Start-up Bondoul Connects Companies with Interns

Young entrepreneur, Ly Oddomneath, co-founded a start-up while at high school. During a gap year after graduating, she received a scholarship from SHE-CAN and has now rebranded the company and given it a new vision.

Oddomneath, 18, is currently leading a team at Bondoul, a start-up that connects companies with students in search of internship opportunities. Its main goal is to promote paid internships within the Cambodian community.

With a vision to expand the start-up, Oddomneath, from Phnom Penh, aims to specialize in recruitment assistance. Currently, Bondoul operates as a recruitment agency, helping companies find suitable interns.

"We manually collect information from students who are willing to intern, making it easy for them to apply for positions. I ensure that all opportunities are paid internships," Oddomneath said.

A long start-up history

Although Bondoul was officially founded in March 2023, the initiative has a longer history. While studying in grade 11 and 12, she co-founded a start-up called Camseed, which followed a similar business model.

It operated for one year during the Covid-19 pandemic before stopping operations.

After graduating from high school, Oddomneath was constantly reminded of the potential of recruiting for start-ups. This served as the motivation to reopen a business under a different brand and with a new team.

The current team at Bondoul consists of five members, who are all in their foundation year.

“The decision to reopen Bondoul stemmed from a student reaching out and asking, ‘Can you find me an internship opportunity?’ This message made me realize that it was a problem faced by many students. Additionally, a few start-ups also contacted me in need of interns.”

Matching interns and companies

Bondoul offers a range of services to support students in their career development and internship programs. These services are designed to provide comprehensive preparation, consultation, and assistance in finding suitable host organizations.

The company provides part-time and full-time internships, with fees ranging from $90 to $200. “This fee is a one-time payment, and in the future, there will be an add-on subscription plan,” she noted.

The company primarily focuses on undergraduate and graduate students and has successfully partnered with nine companies, mostly startups. Some of them require specific skills from interns, while others do not. Bondoul has placed more than 20 interns to date.

Oddomneath estimates that the start-up spends less than $500 and believes it has potential for success, despite the current unsustainable business model. They are planning to make changes to address this.

Overcoming challenges

Bondoul faces challenges in funding to run promotions and campaigns, develop an effective market strategy, and acquire human resources. It aims to provide quality services to mainstream companies, which Oddomneath considers to be unique.

One weakness highlighted by Oddomneath is the slow process of obtaining quality interns. However, Bondoul is committed to improving its services and going beyond expectations.

"I learned a lot while working at Camseed. After joining Bondoul, I realized the need to develop additional skills in leadership, sales, and management. I also understood the importance of keen observation to improve sales and motivate my team,” she said.

Oddomneath mentioned that despite the challenges, she always believed that the business had potential and could be scaled further. “However, at the moment, we are taking some time to find the right scale that fits our goals and objectives,” she added.

Finding interns

Bondoul's name represents the first growth of a plant, which can be applied to the first steps in preparing students and young professionals for their future careers.

As part of the registration process, candidates are required to complete a registration application form, which is then evaluated and verified.

The company thoroughly reviews each application to ensure all questions have been appropriately answered. Candidates are then interviewed by Bondoul to evaluate their eligibility.

The interview process consists of two parts. The first stage is a pre-interview conducted online to assess the potential. The second interview is a face-to-face to gauge commitment. The results of the interview are communicated to candidates via email, Telegram, or a phone call.

Future goals

Oddomneath mentioned that Bondoul is currently undergoing testing rounds. The goal is to develop a tech company and expand sales in order to increase capacity. She also wishes to seek more partnerships and internships.

“The approach to starting the company is to begin with incubation, minimizing expenses, and focusing on attracting students and companies. We only spend money on coffee meetings, market research, and acquiring clients,” she said.

She expressed that even though there may be moments of feeling like a failure, it is important not to become depressed as this may affect the team.

“My mindset is focused on learning experiences rather than monetary gains. I believe that failure is not the end of the world, but an opportunity to learn lessons and improve upon mistakes,” she noted, adding that she gained experience from failure and the chance to meet new people.

Additionally, she noted the importance of gaining business knowledge, even without any formal business education.

When faced with opportunities, Oddomneath acknowledges the tendency towards procrastination and self-doubt.

“I recognize that taking action may result in a 50 percent chance of success, while doing nothing guarantees failure. It is taking risks, as failure is not a waste of time but an opportunity for growth and experience,” she said.

“I believe that it’s important to reflect on one's actions and choices in life. It is better to not live with regrets and live a life filled with meaningful memories.”

Originally published at https://kiripost.com/stories/cambodia-startup-bondoul-ly-oddomneath