Eliza Kurbaeva is expanding the Elizabeth Guest House after using online mentorship to develop her tourism business. She opened the property in Kerben, in the southern Kyrgyz Republic, in 2024 and sought advice through the EBRD MicroMentor platform.
Her mentor, Ken Larson, provided regular email guidance on scaling operations, attracting international travelers, and improving service standards. Kurbaeva says the relationship helped her understand her target audience and identify useful marketing channels.
The EBRD’s account of MicroMentor describes that support as part of its work with women entrepreneurs in Central Asia. Elizabeth Guest House is now undergoing reconstruction and expansion to meet rising demand, according to the bank.
Guest House Owner Develops a Marketing Plan
Kurbaeva said Larson’s advice gave her practical expertise and clearer direction. She began creating a marketing plan that set out activities and explained the guest house’s value to customers. Her account focuses on understanding whom the business serves and how to reach them.
The EBRD, the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, and other donors introduced MicroMentor in the region in 2023. It connects entrepreneurs in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with experienced mentors. The online platform operates alongside the bank’s separate seven-month, one-to-one Women in Business mentorship program.
Women Lead Most Businesses in the Community
The bank reports 5,456 small and medium-sized enterprises registered on MicroMentor in Central Asia. Women-led businesses represent 75 per cent of that community. The platform also includes 2,257 entrepreneurs younger than 35.
Participants can connect with more than 1,400 experienced mentors worldwide. Available expertise includes business planning, marketing, branding, sales, accounting, and financial planning. Guidance is matched to the needs entrepreneurs bring to the platform.
The EBRD describes limited access to finance, networks, digital tools, and practical knowledge as common challenges for women entrepreneurs. It also identifies confidence as a barrier women-led businesses frequently report. Its approach combines finance with advisory services, training, mentoring, and networking.
Pricing Advice Supports an Online Nursing Business
Zaituna Nasyrova, founder and chief executive of Uzbekistan’s ZN Standard consultancy, is one of the mentors. She describes working with entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Their businesses differ, but they often bring similar problems, she says.
Nasyrova worked with Onlayn Hamshira, an Uzbek startup providing an online nurse service. Its owner wanted to increase sales. Together, they refined pricing, clarified the value offered to partners, and identified important growth measures.
Onlayn Hamshira now offers additional diagnostic services, according to the EBRD. Expansion to Samarkand and Kokand remains planned. For these entrepreneurs, the bank’s examples show mentoring applied to specific business decisions, from pricing to marketing.
Frequently asked questions
How did MicroMentor help Eliza Kurbaeva develop her business?
Mentor Ken Larson advised her by email on scaling operations, attracting international travelers, service standards, and marketing.
Which countries are covered by the regional MicroMentor platform?
The regional platform introduced in 2023 connects entrepreneurs in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with mentors.
What share of the Central Asian community is women-led?
The EBRD reports that women-led businesses account for 75 per cent of the registered MicroMentor community in Central Asia.
What did Zaituna Nasyrova work on with Onlayn Hamshira?
They refined the pricing model, clarified value for partners, and identified important measures for business growth.
