Ideas for your own business from immigrants

Despite the war, many entrepreneurs from eastern Ukraine relocated their businesses to safer locations. Most of them managed to resume their business, while others started a new business from scratch. 

Who are the indomitable entrepreneurs from the East* whose stories both impress and inspire you to start your own business? And what business ideas can be implemented right now without large investments?

Business in the oriental way 

Salt lamps

The Bukrey family from Bakhmut started making salt lamps from Soledar salt back in 2007. In August 2022, the owners managed to reopen the company in Dnipro. They took out some equipment and products and in a short period of time were able to fully establish the production of salt lamps. Currently, about 95% of the products are for wholesale. The products are bought by medical equipment stores, gift and lamp shops.

Anticafe coffee shop

Diana Maksymenko from Avdiivka had experience in the coffee business in her hometown and in Kyiv. When the war broke out, she decided to move to Vinnytsia Oblast, where she opened a cozy coffee shop called Milk&Honey. There you can not only drink coffee, but also play board games and watch movies in the open air in the summer. Now she is working on opening another coffee outlet in Odesa region.

Restored hairdressing salon

After the full-scale invasion, Olena Sydorenko from Bakhmut moved to Poltava, where she and her sister opened a new hair salon, Marafet. In a year, they managed to fully equip the salon, build up a client base, and even expand their business: the women created their own micro-laboratory to develop restorative hair care products.

Wooden products from the Book of Records of Ukraine

The Pokolenko family from Kostiantynivka has been making wood products since 2015. Now the range of wooden products has expanded to include not only traditional kitchen utensils, but also pet supplies, patriotic souvenirs, maps of Ukraine, branded signs, key chains, holiday decor, and more. Despite the difficulties associated with the relocation of their business, the entrepreneurs managed to survive and even export their products to the European market.

Cheese making 

Lidia Ovcharenko from Sloviansk opened a mini-cheese factory in her hometown long before the war. After being forced to move to a safer region, the woman returned to Slovyansk and continued to run her business there. The entrepreneur makes cheese by hand in the usual way. Currently, she sells gift plates containing 7–8 types of cheese weighing 700 grams each for 300 UAH.

The special swing

In 2016, Yevheniia Abdula from Rubizhne founded her own production of Infancy swings, which she relocated to the Chernivtsi region after the full-scale invasion. The swing's specialty is that it is made of natural fabric and wood, and it can easily be taken on the road. Yevheniia's products are ordered not only by families, but also by restaurants and shops.

Honey business

Beekeeper Oleksii Koniusha continued the work of his parents, who founded a family apiary in 2014 in the village of Fabrychne, 10 km from Luhansk. After the occupation of the region, the family moved to Cherkasy region. There, the entrepreneurs had to start from scratch, as almost all their apiaries were lost. Having received a grant of UAH 40,000 to start his own business, Oleksiy bought new hives and the necessary equipment for honey production. Over time, the business took off, and the family began experimenting with products, offering customers not only honey, but also honey with nuts, berries, and the now popular cream honey. 

To develop their business, the entrepreneurs paid a lot of attention to cooperation with partners, searching for new grants, and promoting the company on social media. In addition, they presented their products at various fairs, supermarkets, etc. 

Business ideas for your own business in Ukraine 

• A mobile coffee shop or snack bar. Doing business "on wheels" is still relevant today. Besides the fact that there is always a demand for coffee and street food, it is also a low-cost and promising business idea. You can be mobile and go wherever the demand for your services is highest.

• Anti-cafes and coworking spaces. This is a free space where people can spend time socializing, working or relaxing, and they pay for the time they spend there, not for the consumption of goods. In such an environment, guests can feel at home, with the ability to freely choose what they want to do. The idea of opening a coworking or free space is especially relevant today for internally displaced people who are forced to build a new life in a foreign area from scratch. 

• Organic food production. There is a great demand for organic products in Ukraine, so growing natural vegetables, fruits, herbs, or flour products can be a promising business idea at all times. In addition, you can get grants from the state for a greenhouse, garden or other business with three years of experience. 

• An ice cream kiosk. During summer, selling ice cream or cold drinks is a good idea to start your own business. To avoid losing customers during the cold season, you can transform an ice cream kiosk into a coffee shop. It's important to find the right location and a supplier with a ready-made ice cream line, or a good pastry chef who can create a unique recipe for the delicacy. 

• Organization of tourist tours. Knowledge about your country can be a competitive advantage in the travel business. You can organize not only excursions and tourist trips, but also cultural events, including charity events.

• Handmade products. This includes not only the manufacture of jewelry, accessories, and souvenirs, but also various sweets, delicacies, and baking homemade cakes. If you have the talent and desire to work in this area, your favorite business can be quickly monetized and bring in a good profit.

• Organizing courses or workshops. You can conduct training courses or master classes in any field in which you have experience or knowledge: culinary, dance, painting, clay modeling, photography, etc.

• Virtual assistant. Virtual assistant services are in great demand in the modern world, and you can work from anywhere via the Internet.

• Online store. E-commerce is expanding its borders every year. If you have a ready-made business idea for opening an online store, have the goods or services you want to sell, and have the start-up capital, then all you have to do is implement everything successfully. 

And the Online Market service from Torgsoft — a ready-made website in 1 day — will be a profitable solution and the first step in launching an online business. 

• Services. If you are an expert in a certain field, for example, you have a good command of foreign languages or experience in law or legal affairs, or you know how to do a manicure, you can start earning a lot of money from your skills and knowledge.

This also includes any other work, including construction, repair, architectural, hairdressing, design, freelance services (translation, writing, editing, website design and development, etc.), real estate agents, Internet providers, etc. 

• Consulting services. If you're good at persuading others, this skill can be easily monetized by providing advice to other businesses or individuals looking for advice. For example, it can be an online marketing agency, a wedding agency, coaching, psychological or training services. 

*The article was prepared in part based on data from the media resource "Eastern Option"