Cuong’s business was among the top twenty startups at the APEC 2017 Startup Forum and was a typical Vietnamese startup in 2017. Flower Farm now has over 24,000 regular individual and institutional customers at home. The company’s products are also exported to Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the US. The export value to Japan alone has hit 60 billion dong (roughly 2.6 million US dollars) annually. The company’s flowers were chosen for display at the APEC 2017 Startup Forum in Vietnam.
When studying in Japan, Cuong was impressed by Japanese paper flowers. Returning home, he decided to invest 1.5 billion dong into making paper flowers as he found the potential for developing this business in Vietnam.
Although failing to retail his products in the local market, Cuong did not give up. He tried to approach customers in another way by applying information technology to market his products at home and abroad. After two years, Flower Farm products are on the shelves of most supermarkets, being favored by shoppers for their diverse designs, beautiful colors and delicate details. The paper flowers are particularly sought after during holiday events.
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam visits a Flower Farm stall at an exhibition..
Flower Farm’s products at the 2017 Startup Fair.
Paper imported from Italy.
Peach blossom: Always in high demand during Tet.
Unique samples of Flower Farm.
Delicate white rose.
Peach blossoms, roses and daisies are favorite during Tet.
Finalizing stage.
Beautiful peach blossom, a symbol of Tet. |
Flower Farm is always present at major domestic and international expos, helping the company acquire big orders from Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the US.
To link the flower business community (from fresh to paper and silk flowers), the company has developed the Flower Farm website and app through which some 250,000 deals have been successfully made.
With branches in Hanoi, Ha Tinh, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, Flower Farm provides jobs for many young people who are interested in paper flower making. Flower Farm has also attracted about 10,000 artisans nationwide to work for the company as freelancers and has 108 suppliers.
To have enough workers, Cuong opened paper flower making training courses and clubs to attract students. These training courses not only provide professional skills, but also inspire young people to commit to the art of paper flower making, a beautiful cultural trait of Vietnamese.
Visiting a Flower Farm workshop in Hanoi, we were impressed by its hardworking artisans who, with their deft hands, turned out gorgeous flowers with diverse designs and colors. The workers said they were ready to work regardless of the extra time when the company had big or urgent orders. This undoubtedly explains part of the success of Flower Farm.
Samples of Flower Farm products.
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Story: Bich Van - Photos: Thanh Giang