No matter where you are in the world, trying to
set up a business is never going to be easy.
There will always be
moments of uncertainty, bureaucracy, difficult decisions to be
made, and many different challenges to overcome.
Trying to set up a business in the countryside of
Laos, some 25kms outside of Luang Prabang, where you don’t
speak the language and the locals have no understanding of what
your product is, how it is made, nor why you are asking them to
trust you with their most valuable possession, and it is a whole
different ball game.
None of that was enough to put off the four
corporate expats moving away from one of Asia’s most modern
and glamorous cities, to a land-locked country many people
know nothing about.
So why do it, and how does a dream like this become reality? Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com
spoke with Susie Martin, CEO of Laos Buffalo Dairy, to ask her just
that.
In this interview, conducted over Skype on 9 July,
you will discover where the idea of a Buffalo Dairy came from, and
how they managed to turn that idea into a reality that is now
looking at exporting over 2 tonnes per month to Japan.
The company, into which Susie says they have
already invested over US$1 million, is also in talks with
governments in the region to establish similar sustainable
companies and farms in those
countries.
Susie shares the challenges they faced, how many
buffalo they started with and how many they have today.
We talk about sustainability and how the Laos
Buffalo Dairy is not just a business that makes money, but one
that also genuinely improves the lives of the people and buffalos in the local communities.
Susie tells us about the products they sell, how
they attract tourists to visit and what they are doing to increase
the number of repeat guests, how COVID19 has impacted
the Laos Buffalo Dairy, and much, much more in the video and podcast
below.
Churning a Dream into Reality
– Interview with CEO of Laos Buffalo Dairy, Susie Martin
VIDEO
PODCAST
Your browser does not support this audio element.
Editor’s note:
My apologies that the audio and visual quality in this video interview
are not up to the same HD quality that they normally would be. This is the second in a
series of video interviews conducted over Skype. Hopefully it won’t be too
long until we are once again conducting exclusive video interviews
in person, but for now we have to make do with what we have. Thank
you.
See also :
Belmond to Reopen 4 of its 5 Hotels in South East Asia – Interview
with Iain Langridge ,
How’s Business in Siem Reap? Interview with GM of Courtyard by
Marriott, Ms. Ashley Lai and
Churning a Dream into Reality – Interview with CEO of Laos Buffalo
Dairy, Susie Martin .
See latest
Travel News ,
Video
Interviews ,
Podcasts
and other
news regarding:
COVID19 ,
Lao ,
Laos ,
Buffalo ,
Cheese ,
Sustainable .
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