Doing Business: Small fourchette company became a large-scale catering organization
3 minute read
The small-to-medium business is of a certain importance for the steadfast economic growth of a country, as it gives innovational impulses to the economy. Armenpress News Agency highly appreciates the significant role the small-to-medium business plays; each week Armenpress introduces business stories regarding various branches of economy. This time the project is dedicated to the story of Hasmik Barkhudaryan, who established a catering company and advises the newcomers to make analyses before starting a business.
YEREVAN, JULY 18, ARMENPRESS: Aries Catering is a well known and demanded company at present. The 45-year-old Hasmik Barkhudaryan established the company more than 15 years ago. “It was the crisis years, the time of cold and darkness. I decided to found a company providing fourchettes. People laughed at me, saying that electricity was available for some 2-3 hours a day, how am I going to provide any kind of receptions. There was nothing to eat, only pasta and I was going to make canapés, cocktails and organize parties”, - remembers Hasmik Barkhudaryan.
“I was very happy if I had one or two orders a year”, - said the businesswoman. Since the third year of the establishment “there was not time even to breath”, - says Hasmik Barkhudaryan.
During 15 years the company has become a big catering company and the founder decided to widen her business.
The largest difficulty for Hasmik Barkhudaryan during those 15 years was to combine business with her family. “As a woman I can mention this. We had three children, I was pregnant when working and was running home from work to take care of my children. That was the hardest moment in my business”, - notes Hasmik.
On April 5 2013 Hasmik Barkhudaryan was rewarded with the special prize of the International Finance Corporation in the framework of the Armenia’s Prime Minister Awards “Best Businesswoman 2013”. (THE FULL VERSION OF THE ARTICLE IS AVAILABLE IN ARMENIAN)
The success story and photos provided by the Small and Medium Entrepreneurship Development National Center of Armenia
Article by Davit Muradyan