An Entrepreneurial Story—Starting with 1 Million Dong in Capital

1. The Early Stage

My husband and I have been married for four years. We were both poor when we married. My father was ill, and with many expenses, I could save little from my teaching salary. My husband worked in construction but had gone almost 1 year without being paid, so he decided to leave and find another job.

My husband's new job paid 2.5 million/month. My salary was 5 million. After rent, food and other expenses, we saved VND 1 million in the first month. I really wanted a child then, but did not dare have one, because I certainly could not give a child a good life at that point. I used family planning… and geared myself up to earn money.

What could they do with 1 million in capital? The couple kept struggling to find an answer.

I am observant, and at the time I saw many mothers doing very well selling underwear, so I thought: Why not order a little to sell? But where could I find a wholesaler?

I searched Google with countless phrases related to underwear but got no results. Then, by casually chatting, I unexpectedly found a wholesaler with good prices. Like drowning people finding a lifeline, my husband and I rode over immediately. My first wholesale order was probably over 700k; I do not remember clearly. I remember buying my first pair of panties for 20 and selling it for 25k, earning 5k each. The first order was at 38 Lê Thanh Nghị, from a customer named Huyền Anh. She probably still does not know she was the first customer in my entrepreneurial journey. She bought 2 bras, giving me a total profit of 15k, and I charged 15k delivery for a journey of nearly 20 km, ladies. I came home at noon in scorching heat, yet felt happy—unbelievably happy.

It is strange: many people applying to be sales collaborators now turn up their noses at profits of 20–30k per product. Perhaps because I was poor back then, even a few thousand dong in profit seemed huge to me.

I would bring the goods back and sell them like that, letting profits generate more profits. I restocked as I sold. Each time I bought stock, I only had a few hundred thousand dong in capital. But it gradually increased, and 2 months later I bought a full 3 million dong's worth of stock. I felt I was buying so much, and it seemed so impressive.

Just as business was doing “reasonably well,” I had an accident. On the way home, a drunk man hit me, breaking two toe bones and requiring nearly two months of treatment. (I still have a huge scar on my foot that no pair of shoes can hide, however hard I try .

We had only just saved a few million when it all went to the hospital, leaving only a few hundred thousand.

Unable to work, I watched my husband rush to earn money like a moth to a flame. He worked during the day and delivered my orders at night. Although I was in pain, I was fiercely determined to earn money, taking out my computer every day to post dozens of listings. My husband never minded sun or rain; whenever a customer ordered, he delivered. One Sunday, a customer all the way at Thanh Trì Porcelain Factory ordered a pair of women's shorts. We lived in An Dương Vương, so you mothers know how far that was. After looking at the shorts, the customer refused them because they had no pockets, even though the photo I posted clearly showed none, and would not pay the delivery fee either. My husband returned and told me, upset. He was drenched in sweat. As he went into the bathroom to wash his face, I sat crying out of self-pity and love for him. When he asked why, I only dared say my leg hurt, not that I felt so sorry for him. He sat and massaged my leg and comforted me. I feel that my motivation to keep striving to this day comes from having a husband who always supports and loves me completely. For his wife, nothing is too much trouble. That's why they say, ‘When husband and wife are united, they can drain the East Sea,’ isn't it, mothers?

Writing this, looking back on the memories, brings tears again, ladies, even though I am a strong person.

Only after three months could I walk again. While my husband was at work, I secretly went out to deliver orders. When he discovered it one day, I had to lie: “I feel so trapped at home; I cannot bear it. I want to go outside for some air.” Air? More like breathing in money. How could I survive sitting at home forever, with so much to worry about?

I kept teaching and delivered goods on Saturdays and Sundays. I added some men's T-shirts to sell. When delivering, customers would say, “Oh, this shirt is lovely! Did you bring purple? I want a purple one too,” then ask for other colors I did not have with me. At home, I thought, “Why am I so stupid? If I take extra stock on deliveries, can't I sell more?” I put that into practice: from then on, even if a customer ordered only 1 shirt, I brought a whole bag. One day, an order on Hoàng Đạo Thành brought total profit of over one million, although the customer originally wanted only two shirts for 200k. I was thrilled. I continued selling this way on other orders. Initially, customers might plan to buy only for their husbands, but when I arrived they also wanted items for fathers, brothers-in-law, siblings, nieces, nephews and others… I still use this sales method today.

I began considering opening a store. I asked for opinions in groups, and one older man's comment made me read it over and over: “Your Facebook is a large store for which you pay no rent.” That single sentence truly opened my mind, ladies. It gave me strong confidence that online was the most promising market. I resolved to develop it.

2. Expand relationships

When shopping online, nobody can touch or feel the product; buyers purchase on “trust.” So how can you earn customers' trust? 
First, customers need to see your face and know your name.

I attended many in-person meetings and seminars organized by groups. However far away or busy I was, I made time to go. Those meetings brought joy, introduced me to many people and gradually increased my customers.

Even now, I see many mothers thinking online selling only means sitting and posting products and advising customers. You may sell to acquaintances that way, but your market remains limited. To expand your customer base, get on your vehicle and go. Travel 10 kilometers and you gain customers within 10 kilometers; travel 50 kilometers and you gain customers 50 kilometers away; travel 100 kilometers…you can work it out yourselves!

3. Find more business connections

I sold so many things that looking back, I feel like a superhero. I diligently searched everywhere for reliable stock. University friends and acquaintances sometimes provided leads. Students' parents who owned workshops or managed factories also supplied goods. They said, “Take our goods and sell them; pay when you sell. We entrust our two children, our greatest assets, to you, so what is a little merchandise?” Truly, I feel lucky to have met people who valued and helped me so much. That is why I now help many collaborators starting businesses, supporting them as much as I can.

Now I feel the domestic market is ‘not enough,’ so I continue using overseas relationships to develop my passion for business. I hope to do even better in the coming period.

4. Uncle Sam

Back then, my husband and I bought Diễn pomelos to sell for Tết. They sold very well; some days we sold a thousand, ladies. We went to collect pomelos at 5 in the morning and changed clothes to go to work at 7. When I had just become pregnant with Sam, I carried 300 pomelos on my motorbike (the photo is still on Facebook). I did not know I was pregnant then, otherwise I would never have dared take that risk.

Perhaps I was careless and working a little too much, and I had a threatened miscarriage. When I came home from teaching, there was blood all over my thighs, moms. I thought I would lose my baby. Only when the doctor let me hear the fetal heartbeat could I breathe out in happiness. But… another long journey followed: hospitalization, injections, and trying to keep my baby safe.

My husband worked 50 kilometers from the hospital, but every lunchtime he rushed back to bring me a meal. Although I was alone at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital while he was at work, I stayed very optimistic. Of course, I could not escape nightly nightmares about losing my baby, but when I woke with a start, my husband was there to hold and comfort me. I tried to stay as happy as possible and eat regularly for my baby. Fortunately, heaven blessed me with a healthy, well-behaved daughter.

Many mothers already know this part of the story, because some of my Facebook friends have been with me from the beginning until now.

Again, I could not go out to teach because I had to stay home with my “leg up.” But I kept selling. By then it was more “sophisticated,” because I had hired delivery riders. Fortunately, I met kind, well-behaved young riders. I simply wrote down the orders; they came, packed them and delivered them themselves. When I offered extra payment for packing, they all waved it away: “It only takes a few minutes; don't worry about it.” I knew that seeing a pregnant woman struggling like this, they could not bring themselves to take extra money, despite being poor. That is why I deeply remember everyone who has ever helped me.

5. The people I have met along the journey

None of them gave me money. But they gave me knowledge, experience, advice and encouragement. Most were women in their thirties whom I had written about before.

They show me how to be less impulsive and rash. They teach me how to regulate my emotions. In life, if you cannot regulate your emotions, you cannot do your work well and thoroughly.

They quietly share, help me find customers and support my products.

They comfort and encourage me when I face difficulties and setbacks.

If life gives me the chance to repay their kindness, I will do so forever, cherishing them with a love that nothing could replace.

6. Beloved customers

At this stage I have many employees, but before, I worked alone—chatting, packing orders, receiving stock, and caring for my child—so I often upset customers. Someone had arranged to collect items for a child's birthday starting at 7 p.m., yet when they called at 6:40p to ask about the order, I innocently asked, “What were you getting again?” Honestly, I must have practiced virtue over several lifetimes for the customer to forgive me that day; otherwise they would have gone mad.

Fortunately, although I missed so many customers, many of you moms understood and returned to support me. But plenty of customers did leave. Now I am no longer in my ‘goldfish memory’ phase, so I have corrected that mistake. With staff to help, I can also do more and do it better.

Having customers who care about you is the best thing in selling, moms. Some days, a delivery person cannot reach a customer while on the road; I only need to post on Facebook and another customer in that area will buy it to support me. One woman even said, ‘I'll buy it first and figure out what to do with it later.’ Others simply see that Thùy is selling something and already want to buy it.

Thank you to all the moms—my customers who have always stood by me, supported, encouraged, and loved me.

7. Return to an old dream

I love teaching. It is also my father's unfinished dream, which he wants me to continue. Once I had a little capital, I opened English classes, a preschool, an education company and other education-related ventures. Though very busy, I find life meaningful every day because I am doing what I like and love.

The greatest achievements so far, after 4 years: a sweet, well-behaved little girl nearly 2 years old; a husband who loves his child and cherishes his wife; and a lovely small home in both spouses' names.

Someone younger once asked me: ‘How do you do so many things and still get them all finished?’ 
I replied: Because I do it today instead of waiting until tomorrow.

Everyone has only one life to live. I choose to live so I will have no regrets later.

I am 29.