Top 10 Business Lessons from 2024.
This year was transformative for me — it marked the start of a deep love affair with my new business: a creative video production and promotion agency for podcasters, Beverly Productions. The lessons I’ve gathered along the way focus on the fundamentals: launching a venture that endures, finding the right customers, and staying grounded amidst the challenges of the times.
I hope these insights resonate with you and bring value to your own journey. Let’s Roll!
- MERELY STAYING ALIVE in Crisis Is NOT Enough.
As a small business from Ukraine, one truth has confirmed itself in three years of warfare: if you didn’t die, you already succeeded. This is a fact for small/middle-sized businesses operating locally, but I dare to differ when it comes to ventures like mine that work with international clients.
My mentor, a visionary founder behind NFTCalendar.io (the hottest startup during an NFT frenzy), believes that if my business sustains its operations for a year since its inception (Feb 2023) — success will be a given.
Notwithstanding that I as my fellow Ukrainians have a perfect excuse to stay afloat and not go after more ambitious goals, I believe that growing a business during war is still necessary. You can’t let yourself off the hook just because everyone does. My business relies heavily on my state of mind, and although occasional power outages meddle sometimes, there are not that many things at this point that I haven’t seen, either a rocket hitting like a mile away or the media outlets forcing waves of propaganda.
Furthermore, being able to not only survive but excel even the slightest bit serves as a reminder that once the survival mode is deactivated and we get back to a peaceful life — our business will accelerate above and beyond.
2. To get yourself a business you need your 1st customer.
This lesson applies to the B2B sector primarily, but if you’re like me and social magnetism is the knack you want to use in entrepreneurship substantially — starting a service-based business is a no-brainer.
Basically, after a number of unsuccessful business launches in the 2019–2023 period, my golden ticket was hidden in precisely this aspect of a business — i.e. capitalizing on human interaction. And what is more — understanding that one reliable customer can determine whether you’re going to fall apart. See, in my previous B2C business, we survived also because of one customer, though it was a re-seller, who supplied us with bulk order. In a way, the story repeats itself, but now a bulk order from a B2C client equals a regular monthly order from a B2B client, and to be totally frank, I like the latter better.
3. Scaling is hard without outside pressure.
I draw parallels between revenue streams that made me feel comfortable in whatever venture I was involved and — without a doubt — complacency is one of the toughest enemies you face.
It is especially so when there is no outside stimulus, which is often a responsibility in front of a higher-standing party. When we were growing our 1st business, our investors were playing a “bad cop” role, constantly feeding us this notion that $10k, 20k, 30k/month etc is NOT Enough.
In my earlier articles I was pleading the case that it was unjust and unhealthy towards us as entrepreneurs, but now, having no investor or even a co-founder, I realize how hard it is to find motivation for growth when there’s no fire under your feet.
With that said, I am creating external incentives now, either in the shape of hiring more people with a fixated payroll, renting a studio for podcasting, or simply creating the life that I need to earn more to sustain.
4. The compound effect is huge in building a brand (law of diffusion)
Be so good they can’t ignore you.
The quote by Steve Martin I always loved.
Building your brand, it’s all about the momentum — the momentum when everything changes and people start noticing you.
It’s extremely valuable to be selling your brand to everyone around you — from customers, to applicants and to strangers.
I have put a lot of effort into educating fellow Ukrainians about the power of podcasting in Jan-Feb 2024. It did not bring sizeable result, but I trained myself to sell the vision and the market as a whole. After I transitioned to a global market, selling podcasting idea wasn’t necessary, and then I started sharpening my saw in presenting Beverly Production — our brand.
The compound effect is the one that makes all your preceding marketing efforts pay off pretty much at the point of no return —when not noticing you is impossible as you persevered long enough, while others just dropped out of the game.
In Simon Sinek words — the most important thing is to “stay in the game long enough”, and not be the smartest or the fastest.
Be authentic to who you are and what you stand for, tell the world about it constantly and you will get your piece of a cake.
5. In the early stage of the service business (1st year) a major task is to keep existing customers happy.
Survival isn’t about flashy launches or big promises; it’s about keeping your existing customers thrilled. Happy clients are your unpaid salesforce, and their word carries more weight than the fanciest ad campaign. At present, my focus lies on exceeding expectations for every customer I have. It is damn hard to close a customer for $1k+ on a repeated basis, hence losing the trust that I already built is just not an option.
6. Talent Without Financial Discipline is a Shortcut to Trouble.
Raw talent can take you far, but without financial literacy, it’s a shaky foundation. Just look at athletes like Mike Tyson, who earned millions but lost it all, versus figures like LeBron James, who paired talent with smart investments to build generational wealth. I’ve learned that understanding cash flow, taxes, and reinvestment strategies is just as critical as honing your craft. Talent creates opportunities, but financial discipline ensures you reap the benefits for years to come.
7. Know Your Ideal Client or You’ll Sell to No One.
Before you can scale, you have to define your “who.” Without a clear understanding of your customer avatar, you’ll waste energy trying to cater to everyone and resonate with no one. Early on, I realized my ideal client was not just anyone interested in media but specifically businesses in the news and podcasting sectors. Once I honed in on their needs, I stopped chasing dead-end leads and focused on delivering value where it mattered.
Clarity brought focus, and focus brought growth. If you want to dig deeper in this topic, listen to my podcast with Allan Langer, one of the talks of the year for me.
8. Don’t start local. Low-hanging fruit can be a limitation you don’t need.
When you have the ambition for a global business — the universe is going to help you, though you have got to stay patient and proactive.
9. Personal branding should be about understanding who you’re, not pretending and selling a shiny glamorous lie to attract customers.
In a world oversaturated with curated perfection, authenticity is the rarest and most valuable commodity. Personal branding isn’t about crafting a sparkling facade; it’s about being unapologetically yourself. For me, this meant sharing my true story — war, challenges, triumphs — and letting that honesty attract clients who aligned with my values. Pretending to be someone you’re not might win you short-term attention, but authenticity builds the kind of loyalty that lasts a lifetime.
