Story of Vietnamese businesswoman in career

"Starting up a business is very tough. At that time, I had to do many jobs. I sometimes felt tired and wanted to quit," Dang Thanh Huong, 42, director of Vinh Phat garment company, told Xinhua about her career in Vietnam's capital Hanoi.

While studying at university, Huong decided to learn sewing to get money for her school fee and to share the burden with her mother.

Huong started her business with only 200,000 Vietnamese dong (nearly 9 U.S. dollars). She did cutting, sewing and delivering products. She brought her products to sell at local markets but was unable to sell them.

"I went through many difficulties in establishing my business. My products were unable to be sold as customers did not like them," Huong said.

Huong later tried to persuade customers and finally her products were sold and she was able to earn money.

The year 1999 was an unforgettable mark in her course of setting up her business. Huong was cheated by a friend. She lost all her money and there were only 700,000 Vietnamese dong (over 31 U.S. dollars) left.

"I was almost empty-handed after being cheated. I was in panic. My family did not believe that I was cheated and thought I failed in business," Huong told Xinhua. "My mother told me to give up, but I told her that it was the road I had chosen."

With 700,000 Vietnamese dong in hands, Huong was only able to buy fabric scraps.

"I had to select from the scrap fabrics to make clothes and other products. Small pieces were used to make kids' gloves and socks, while bigger pieces were used to make kid's hat."

"It was a tough period of time when I slept only three hours a day," Huong said.

Luckily, the products were sold out. Gradually, Huong had more money to buy better fabrics to make better products for higher profit.

Her house in Hanoi was then used as a workshop. As her workshop created jobs for people with disabilities, the Women's Union provided Huong a preferential loan of 10 million Vietnamese dong (over 448 U.S. dollars) with interest rate of 0.65 percent a year from Vietnam Bank of Social Policies. With the money, Huong bought more sewing machines.

When her business developed, Huong decided to buy land in northern Hung Yen province to build a sewing workshop. In 2007, Huong established Vinh Phat garment factory.

At present, Huong has a main garment factory in Hung Yen, and other workshops in Vietnam's northern Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Bac Ninh provinces.

Her products were sold at big supermarkets across Vietnam, including AEON, Big C, Coopmart and Vinatex, among others. Her company also signed contracts with foreign companies to provide processing of garment products.

"My company has developed steadily with average annual growth of 15-20 percent in the past years," Huong told Xinhua. Her company currently has over 120 permanent staff and many other part-time employees in various provinces.

Huong said young people now are enjoying more favorable conditions for setting up business in terms of technology, consultation, among others.

Huong is now chairman of a club on career developing under a university in Hanoi. She often shares with students about her experiences and provides support for young people in establishing their own businesses.