Sometimes a really good idea can turn a profit in less than a year. With EU support, Rafael Sulkhayev’s family has not only managed to open a dried fruit business in 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic raged, but to even export hundreds of tonnes of its product to both local and foreign markets.

With its easy-to-remember name, Pizza Mizza has already become one of the favourite places among pizza lovers in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Pizza Mizza can now pride itself on rising sales, a growing staff and an expanding base of customers who love its Italian cuisine.

The idea of setting up a company with a catchy name like “Mr. Bee” came to Javid Karimov back in 2015. At the time, he already had 15 years’ experience working at a bank and specializing in the business development sector.

Building a prosperous business from scratch is not an easy task. It requires diligence, patience and hard work—lots of hard work. "You just need to follow your dream,” says Afet Akhmadova, founder of Zira Natural & Gourmet.

The Agalarov family fled to the Shaki-Zaqatala region after the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh flared up. Their financial situation back then was fairly poor and the only skill they possessed was carpet weaving.