( Viet Nam News, March 21, 2003)
In the past, the difficult lifestyle in Viet Nam meant that nobody had time to think of improving their looks. Today, businesswomen like Hoang Hai Yen, 34, have forged an empire devoted to beauty.
From humble beginnings when she opened her own business as a barber 14 years ago, she now runs the Yen Trang cosmetic salon network, employing 54 people.
"Everything I did depended so much on my inspiration and daring," says Yen. When she started her business, imaginative hair design was unheard of in Viet Nam.