The startup journey of a studentHometown: Hai Duong

In 2018, while studying in grade 11 at Nguyen Du High School (Hai Duong City), Manh started borrowing his teacher's camera to take everyday photos of his friends and relatives. After that, he saved up 10 million VND to buy his first camera.

With a camera in hand, the 11th grader enthusiastically went around Hai Duong City taking photos. The first money he earned was 500,000 VND when he took a yearbook photo for an older brother.

In grade 12, Mr. Manh connected with some friends who shared a passion for photography in Hai Duong to form the Color Shop group, organizing outdoor photography trips and guiding each other in developing skills.

Although he worked part-time while still in school, Mr. Manh still balanced his studies well. He participated and won several awards at the Science and Technology Innovation Competition, When I Was 18... In 2020, he passed the entrance exam to the Faculty of Architecture of Hanoi University of Civil Engineering.

In his first year of university, he continued to develop the Color Shop group to 10 people, taking graduation photos in Hai Duong. Mr. Manh said that this was also the most difficult period in his entrepreneurial journey because he had to adapt to the new environment, regularly taking the bus back to his hometown on weekends to take photos. Being diligent and hard-working, the first-year student earned about 5-7 million VND/month, helping his parents with living and studying expenses. He also bought a motorbike to be proactive in traveling and upgraded additional equipment for work.

At the end of his first year, he applied for an internship at a large photography and media company in Hanoi to learn more about management skills and the operational processes of an organization. He then applied the experience he gained during his internship to the Color Shop group.

At this time, his group expanded the graduation photography market to other provinces and cities such as Thai Binh, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, etc. The group invested in more professional costumes and accessories. In addition to the peak months for graduation and wedding photography, the group also took on advertising and fashion photography, etc.

Mr. Manh said that there were days when he had to wake up at 3am to go take photos in the provinces, and come back at 9pm to do post-production. Those rainy and windy photoshoots, working far away, and only having time to sleep about 2 hours/night were unforgettable for him and his friends.

“Once, we were taking photos for a class at the Lam Kinh historical site (Thanh Hoa) when it started to rain heavily. We decided not to take photos in the traditional ao dai style anymore, but instead bought raincoats for the students to play in the rain for the photos. It was a very fun and memorable photoshoot, capturing the most innocent and carefree moments of school life. The photos were then widely shared on social networks,” Manh recalled.

When asked why he chose to study architecture but still diligently and persistently pursue his passion for photography, Mr. Manh said that both majors are related to art and images. Photography helps him think better and inspires him to study. Therefore, he still balances between studying and working.

In March 2023, Mr. Manh opened a photography shop in Hanoi. The shop is creating stable jobs for 15 people with an income of about 10-15 million/month and 30 seasonal workers with an income of about 5 million/month. After more than half a year of operation, the shop has a profit of about 200 million VND.

The entrepreneurial journey is still long ahead, but Mr. Manh's efforts can be a lesson for many young people.