune, Vinh city, used to be a disabled mother, raising her child alone with many difficulties and hardships. Overcoming adversity, she became the owner of a special sewing workshop; because of her more than 10 tailors, most of them have physical disabilities.
Ms. Hoa said that she approached sewing after having worked in many jobs such as selling fruits and selling groceries to earn money to raise her children. She learned sewing at the workshop with many "supporting roles" such as making buttons, sewing buttons, and sewing simple products. After a period of effort, she became a master craftsman and was able to handle products that required high techniques.
After a short period of apprenticeship at a garment factory, Ms. Hoa boldly opened her own establishment. At first, she only recruited a few employees, but as the number of customers increased, she hired more employees and paid them a stable salary of 6-10 million VND/month. Workers came to her without any skills, so she trained them to be able to handle products that required complex cutting and sewing techniques, and to create new fashion products with her.
Sharing about the achievements after more than 10 years of starting a business, Ms. Tran Thi Nhu Hoa said: My garment shop is now very crowded with customers coming to order, although overloaded, we are always on time and receive compliments from customers. Each year, her shop has an average revenue of about 600 million VND.
Ms. Hoa added that the fashion tailoring profession is no longer as dominant in the market as it was about 10 years ago, but her tailor shop is still crowded with customers because it knows how to exploit the target audience and always takes care of the products.
In the province, there are also many women who have successfully started businesses with highly sustainable production and business models; such as the herbal model of Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang - Director of Hang Moon Herbal Import-Export Company Limited, Lam Son Commune (Do Luong) established in 2021. Ms. Hang is the owner of the Project "Bringing rural herbs to the market" which was recently honored at the contest organized by the Central Women's Union with the theme "Women start creative businesses, promoting local resources". Her project is highly appreciated for its creativity and safety. Skin and hair care products... are made by her facility from medicinal herbs grown right in her hometown such as lemongrass, stinking grass, mugwort, and basil.
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Ms. Nguyen Thi Hang said that in 2018, when she learned that medicinal plants have many safe healing, cleansing and beautifying properties, she decided to build a model. Initially, the product was not noticed by consumers, so she gave it to customers to try. When she won the hearts of customers because of the effectiveness of the product, she widely promoted it. The characteristics of rural areas are that people like to use products that are ingrained in their subconscious and are cheap, so changing their habits is not easy. However, with perseverance and passion for medicinal herbs, Ms. Hang and her colleagues have succeeded.
“I am a Geography teacher, one of my two friends is a Chemistry teacher, the other has a pharmacist degree, so we are quite confident in the effectiveness and safety of the product. Therefore, up to now, the product has more or less established a foothold in the community, generating about 1 billion VND in revenue each year.”
Practical support for membersstart up
In the past half term, to support members, Nghe An Provincial Women's Union issued Plan No. 272/KH-BTV dated August 1, 2023 "Support women in economic development, business start-up, and successful start-up"The 2023-2026 term is associated with the implementation of Project 939 "Supporting women to start businesses in the period 2017 - 2025", the annual implementation plan of the Project "Supporting women to start businesses".
Associations at all levels in the province have proactively developed activities and advised the People's Committee to allocate nearly 2,223 million VND to implement the project in 2024, while coordinating with relevant sectors to effectively implement the project.
In recent times, the association has focused on organizing training courses to improve capacity in supporting economic development, business start-ups, and entrepreneurship for association officials at all levels, women's association members, female business owners, cooperative and cooperative group managers. Promoting activities to support loans for economic development, entrepreneurship, and guiding the establishment of cooperative and cooperative group models managed by women. Mobilizing, supporting vocational training, introducing jobs for women, encouraging creative start-up ideas, and applying science and technology to participate in "Women's Entrepreneurship Day" organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women's Union, the People's Committee of Nghe An province, and the Provincial Women's Union.
Ms. Le Thi Huong Giang - Vice President of Provincial Women's Union
Ms. Giang also said that up to now, the association at all levels has organized support to improve capacity for 3,117 women who are business owners, cooperative managers, cooperative groups, and business owners; supported 616 ideas to connect and access capital sources worth 34.4 billion VND; coordinated to open vocational training classes and introduce vocational training to 24,989 female workers, after training, 18,136 workers have jobs.
During the half-term, the province supported the establishment of 7 cooperatives led by women with 77 female members, including: Agricultural Cooperatives in Nghia Yen and Nghia Tho communes, Nghia Dan district; Sen Vang Cooperative, Hung Loc commune, Vinh city; Hai Hoang Tofu Production and Processing Cooperative in Cua Nam ward, Vinh city; Nghe An Eel Production and Processing Cooperative, Hung Chinh commune, Vinh city; Diem Village Agricultural and Handicraft Cooperative, Chau Khe commune, Con Cuong district; Mulberry Growing Cooperative, Dang Son commune, Do Luong district.
The province has established 73 cooperative groups with 1,130 members. After establishing cooperatives, the cooperative groups are supported by the association at all levels to borrow capital, and are trained in knowledge about production processes and product quality management in a modern direction; regulations and standards when building OCOP products; Training on market research and identifying target market segments; Training on how to manage and operate booths on e-commerce platforms, training in science and technology on safe farming and planting in the direction of VietGAP, economic management skills, economic development business, etc.
