Y Manoka, 24, Master’s student at Royal University of Law and Economics

“I would prefer youth not to start their business at an early age. I think they should wait until they have gained enough experience in terms of general knowledge and skills. These two main elements come from their study. If their business begins to struggle and then they become bankrupt, it may put them off starting up another business.”

 Vong Oudom, 22, fourth-year student at Royal University of Law and Economics

“Youth should consider starting a business at an early age because they can gain experience for their future career. Since I was involved in a youth business plan competition, conducted by AIESEC, I have gained a lot of knowledge and experience in doing business.  As a result, my project plan attracted a company owner, and then he invested money into it. At the same time, I also gained knowledge of finance.  ”

Chea Sivhoang, 22, graduate student at Limkokwing University

“Young people should take some time to learn by working for other businesses before starting up their own private business. That way they are able to gain work experience and network, and still gain general knowledge from school. It’s much better than just stepping into the business world without any experience, as many young people are easily cheated. In business, people have so many tricks up their sleeve to compete with each other. ”

Ly Boranine, 22, fourth-year student at Institute of Foreign Languages

“I think youth are able to start their businesses at any time. Some adults are not really good at studying, but are excellent at running a business. There are some young people whose parents are business owners, and those children have already gained experience of what it is like to own a business – something you can’t even learn at school.”

Sim Virak, 21, first-year student at Pannasastra University

“I would say youth should stick to their study and at least finish a Bachelor’s degree before stepping into the business field. Firstly, young people don’t have any experience and it would be quite a challenge for them to break even. My brother wanted to start his own business when he was in his third-year at university, and thought he would be just as successful as our parents. By the end of it, the business became bankrupt because he didn’t understand how to run it properly. My brother lost money, time and a degree.”