Kostyantyn Kavun, 40 years

Business field:: - Publishing; - Printing services; - Printing (books, souvenirs, clothing, large-format); - Sale of souvenirs and products with prints on marketplaces; - Online services (book writing, editing, design, Amazon launch, online promotion); - Educational products for experts;
Company:: Kavun Publishing House
Business size:: YBC
Marital status:: Single
Looking for in YBC:: - Inspiring success stories that encourage growth; - Constantly asking myself, “How could I not have known this was possible?”; - Looking for partners in new niches and areas; - New acquaintances that grew into friendships; - Being useful to Ukrainian entrepreneurs.

Section 1: About me. Dossier.

Company

Kavun Publishing House

Business size

YBC

Marital status

Single

Movies

Feature film - Fight Club
TV series - Billions
TV series - Breaking Bad

Books

The Goal, Eliyahu Goldratt
Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

Songs

Frank Sinatra - My Way (only in the Sex Pistols version)
Johnny Cash - Hurt (only in the NIN version)
YUKO Hrushka

Hobbies

Trying new sports, Books, Participating in business communities, Sauna, Tourism, Playing "Mafia"

City

Kyiv and Dnipro

4 events that changed my life

A public speaking course, during which I helped publish the trainer’s book back in 2006, connecting me with the publishing industry.

A tour of Europe that brought me together with someone who later encouraged me to rent premises for production, and eventually to build a team for our printing house and publishing business.

The “Business Youth” training program in 2013, which helped me streamline many business processes in my own business, introduced me to internet marketing, and led to great connections with young entrepreneurs in Dnipro and across Ukraine.

Moving to Kyiv and joining business communities, including YBC.

2 people who influenced my life

My father and mother—for giving me life, raising me, and giving me warmth, love, and a good upbringing grounded in humane values.

My friend and the peer-to-peer group we formed ourselves back in 2013, with whom I played a goal-achievement game. Thanks to them, I rented my first premises, moved all my equipment from home, and transformed from self-employed to an entrepreneur who delegates work to a team.

1 decision that changed my life

«The decision to go into business for myself and open a printing house and publishing business, starting out in debt. This became the point of no return and determined my entire professional path thereafter. »

Kostyantyn Kavun

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Section 2. About the business. Dossier.

Company name

Kavun Publishing House

Business field

- Publishing; - Printing services; - Printing (books, souvenirs, clothing, large-format); - Sale of souvenirs and products with prints on marketplaces; - Online services (book writing, editing, design, Amazon launch, online promotion); - Educational products for experts;

Years in business

Status

YBC member

Team size

8 on staff and approximately 30 freelancers

Has a partner

Countries of operation

Ukraine United States Europe (online services, Amazon) Asia (online services, Amazon)

Section 3: Biography.

From print shop to an ecosystem around books

I am Kostyantyn Kavun, and today I own «Kavun Publishing House» in Dnipro: a print shop, publishing services, marketing and design services for entrepreneurs, authors, and experts, an in-house production team, and a broad network of freelance professionals.

I joined Young Business Club as no newcomer: my journey in printing and books began in 2007, and the current business structure has long since grown beyond simply «print and ship». My mission is to contribute to Ukraine and the world by teaching experts to share their knowledge with readers through books, and by providing high-quality printing, publishing, and marketing services within clearly defined deadlines.

A chance introduction to printing during election campaigns

How did you come up with the business idea?

It began with a chance introduction to printing during election campaigns, a partnership with a print shop, and a growing fascination with the production process. Later came the opening of my own print shop and publishing house, operating as a self-publishing agency: authors can order a full range of services (writing/editing/design/printing/distribution) without transferring their copyrights, along with book launches and promotion on Amazon and an ecosystem for sales funnels and courses.

The ability to overcome extreme situations

What key skills helped you launch your business?

Analytical thinking;
Psychological preparation;
Ability to learn independently;
Systematic thinking;
Perseverance;
Ability to overcome extreme situations;
Communication with people.

The first equipment, bought with borrowed money and proceeds from selling a car

What were the 3 toughest challenges you faced in the early years?

Starting the business in debt and buying the first equipment with borrowed money and proceeds from selling a car;
Having to piece together production with minimal resources;
Parting ways with a partner during a crisis.

A print shop that switched to sewing masks during the COVID pandemic

What crises has your business faced, and how did you overcome them?

Starting the business amid the 2008-2009 crisis while in debt;
Repurposing our business during the COVID pandemic to sew and sell masks;
The start of the full-scale war: we had obligations for rent, equipment, and staff, while employees could not come to work. The solution was to seek new areas of business, give our orders to contractors in “quieter cities”, and develop online operations and product sales.
Letting some of the sales department go, then recruiting and training replacements very quickly with the help of external recruiters.

A focus on experts and an ecosystem around books

Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

Going into business independently and opening a print shop (2009–2010), then expanding our printing services from 2015 (souvenirs, clothing, large-format printing);
Launching training to help experts write and publish books, and developing the Amazon business. Focusing on experts and an ecosystem around books;
Creating a separate product business;
Partnering with outsourcing companies that replace in-house employees and freelancers; ongoing business education;
Working with a psychologist and a coach.

Entering a complex manufacturing niche without the knowledge or resources

Which of your mistakes do you now consider your most valuable experience?

Entering a complex manufacturing niche without sufficient knowledge and resources.

A paint booth in our first year: he painted, I sold

How did you earn your first $100?

My friend and I had a car paint booth when we were in our first year at university. He painted, and I brought in customers.

How did you earn your first $1000?

Our first big order was for book printing.

Focusing on repeat customers and the corporate segment

How did you earn your first $10 000?

By expanding the printing business and building relationships with repeat customers.

How did you earn your first $100 000?

A comprehensive printing and publishing business, focused on corporate customers.

Two decades of hard work

How did you earn your first $1 000 000?

Through two decades of hard work.

Section 4: How can I be useful? Experience I can share.

Amazon KDP, book funnels and a remote call center

Launching a publishing house and print shop from scratch;
Consulting on writing and publishing books both in Ukraine and on Amazon KDP;
Creating my own remote call center;
Building automated sales funnels around books;
Turnaround management;
Remote management of an offline business;
Creating training methodologies, information products and courses;
Delegation and building a learning management system.

Removing myself from processes as much as possible

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

For us, this is an ongoing process in which we continually improve:

Making all processes simple and clear to the team and removing myself from them as much as possible;
Using project management and Lean in production;
Policies and procedures;
Job descriptions;
Improving how we work in the CRM;
Financial accounting and creating dashboards;
Team check-ins 2 times a week;
Creating a training program as a full-fledged online course;
Constantly and quickly creating instructions in response to new questions from the team and clients;
Outsourcing some processes to service companies that have already established these processes well and handle these matters better than we do.

Use a situation like COVID and invest the earnings back into the business

Your experience: how do you grow x2 in a year?

In our case, this kind of growth does not happen every year, but it has happened several times. The reasons for this growth were:

expanding the range of services for different target audiences and seasons;
improving and expanding our equipment fleet, enabling us to fulfill orders better and faster;
increasing the number of managers and training them quickly;
making use of situations like COVID, which create opportunities to earn money and invest the earnings back into the business;
expanding advertising tools and budgets for what pays off;
investing in our own products, which we manufacture using our equipment, and building our own sales channels;
using artificial intelligence;
entering the information business niche.

Section 5: Club value

What am I looking for in the club?

- Inspiring success stories that encourage growth; - Constantly asking myself, “How could I not have known this was possible?”; - Looking for partners in new niches and areas; - New acquaintances that grew into friendships; - Being useful to Ukrainian entrepreneurs.

What have I received from the club?

Connections