Easy talk about business with the founders of the Creative Depo brand
30 October, 2023
Zhayvoronok Yuriy & Levchenko Denys
Засновники бренду Creative Depo
- Clothes, that President of Ukraine, Mr.Volodymyr Zelenskyy wears.
- 2022 — winners of the programme “Re:start. Safe space for your business” programme.
The idea of creating the brand:
Yuri: It came to us when we purchased our own clothing printing equipment for a specific project. But due to COVID-19, that project started to decline rapidly, and we needed to figure out how else we could use our equipment.
Denis: After acquiring the equipment, we wanted to further explore the clothing niche and had to choose between two interesting directions: creating our own brand and working with wholesale clients. We started with the B2B direction.
Useful skills that help in our work:
Yuri: Analytical thinking, attention to detail, and a desire for process systematization.
Denis: The constant desire to amaze the customer and make the product better. When you continually improve your project, you eventually arrive at your unique concept.
The most important advice I've received in life:
Yuri: There isn't one, as I encounter different people, books, and movies throughout my life that influence me. I draw something important for myself from them at various stages.
Denis: “Do what you love”. Throughout my business career, I took on the directions that interested me the most, where I wanted to delve in and develop. So I can highlight creating a product, marketing, and working with a team.
The three main pillars of my business philosophy:
Yuri: We have one rule — do it well or don't do it at all.
Denis:
- Create your product differently from everyone else and don't be afraid to implement crazy ideas.
- Do your work only with quality and style.
- Build a team that you can comfortably work with and create something new.
Crisis in business and how to overcome it:
Yuri: Previously, we worked exclusively in the B2B segment, and after a full-scale invasion, all companies started cutting costs, resulting in no orders for merch. That's when we restructured the company into the B2C direction, created a Ukrainian collection, and started working in the format you can observe now (the story of our brand's promotion without advertising money is a long one, but it would take too long to write it all).
Denis: Before we started as a clothing brand, we worked for several years in the B2B direction, putting in a lot of effort but not reaching the level we wanted. After our success with the clothing brand and the onset of full-scale invasion, we significantly improved our performance in the B2B direction, as our brand became the main tool for attracting new wholesale clients.
The best advertising is:
Yuri: Doing your work with quality, so you are remembered and inspire a desire in customers to be part of the brand.
Denis: When customers of our store become our ambassadors and enthusiastically talk about us. We put a lot of effort into creating a brand that evokes such positive emotions in people.
Money loves:
Yuri: Efficient use.
Denis: Being spent on things that bring benefit and make someone happy.
Business in 5 years:
Yuri: A well-known Ukrainian brand, both in our country and abroad, with a wide range of products for physical presence (stores/showrooms), online sales worldwide, an expanded team, and an office.
Denis: A popular international clothing brand with offline stores abroad.
I find inspiration in:
Yuri: Observing other Ukrainian (and non-Ukrainian) brands/people who create quality, cool projects.
Denis: Interesting ideas that can be implemented in our project. I envision what it will look like in the future, and that excites me, making me want to accelerate its realization.
Hot news/technology/product in my business:
Yuri: Developing new products. This winter season, we are working on new items — pants and zip-up hoodies. Finding the best cut and style for our products is always a challenge.
Denis: Exciting collaborations. Currently, we are very excited about collaborations with charitable foundations with whom we develop charity clothing collections. All proceeds go to the foundation.
Question I'd like to hear for the maximum disclosure of our activities:
Yuri: Does the person use our products themselves and would they recommend what we do to their loved ones? We ourselves regularly wear our clothes and often give them to our close friends and family.
Denis: What is the key to the brand's success? Our team creates not just a clothing store, but a business that inspires, motivates, and helps. We share Ukrainian culture with the world and promote Ukraine.
My advice to entrepreneurs:
Yuri: Do your work with quality.
Denis: Create your product in a way that you personally enjoy it.
Rules/Success/Business
The new column “Rules/Success/Business” by the Entrepreneurship and Export Promotion Office expert Valentyna Liashenko will share with you a lot of breathtaking business ideas, advice, and insights from both Ukrainian and worldwide business owners. We will introduce you to the interviews of company owners from different fields and countries.
Easy talk about not easy situations, challenges, and joy from the victory.