"Frankly honest usually lose."  But watch out sentences in oral folk are not "campaign" to Nguyen Minh Tuan, Chairman of the Board of Kem Nghia Company. Looking back on the start-up business and Nguyen Minh Tuan's see middle-aged man who is always trying to tell the truth and honest with its customers and by which he has attained.

Family circumstances that Nguyen Minh Tuan no education to where to place, but in return, he has an innate ability and business acumen and strong desire to get rich.

See you at home in Phu My Hung, District 7, but last minute he decided to change locations. He called it the procession through the house across the river tuenh total. Simply because the concrete did not have no facilities ... in daily life. We sat in chairs soup, old bamboo shade, wind from the river and paddy up, cool. The conversation began with the memories of those days he followed his mother working in the fields of Dong Thap Muoi. He said:

In 1977, the State urged the people to the new economy. Holster with back money from the sale of some American plates, my mother in Dong Thap Muoi, broken land reclamation. No relief for themselves alone made ​​her a career, I go by. In them, I eighteen. Work very hard to reclaiming. Every afternoon, looking back to Saigon, my tears.

I remember a friend. People are going to school, people going out. In 1978, a large flood plain occurs. How much effort sweat poured down my mother for two years wasteland floating in the water. My mother was very sad, and I'm glad most of all. I persuaded her to return to the city. Then there are tissue-black sandals sabot. It takes nearly one year apprenticeship, I realized this job is only in recent months to reach the festival. So give up.

Then he do for a living?

I joined the army under the command of encouragement by the State President Ton Duc Thang signed. It was May 3-1979. In 1982, my ex and began to grip with a professional sharpening.

Could you tell me more?

I come to this profession because one of my sisters. She has a nail salon, so want a professional abrasive grip. In Saigon there are only two people is grinding his grip and his Six Tin Market In Saigon. Each trip into the ground to line up a few hours to turn. When he came to Six Tin Market in Cho Lon, I felt excited.

He died Friday in, abrasive grip absorbed in the locker next to the job fell driving, dirty. Know, my sister immediately pointed me to place him in Saigon. Grip but also grinding his way to Saigon different year. He always wore white shirts phiu flat ironing. Besides her daughter was on duty as secretary, both record keeping, just play some order to the customer ...

He was very wealthy year. At that time few people that I have had In his own car. Ask him before the New Year is known hairdressers, but because this business is too competitive so he moved abrasive grip. Because he was not tinkering should learn good technique with his six, in return, he's nice year in business. In addition to grip, he was selling more drugs hairdressing, shampoo, make sure to remember the old job ... At heart, I see him in Saigon was my first teacher. I learn from him how to make money before finding his teacher is Monday through Friday Cho Tin, vocational training, abrasive grip.

Why do people have time to grind grip, without using the new grip?

By that time we spend importing grip. Time later, the grip is no longer imported, people began to "localize" the nose grip, the handle grip attached very foreign, and from new production from the entire ice cream.

After a year of training, I take the supplies out for sidewalk Le Thanh Ton Street, District 1. At that time very much, few customers, often getting wet on rainy days posture. The compassion, the landlord nearby lent me a small corner of their house next door, just enough gear set dresser eaves.

Why do not linger at the side of his master a long time, just a job, just extreme?

I hugged a big dream. On the other hand, my principle is not competing with me, you avoid the area around Cho Lon.

 

 

Portrait of Mr Nguyen Minh Tuan. Painting: Hoàng Tường

Where big dreams, sir?

I want a shop of their own, such as his shop In Saigon.

And how long it takes to achieve his dream?

Three years after the training. Visitors to my growing store, including those who are his clients In Saigon.

As followers, his competitive way, the lower the price reasonable?

No. Guests looking to shop for my part I boldly for change to pay, while the culture of our business, until now, too, is the definitive purchase.

Doing so, he somehow make a profit?

More than words. At that time I do an exercise like this. Selling a new ice cream, I said 10 thousand dollars. Normally I take a minute to grind a ice cream, earning five thousand dollars.

Thus, in two minutes, I can make 10 thousand dollars, earned by selling a new ice cream. But the poor quality ice cream, maybe I should take five minutes to the ground.  So, if no record of errors, I hole 15 thousand dollars. Not to mention the poor quality ice cream is both durable grinding, use the quick flood, if the reputation is not being sold poor quality goods, the reputation is also not good abrasive grip.

It boils down to damage both short and long term. But the ice cream will be recovered nor left. I re-grinding, cutting the nails are not selling them used for cutting leather, cut corners.

Doing business successfully, what is the reason he turned to production?

In the late 1990s, gold shops springing up quite a lot. At that time, my shop has moved to Nguyen An Ninh, near Ben Thanh market, regional concentrations of gold shops. Rents increasingly team up, while his job is collecting coins.

Please be allowed to interrupt. There when he feels anxious because collecting coins?

At that time, every month I earned a few tens of million in my pocket when you couple hundred million thanks to real estate business. I work day and night, but sometimes does not work as expected. Truthfully, sometimes I trembled. But contemplate to look back, but his knack for making job was not to head to the rod, let alone engage their field is very strange. The best technology, most permanent body, I believe it.

I asked my wife to leave, to see the shop, so I focused my thoughts turned to the production and prevent it from being regained the ground they still cheat the job back. The grip has two important parts, the staff and reinforced, all done by hand, into the uneven quality. Not enough money to buy the machine, I hire people to die, then bring those materials to the site is leased stamping machines embryos. To switch from manual to industrial production scale, I lost a lot of time and cost of testing.

Another factor, closely related to the quality, the material is not uniform, leading to product quality uneven. Back then, a sign of steel scrap prices three thousand dollars, I moved to Hanoi, for two suppliers to buy Russian steel plates, each plate signed value to six thousand dollars, to be 12 ice cream, on average cost of each ice cream increased by nearly 10%, but I can not appreciate. I can not say that my steel is better, because when the ice cream finished, all the same. After nearly three years of suffering, consumers realized the poor quality of my superior.

It was then officially his name is engraved on their products?

Not yet. Although I'd love to do that.  People still prefer foreign goods while your brand is not strong. As a result I have two groups, sales at the store, then carved his name, relationship to stock up at the named foreign markets. To make a difference, I think the packaging is eye catching. But a short time my packages are being copied.

Often people use a very tightly packing the ice cream, the aim is for the buyer after tearing the packaging, then spend that quality of ice cream. But then tore the packaging can not replace the item anymore. I do the opposite. Design a package that allows customers to try and raise the price. The currency in their own country is always thinking of how to lower, rather than how well. On its low price, the poor are not new. Psychology reflects short-term perspective, in an extent that the future prosperity in exchange for an existing affluent.

When the brand started gaining ground, I stepped up the engraved words "means" little besides foreign brand, then proceed to eliminate foreign brand on their products.

It was said in 2007, sales of Kem Nghia fallen nearly by half. Tail how this first, sir?

Story is this. There are two reasons why I decided to raise prices. The first goal, of course, is profit, to improve life for employees. Monday, in the past, every time we raise prices, sales have increased. In addition, when shopping, many people always ask is what kind of problems than not, by the large difference between the inner grip and the grip of foreign, particularly about seven times.

May 3-2007, I increased the retail price of about 15%. Four months later, my prices by 60%.  The market began to react.  All of it went abroad through the laptop a lot, especially the U.S. market. So when prices nearly doubled through the purchase of those stopped and listened. Meanwhile, the economic crisis appeared. As far as I know, many shop "nail" in the U.S. to close. Instead of using stainless steel material goods, people move through use natural products as steel, cheaper, while we switched to stainless steel production.  Sales decreased 40%, I was forced to narrow their production, for many workers laid off.

A little wonder, his name is Tuan. So why did you choose the brand is "Kem Nghia"?

Simply because it is the name of my family.

By now, his product was present in over 20 countries worldwide.  Many people say that the Kem Nghia export movement is due to open salons (nail) in the Vietnamese community in America?

Indeed, the export market is my first Philippines. We do not directly but through intermediaries. However, when people are asked to lay his head, I felt too risky and decided to stop. What about exports to the U.S. is also not random. There is a period of several vendors set FMCG ones showcase their products in many markets. Or see, I learn immediately, asked staff to put a series of cabinets in many markets. Overseas Vietnamese American home visits, shopping, seeing my trademark, instant purchase trial, and bring as gifts for relatives.  When the nail movement flourished, people remembered my brand.

But using the name Vietnam as a foreign brand is unreadable. Is it a disadvantage?

Yes. Moreover, the foreign product positioning ceiling price is 10 USD Kem Nghia, as well as what kind of price can not be exaggerated. To solve this problem, we have studied a series of specialized products for export, not sold in the domestic market is Export. Sang in 2012, we will launch a high-end product line further.

 

 

On its low price, the poor are not new. Psychology reflects short-term perspective, in an extent that the future prosperity in exchange for an existing affluent. I think one of the effective ways to combat counterfeiting, unauthorized copying is at present "lair" of false and counterfeit. The duration of many when I played that actually work. Now there are conditions and I want to feel like going out to do that.

On the advice of consultants, I've chosen a name that in any country is also called the Omi. This approach is not new, like Toyota has Lexus brand. Bringing products beyond borders is not easy. One common form is participating international fairs. The first phase of very hard, people disregard her.

I remember the letter was sent to join the program in Hong Kong trade fair, the organizers do not agree, you must request pre-registration year. When requesting enrollment in the next year, they excluded, it said full list, rank yourself on the waiting list. That is, if there is any left, the new unit in turn. First-time exhibitors, visitors visit our booth, have expressed skepticism about our origin.

Although the flag stand was Vietnam, but sometimes people are asked a number to how we are related to China or not. Compressed self-love, I politely invite them to Vietnam, visit our factory. Now, we've had in over 20 countries worldwide. All admitted grip products produced in Vietnam by means of a pliers.

There is a very timely issue is the brand of Buon Ma Thuot coffee with a Chinese business registration of intellectual property rights in their countries. As an exporter, upon hearing this information, he is startled?

We have registered intellectual property rights in China after a messy cases related to this issue. This market is the cradle of false and counterfeit. I do not understand why they do assume without fear.

The fact that many Chinese companies have been through Vietnam, outsourcing zinc requirements on packaging Made in Vietnam for easy consumption. To prevent fake, I have asked our distributor in China reported on the mass media in dozens of official retailer of our products.

The fact that our quoted prices are higher than the same products for about four times. I think one of the effective ways to combat counterfeiting, unauthorized copying is at present "lair" of false and counterfeit.

Every medal has two sides. The cost for the success of his ...

I stress very soon, since thirty years, eating less, sleeping less. At that stress was a strange concept. I went to several doctors, all sorts of tests done but no one caught the disease.

So how can he treat you?

Sports medicine is right for you. I accidentally discovered this dose in Vung Tau trip with some friends on a motorcycle. Back then the road is pretty bad but you drove me to run pretty fast, at speeds have shot up nearly 80 km / g. Honestly, when I run it. When to Vung Tau, the light in my head. On the way back to Saigon, I won the driver, run at high speed. The effect obtained is similar. Seeing motorcycles too dangerous to run, I switched to sea diving, because of the capital like water. Now older, I played limit risk subjects.

That's why he switched to playing a yacht?

Yes. The yacht has a means to pleasure my water, just where friends gather, make hanging. Occasionally, I also continued to work on the boat. The duration of many when I played that actually work. Now there are conditions and I want to feel like going out to do that. Floating between the spiritual nature makes people more relaxed, more open. Recently a friend gave me a set of golf clubs. This sports watch is boring, but try it once was addicted.

Thank you for the conversation.

• According to Saigon Businessman weekend