Understanding the difficulties and hardships of starting a business, especially for women, Mrs. Trinh Thi Hong, residing in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District, Da Nang always tries to accompany and stand side by side with women on the startup journey.

With the spirit of supporting women to start businesses, Mrs. Trinh Thi Hong has significantly contributed to the success of many start-up ideas. Photo courtesy of the character.

As the role of Chairwoman of the Da Nang Women's Startup Club, Mrs. Trinh Thi Hong has supported and shared business experiences with many women to successfully start a business.

Her advice and support has helped start-up projects win high prizes at start-up competitions at all levels in the city. Prominent among them is the business household with the brand name "43 foods" that researches and processes herring into shredded pork floss. The startup project helps use a large amount of herring during the fishing season and create jobs for local women.

In addition, Mrs. Hong and the Da Nang Women's Startup Club have shared knowledge about OCOP programmes and brand protection for businesses, as well as provided training courses on the process of producing biological products from waste for localities, associations, and organisations citywide.

Sharing experiences in starting a business, Mrs. Hong recalled that in late 2016, she started to launch the project "Making detergent from organic waste". Overcoming many challenges, the product has reached markets and consumers near and far.

Her Minh Hong Biotechnology JSC specialises in researching and applying biotechnology in the production of cleaning products, as well as researching and applying microbial culture technology to produce food products and cosmetics without preservatives.

The company has engaged in guiding and transferring the production process of biological products from waste to 140 people in especially difficult circumstances, helping to create a stable income of VND 3-5 million/person/month. At the same time, it has contributed to collecting and processing 109 tonnes of organic waste per month in the locality.

Mrs. Hong said that the Da Nang Women's Club was established in 2020, but its activities were then suspended due to the developments of COVID-19. It only started operating at the end of 2021. It can be said that in the first year of operation, the club encountered many difficulties and challenges. However, the club has worked together to operate effectively, from building its image, to mobilising operating funds.

Last year, the club organised helpful programmes for women in the city, including training courses on e-commerce, digital transformation, and business plans; and supporting local businesses in accessing preferential loans from the city branch of the Viet Nam Bank for Social Policies.

The club currently has more than 50 members. Many members have received support and succeeded on the startup path.

Joining the Da Nang Women's Startup Club at the end of 2021, Mrs. Ngo Thi Loc residing in Cam Le District expressed: "When I first started my startup journey, I received enthusiastic support and advice from Mrs. Hong from experiences to ways of making products, and knowledge about consumer markets. At the beginning of 2023, her Loc Nhien Phat Production and Business Cooperative was established.

Up to now, the cooperative has been operating stably and has won many awards for women's start-ups organised by the association at all levels.

"Women-owned startups have strengths in terms of perseverance in the face of difficulties, special attention to policies for employees, and great contributions to society. However, these businesses still face many difficulties and challenges such as small scale and low competitiveness. Female entrepreneurs have to shoulder dual responsibilities, and at the same time social prejudices about the role of women in business still exist. Therefore, I and the Da Nang Women's Start-up Club always want to connect women with start-up ideas, creating an equal and professional business environment for mutual development," said Ms. Hong.

According to Vice President of the Da Nang Women's Union Nguyen Thi Huyen, Mrs. Hong has helped connect women with startup ideas and domestic and foreign partners, provided legal support in businesses, and boosted the consumption of each other's goods. The club's Executive Board has also played a good role as a bridge and as consultants to support members when needed.

In the coming time, the municipal Women's Union and its chapters at all levels will continue to encourage and create the best conditions for female members in the city to get preferential loans to start a business, and access vocational training and job introduction courses.

Reporting by TRAN TRUC - Translating by M.DUNG