Almaz Abushov

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Almaz Abushov by Aqroinvest Credit Union in Azerbaijan. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 15 months, Aqroinvest Credit Union will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Almaz personifies the entrepreneur. Shortly after receiving his $1,200 Kiva loan, he realized that his business selling car parts was entirely wrong for the prevailing conditions in his region of southern Azerbaijan, Imishli. So he tore up his business plan and started fresh.

People weren't buying cars, or fixing them. If people were making major purchases, they were related to the building boom that was going on around the town, as people upgraded their living conditions to reflect the ever-increasing prosperity in Azerbaijan.

Almaz now sells hardware and houseware: sinks, paint and paint thinner, caulk, tools, light fixtures, bath tiles and mirrors. The retired policeman says that while his old store wasn't bringing in a good income, his new store is meeting great demand, although he sees room for improvement, saying in Azeri, "Of course, I want to expand my business."

Since Almaz received his Kiva loan, he's had a 20-30 percent increase in his profits. He's used the money as many Azeri parents must: to outfit his children as they serve in the military. His twin sons happen to have drawn a particularly dangerous assignment, on the frontlines of Azerbaijan's ongoing conflict with Armenia. In Fizuli, conditions can be harsh and parents often must send along quite a lot of provisions for their children.

Asked what business he sees himself in in 3-5 years' time, he replied like a true entrepreneur: "I will be selling that thing which is in great demand."