Young Entrepreneur Strengthens Her Business Plans and Goes Online to Gain More Income During COVID-19
In Cambodia, young women entrepreneurs are often regarded as unable to run a strong business and are discouraged from investing time and effort in setting up or growing their micro-businesses.
Chhat Sokhoeurb, a 34-year-old woman in Battambang, has two jobs. In 2007, she became a high school teacher at a public school in her village, and last year, she started a business with her brother producing handmade bags from banana tree bark. Her brother wanted to explore how to use the abandoned banana in their garden to something useful like people who use water-hyacinth to craft bags and other handicrafts. At first, the bags did not look good, but after exploring YouTube for ideas, they improved the look of the bags. Sokhoeurb helped decorate the bags and with sales. After many tries, Sokhoeurb and her brother sold their first bag to the deputy director of Sokhoeurb’s high school.
Then the pandemic struck, and their sales decreased from the impact of Covid-19. Sokhoeurb’s brother was discouraged about continuing the business, but Sokhoeurb loved designing the bags so she pushed through the hardest moment alone, even though there were no sales. She realized that she had limited business skills or knowledge of digital marketing and was not able to take the opportunity to promote her products online.
“It is extremely difficult to run the business all by myself. There is the physical strength it takes to produce the products. Then there is my lack of basic business knowledge. It took a long time for me to see any results as I am just by myself in this business. “
She found help through the WE Act program and its partners.
Ms Sokhoeurb enjoying the making of a banana bark-bag, ready to be sold.
WE Act (Women Entrepreneurs Act), is a program supported by USAID that Pact launched in 2018 to empower young women entrepreneurs to become stronger business leaders. Through strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystem partners, young women entrepreneurs can benefit from tailor-made services to build their capacity, give access to networks and influence policies to create a more enabling environment.
Wanting to improve her business skills, Sokhoeurb applied and was selected to join the business incubator run by SHE Investment, a local NGO and WE Act partner that specializes in giving Cambodian women entrepreneurs the necessary skills and confidence to grow their business.
Sokhoeurb expressed, “It is key for women to manage and own their business. She can stand on her own feet and help the economy of her family and her country. Having and managing their own business from scratch is something they should be proud of”.
Joining the incubator, Sokhoeurb is becoming more confident in running the business on her own. “I have set the goal for my business, and it became less stressful for me to handle, and I enjoy planning and doing my business.”
Later, she heard about the WE Act and SMB Facebook Digital Marketing Training, which helps participants understand how they can expand their businesses. During the training, Sokhoeurb learned how to produce visual content for her online business. Now she recognizes the crucial value of digital marketing for women.
“I think today is the modern digital era. So, we all need to know how to take advantage of digital platforms. There shouldn’t be a barrier between women and men to include online marketing or digital tools in their business and their daily life because today is the modern digital era.”
Since the trainings, Sokhoeurb has promoted her handmade bags through her Facebook account and is receiving purchases and orders again. Through her business, she is able to provide her family with additional income.
“Girls and women these days have innovative and inspirational ideas. I hope all of them, including myself, continue to do what it takes to pursue our own dreams,” said Sokhoeurb,
When women are encouraged to invest the time and effort, they do run strong businesses.
Sokhoeurb joined the group discussion with fellow women entrepreneurs.
#SheMeansBusiness, started by Facebook in 2016, to celebrate and empower women entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific. Through a series of workshops, training sessions and online resources, #SheMeansBusiness will arm women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, connections, skills and technology required to build and grow their business online. The initiative will run in collaboration with business leaders, civil society, NGOs and the public sector across the region.
Find out more about WE Act on Facebook
Disclaimer: This Snapshot Story is made possible with the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government.
