HEALTH

Handmade jewellery shop opened · HEALTH after 7 yr

Hồ Hồng Nhung, 51 · 7 yr

“Zero days off in 7 years. Ask my doctor how that went. lol”

Health is not on the books, but it was the most expensive cost.

The follow-up notice from your checkup came back at a size you could not ignore. Medical bills and time left your account before the company's expenses did. You stopped working and, for the first time, counted your body as an asset.

How it went

1. 2026 · preparing to openHồ Hồng Nhung, 45. You have decided to try starting a company in Other provinces (Can Tho, Mekong Delta, etc.). No idea, no product yet. Savings ₫765,586,809, employed (₫14,733,269 a month).
2. 5/2026: what now?Start a business: «Handmade jewellery shop» — You are going with «Handmade jewellery shop». Next: who works with you.
3. Who starts it with you?Part-timers for the busy days only — Two students took turns. Both told you their exam weeks in advance. You were grateful.
4. 2026 · year 1 beginsUS Rates Rose Again
5. 5/4 · FamilyYour family packed you lunch. The note said, “Eat properly.”
6. 6/28 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 26,708. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
7. 7/16 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
8. Stay a business household or set up a companyStay a business household — You put the notice in the drawer. This year stays as it is. Only now that sheet is the first thing you see every time you open it.
9. 8/24 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
10. 8/29 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
11. 9/17 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
12. 9/27 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 7%. You redid your prices.
13. 10/15 · A death in the familyYour mother passed away. You set an auto-reply: away for a few days for family reasons.
14. Your mother’s funeralA full funeral — Three days of mourners. Faces you had not seen in years.
15. How to handle the bad reviewsReport them to Google Maps — Google Maps removed some reviews. Not all of them. You saved screenshots and waited for the next one.
16. 11/29 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
17. 12/9 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $121 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
18. 12/14 · FamilyAt dinner nobody brought up work. You understood that was a kindness.
19. 1/5 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 26,708. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
20. The “₫140,000,000 a month or your money back” courseBlock the ad — You block it and another account posts the same ad. The money is still in your account.
21. 2/21 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
22. 3/24 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 7%. You redid your prices.
23. 3/27 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
24. 4/16 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
25. 4/17 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
26. Start selling live on TikTok Shop?Skip it — Your nephew shrugged and folded the tripod. The shop opened and closed as usual. Quiet days followed.
27. US Rates Rose AgainSignals of Fed tightening strengthened the dollar, and this country's funding rates followed. When the VND/USD rate jumped, costing got complicated again for anyone buying imported ingredients or parts.
28. Year 1 closeRevenue ₫1,283,269,316, operating profit ₫378,590,471. Cash ₫977,536,155.
29. 2027 · year 2 beginsSupplier Fraud
30. 5/18 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
31. 6/26 · An employee quitAn employee said this month would be their last. The warehouse nearby pays more an hour.
32. 6/11 · Your partner lost their jobTùng was let go. Unemployment benefit will last a few months, but less is coming into the house.
33. A gap opened in the rotaDefer for free — On short days you closed early. A few customers who came at that hour went elsewhere.
34. 7/18 · Down sickDay three of a cold that will not lift. No time to see a doctor.
35. 7/29 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 27,805. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
36. How to handle the fraudLet it go — You called the money tuition. From the next contract on, you check the business number and the account name first.
37. 8/10 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
38. 9/23 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 5% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
39. 10/21 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
40. 10/24 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
41. Your body wants to stop firstKeep going — You kept working. Your body wore down a little at a time, and the business kept running. Nobody knew which would last longer.
42. 11/12 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
43. 12/8 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
44. 1/13 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 27,805. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
45. 1/16 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
46. Hiring againDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
47. 2/23 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
48. 3/28 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
49. 4/6 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
50. 4/18 · Records requested by the tax officetax office (Chi cục Thuế) requested records for VietQR and MoMo sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
51. AI redrew the marketIgnore it — You did not buy the tools. Six months later, a competitor offered the same service at half the price.
52. Supplier FraudYou sent the deposit, and the goods never arrived. The contact number no longer exists, and the contract has no business registration number. "I trusted them" is not evidence in court.
53. Year 2 closeRevenue ₫1,293,578,036, operating profit ₫483,438,478. Cash ₫1,363,567,841.
54. 2028 · year 3 beginsRates Rose · An Unexpected Break
55. 5/14 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
56. AI redrew the marketAI tools changed the industry’s cost and speed. Companies that adopted them move cheap and fast; the rest pay twice for the same customer.
57. 6/6 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
58. 6/13 · Minimum wage announcementA minimum wage increase was announced. Payroll and prices have to be recalculated.
59. 7/8 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 28,097. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
60. 7/18 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
61. Keep going like this?Hold on with what you have — You decided not to change. Instead you went over what you do, line by line.
62. 8/5 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
63. 8/6 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
64. 9/10 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
65. 9/24 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
66. Staffing up before peak seasonDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
67. 11/4 · FamilyYou talked with your family for a long time. Someone said, “You come before the money.”
68. 12/6 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
69. 12/10 · Your mentorYour mentor sent a link to an article. “This sounded like you.”
70. 1/3 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 7%. You redid your prices.
71. 1/6 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 28,097. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
72. Hiring againStreamline your own work — The training fee was spent, but the expected improvement did not materialize.
73. 2/14 · Records requested by the tax officetax office (Chi cục Thuế) requested records for VietQR and MoMo sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
74. 3/23 · A family emergencySomething came up in the family. You dropped what you were doing and went over.
75. 3/26 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
76. Do you raise prices?Raise prices 10% — The day you changed the price tags, one regular said, "That is a big jump." He came back the next week. Another did not.
77. Rates RoseMarket rates rose. Variable-rate loans cost more, and so does any new borrowing. More people stood at bank counters tapping calculators.
78. An Unexpected BreakAn old acquaintance called with a contract, and one introduction led to another. They say luck only comes to the prepared, but some moments cannot be explained by preparation alone.
79. Year 3 closeRevenue ₫1,010,292,791, operating profit ₫327,821,277. Cash ₫1,652,729,136.
80. 2029 · year 4 beginsA Quiet Year
81. 5/16 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
82. 5/29 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
83. 6/16 · Down sickYou came down with something. You took medicine and pushed through, but could not concentrate.
84. 6/26 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
85. 7/17 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 6%. You redid your prices.
86. The competitor cut pricesCut prices with them — The first week after the cut, customers came back. The second week, the competitor cut deeper. Nobody knows where this ends.
87. 8/24 · FamilyAt dinner nobody brought up work. You understood that was a kindness.
88. 9/8 · Overseas orders came backGlobal growth rose to 3.9%. An overseas partner was the first to ask about next quarter’s volume.
89. 9/26 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
90. 10/18 · Records requested by the tax officetax office (Chi cục Thuế) requested records for VietQR and MoMo sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
91. The first cushionKeep it as a reserve — You opened a separate account. Every time you checked the balance, your shoulders dropped a little.
92. 11/24 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
93. 11/28 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
94. 12/14 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
95. 12/30 · Your partner lost their jobTùng was let go. Unemployment benefit will last a few months, but less is coming into the house.
96. 1/15 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
97. Hiring againHire one employee — The recruiting fee was spent, but no suitable candidate was found.
98. 2/18 · The rush before the long holidayOrders rose ahead of the long holiday. Delivery and stock both became tight at once.
99. 2/23 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 4%. You redid your prices.
100. 3/25 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
101. 4/24 · HeatwaveA heat warning. The air conditioning ran all day. The electricity bill is on your mind.
102. Priorities for the next three monthsGrow revenue — You raised the search-ad budget. Clicks went up; only some of them bought.
103. A Quiet YearNothing much happened. You got up at the same time every day and did the same work. That repetition can build something, or wear a person down.
104. Year 4 closeRevenue ₫767,411,495, operating profit ₫234,166,733. Cash ₫1,808,679,954.
105. 2030 · year 5 beginsE-invoice inspection
106. 5/9 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
107. 5/25 · Records requested by the tax officetax office (Chi cục Thuế) requested records for VietQR and MoMo sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
108. 6/16 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
109. 6/22 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
110. 7/13 · Your mentorLunch with an old mentor. “Forget the numbers. Are you sleeping?”
111. 8/10 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 7%. You redid your prices.
112. 8/25 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
113. 9/6 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $133 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
114. 9/20 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
115. Priorities for the next three monthsGrow revenue — You spent on ads and sales. Inquiries went up. The close rate was lower than you expected.
116. 11/7 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
117. 12/13 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
118. 12/14 · FamilyYour family packed you lunch. The note said, “Eat properly.”
119. 1/12 · Your mentorLunch with an old mentor. “Forget the numbers. Are you sleeping?”
120. 1/14 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
121. Hiring againDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
122. 2/12 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
123. 2/22 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
124. 3/5 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $133 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
125. 4/24 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 6% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
126. Priorities for the next three monthsGrow revenue — You got back in touch with past customers one by one. A few more customers came, though not as many as the money spent.
127. E-invoice inspectionTwo tax office (Chi cục Thuế) officers came into the shop and checked the register against the receipt records. The days paid in cash had no revenue recorded. Back filing and penalties cost ₫13,579,049.
128. Year 5 closeRevenue ₫582,249,665, operating profit ₫119,967,763. Cash ₫1,845,902,354.
129. 2031 · year 6 beginsA Celebrity Came In · Marketplace fees rise
130. 5/3 · Records requested by the tax officetax office (Chi cục Thuế) requested records for VietQR and MoMo sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
131. 6/4 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
132. 7/24 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
133. 8/15 · Down sickDay three of a cold that will not lift. No time to see a doctor.
134. 8/25 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
135. 9/23 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
136. 10/9 · FamilyYou talked with your family for a long time. Someone said, “You come before the money.”
137. 10/23 · A family emergencyAn urgent call from a sibling. You were away for half a day.
138. Priorities for the next three monthsGrow revenue — You raised the search-ad budget. Clicks went up; only some of them bought.
139. 11/21 · Your mentorLunch with an old mentor. “Forget the numbers. Are you sleeping?”
140. 12/7 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
141. 12/16 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 5%. You redid your prices.
142. 12/22 · An outbreakAn outbreak is in the news every day. People are staying home.
143. 1/11 · The exchange rate pushed up import billsThe VND/USD rate rose to 27,135. Imported materials and packaging follow it up.
144. 1/24 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
145. Hiring againDefer for free — You spent nothing and will reconsider at another opportunity.
146. 2/24 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
147. 2/25 · Down sickA sore throat and a fever. You got through the day in a mask.
148. 2/5 · Back to normalThe restrictions are lifted. People are slowly coming back out.
149. 3/6 · Equipment stoppedThe technician said a repair would cost nearly as much as a new one. You bought new.
150. Priorities for the next three monthsGrow revenue — You spent on ads and sales. Inquiries went up. The close rate was lower than you expected.
151. A Celebrity Came InA celebrity posted a photo. The next day a line formed before opening. You are pleased, and at the same time you are calculating how long the line will last.
152. Marketplace fees riseShopee and TikTok Shop raised its seller fee by two points. Orders held steady, but less is left on each one. Without the platform there are no customers; inside it there is no margin.
153. Year 6 closeRevenue ₫586,084,378, operating profit ₫99,435,885. Cash ₫1,879,269,569.
154. 2032 · year 7 beginsThe Currency Calmed Down · You Found a Mentor
155. 5/23 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $123 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
156. 7/23 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
157. 7/29 · A price warA seller with the same product cut the price by 10%. Your listing slipped a place in search.
158. 8/12 · Your mentorAn old mentor called. “What scares you most right now?” they asked.
159. 8/29 · Supplier price increaseA new price list came from the supplier: your most-used items are up 4%. You redid your prices.
160. 9/6 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
161. 10/4 · FamilyAt dinner nobody brought up work. You understood that was a kindness.
162. 10/23 · Repeat buyersMore customers placed a second and a third order. One wrote in the note: “Counting on you again.”
163. Priorities for the next three monthsGrow revenue — You got back in touch with past customers one by one. A few more customers came, though not as many as the money spent.
164. 11/23 · Equipment stoppedA key machine broke. Three days for the part to arrive; you did it by hand until then.
165. 12/3 · Oil reached the cost baseBrent rose to $123 a barrel. Quotes for packaging and freight are not what they were last month. You redid the cost sheet.
166. 1/21 · Overseas orders came backGlobal growth rose to 4.0%. An overseas partner was the first to ask about next quarter’s volume.
167. 1/24 · Word got aroundA post in a local community said “this place is good.” Customers came in without warning today.
168. Hiring againStreamline your own work — The training fee was spent, but the expected improvement did not materialize.
169. 2/5 · Supplier price increaseThe supplier said prices go up 9% from the next order. You need to find another supplier.
170. 3/4 · Down sickDay three of a cold that will not lift. No time to see a doctor.
171. 3/28 · Reviews piled upThree one-star reviews with the same wording appeared in one day. You could not tell whether they were customers or a competitor.
172. 4/10 · Records requested by the tax officetax office (Chi cục Thuế) requested records for VietQR and MoMo sales and cash sales. You opened the books again.
173. 4/25 · A signal from your bodyYour chest felt tight, so you went to the emergency room. The result was “overwork.”
174. The test resultsClose and get treated — You taped a note to the shutter: “Closed for health reasons.” A few regulars sent messages.

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