Taraz Branch, Korday office
Asian Credit Fund client Meerim Borchenova, 32, is considered one of the most famous businesswomen in Korday. Her flower shop is known to everyone in the village. Meerim and her husband had tried, unsuccessfully, to find an occupation to their liking. They tried different businesses, including a grocery shop; they sold clothes and Meerim’s husband tried home renovation. It brought income, but according to Meerim, not satisfaction.
In 2020, at the very height of the coronavirus pandemic, despite the quarantine measures, Meerim, on her mother’s advice, decided to open a flower shop. Her mother is a florist and Meerim has always had creative talent. So, in 2020, Meerim and her husband rented a small shop and started a flower business. After working for 6 months, she applied to ACF for a loan of 1 million Tenge, which she invested in expanding the shop and to purchase a life-size Teddy Bear. In no time the bear became popular throughout Korday, and both kids and adults wanted a festival bouquet and greetings personally from Teddy.
Meerim’s next step was to expand the range of products in her shop: she started selling toys, cards and added a nitrogen balloon inflator. Then, with the help of a second ACF microloan, the young entrepreneurs expanded their flower shop by buying the neighbouring shop and renovating it. Now, Meerim’s shop is not just a flower shop, but a Flower Salon, where the customers feel comfortable and employees are excited to come to work.
The expansion of the business has allowed Meerim to provide two permanent jobs and, during the high-demand season, she employs 7 additional people. Despite being a relatively new business, Meerim has loyal customers who will come only to her for flowers.
Understanding the importance of digital tools in today’s business world, Meerim has set up a page for her business on the social networking site Instagram and has launched online sales with home delivery of flowers. Due to constant investment in her business and smart expansion, Meerim has bought herself a car and now has two cars delivering flowers to her customers every day.
Meerim is a person with a very active attitude to life. She recently took a course in floristry from the popular Kazakhstan florist Hristina Hoffman. Now her bouquets compete with the most beautiful floral compositions worldwide. Meerim is now a trendsetter in Korday village. Her competitors, who have many years in the flower business, attempt to copy Meerim’s creations for their business. But this only gives her incentive to create new floral arrangements, keeping her business as the best of the best. Meerim herself and her husband Elnur explain their success by saying that they are doing what they love. This business not only brings profit but deep satisfaction from giving joy to people through flowers. After all, a flower business is a business about happiness!
As a client of ACF, Meerim has expanded her product range, built an online sales system and acquired additional assets. The capital of her business has almost doubled. Meerim’s immediate plans include buying a large refrigerated flower storage box which will extend the shelf life of her flowers.
“To all young entrepreneurs and all those who want to start their own business, I wish you success and hope that you can find the business you like!”, Meerim says. “And I wish Asian Credit Fund more good clients and thank you for the financial support which gave me the opportunity to develop my business of love.”