G20 YES: Elena Nikitina, founder of Russian textiles trader ARLONI

Modern Russia spoke with several young Russian entrepreneurs who are driving the innovation and modernization of the Russian economy at the G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit in Nice, France.  

Below is an interview with Elena Nikitina, founder of ARLONI, a wholesale trader of quality Russian textiles.  

Tell us about your company.  What inspired you to start your own business?

I was working at a jacquard factory where I really liked the textile products.  I studied the market and found that there was sufficient demand for bed covers and other home textiles, but there was no modern brand in the Russian market. Russian textiles with good design at a fair price were not available, so I decided to start my own company to bring these quality textiles into more people’s homes.  

I became an entrepreneur because I like to be the one who makes decisions.  When I decided to start my own business, I drafted a business plan and found an investor. 

What is the home textile market like in Russia?  

There are either cheap or very expensive products available on the home textile market in Russia, so we decided to provide mid-price range products. ARLONI’s business concept is that our textiles are only made of 100 percent natural fibers with modern color decisions. 

Why should someone invest in your company?

Since 2005, ARLONI has proven itself by constantly growing not only in turnover and profit, but also on a professional level from the whole team. We studied a lot, learned from our mistakes, and have great plans for the future of the company. Our goal is no less than 20 percent growth a year.

As a young entrepreneur, how have you experienced the modernization of the Russian economy?

I can see that official organizations are now working more with entrepreneurs to make faster changes to the economy. Examples of this include the reform of rules for providing the necessary documents to start a business.  However, there is still much more to be done in the areas of taxation and government support for lending offices and warehouses with favorable terms – all of which are very important for entrepreneurs.