From the village of Yasenove to my own printing production business in Kyiv
Today I am an entrepreneur in the printing industry («Forsazh Print») and in the production of printed materials. My journey began in the village of Yasenove Druhe in the Odesa region. Even at school, I knew I wanted to live and work in Kyiv, although at the time I had no idea what I would do. After moving to Kyiv, I changed jobs several times before entering the printing industry. This became my profession for the next 8-10 years. Working at one company, I handled the technical side of production, configured processes, and gained a good understanding of how the business worked from the inside. Eventually, it became clear that the company had stopped growing. Equipment was not being upgraded, clients were gradually moving to competitors, and there were almost no opportunities for professional growth. Getting married was a turning point in my life. I had more responsibilities, and with them came the desire to build a business of my own. That was when I made the final decision to leave my salaried job and start my own business. The COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the full-scale war became major tests in my life. Despite all the difficulties, these periods gave the company a push to grow. During the pandemic, we strengthened production, brought in a partner, and scaled the business. After the full-scale invasion began, I had to manage operations on my own, as my brother and co-owner, a professional serviceman, joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Despite the difficult circumstances, the company grew approximately threefold during this time.
Company stagnation and the desire to grow—two catalysts for starting my own production business
How did you come up with the business idea?
The idea of starting my own business came about for two reasons. First, I could no longer see a path for growth in salaried employment. Second, I realized that many processes could be organized much more efficiently. Working in printing, I saw that the company was not investing in equipment upgrades and was gradually losing clients as a result. Since I was responsible for configuring many production processes, I understood well how things could be done differently. This prompted me to start my own production business.
Communication, technical expertise, and persistence—three skills that launched Forsazh Print
What key skills helped you launch your business?
- Communication— in my field, the ability to build trusting relationships with clients and partners directly affects the number of orders and the potential for long-term cooperation.
- Technical expertise—as a trained programmer, I have a good understanding of computer systems, software, and production processes. This helped me organize the company's operations quickly.
- Persistence and systems thinking—I am used to seeing things through and finding solutions even in difficult situations, especially when I have to handle most operational issues on my own.
Finding first clients, expensive equipment, and securing premises—three challenges at the start
What were the three most difficult challenges you overcame in the first years?
- Leaving my job without a steady stream of orders and finding my first clients.
- Securing financing and purchasing equipment, as the printing industry requires significant investment.
- Finding and preparing premises for production.
The pandemic and the full-scale war—and the company grew threefold
What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?
I can't say we faced crises that could have brought the business to a complete halt, but we went through several serious periods of downtime and uncertainty. During the pandemic, the events industry shut down, and for a while we operated with almost no orders. Despite this, I stayed in touch with clients and looked for new opportunities to grow, and ultimately this period became a turning point that made us stronger: we brought in a partner and purchased additional equipment. The full-scale war was the second turning point. Some team members were away from work for months, my brother and co-owner joined his unit in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and all operational processes were left to me. Despite these circumstances, the company grew approximately threefold thanks to new connections, equipment purchases, and quick decision-making.
Reinvestment and entering Etsy—what can really scale a printing business
Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?
I can't point to one decision that brought about a sudden leap forward. Growth came from a series of consistent, practical steps: reinvesting profits in the business, purchasing new equipment, expanding production through partners, and maintaining ongoing communication with clients and the market. When it comes to further scaling, in service printing, growing x2 without changing the business model may only increase the workload. That's why I see potential in creating our own ready-made products and selling them on marketplaces, including Etsy. This will help us become less dependent on seasonality and open up new opportunities for growth.
A partnership without legal agreements—the most costly lesson
What mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?
The most valuable learning experience for me was entering into a partnership without clearly documented legal agreements. At the beginning, it's easy to rely on trust alone and not pay enough attention to formalizing the arrangement legally. But a few years later, it may turn out that one person is shouldering all the responsibility and the partnership is no longer an equal collaboration. Today, I am convinced that it is better to take the time to discuss and document all agreements from the outset than to spend years dealing with the consequences later.
