Word: lewises
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EVEN BEFORE ENTREPRENEUR PAULINE Lewis decided on Vietnam as the source country for her embroidered handbags, she wrote a nonnegotiable directive into her business plan. Her company, Oovoo Design, would work with only women-owned businesses and female artisans. "I wanted to know that the money I was giving back...
Lewis was burned out when she left her corporate marketing job to start Oovoo. The Malaysian-born entrepreneur traveled to Vietnam to investigate opportunities there. She was stunned by the styles in one of the handbag shops she visited. Less than a month later, Lewis was back in Vietnam, meeting...
Doing business in Vietnam hasn't been easy. In the beginning, Lewis ended up discarding as many as 100 bags because the quality of the local fabrics was inconsistent. She then imported suede, leather and other materials, which caused other headaches.
Those start-up difficulties have been smoothed out, and because Lewis' embroiderers earn more than they would get at a factory, the enterprise attracts the best talent. The workers also are paid a monthly bonus of around 8% and a larger one at the Vietnamese New Year, roughly equal to...
In addition to the financial benefits, Lewis wants the workers to feel a connection to the buyer. When she visited the producers this fall, she thanked them and described how much customers love their bags. "I told them that their work mattered," she says. "I have the women in my...