Starting your own business rarely begins with a ready-made business plan. More often, it starts with an idea, a desire to give it a try, and—at the same time—a host of questions: how to find your first customers, set the right price, manage finances, build a team, and figure out where to go from there. It is with these very questions that women come to Hamroh Biznes Maktabi—an educational program implemented by HAMROH in partnership with ALPHA and supported by UZCARD.
To date, more than 150 female entrepreneurs have completed the program, divided into seven groups in Tashkent, five groups in Nukus, and two in Fergana. They work in a wide variety of fields—from manufacturing and retail to education, the textile industry, food service, consulting, and the beauty and health industry.
But the main question isn’t how many women have completed the training. What’s far more interesting is what happens next.
From Idea to Initial Solutions
Participants join the program at different stages of development. For some, these are their first steps in entrepreneurship; for others, they already have an established business, regular sales, and a team. That’s why each participant has her own unique challenges. Some are learning to systematize their financial accounting. Others are reevaluating their pricing or marketing approach. Still others are taking a fresh approach to planning business growth and streamlining internal processes. The knowledge they gain gradually becomes concrete management decisions.
From Solutions to Results
The program’s interim results are already showing changes in the graduates’ businesses.
Among the documented results are growth in customer base and profits, team expansion, the opening of new branches, and entry into new markets. In other words, the learning doesn’t end when participants receive their certificates. For many participants, the phase of putting their knowledge into practice begins right after the program ends.
“It is especially important that the knowledge gained through the program is applied in real-world business. Participants are reviewing financial processes, refining their pricing strategies, developing their teams, and entering new markets,” noted Jamoliddin Ruzimov, Deputy Director of HAMROH.
Figures That Demonstrate the Program’s Popularity
Since the program’s launch: 150+ women entrepreneurs have completed the training, 14 training groups have been formed, and the program has reached 3 cities—Tashkent, Nukus, and Fergana. But there are other important statistics as well. Participants gave the program an average rating of 9.3 out of 10; graduates rated the trainers’ work at 9.6 out of 10; and 100% of participants are willing to recommend the program to other female entrepreneurs. According to in-depth interviews with graduates, nearly half have begun systematically keeping financial records and calculating profits, about a third have revised their marketing and pricing strategies, and some participants have shifted to planning their business growth through specific goals and metrics.
“It’s important to measure the impact of training not only by the number of graduates, but also by what happens in their businesses afterward. This is ALPHA’s deliberate approach: we follow up with participants a few months later and look at specific metrics—whether they’ve started keeping financial records, whether their pricing and marketing have changed, and how their planning is structured. Changes are already measurable for nearly half of the graduates. For us, the program is considered a success not when the training ends, but when a business implements a solution that didn’t exist before,” noted Sabina Adylova, Head of Training at ALPHA.
Why the Environment Matters, Not Just Knowledge
Another outcome of the program that’s hard to quantify with a single number is the community that forms around the project.
Women with varying levels of entrepreneurial experience have the opportunity to connect, share practical solutions, and exchange professional contacts. For those just starting out, this is a chance to see real-world examples. For established female entrepreneurs, it’s an opportunity to find new ideas, partnerships, and avenues for growth.
“It’s important for UZCARD to support initiatives that give women not only access to knowledge but also the opportunity to put it into practice. We’re already seeing the first changes in the businesses of our graduates, and it’s precisely this result that demonstrates the program’s long-term value,” UZCARD added.
Hamroh Biznes Maktabi continues to expand, bringing together women from different regions and helping them turn their entrepreneurial ideas into more structured and sustainable businesses.
And perhaps the most important outcome of the program isn’t the certificate of completion, but the next step that each entrepreneur takes on her own.
UZCARD. Life, made easy.