Volodymyr Volkov, 36 years

From $1 000 to UAH 200 million in turnover in six years — without loans or partners

My name is Volodymyr Volkov. I am an entrepreneur, CEO, and founder of «Lad i Myr Agro». In six years, I turned $1 thousand in startup capital into a company with annual turnover of around UAH 200 million in the imported agricultural machinery parts segment, with a physical presence in Ukraine and Poland and operations in Europe and Moldova. I work with a focused niche, maintain inventory and fast delivery, reinvest cash flow, scale amid turbulence, and build a «Lad i Myr» culture where service discipline is the standard. My background includes operations management, export/import, and opening branches without a credit cushion or partners; I make important decisions calmly under pressure and deliver everything on time.

A workplace conflict and unpaid commission prompted me to start my own business

How did the business idea come about?

A conflict at my previous job and unpaid sales commission led me to stop working «for someone else» and start my own business

A focus on one niche and reinvestment — the skills that made the difference

What are the key skills for starting a business?

Determination, focus on one niche, a willingness to take risks, a strong work ethic, and reinvestment.

No funding, staffing gaps, and limited management experience — three challenges at the outset

What 3 most difficult challenges did you overcome in the early years?

• Limited management experience
• Staffing gaps (especially in accounting)
• A complete lack of funding at the outset

COVID, war, and blackouts — yet the company opened new branches

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

COVID, war, energy and security challenges; the company continued operating, opened branches, and scaled while others were shutting down

Scaling despite every risk — what really drove growth

Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

Scaling despite every risk, opening businesses in new cities, and ongoing investment in service centers.

Trusting people close to me too much — the most costly and most valuable lesson

Which mistake do you now consider your most valuable learning experience?

Trusting too much the people I considered close to me. But it was a very valuable experience.

From shrimp and Kazantip to a million in the second year of business

How did you earn your first $100?

I did some small-scale fishing, catching and selling shrimp with a friend.

Agricultural parts, Poland, Latvia — how Vladimir can help YBC members

• Building and scaling an agricultural business;
• Starting a business in Poland;
• Setting up a Latvian company remotely;
• Import and export of agricultural parts;
• Expertise in the agricultural sector

An owner's commitment plus the right team — a simple formula for systematization

Your experience: how do you systematize a business?

For me, the formula is simple: the business owner's own commitment combined with a carefully selected team.

New customers abroad and continuous improvement — the recipe for growing x2

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

Finding new customers (especially abroad); - opening new sales channels; - continuously improving yourself and your top managers.