LAFA interviews: Nurmi Dao

Hämeenkatu 7 - Turku

Nurmi Dao is a place I had heard of from multiple friends (of which I have maybe 5 in Turku 😅 because they keep moving abroad!) and had been meaning to visit for awhile.

They opened in November of 2019 - and are conveniently located on the busy street of Hämeenkatu (#7) - which is quite close to the university and not too far from the center of downtown as well.

I had no idea how big it was inside - despite a friend showing me a quick video from his visit a month or two ago.
I went a few minutes early to get a feel for the location (aka not get lost getting there!) and also to check out the vibes and environment inside.
It was very warm and inviting, clean and neatly organized and I was blown away by the space itself.  The shop is two floors and the bottom floor contained a wide variety of dry goods while upstairs had some but also had fresh produce for sale as well.
I also was fortunate enough to observe her customer service with a few customers before introducing myself and noticed that she is quite pleasant and cheerful and eager to assist customers who may need help. 
This is quite rare in Asian grocery stores - even where I am from - you typically know what you need and where to find it, so there is really no need to talk to the shop owner unless requesting an item to be ordered or to pick up an order...so this was quite a game changer and I was excited to meet her and interview her.

I was warmly welcomed by the owner - a Vietnamese lady by the name of Duong Dao - but you can also call her "Sony" and we sat down and got started with the interview!

"What brought you to Finland, specifically Turku?
I came to do my masters here at the university.  My thesis still needs to be completed.
In Vietnam I had already graduated and was working at a commercial bank and decided to come to Finland to study my masters because I received a scholarship and the tuition fees were cheap.

Is Nurmi Dao a franchise from Vietname or elsewhere - or is this a 100% local small business in Finland?
It is a 100% local small business here in Turku.

Did you find it difficult opening up a small business in Finland?
It was fairly easy to make an online website once you have a Finnish Social Security Identification number.
But it was difficult to set up and get the business running because all the documents are completely in Finnish and the staff you need to ask questions from do not always speak English. So I often used Google Translate (Finnish to English) to get some of the paper work completed.

Do you have any advice for any upcoming expat entrepreneurs hoping to open their own business in Finland some day?
Make sure you read all the business laws, procedures and be sure to know the tax matters.  You may want to hire a company that can do the tax portion for you so you are not subject to any penalty fees!

I was impressed with how well stocked
the shop was!

Is it difficult to have a business in the public with communication or language barriers if there is one?
It is very difficult if the customer does not speak English as I do not speak Finnish. 
Children and older customers tend to not know any English and Google Translate does not always work with what they want to know.
Because of the language barrier - I am not able to provide the best customer service I can and that makes me sad.

Considering there are at least 3 other Asian shops in Turku - what makes yours different in comparison?
I think the location is quite different because I am not right at the center.  I am near the University and there are not any Asian grocery stores here.
I also pride myself on customer service and I try to interact and chat with all of my customers and give them a nice, clean and tidy experience - along with a welcoming one. 

Do you find majority of your customers are Finns or expats?
Majority of customers are Finns and I am selling quite basic Asian ingredients for expats so not many are Asian customers.

What are the pros and cons (or challenges) of having an expat-based business - both for yourself and for the community?

Pros

A quick view of the bottom floor which is MASSIVE!

For myself - I could not get a job in Finland so this is my job and a luxury!
For the community - they get to know other cultures different than their own and because they are talking with me and asking questions - they get to learn more!

Cons/Challenges
For myself there is quite a lot of stress and I have to work very hard to keep this business running because I am the only employee working here.
For the community perspective - Finns can be quite shy so they need to be quite brave to step into some place new.

Would you like to open up a new location within Turku or elsewhere in Finland?
If I had the money I would invest into a chain investment with local restaurants.
Perhaps in the future I could provide the ingredient supplies to the restaurants.

What are the most popular items purchased here?
Finns seem to love Japanese products! And also the Korean noodles, seaweed miso soup, ginger candies - there really are many Finns that enjoy spicy food!

Do you find your goods are in high demand in Finland - especially in Turku?
Not really - because most daily use ingredients can be found at the local K or S-Markets.  There are maybe 1-3 items that customers said they could not find elsewhere.

Are people interested in trying new ingredients or new recipes?
Sometimes! We have recipes posted throughout the store that customers can take a copy of so they can try it at home - and some do.  Sometimes I have customers that request recommendations as well. 

How often do you get new shipment and do you take special requests for customers who want to purchase specific or special items?
We get new shipment weekly and customers can request items and I will try my best to get the items they need!  

What is something that CANNOT be ordered or purchased from your shop?
I now have a license to sell alcohol (mostly beer) up to 5.5% but I cannot order more than that percentage.  I also cannot order cooking wine due to complications from the company I could order from.  

What is the most popular ethnic food group or type of groceries that customers are searching for?
Japanese food is the most popular!

A warm welcoming sign 

For a first time customer who is trying to cook Asian food at home - what would you recommend for a recipe or ingredients to try?
I would recommend ready to eat kimchi with cooked rice and fried eggs with crumbled dry seaweed on top! It is a really great combo actually!

You opened your shop in mid-November 2019 - where do you see yourself in the future?
I hope to have enough business going that in about two years I can hire staff so I can focus myself in another project!
Currently I am working 99% alone with this business.
Within about 7 years I would like to begin the chain investments I mentioned earlier.


What does "Nurmi Dao" mean or represent?
My husband's last name is Nurmi and my last name is Dao.

What would you like your customers to know about you and your business?
I hope customers - especially Finns are more welcome to trying new foods.  I hope customers remember my store as a place where they can explore another culture and foods.

Did you always dream or plan to have your own business?
No, I did not really plan on or dream of becoming a business person.

Do you have other social media or websites or only use Facebook?

Nurmi Dao is on Instagram and also on Facebook and I am working on an official store website but it does take time.

Warm thanks to the lovely Sony for such a relaxed and happy interview!  I look forward to purchasing my Asian grocery needs there and hope you also consider supporting a local business as well!

LAFA
If you are interested in being interviewed and featured in my blog - please feel free to contact me at:

learningaboutfinland(a)gmail.com