EBRD and EU help Kyrgyz businesses to go digital

Jibek Batyrkulova and Astra Iskenderova live in Manas, a small town in the south of the Kyrgyz Republic. Both women have built their businesses around their personal brands, earning the trust of their clients through their skills, dedication and personality.

Passionate about what they do, they were both eager to strengthen and grow their businesses, particularly by introducing digital tools and improving client management.

Jibek is the owner of an atelier, a sewing and pattern-making school, and her own clothing line. “Becoming a designer had always been my dream. I started from pattern-making courses for girls and I’m proud to bring joy and confidence to my clients,” says Jibek. However, despite her success, her business lacked proper structure as all records were kept manually, limiting transparency and making planning difficult.

“We are expanding, and demand for our services has grown. Before, we sometimes lost invoices or records of new clients, so I felt we needed to improve our systems and make them more transparent,” says Jibek.

Astra runs an aesthetic clinic offering a range of services from basic skincare treatments to advanced cosmetic procedures. Her mission is to help people feel confident, unique and comfortable. Although her clinic was growing, Astra realised she needed to strengthen her sales, marketing and customer service in order to take the business to the next level.

“I have been working as a cosmetologist for nine years. I started my business with three treatment beds and I’m very proud of my own authentic clinic. Now I want to focus more on social media marketing to attract new clients, promote skin treatment products across different price segments, and offer a wider range of cosmetology services,” she explains.

The next step

Looking to improve their businesses, Jibek and Astra both applied to the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses programme and joined its Group Advisory Project. Although participating companies may come from different sectors, they are brought together by shared business needs. With support from the European Union, both Jibek and Astra focused on improving digital transformation and financial reporting.

With new tools and improved systems in place, both entrepreneurs are better equipped to grow their businesses and continue doing what they love. Now Jibek can properly track clients, monitor turnover and plan ahead. For Astra, introducing a customer relationship management (CRM) system has made a significant difference; it allows her to track clients, improve communication and grow the business, while making it easier to promote special offers and expand sales of professional cosmetics.

With the right tools in place, Jibek and Astra can now focus on what truly matters to them – growing their businesses with confidence and doing the work they love.