Romdol Sovan used to operate a beauty salon but was working far away from her husband and her home province of Siem Reap in Cambodia. For years she dreamed of opening a hardware store to complement her husband’s brick-making and latrine construction business. When the opportunity came to participate in a business incubator program for female entrepreneurs, Sovan leapt at the chance.

The first day of the workshop, Sovan set a goal to begin work on the hardware store. She hit her goal milestones throughout the program and by the end had laid a building foundation on their land. Six months later, Sovan opened their hardware store and began sharing and referring customers between the store and their construction business. “I have the same right to make decisions as my husband,” Sovan said, noting that he agreed quickly when she explained what she had learned in the business workshop, that it was necessary to separate household and business finances. 

Sovan also gained skills in conducting negotiations, explaining, “Before I felt like I was a smaller person, afraid to negotiate with bigger, more important people.” Now she has a technique that involves researching quotations beforehand, setting a goal price point, and coming to the negotiation with a plan. “I feel confident negotiating now. I’m not scared to deal with them and get the best price I can.”