Passion and Talent Needed to Become Entrepreneurs

Passion and Talent Needed to Become Entrepreneurs

VIB Forum interviewed Ms. Luong Thi Kim Anh, director of the V.E.C Trade Promotion Company.

Despite being set up for just one year, VEC has become a professional company. What are your experiences in running the company?

Before setting up VEC, I had worked as manager for two foreign companies in Vietnam for five years. At first, I did not dare to think that I would be successful as a manager as I graduated from the Chemical Department of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Opportunities came to me by chance, and I accepted a trial opportunity. After four months working as assistant to a project director, I was promoted to project director when my predecessor left for personal reasons. After the project was completed, I was assigned as director of the factory and then deputy general director. Three years working in that company gave me experience and management skills, especially in behaviour with other people in the company. Leaving the company at the age of 25, I was not confident enough to apply for the deputy general director of the Tomboy Company of the US, as only candidates aged over 30 were qualified. One friend applied for me. Through contacts, I qualified for the position with my experience in factory building. So, I was assigned to be in charge of the factory building and personnel recruitment for the company. Three years’ working for Tomboy was great for me, as I was responsible for all the work in the company when the general director travelled to other localities nationwide for marketing activities.

A new opportunity came to me when one of my friends, who returned home after finishing studies abroad, discussed with me about an idea of setting up our own company, operating in a brand new field in Vietnam, e-commerce. I was interested in the idea, as I thought it would be an objective tendency of the world economy and Vietnam should exploit this new business channel when it integrated in to the world economy. Vietnamese enterprises, especially, small and medium-sized ones do not have many opportunities to offer their products due to high costs of traditional trade promotion. Despite good working conditions at Tomboy, I thought that it was an opportunity to invest in e-commerce that I could not miss. Furthermore, I wanted to master everything, so I established VEC.

The experience I gained over five years helped me to quickly lead my company on a fast track. Now, we have 22 staff members, mainly young people. With our consultants, we want to help enterprises to be aware of and select e-commerce solutions, suitable with their strength. Also, we have launched an online trading floor to help small and medium-sized enterprises promote trade and export in particular. Now, our online trading floor has over 2,000 products of over 200 companies. Having exploited advertisement tools on the Internet, the floor has attracted more and more customers from countries in the world.

As a young successful woman manager, what do you think are your keys to success?

Before me, my family had had nobody working as businessperson. My father is a doctor and my mother, a teacher. I am an engineer. Apart from opportunities, passion and talent are needed to become an entrepreneur. The more I have worked as manager, the more I have found it interesting and this is the position helping me show all of my abilities.

However, society has yet to familiarise itself with the image of women entrepreneurs?

Society’s awareness of the role and position of women has yet to change much. Perhaps, people think that women are not suitable for business work. Let alone a fear that women’s role as wives and mothers would be negatively impacted. Clearly, to the advantage of women, business work has become easier. Their charm and elegance helps soften negotiations.  The flexibility and hospitality of women entrepreneurs will help build up relations within enterprises. However, women entrepreneurs should overcome their disadvantages, that is, timidity and meticulousness. To become successful, women entrepreneurs should be more decisive and kind-hearted.

After one year’s operation, what can you say about the development of VEC?

I am satisfied. This is because after one year VEC has become a prestigious company with qualified staff members and an increased number of customers. More importantly, we have created a good business opportunity and the company is now on fast track, suitable to the society’s needs. As a new company which is now in the investment period, we do not think much about revenues, but I am striving to make it profitable late this year.