Creating a family business
The idea of founding a family business arose from a need for self-realization, a desire to be independent and create one's own product. We chose the furniture market because we had worked in this area before and therefore had considerable experience. In addition, there was a high demand for metal furniture, school desks, sets, and loft-style furniture.
"Creating a family business is an opportunity for everyone to find a job according to their desires and abilities."
Someone plays the role of manager and strategist; someone is focused on the design part and visualization of the business, and someone is a technical specialist and investor. A clear division of responsibilities allows each family member to be responsible for a particular direction and realize their talents in a specific field, working on a common cause. This is how our brand - Zalizo - was born.
From a small shop to your mini-factory
Hard times make strong people and strong people make good times. Since opening the business, we have faced many problems. When an enterprise is small, it is not yet able to fully protect itself: the need for constant financing, lack of experience, and lack of time.
The first year of business was a year of team formation and search for excellent professional employees. People were changing, which was an obstacle to achieving current and strategic goals. In the second year of doing business, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. There needed to be better organization of operational processes, logistics, and human resources.
However, despite all these obstacles, our brand has grown from a small rented welding shop to our mini furniture factory. Unsurprisingly, the proverb "as you name the ship so that it will sail" accurately describes our activity. We perceive all difficulties and challenges as an opportunity for development. Today, we have our own machines, a painting chamber, an assembly department, and an expanded range of services. Our reward is satisfied customers from different parts of the country.
High-quality furniture is not the only guarantee of successful production. Quality service is one of the brand's key components. For us, this is as important as perfect welding.
Our development and goals
We are members of the Ukrainian Association of Furniture Makers and actively participate in various projects. Natalya Nikolayenko, head of Zalizo, is a member of the BOARD community of Ukrainian entrepreneurs. We also participated in Women Biz Camp training from Women In, which helped us gain additional motivation and self-confidence. The knowledge we acquired allowed us to correct key problems and encouraged development.
We have many successfully completed government orders to provide furniture for schools, state offices, and institutions, as we are active participants in tenders and auctions. Before that, in 2021, we took part in the most significant international furniture B2B exhibition, Furniture of Ukraine, and took our first steps in exporting and strengthening international market relations.
We never stop there. It is difficult for us, but we are investing income step by step to improve working conditions and equip the enterprise with professional equipment that allows us to increase the assortment.
The plan was to purchase a metal and other pipe bender laser machine. This equipment would make work easier for our workers and give more time for creativity. We also plan to create our own designer collection and will go for it no matter what.
How the war changed everything
February 2022 will be remembered for a long time. It is a time of significant change at the micro and macro levels. Our company has lost its ability to work typically and fulfill orders within the specified time. In the first weeks of the war, we suspended the implementation of previous orders that were not critical. We also had to postpone the delivery dates after a customer agreement. Problems with the supply of raw materials immediately arose. The main plant that supplied us with metal located in Kharkiv. We also have a problem with transportation and logistics from Mykolaiv, where our company located.
There is a solution to these problems, but we cannot make far-sighted plans in the new realities and must act as impromptu as possible.
Having an exclusively pro-Ukrainian position and a lot of zeal, in the first weeks of the war, the company was quickly reoriented to help our country. Our welders, who dared to continue going to work, cooked anti-tank hedgehogs in a team with other productions in a similar direction. These were large structures and small "pocket" hedgehogs against enemy equipment. In the third week, our designer and the entire design department developed models of metal beds for centers for displaced persons and other institutions dealing with the accommodation of people.
How does the company exist now?
Now, we have small stocks in the warehouse and sell what was stored even before the war. We use available resources to make beds, which are critically needed furniture. We also plan to attract new channels of raw material import to our work, which has not stopped. We are working on this issue in partnership with other manufacturers who have encountered the same problem. As small businesses, we can only stay afloat through cooperation and joint efforts.
We are actively working on establishing logistics and cooperation with foreign retailers and manufacturers. The priority plans for the future are to restore the import of raw materials and establish the export of goods.
"We have united with other entrepreneurs and constantly exchanged experience not only to support each other but also to develop Ukraine's economy even in wartime conditions."