Business After Relocation: How to Choose an Idea and Test Demand

After relocating to another region of Ukraine, choose a business you can run with the skills and resources available to you and for which buyers are willing to pay for a specific offer. Before buying equipment or committing to a long-term lease, check local conditions, calculate costs, and complete a small number of paid orders. This will give you data to decide what to invest in next.

If you are restoring an existing business, check which parts of your previous model will work in the new location: supply, delivery, prices, premises, and access to customers. If you are starting from scratch, compare several focused business ideas and set a testing budget, timeframe, and stop conditions in advance. The quantities and testing periods below are practical guideposts; adapt them to your business.

Assess what kind of business you can run under the new conditions

Start by listing what you can actually use after relocating. Knowledge of equipment you can no longer access, or an agreement with a supplier whose delivery dates are unconfirmed, will not yet let you fulfill an order. For each resource, record whether it is available, how much it costs to use, and what would happen if it became unavailable.

• Skills. List the work you can do yourself to a consistent standard. Include examples of previous work, how long it takes, and which tasks require another specialist.
• Time and team. Estimate realistic working hours, taking into account family responsibilities, travel, purchasing, and customer communication. If two of you will be working, agree who is responsible for each task and how that work will be paid.
• Assets. List tools, equipment, vehicles, and any remaining stock or materials. Check their condition, transport costs, and suitability for the product range you have in mind.
• Premises. Calculate the space you need for work, storage, packing, and serving customers. Check whether water, ventilation, internet, and the required electrical capacity are available.
• Money. Separate the funds your family needs for living expenses from the amount you can spend on testing the business. Record the maximum you can afford to lose before the first order.

Write three short descriptions of possible businesses using the same format: “Who I serve — what need I meet — what exactly I sell — how I get paid — what I need to deliver.” For example, “I repair jacket zippers for residents of the neighborhood by appointment” gives you more to work with in your calculations than the general idea of opening a repair shop.

Compare three business models by costs and constraints

For an initial test, consider reselling a focused range of products online, offering repairs or other services, or making small batches to order. None of these options is automatically inexpensive: costs depend on the product, tools, premises, product requirements, and how you attract customers.

Assess each model against six criteria: your own expertise, access to customers, available funds, suitability of the location, reliability of supply, and ability to fulfill orders during disruptions. For an internal comparison, you can assign 0 points if a condition is not met, 1 if you need an additional solution, and 2 if you have already tested it in practice.

The total score can help you compare options, but you need to address any critical problem separately. If you lack a safe place for equipment, confirmed supply, or the ability to meet requirements for the activity, put that option on hold. For the first test, choose a model you can deliver within your set budget.

Example of a decorative wooden item.

Check the premises, transport, and reliance on electricity

Before renting, walk through the entire order process: receive materials or products, bring them into the premises, do the work, pack the result, and get it to a dispatch location. Record the time and every payment. Inexpensive rent can prove uneconomical if daily trips take hours and require a separate vehicle.

1. Check the address during working hours. See how customers will find the entrance, where deliveries can be received, and whether order pickup is convenient. If you sell online, check the route to the carrier separately, including its parcel acceptance hours.
2. Agree on how the premises may be used. Before signing a lease, confirm with the owner that the property is suitable for your planned work, equipment, material storage, and customer visits. Put the agreed terms in the contract.
3. Check equipment operation. Calculate your electricity and internet needs. If you plan to use backup power, check compatibility, safe placement, operating time, and the full cost of use.
4. Set a procedure for interruptions. Decide which tasks can be postponed, how to store work in progress, and when to tell the customer about a revised completion date. Also account for local movement restrictions and how to stop work safely.

For production, check the requirements for your specific process and product before buying equipment. Sewing a simple textile item, making an electrical appliance, and producing a children’s product call for different checks. If you have not yet established the applicable safety, documentation, or permit requirements, do not include that product in a paid test.

Example of food product packaging. Safety and labeling requirements for its production and sale must be checked separately.

Find out what local buyers already pay for

Start by talking with potential customers and comparing the alternatives available to them. The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends researching demand, where customers are, competitors, and prices, and speaking directly with consumers through surveys and interviews. You can use this approach to test an idea in Ukraine; another country’s legal and financial programs do not apply to a Ukrainian business.

As a practical starting point, have 10–15 short conversations with people who have the need you want to address. For clothing repairs, these might be neighborhood residents; for craft supplies, they might be makers who buy them regularly. Conversations with friends alone may give you an incomplete picture, so look for people in the places where you plan to get orders.

• When was the last time you bought this product or ordered this service?
• Where did you buy it, how much did you pay, and how long did you wait?
• What caused the inconvenience: distance, lead time, quality, lack of the right size, or another specific issue?
• What do you do when your usual product or service provider is unavailable?
• What could prompt you to order from a different seller?

Record the answers separately from your own conclusions. “The person traveled to another district twice for a repair” describes a customer’s experience. “They will order from me every month” still needs to be tested. At the end of the conversation, offer a specific product or service with a price and lead time if you are ready to accept orders lawfully.

At the same time, compare 5–7 offers available to customers. Record the total price including delivery, lead time, payment method, and terms for returns or correcting problems. Choose one advantage you can deliver with your own resources: convenient drop-off, a clear turnaround time, or availability of a specific item. Check what it will cost to maintain that advantage.

Illustration of small business formats, not a photograph of a specific business.

Prepare a lawful paid test in Ukraine

The process below is intended for work within Ukrainian jurisdiction. Before accepting money, check with an accountant or a specialist adviser how to register the chosen activity, handle sales, and process payments. A small test by itself is not a reason to assume that registration, tax, or industry-specific matters can be postponed.

If you already operate as an individual entrepreneur (FOP, the Ukrainian registration status for a self-employed business), check that your registration details are up to date after the move and that your chosen activities match the Classification of Types of Economic Activity (KVED). Before starting, agree on how to record income and issue payment and customer documents for the specific product, service, and payment method. For premises and equipment, separately check the applicable fire safety and occupational safety requirements and any permits you may need. Complete these checks before incurring costs that may be difficult to recover.

A practical format for the first test is one customer group, one offer, and one main way of receiving orders. For example, you could test zipper repairs by appointment or sell a small kit of supplies for a specific type of craft. A limited offer will help you understand what influenced the result.

1. Describe the offer. State what the price includes, what costs extra, when the customer will receive the order, and what you will do if there is a delay or a defect.
2. Set limits. For example, allow two weeks for the test and set a maximum number of orders and a spending cap. These are suggested experiment conditions, not industry standards.
3. Confirm you can fulfill orders. Check product and material availability, as well as your free time. If you work to order, state the lead time clearly and agree on payment and refund terms.
4. Record every inquiry. Note where the customer came from, what they asked for, whether they paid, why they declined, and how long fulfillment took.
5. Review the results. Separate inquiries, paid orders, completed jobs, refunds, and costs of fixing problems. Decide whether you can repeat the result at the same price.

A paid order shows that a particular customer is willing to spend money under the agreed terms. A few such orders do not yet confirm steady demand, but they provide data on price, costs, and how to organize the work. After the first test, repeat the offer to check whether you can attract more customers.

Calculate each order’s contribution and the sales volume you need

For each product or service, calculate the difference between the selling price and the variable costs of fulfilling it. This is the contribution toward fixed costs: it still needs to cover rent, recurring services, and other costs for the period. Include purchasing or materials, packaging, fees, delivery paid by you, order acquisition, and expected costs for defects or returns in variable costs.

Illustrative example; all amounts are fictional. A product sells for UAH 800. It costs UAH 420 to buy, UAH 25 for packaging, UAH 20 in fees, UAH 60 in advertising per completed order, UAH 45 for delivery paid by the seller, and an estimated UAH 30 for returns and damage. Total variable costs are UAH 600, so the contribution per order is 800 − 600 = UAH 200.

If monthly fixed costs in this example are UAH 12,000, you need 12,000 ÷ 200 = 60 orders a month to cover them. If the owner also plans to earn UAH 18,000 for their work, the target is (12,000 + 18,000) ÷ 200 = 150 orders. Over 20 working days, that averages 7.5 orders a day. Check whether you can attract and fulfill that volume.

In your own calculation, add taxes, contributions, and labor costs according to your business model and working arrangements. Do not count a cost twice: if the craftsperson’s labor is already included in the cost of fulfilling an order, do not add it again as a fixed cost. Calculate the contribution separately for different products, since the same revenue can leave different amounts to cover costs.

The break-even point formula for one product or service is fixed costs divided by the difference between the price and variable costs per unit. This is an estimate. After the test, replace assumptions with actual costs and account for returns, downtime, and the owner’s time.

Set a payment calendar and determine your cash reserve

An order that looks profitable on paper may require you to pay for materials before the customer’s money arrives. Alongside your contribution calculation, prepare a cash flow calendar for at least eight weeks. For each week, record the opening balance, expected receipts, purchases, recurring payments, and the balance after those payments.

Record one-time startup costs separately: transport, tool repairs, a security deposit, samples, and the first purchase. Do not plan to recover money from selling remaining stock before you have a real basis for expecting a buyer. Also check an additional scenario where sales fall below plan and some payments arrive later.

Illustrative reserve example. If startup costs are UAH 25,000, fixed payments are UAH 12,000 a month, the owner has decided to cover them for three months, and the possible gap between paying for purchases and receiving payments is estimated at UAH 8,000, the need is 25,000 + 12,000 × 3 + 8,000 = UAH 69,000. This illustrates a calculation method; the actual reserve period depends on contracts, the sales cycle, and whether you can stop incurring costs.

Do not use the designated reserve to expand your product range before completing the test. If the calendar shows a cash shortfall, first review the order size, purchasing terms, rent, or service format. A loan requires a separate repayment calculation, even in a weak-sales scenario.

Check grant terms before applying

The Diia portal offers the service “Starting and Scaling Your Own Business.” The page describes submitting an application with a business plan, a business reputation check, plan assessment, and an interview. Applying does not guarantee funding, so plan your first business test around the funds available to you.

Among the related regulations, Diia lists Resolution No. 738 of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated June 21, 2022, “Certain Issues of Providing Grants to Businesses” and Resolution No. 616 of May 15, 2026, concerning the procedure for grants to start or scale a business. Before applying, check the terms of the specific program, eligible activities and expenses, deadlines, and provisions of the future agreement.

Make a separate list of obligations: which jobs you must create and by when, how long you must operate, and which payments you must make. Diia states that grant funds must be repaid if obligations are not met, including those related to jobs, the operating period, and paying taxes. If the budget or headcount only makes sense under an optimistic demand scenario, revise the business plan first.

Using Torgsoft to track stock and sales when testing your product range

If you are testing resale or holding finished goods in stock, record every receipt, sale, and return. In Torgsoft, the “Стан складу” (“Warehouse status”) form shows product quantity, selling price, and cost; it also lets you review stock movement and filter by supplier. Set minimum stock levels for relevant items. In practice, this helps you check what has sold, what remains, and which purchases to postpone.

Once you have built up your own sales history, “Порівняльний аналіз виторгу за видами товару” (“Comparative analysis of revenue by product type”) lets you compare the number of sales and revenue across selected periods. To forecast sales from a repeat promotion, specify three periods: before the previous promotion, during it, and the current period whose figures the program will use for the calculation. The previous and planned promotions must be similar in content and duration.

The documentation also provides for forecasting seasonal demand changes based on historical data. Choose periods of equal length for comparison and adjust for days when the store was closed. Use the resulting forecast as an estimate for purchase planning. Add advertising, delivery, and return costs separately to your financial calculation: an increase in revenue alone does not show how much money remains after all expenses.

Make a decision based on the test results

Before testing, write down the conditions for continuing and stopping. After the test, compare them with actual orders, costs, and working time. This keeps your decision grounded in the same criteria, even if you have already put in considerable effort.

• Continue on a small scale if customers pay the planned price, the contribution after variable costs is positive, you meet deadlines, and the next purchase will not draw on your protected reserve.
• Change one condition and repeat the test if there is a specific reason for refusals, such as inconvenient pickup, an oversized bundle, or an unclear description of the service. Set a budget for the repeat test in advance.
• Stop new spending if you have reached your loss limit, every order has a negative contribution, you cannot ensure quality or meet deadlines, or questions about the legality and safety of the work remain unresolved.

If you decide to stop, fulfill your commitments or agree on refunds, cancel unnecessary purchases and recurring services, and decide how to sell the remaining stock. If you continue, invest in a verified need: stock of items customers buy, removing delays, or a tool that reduces actual fulfillment time. Update your cost calculation and payment calendar before each next investment.