Yuliia Bilytska, 37 years

From a Pilot Sports Project to an SEO Agency in Kyiv

My name is Yuliia Bilytska — I am the founder of Idea Digital Agency, an SEO agency in Kyiv that has been building a service-based digital business for 9 years and working with clients in Ukraine, Germany, Poland, other European countries, and the United States.

My entrepreneurial journey began not with a business plan, but with hands-on experience. After launching a pilot project in the sports sector, a partner suggested creating a digital agency — and Idea Digital Agency came about naturally. Focusing on SEO as a strategic choice After two years in business, I deliberately narrowed our range of services and focused on SEO promotion for websites. For the next seven years, SEO for businesses became the foundation of the company’s growth. This decision led to: - deep expertise in the niche - steady growth in average spend - a clear model for scaling the agency - systematic team development Focus instead of spreading ourselves too thin — that is the key principle behind our stability and growth.

Crises as a Catalyst for Systematizing the Business

Over 9 years, we have weathered two major crises: - COVID-19, when our project portfolio shrank to 40% - the full-scale war, after which around 20% of our contracts remained In each case, we had to review expenses, structure, and processes, and make difficult management decisions. These were the periods when the company truly became more systematic.

We:

• increased our average project value
• optimized business processes
• restructured the team
• strengthened financial discipline

Today, Idea Digital Agency is a more resilient and structured digital business model. I devote a great deal of attention to ensuring that growth does not come at the expense of team burnout. Clear agreements and transparent rules matter to me. And I believe that experience always comes at a cost. It is better when that cost is measured in money, not in health or inner resources.

Several things shaped me: motherhood (I am the mother of a 15-year-old daughter), managing an online publication, which taught me to think strategically, and the conscious choice not to live through suffering, but to move toward inner balance. I combine learning with practice, but I don’t copy tools — I adapt them to each business. I build long-term relationships with clients and am learning to embrace ease and an abundance mindset.

My principle is simple: «The world will treat you the way you treat yourself first and foremost».

How a Turnkey Sports Project Grew into an Agency

How did the business idea come about?

The agency idea grew out of practical experience. A client approached me with a request to deliver a turnkey project in the sports sector. There were three of us at the start. We:

• developed the branding
• built the website
• brought on and adapted a team of journalists
• launched the project

The project got up and running, and our partner suggested scaling the collaboration into an agency. The results became the foundation for expanding our work into an internet marketing agency. The business began with a real-world case, not a theoretical concept.

Why Digital Services Should Work as a Business Tool

Key skills that helped launch the business

• strong communication skills
• the ability to build long-term client relationships
• high personal standards for results

It is important to me that digital services work as a business tool and deliver measurable value to clients.

Two Years in the Red, Lockdown, and Restructuring After the Invasion

What were the 3 most difficult challenges you faced in the early years?

1. The first two years operating at a loss — a period that required perseverance and strategic patience.
2. Rapid scaling after lockdown without compromising quality.
3. A complete overhaul of the business model after the full-scale invasion.

These challenges shaped my approach to systematizing the business and crisis management.

When Only 20% of Projects Remained After February 24

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

There were two major crises. The first came during COVID-19. Our project portfolio fell to around 40%, and we had to partially reduce the team and review expenses. The second followed 24.02.2022. At one point, around 20% of our projects remained. It was a time of tough decisions and a complete shift in priorities. But both crises made us more systematic. We increased our average project value, reviewed our processes, and changed the way we structured the team. We came through them more resilient than before.

Betting on SEO: How Narrowing Our Focus Fueled Growth

Which decisions proved most effective in growing the company?

One of the key decisions was to strategically narrow our areas of activity after the agency’s first two years. Avoiding a scattered approach gave us: - deep niche expertise - a stable client portfolio - the ability to scale the digital agency - predictable financial growth Trying to develop a wide range of services while maintaining high quality and a customer-focused approach proved unprofitable.

So we dropped unstable service areas and focused on SEO promotion for the next seven years. This focus built deep expertise, helped grow the team, and supported the steady development of our project portfolio.

A Mistake That Became a Valuable Lesson

Working with friends without clearly defined roles, areas of responsibility, or written agreements. This experience taught me to build partnerships only on the basis of transparent rules, measurable commitments, and professional boundaries. I established a clear principle for myself: experience comes at a cost, and it is better when that cost is measured in money, not in health or emotional exhaustion. Financial losses can be recovered. Lost personal resources are much harder to regain.