The Orchid Whisperer (The Sreypov Orchid Garden Incubation Story)

Surprised by her talent (and skill) for making orchids flourish and bloom, Sreypov dreamed of having her own orchid garden business—she started out with just her love for orchids and a dream to grow them, share her knowledge with others and make her passion into a sustainable business.

When she discovered that she had a green thumb for growing them, she thought maybe she could make money selling these beautiful plants and contribute to the daily needs of her household. The biggest challenge on her plate was to find a location to sell her beautiful orchids.  

Fast forward to the 1st Phnom Penh Plant and Garden Fair in 2022  – while looking for a space to properly launch her business idea, Sreypov went to F3 (Friends Futures Factory) to see like-minded people and the different array of plants and products there. She became curious how the plant vendors were able to sell their products at F3, so she asked around and she found out about Friends-International’s Incubation project.

The Incubation Project aims to support its incubators (young entrepreneurs) to realize their dreams, fueling their start-ups by giving them the space, the guidance and the training they need to make their businesses successful.  

Sreypov got in touch with the Incubation Project team to find out how she could have a space to sell her orchids and other plants at F3 and the team, after the needed assessment, jumped in to assist in her journey to grow her business.

In the incubation project Sreypov learned how to do online selling (livestream), business planning, and building her business network—she was able to join events around Phnom Penh and had speaking opportunities on spreading knowledge about raising orchids and awareness about endangered orchid species. She also won a pitch competition in June 2023 which enabled her to add to the seed money for the added growth of her business. 

After two years of learning in and being part of the incubation project, Sreypov is ready to move out of F3 and take her business (online and in store) to the next level. 

She has found the place for her garden/business to take root and flourish more. When asked what her message to aspiring young entrepreneurs she said, “For those who would like to start their own businesses whether you do not have much idea about it, you can join the incubation program by Friends-International to learn how to develop your business and seek more information about the space at F3.”

If you would like to follow Sreypov and her orchid garden’s journey,
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahpov.single.188

To support our Incubation Project, please visit www.friends-international.org/donate

The Incubation Project and F3 (Friends Futures Factory) are powered by Friends-International.