From Sales Manager to Founder of «Teploradist»
Today, I am the founder and co-owner of «Teploradist», a company I have been developing for more than 10 years in the fields of engineering, plumbing, heating, and climate-control equipment. My business journey did not begin with entrepreneurship, but with a job as a sales manager. In 2012, I left my job at an electronics warehouse and moved into sales without any prior experience. It was a risky step, but it gave me an understanding of customers, the market, negotiations, and how sales actually work. Before launching my own company, I had two and a half years of experience as a sales manager and another half-year running a business with a colleague. That was when the idea emerged to create a company of my own, combining market knowledge, sales experience, and the opportunities offered by e-commerce. In 2015, I founded «Teploradist». At the beginning, I had to handle most processes myself: making sales, negotiating with suppliers, processing orders, resolving customer issues, and learning from my own mistakes along the way. Today, «Teploradist» is a well-organized company that brings together expertise, a team, established business processes, CRM, logistics, and its own e-commerce platform.
Firsthand experience helped me see market opportunities
How did the business idea come about?
The business idea emerged naturally from my experience working in the industry. I understood the plumbing and heating market well, saw what customers needed, knew the specifics of selling technical equipment, and already had some experience in e-commerce. I realized that in this field, a competitive price alone is not enough for customers. They expect professional advice, help choosing the right equipment, quality service, and a reliable partner. «Teploradist» was built on these very principles.
Sales, expertise, and e-commerce became the foundation of the business
What key skills helped you launch the business?
- Sales: I understood how to communicate with customers, identify their needs, explain complex things in simple terms, and bring deals to a successful close.
- Knowledge of the plumbing and heating market. This is a technical field where advertising or low prices alone are not enough. You need a strong understanding of the product, suppliers, equipment compatibility, and customer needs.
- E-commerce experience: my previous business helped me understand how online sales, traffic acquisition, websites, inquiry processing, and scaling through the internet work.
The hardest part was moving from employee to owner
What were the three toughest challenges you faced in the early years?
The first challenge was moving from being an employee to becoming a business owner. A manager is responsible for their own area of work, while an owner is responsible for everything—sales, finances, the team, customers, suppliers, and the company’s reputation. The second challenge was building steady sales in a complex technical niche. In the heating and plumbing sector, simply bringing customers to a website is not enough. You need to provide quality advice, help customers choose equipment, handle objections, and build trust. The third challenge was systematizing operations. At the beginning, many processes depended on hands-on management, but it eventually became clear that scaling required standards, CRM, clear metrics, regular monitoring, and a clear division of responsibilities.
Crises became a catalyst for the company’s development
What crises has the business faced, and how did you overcome them?
One of the company’s most difficult crises was a burglary in 2020. It was a serious blow, but it also became a catalyst for growth. I realized then that a business needs to be protected not only through sales, but also through clear processes, oversight, and security rules. The next major test was the full-scale invasion in 2022. After February 24, the company paused operations briefly, but we were back at work by March 16. This decision became one of the most important in the history of the business. While the market adapted to the new realities, we began restoring sales, customer communications, and operational processes.
Systematizing the business became the foundation for scaling
Which decisions were most effective in growing the company?
- Resuming operations on March 16, 2022. This helped us maintain momentum and showed the team, customers, and partners that the company was ready to work even under the most difficult circumstances.
- Systematizing the sales department. We began working with metrics, regular planning meetings, performance monitoring, and more structured team management. This laid the foundation for further development.
- Building a clear order-processing workflow—from the customer’s inquiry through procurement and logistics to product pickup or delivery. When each department understands its role and responsibilities, the business becomes much easier to manage.
- Working with external consultants. They helped us identify weak points, set the right priorities, and implement changes that the team was then able to sustain independently.
The costliest mistake is putting off decisions
What mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?
The most valuable lesson for me was not to put off decisions about toxic people on the team. I now understand that if you keep thinking that a particular person is damaging the atmosphere, culture, or results, you need to act immediately. Delaying the dismissal of toxic employees costs a company much more than you might think. It drains the owner’s energy, demotivates strong people, and has a negative impact on the entire team.
