How to start exporting and earn more in the war: Ukrainian business advice from Just Export Specialists

Due to the lack of solvent clients in the domestic market, 40% of Ukrainian companies consider exports as an important area of ​​development. Manufacturers can get new niches to export their own goods in particular thanks to sanctions against Russia and Belarus. But is it real to a small enterprise that has never exported its products to establish a successful sale abroad from scratch during martial law? Just Export is sure that it is absolutely real.

The development of export competences of Ukrainian business and the search for new markets is one of the goals of the company. Experts help Ukrainian manufacturers enter the international market, forming the bases of potential customers for the sale of goods abroad and find companies that are ready to import from Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the war, Just Export has received about 5,000 applications from entrepreneurs who were interested in entering the international market, and of which about 400-500 became their clients. Having worked more than a hundred areas of business, the Just Export team has already helped Ukrainian companies find new EU, USA and other country partners.

And for those manufacturers who still doubt whether they need exports, just export has a service for training and analyzing the potential market. Experts will analyze the product and recommend how to choose countries and what markets to come out first.

Among the customers of the company that have successfully used Just Export services, there are such well -known brands as: producer of dairy products "Molokia", manufacturers of confectionery "Vatsak" and "Delia", mineral water "Truskavets", confectionery "Slado", alcoholic brand. Honey Spas, Boner fast food products and production of certified metal doors "Steel M".

The idea of ​​business was suggested by the war of Just Export Ostap Pavlyuk and Maxim Khalaberd was founded in Ivano-Frankivsk almost immediately after a full-scale invasion. They undertook to help entrepreneurs from all over the country, who, having recovered from the first shock, tried to look for a decision on how to run a business further.

Ostap Pavlyuk has 5 years of experience in exports-his company "Grovness Group" since 2016 has been supplying medicinal plants abroad and is included in the three largest exporters of these products in Ukraine. Plants sell more than 80 customers in 23 countries. So when the war began, I realized that many Ukrainian companies had lost their ability to sell their goods within our country. And the experience of working with importers wanted to share.

"We thought that we can help manufacturers to replace markets - that is, instead of Ukrainian to start selling to a foreign one. Even if production capacities have been preserved, there were no customers. We started to create a base of potential customers abroad. I had the appropriate experience, we have. There were also people who were able to do it, so they used this resource. In addition, it was possible to launch an Offline School in Ivano-Frankivsk.

And several of its participants literally began to export their goods in two months, "Ostap Pavlyuk says. What proposes to customers Just Export, as Ostap Pavlyuk points out, after launching a service for the formation of a database of potential customers, it became clear that not all entrepreneurs used its capabilities fully.

So, just export has decided to help with this - they offer a separate service - to work out the database of potential customers and find direct contacts for the manufacturer. "Working with the base, we realized that we can even easier the customer's life and make the first propeller instead - that is, we call the base, present the company, go out for a person who makes a decision and, if interested, then we transfer this stage Ice is not to work for our client.

We can not work because it is already a question of its competence: prices, qualities, certification, etc. We have formed two main products: generation of potential customers base and generation of hot ice, ”Ostap Pavlyuk says. That is, with the "Lidogeneration" service, the entrepreneur will receive direct contacts of "hot" lides that are already working with such a product, and not just ready to import from Ukraine, but also, in fact, are ready to consider the commercial offer of this client.

And the most new Just Export service is support and consultation for clients who need help with lida in further steps. Experts lead the customer before the first delivery, help with the resolution of questions that arise throughout this path. "There is no word" impossible "for our team, but of course there are orders when you understand-it will be difficult.

From the last-found interested clients to buy a snail mucus used in cosmetology,"-shares the Project manager of the company Vladimir Solodovnik. He notes that the company's experts have already found for their customers interested liders among large supermarket networks in Europe. This is, for example, a French network that has more than 200 stores in Poland, as well as the largest market for the market of food retailer in Estonia.

And recently they were looking for foreign buyers for the Ukrainian flour manufacturer, and came to the head of one of the largest confectionery factories of Greece. Manufacturers' requests - survive, return to pre -war volumes and scale according to Ostap Pavlyuk, now the requests of Ukrainian manufacturers have changed. If there was a question of survival in the spring, that is, there was no one and what to sell, then there was a need for scaling.

It has become clear to everyone that the Ukrainian market would not grow in the near future. "A lot of companies have lost sales because they sent their goods to the east, the south of the country - thus their consumption market has physically diminished. These companies realized that the replacement that was needed in Ukraine would not be possible because there is no proper level of consumption.

, I think it was and there are three manufacturers' requests - it is to survive, to return to pre -war volumes and to scale, " - adds Ostap Pavlyuk. From the experience of the company, 2-3 months is enough to make the first contract with a potential buyer from abroad. The most important rule is to call a lot and be persistent. "In our" export school "there are techniques how to bypass the secretary, because the task is to break through the person who makes the decision.

Then it is very important to lead the client correct have already viewed a commercial offer. Next you need to communicate properly, understand how to build a report with customers, how to be polite. At the same time, have good materials, properly prepare the presentation. If done carefully, then from the base containing 300 contacts, you can pull out 30 —40 Lidov is the maximum effect, " - emphasizes Maxim Halaberda.

To export, Super Product does not need a lot of entrepreneurs that in order to start exporting, you need to have some "super -product", but in fact, this is not the case, it is said in Just Export. Different countries have different quality requirements and there are many where they are lower than in Ukraine. Ukraine has enough strong manufacturers who can start selling to other countries today, where they will be delighted with quality products. "You can sell any goods.

Ukraine sells a lot of furniture, agricultural products. Customers come with different requests, starting with agricultural products to snail mucus," says Maxim Halberda. "Now it is a good time for Ukraine to go to international markets. Brand of Ukraine It is stronger every day, and it will develop exactly, and after some time more Ukrainian goods will appear on the shelves on European networks, distributors will start working with Ukrainian goods more.

" For example, a participant in the export school, who was able to use the base from Just Export. According to Ostap Pavlyuk, a company for the production of design mirrors has found buyers in Europe for several months and has been earning a hundred thousand dollars. "They came to us to export school and in the first three months made several hundred thousand dollars on sale on B2B market. Immediately received orders from Poland, Finland, France.

After school they began to work very intensively-they made a base of potential customers themselves, and and A few more bases were bought from us, "says Maxim Khalaberda. Just Export believes that the optimal time to start in export is now, it doesn't matter how large your production is. Experts suggest looking for potential customers and asking what they need. And then to adjust your work under their conditions, if you are profitable.

What expert experts for finance Andriy Stetsevich say that in the period of the active phase of war, exports are perhaps the only base driver of growth of Ukrainian business. After all, it is possible to count under these conditions for increasing the domestic market only in very few industries: MIC, social infrastructure, logistics, individual basic industries with inelastic demand, such as food. Therefore, the export rate could reduce the loss of market reductions within the country.

According to Andriy Stetsevich, domestic demand and investment of business, government expenditures - all these potential factors of growth of the domestic market will continue reduction. "Unfortunately, but we are forced to face the second wave of economic crisis, related to the destruction of the enemy of energy infrastructure, the scale of which is difficult to even predict now.

Therefore, large -scale investments under such conditions are very unlikely, and the solvency of the population will continue to decline," the financier adds . In his opinion, this is why one of the priority options for the development and scale of enterprises today can be to enter foreign markets. It is important for business to have a planning horizon. And when the event planning horizon in the country has decreased by a week, export can be a rescue circle.

"The role of the government should become very important here. We need not only military but also economic victories, the foundation of which should be an increase in export potential through various programs for supporting entrepreneurs. In the short- and medium term. Well, of course, the effort of Just Export and similar companies I only congratulate. The war will continue to our victory, but the current situation requires us to act now and not to miss this time, "the expert adds.

According to Maxim Halaberd, today there should be no question for Ukrainian entrepreneurs: export or not. It is definitely necessary to export. Right now that the EU has stopped working with Russian companies, Ukrainian business can take their place. And with just export, the company will be able to export faster, easier and cheaper than they would do it alone. Experts will not only teach how to properly scale business abroad, but will also find customers and even accompany the first delivery.