Nguyen Hoan Le Vy, a second-year student at Greenwich University Vietnam, and her sister Nguyen Hoan Trieu Vy, a former student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, “caused a stir” on the “Shark Tank” show two years ago. Despite starting their business at a young age, the two sisters still received investment from three “sharks” with their scented candle products.

“If when we first started our business, both of us were still confused and relied mainly on enthusiasm, now I feel like I have matured, have a strategic perspective, know how to analyze the market, manage finances and build a systematic brand,” said the 20-year-old girl.

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Nguyen Hoan Le Vy is currently a second-year student at Greenwich University Vietnam. (Photo: NVCC)

Nguyen Hoan Le Vy first earned money in her primary school years. At that time, the female student saw her older sister learning how to edit photos on blogs, then practicing designing posters, timetables, and Kpop stickers to sell to friends.

Inspired by her sister, Vy also bought and raised turtles for 5,000 VND, then sold them to her classmates for 10,000 VND. In addition, she also sold guava shakes and clothes. “The money I earned at that time was not much, but I felt very happy and proud because I had created value,” Vy recalled.

Her passion for business began to grow from there. In 2021, when she had to study online for a long time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Vy realized that people who stay at home for too long often tend to look for products that help relax their minds, in which fragrance has magical power, helping to soothe the soul and bring a pleasant feeling.

Le Vy came up with the idea of a safe, non-toxic scented candle product. Sharing this idea with her sister, Vy received her support. Vy's sister, a student of Chemical Engineering, diligently read research articles and international scientific journals that mentioned scented candles. After that, the two sisters decided to use soy wax, beeswax and palm wax as the main ingredients of the product instead of paraffin.

Having a great passion for the media industry, Le Vy has researched and improved on how to integrate stories and messages into each product to "reach" customers.

Each person takes on different roles, thanks to which the Jaros Candle scented candle brand gradually expands the market. In the first two months, revenue from scented candles reached 250 million VND. In the following months, revenue increased 3 times.

Understanding that starting a business is not easy, Vy also believes that "youth is for experiencing and challenging yourself". Therefore, in September 2022, the two sisters sought investment by participating in the "Shark Tank" program and received support from 3 "sharks".

“These experiences have helped me become more confident in my business path, even though I have had to go through many difficulties and failures. For example, the challenge of finding a stable and quality source of raw materials or standing firm when prices fluctuate...”, Vy said.

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Le Vy started her business with scented candles. (Photo: NVCC)

By 2024, after a few years of starting a business, Le Vy and her sister decided to buy a house in Vinh Long to give to their mother. All the money to buy the house was saved and invested by the two sisters. The female student said that she had long cherished the dream of buying a house for her mother and had set a clear goal right from the start of her business.

With their goal accomplished, Vy and her sister helped their mother have a more comfortable and stable life, no longer having to worry about housing.

“The house is not worth much, but it is a gift I want to give my mother to bring her pride and happiness,” Le Vy shared.

Four years after starting their business, Le Vy and Trieu Vy continue to grow their business with more than 10 employees. Trieu Vy's older sister is still in charge of production management, while Le Vy is in charge of marketing and sales.

Both aim to expand production scale, invest in more modern technology to improve productivity and product quality. In addition, the two sisters will also focus on developing distribution channels, expanding the domestic market and targeting the international market.

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After a few years of starting a business, Le Vy and her sister decided to buy a house in Vinh Long as a gift for their mother. (Photo: NVCC)

On her business journey, what makes Le Vy feel the luckiest is that her family supported her and taught her about money management from a very early age, helping her form a sense of saving and managing spending from a young age.

“Since I started earning money, I have applied some spending management methods such as making a budget at the beginning of the month, dividing money into different categories, recording daily income and expenses, and always aiming to save a certain portion of my income. I consider saving as the foundation for bigger financial goals in the future,” Vy said.

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