By the way, the very first family business, where it all began, is still operating.

He drove 90 kilometers every day for tax benefits.

Deciding to return to textile production, Dmitry found and bought, at market value, an abandoned building of a household services combine in the Dzerzhinsky district. There, as he calls it, he installed "weak" second-hand equipment, did the repairs, and started working from scratch.

• There were domestic savings.

The start required about $20 thousand equivalent.

He recruited workers through advertisements. At first, there were five people—professional seamstresses, experienced, no one needed teaching. The people in the countryside are simpler, they would come to work by six, seven in the morning.

I always tell them: "Girls, you and I are partners, however many pillowcases you sew, that's what you'll get." Everyone must be interested in the quality and quantity.

Dmitry explains his choice of location simply: he was guided by the provisions of Decree No. 6 "On Stimulating Entrepreneurial Activity in the Territory of Medium, Small Urban Settlements, and Rural Areas." Simply put, the possibility of not paying profit and property taxes for seven years, along with other benefits, played their role.

• I got up at six, drove 45 kilometers from Minsk to the Dzerzhinsky district every day. The distance didn't scare me.

Earlier, the entrepreneur recalls, workers at the KBO had to go outside to use the restroom. Dmitry installed a septic tank, heating, and a canteen on the production floor. Now, instead of old machines, the workshop has modern equipment and already 23 employees. People from neighboring districts also come to work here.

— A professional seamstress earns up to 3.5 thousand net. Compare: in the region, it's 3 thousand to a bank card, — Dmitry says, not hiding his emotions. — Minsk seamstresses sometimes earn less.

He lost 2 million rubles to fires in Russia.

At first, the main sales market was Belarusian budget organizations. If you've ever lived in a dormitory, a barrack, or (oops) been in a hospital, you probably slept on plain sheets from "Golden Peony."

— They focused on the social sphere, where cheap products are needed but in large quantities. Raw materials were purchased wholesale at Belarusian enterprises. Sometimes, at a factory in Baranovichi, the machines were booked exclusively for us three months in advance.