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Is it possible to start a new business in a new field for yourself as a pensioner? Of course yes! An entrepreneur from the city of Nukus (Republic of Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan) IzimbetovaRaushanTazhenovna is a vivid example of this. A lawyer by education, RaushanTazhenovna successfully mastered the field of hospitality in 2018 and is currently the owner of the NIKA family guest house with a "one star" category.

The story of the entrepreneur Izimbetova Raushana Tazhenovna begins in 2018, when a Government Decree on the organization of family guest houses was adopted in Uzbekistan. At this time, Raushan Tazhenovna was already retired, lived in the house with her husband and mother, who were also pensioners. The presence of a large house, the desire to master the hospitality industry and improve the financial situation of the family became decisive factors for starting a family business in the field of tourism. Both mother and husband supported Raushan Tazhenovna in an effort to start a family business in the field of tourism.

"The residential building in which we live is very large (usable area is about 500 sq.m.), the land plot is 12 acres. There were living rooms that were practically not used by us. Therefore, after the adoption of the government degree on the organization of the activities of family guest houses, we decided to open a family business in the hospitality industry. In 2018, only the three of us lived in the house: mother, husband and me. All of us were pensioners and needed additional income. A large house requires large expenses, taxes, utility bills, maintenance of communications, land, repairs, etc.The decision to open a family guest house was taken together. We hoped to improve our financial situation. And we were not mistaken!",- said the owner of the NIKA family guest house.

On October 25, 2018, the NIKA family guest house began its activities in Nukus. The name of the family guest house "NIKA" carries a double meaning. Firstly, "Nika" in the family is called the youngest daughter of Nesibel. The name Nesibel is translated from the Karakalpak language as "wealth". Secondly, the goddess Nike is the goddess of victory in ancient Greek mythology. So the owners of the family guest house wanted to define their desire for victories in a new field for themselves and prosperity in the family.

After the opening of the family guesthouse, Raushan Tazhenovna and the family members living in the house had doubts whether guests would come to them, whether they would be able to promote this business, whether they would be able to repay the loan that was taken out to repair the house on time. In this matter, Raushan Tazhenovna was helped by her children and grandchildren.

"Our children and grandchildren have taken on the role of promoting the business. They registered a family-run guest house on Booking.com. As a result, guests began to come to us not only from Uzbekistan, but from abroad. We were delighted! Guests bring positiveemotions to our house! Guests love our home. It is very important for us. At the end of 2022, our family guest house was highly rated on Booking",- notes Raushan Tazhenovna.

In 2019, through the information channels of the Association of  Private Tourism Agencies of Uzbekistan (APTA), RaushanTazhenovnaparticipated in the training seminars for owners of family guest houses implemented by the APTA under the USAID's Future Growth Initiative (FGI) Project. RaushanTazhenovna became an active participant in these training seminars, which made it possible to study the sphere of hospitality, issues of organizing the work of a family guest house, marketing, service, etc. in depth.

In May 2023, the family guest house became one of the participants in the family guest house classification pilot project, also implemented by APTA under the USAID's Future Growth Initiative (FGI) Project. According to the results of the classification, the family guest house "NIKA" was awarded the category "one star".

"At the training seminars I received all the skills and knowledge to run this business, from opening a guest house, the requirements for guest houses, up to making the bed, as well as about the interests of guests, about providing services for business development. Thanks to participation in a pilot project on the classification of family guest houses, I improved my business and learned about the shortcomings that need to be corrected",- Raushan Tazhenovna said.

Raushan Tazhenovna plans for the future to further develop the family business and attract grandchildren to it. Raushan Tazhenovna has four daughters and eight grandchildren. In particular, grandson Islam, a student at the University of Westminster, and granddaughter Aizada, a graduate of a secondary school, know English well and communicate fluently with their guests. Raushan Tazhenovna hopes that they will also start working in the field of tourism and open a travel company to attract guests to Uzbekistan.

The owner of the NIKA family guest house also plans to expand the range of additional services, install acharging stationfor electric vehicles and purchase a minibus for transporting guests (transfer).