Obbo is a startup that helps develop e-commerce in Tajikistan

Anvar Khalikov, city — Khujand, entrepreneur, startup manager, @anvarjon_khalikov

About myself

I am an entrepreneur, a member of the board of directors of several companies, and a startup manager. I have launched about 40 projects, 13 of which have been successful, not only in Tajikistan but also in Central Asia and Russia.

I have two degrees: one in finance and the other in marketing. I worked in the banking sector for 16 years, starting as a regular employee and rising to the position of top manager, and I was also a shareholder of the company. Since 2017, I have fully transitioned into the startup industry.

In addition to my projects, I promote six areas. One of them is e-commerce, specifically a marketplace. The second area is taxi aggregators, which have been on the market for six years. I am also involved in retail: store chains, jewelry houses — everything related to trade.

Launching a startup

When launching a startup, I choose niches that offer uniqueness and where people will come in three to five years. For example, a few years ago, while studying e-commerce platforms such as Wildberries, Amazon, and Kaspi, I noticed a growing trend in this field. At that time, there was no marketplace in our country that united both sides. Therefore, I began actively researching information and developing this niche.

Three and a half years later, Wildberries decided to enter Tajikistan. Recently, they signed an agreement and now plan to start their operations. It may take them another year to fully enter the market, which will help strengthen e-commerce in our country.

To implement the Obbo project, my partners and I attracted experts who helped me create the platform. I also engaged IT specialists, freelancers, and designers.

Target audience

Businesses in Tajikistan face difficulties in going online. Therefore, the first task and mission of Obbo became transforming businesses and assisting them in this process.

We started as a marketplace, but ultimately created an ecosystem that allows any entrepreneur — whether small, medium, or large business — to bring their products online. We remove barriers and do not tie businesses to a specific location or retail point.

We help our users create their own brands, logos, and internal websites that represent their businesses within our ecosystem. To date, more than 30,000 product listings are available on our platform.

Incubation programs

I did not participate in any incubation programs. We received offers to join acceleration programs and may apply this year.

Challenges

The biggest challenge is the market's lack of readiness. Our market was still too young to implement our idea. We struggled for almost six months to make the first online sale and break through this ceiling.

Our population, especially in the regions, is not accustomed to online shopping as it is in Kazakhstan or Russia. In Uzbekistan, e-commerce is just beginning to develop. Over the past two years, it has gained momentum thanks to the UZUM platform, which invested millions in marketing and opening pickup points.

We did not have such resources since we started and continue to operate independently. Therefore, it was more difficult for us. Our marketing budget is limited. Educating the population is also challenging because there are no major players who could jointly develop this market.

There are issues with forming an online shopping culture because trust in this process has not yet reached the necessary level and requires time. We were forced to open pickup points and showrooms so that people would trust our brand and platform, so they would not be afraid to buy and know where they can turn. However, this leads to high operational costs.

Advice for those at the early stages of creating a startup: first, conduct thorough research and study the niches. If the market is not ready and your resources are limited, it is not worth engaging in the project, as it can be resource-intensive.

Achievements

I do not consider my successes grandiose. But the process of creating something new is already an achievement. Thanks to our projects, over the past five to six years, I have managed to create many jobs. This is a significant result, as not everyone can provide jobs for a large number of people.

Plans

We are planning to integrate with one of the successful banks in our country, which will allow us to scale significantly. Thanks to this integration, we will be able to operate nationwide and even consider entering neighboring markets. However, at the same time, we must develop unique offerings, as it is difficult for startups to compete with major players such as Wildberries, UZUM, Ozon, or Kaspi, which are already operating in the market. I think we will focus on a narrow segment.

Startuppers should not forget that the goal is the result of actions. You need to act and try. Do not stop, because the number of attempts determines the result and success. I wish you success and business development.