Currently, substantial financial resources or any other kind of significant support (space, business tools, etc.) are not yet required for the implementation of economic projects. Thus, a variety of these software and technology-driven projects that represent economic innovation are referred to as startups. After being introduced for the first time in the US, the scope of start-up projects is expanding. Interest in these projects is still growing in Azerbaijan. Institutions, including the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA), provide state support to start-ups in our country. The "Startup" certificate provided by KOBİA to entrepreneurs exempts SMBs from the profit and income tax obtained from innovation activities for a period of 3 years.
One of the recipients of "Startup" certificate is Ramin Akbarov, a teacher of the "Emergency situations and life safety" department at the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (AUAC), a specialist of the Innovative Business Incubator of AUAC, a doctor of philosophy in nuclear chemistry of the Institute of Radiation Problems.
During an interview with AZERTAG, Ramin Akbarov, founder of "Bucard" startup project pointed out that he had developed 3 startups in the last 6 years.
Ramin Akbarov, who noted that over 200 students and pupils have been provided with start-up trainings, also said that he still mentors students.
"I enrolled in multiple international programs with the startups I founded. Our startup team was the finalist of the "Take Off Baku Startup Summit" held in Baku in 2022 as part of the "TEKNOFEST Azerbaijan" Aerospace and Technology Festival. We were the owners of the 6 selected startups. We have won an acceleration program in the ecosystem of Türkiye. We are presenting "Bucard" startup to the market, which we are currently working on. "Bucard" start-up is a platform that offers the best management of relations", added the entrepreneur.
R. Akbarov stated that the primary resource needed to launch this project was human capital while providing details on his digital business network platform (www.bucard.az). The project, which took around 1.5 years to develop is designed for business owners seeking to strengthen their professional relationships. Bucard, a cutting-edge digital business card platform, was developed as a transformative and innovative force in business networking and professional relationship management. The consolidated and simplified platform provides users with easy-to-use tools to create digital business cards, enhance profiles with more details, exhibit goods and services, and find possible business words.
The start-up entrepreneur claims that this platform simplifies interactions between companies in the business environment, providing businesspersons with digital business cards, a state-of-the-art solution for simplifying business relationships: "Bucard" not only offers personalization, but also makes information sharing easier. With the use of QR codes, NFC, and a unique search feature, this system makes it very easy for users to share information with one another. It also grants users the feature to create comprehensive profiles by adding information in a variety of categories. The platform links all business relationships within an accessible space and accelerates the establishment of relevant connections based on keywords or other criteria." The entrepreneur also noted that users may create video presentations, showcase their work and services, and incorporate a portfolio function that enables them to mark their business locations on a map, in addition to exhibiting product and service catalogues on the multifaceted platform. Virtually catalogable, these cards are significantly better than regular business cards. According to him, the benefit of "Bucard" is its functionality, which also allows advertising. By displaying their goods and services to Bucard users, users who subscribe to the "Personal" and "Business" packages can grow their market prospects and, consequently, foster their reputation in the market. It enables users to engage with potential customers and boost sales through the platform.
Furthermore, R. Akbarov stated that the platform, which has more than 100 active user base at the moment, is at the stage of completion and will soon be fully operational.
"We have an excellent team working with us right now. It is managed by professionals with many years of experience in their field of specialty and the team includes interns from different institutions. Furthermore, we also have an additional support team available. In October last year, the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA) under the Ministry of Economy held the 4th grant competition for financing education, science, research and support projects. Our startup won this competition. We are currently getting ready to launch our startup. We want our startup to go global. However, firstly, like every startup, we have to start within the country. Of course, our goal is to join the global market after a few development and adjustment steps. For this, we have also held preliminary negotiations. We anticipate that foreign countries will be able to recognize the "Bucard" brand in international markets by the end of the year," stated Ramin Akbarov.
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