From a young age, Nasim Abdullahodzhaev, a 24-year-old entrepreneur from Dushanbe, strove to create innovative projects, and contribute to the development of the country’s growing IT sector.
“When I was in the first year of my university, I decided to open an online bookshop, book.tj. During this period, I learnt how to develop a website, how to promote it, and make it attractive. I would say it was a great push for me to start my career in the IT sector,” remembered Nasim.
After his website became successful, friends started to seek Nasim’s support on web development, social media promotion, and other technological services. Friends recommended his services to others, and Nasim’s list of clients started to grow.
“When I noticed that my business had grown to support many people, I decided to create a platform, where these services are provided in a more user-friendly and accessible way,” Nasim said.
In 2018, Nasim created BO/BO, a digital marketing studio which helps businesses build an online presence, create websites, and integrate Customer Relationship Management platforms.
“Our mission is to create more innovative companies by introducing new technologies to businesses. Our goal is to simplify the work of the end user by introducing innovative solutions to the business,” Nasim commented.
With BO/BO’s continued growth and success, Nasim was focused on ensuring his team is supported. He wanted to create a better working environment for his employees. The bank loans he found did not meet his needs, the interest rates were too high. So he turned to Accelerate Prosperity (AP). Not only does AP offer products that are on a smaller scale and more risk-tolerant but they also provide the added technical services of financial consultation, and advice from mentors. Nasim was excited by the potential and applied to the accelerate program that was supported by Local Impact, an initiative from the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). APs financing is more risk-tolerant and lenient than a typical bank loan, enabling companies like BO/BO to access larger sums over longer periods, helping unlock their growth potential.
BO/BO came to AP with a specific investment development plan that aimed to improve the quality of services provided and improve the working conditions of employees, which would increase the efficiency of the company. By participating in AP’s acceleration program, Nasim learned how to plan the company’s financial activities and not only stay afloat but grow and develop. Nasim secured a 12,000 USD investment to purchase computers, tablets and professional photography and videography equipment. He also was able to make necessary office repairs.
“Thanks to the acceleration program and the investment we secured, we have increased our performance indicators, which has a direct impact on the work of our customers. We were also able to create 7 additional jobs, and the number of our clients has been increased to +200 companies in one calendar year, and the average bill for the services provided has doubled”.
BO/BO has entered the cloud technology market and has become an official partner of AMO CRM, Bitrix 24, Profitbase CRM and My Warehouse. "In 2021, we received an award and became the leader in sales of the cloud version of Bitrix 24 in Tajikistan. Thanks to the new line of software that our company represents, we have entered the new market of CRM and ERP systems in Tajikistan."
Now, BO/BO has successful cases in business industries such as construction and real estate, business services, e-commerce, startups, restaurant business and retail.