A Female Entrepreneur Remains Strong as Silk
Seng Takakneary started her business in a one-room shop with two sewing machines in 2004. Today, Ms. Takakneary’s Sentosa Silk employs about 100 staff in Phnom Penh who produce a range of fine Cambodian silk items, including pillows, curtains, bedspreads, dresses, shirts and bags. Since opening eight years ago, Sentosa has found a natural market locally, and is gaining strong ground internationally. And as the female owner-director of a fast-growing silk business, Ms. Takakneary has plenty of advice for other female entrepeneurs. Most importantly, she says, plan ahead and expect that the beginning of a business is going to be very hard work. … When she is not designing or cutting the next deal, Ms. Takakneary is focused on her presidency of Cambodia’s first women entrepreneurs association ahead of its official launch on International Womens’ Day next month. (As president of the Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association, she has been invited to Washington by the Asia Foundation to speak about women’s changing roles in Asia.)
