Boris Vanyan, his mother and little brother moved to Yerevan from Hadrut two weeks ago to flee the fighting along the Artsakh-Azerbaijan border.

The 14-year-old used the 100,000 drams he was saving to buy a computer to launch an online retail business. Since his father is at the front, Boris sees himself as “the man of the house” who must take care of the family until they return home.

They now live with their Aunt Arpi, who helps the boy purchase the items he then resells online. She came up with the online business plan.

Named “Open Shop”, the business has attracted 20,000 followers in four days and has accepted 150 orders.

Boris confesses that while he does not know much about the household items he buys for resale for sale, he’s a quick learner

"Boris really matured due to the war. When he told his father that he had decided to start selling online, his father was moved, telling him he’s the man of the house. His parents were surprised that such a modest boy would start a business,” says Aunt Arpi Vanyan.

The goods offered for sale are mainly bought from wholesale markets. The online store sells books, household items, tableware, and phone accessories. When buying products, priority is given to quality and affordability. The resale mark-up is not high. The work is to get the boy thinking of other things but the war.

“The business helps me to disconnect from the fighting, to help my family with future house rental costs, with food. I’m am raising the money little by little so that I can help my family and expand the online store," Boris tells Hetq. 

The number of orders jumped two days ago when Aunt Arpi wrote a Facebook post about the business.

They received seventy orders in the past two days. They couldn’t believe the response.

The business has hired a delivery person and an office worker to manage the orders.

Aunt Arpi says many of the people placing orders really don’t need the items but want to support Boris and his entrepreneurship. Some have offered the boy money to expand his business without expecting a return.

"One of the users found out that I started the business with the money for a laptop, today he wrote a letter that he wanted to give me a laptop. Several people also wrote that they have goods to give me. They want to give them away for free so that I can sell them," says Boris.

Online store orders are delivered in Yerevan and in the provinces. They even had orders from the United States. Orders outside Yerevan are delivered via Haypost. Sales receipts are provided with each purchase.

Boris invests the money generated from the sale in the business, buys new products, but takes care of the family expenses.

Since the family does not know how long the war will last, they want to rent a house somewhere in Armenia with the money they earn.

Boris constantly thinks about his father and dreams of the day the family returns to Hadrut.

Boris and Aunt Arpi

The boy wants to use the money earned by the business to rebuild their Hadrut house. He plans to open an online business in Artsakh.