"Don't overcomplicate anything": how veterans can start their own business

Rubryka talks about opportunities for starting a veteran business using the experience of a veteran, Marko Melnyk, a Markobook publishing house owner.

After returning from the front, the military tries to restore the old civilian routine or start a new page of life. Most will not return to their old job due to injuries and trauma or re-evaluating their values. Someone always wanted to open their own business and, thanks to the service, realized that they should no longer postpone the realization of dreams. But starting a business is difficult — you need knowledge, money, a business plan, opportunities, and self-belief.

A successful start-up requires an idea the future owner will believe in first, only then come investors, clients, and buyers.

"Any business, any social activity must be needed by this society. If it is useful, it has a perspective," says veteran publisher Marko Melnyk.

Marko Melnyk. Photo from the hero's personal archive

In addition to believing in the project, it is worth working out the intricacies of the future industry, mastering basic concepts thanks to courses for novice business people, drawing up a detailed business plan that will help get funding from grant programs, independently looking for investors, enlisting the support of non-governmental organizations and like-minded people, and being ready to work hard. Although this list is quite long, "it's not difficult if you don't overcomplicate anything in your head," says Melnyk.

Rubryka has created step-by-step instructions for starting a business. In the first two blocks, you can find quality courses and grant opportunities for starting your own business. Next, we explain the importance of a detailed business plan and talk about the difficulties that every entrepreneur can face. The last part is devoted to motivation, thanks to which the business will stay afloat despite any challenges.

The owner of the first veteran publishing house, Marko Melnyk, advises not to delay starting a business: "Every day is a lost opportunity."

Training programs are an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge and find a mentor, like-minded people, or even a business partner. If the training does not cover specific issues, they can be easily Googled.

📌 Free course "Return from war: mind, body, society."

Experts will analyze the most common problems that stand in the way of returning to civilian life. Veterans will be told about physical and psychological rehabilitation and their rights. The third section of the course is devoted to employment and creating one's own business.

Online meetings with lecturers are planned, where you can ask questions. The organizers will also create a chat for students.

📌 "Online school for entrepreneurs".

Diia.Business specialists have created a set of educational series that will help novice entrepreneurs master basic concepts and start their own businesses.

📌 Educational series "How to find the desired job after military service."

The authors of the course will help you choose a field of work, create a CV, and prepare you for a successful interview.

At the start of the full-scale invasion, the entire Markobook team volunteered to defend Ukraine. "The activity of the publishing house was irrelevant since we did not know then whether Kyiv would be occupied tomorrow. That's why we did everything we could to prevent this from happening," Melnyk recalls.

After returning from his service in the Kyiv territorial defense, Melnyk began resuming the printing of books. "The grant opportunity from the Ukrainian Veterans Fund allowed us to recover. I wrote a plan: what books we want to publish and republish so that the enterprise is useful not only for us as a veteran business but also for our society and the military. Help from the state saved us," he says.

Military with books published by Marko Melnyk. Photo from the personal archive of Marko Melnyk

Grant programs that cover material needs and allow implementing ideas.

📌 The eRobota program.

The state allocates funds to participants in hostilities, members of their families, and persons with disabilities as a result of the war for business development. Future business people can receive from ₴250 thousand to one million, depending on the number of jobs they will create.

📌 Business microfinancing program from the Ukrainian Veterans' Fund.

Entrepreneurs will be able to receive ₴20 thousand to buy goods and equipment. It is possible to specify expenses from February 24, 2022, until the time of application.

In addition to state programs, opportunities from charitable organizations and international partners are constantly emerging. They usually have a relatively short application deadline, so you must periodically monitor such opportunities.

You should rely not only on grants but also on your strength: contact non-governmental organizations and look for people ready to support your project. Melnyk recalls: "The first edition of the books was financed by my payment for injuries and the funds of friends from the Civil Corps of Azov.

In addition to an engaging idea, both grant programs and investors need a detailed plan for its implementation. A future business person should figure out what they want to implement in their own business and consider all costs. The eRobota program has partners ready to help each veteran develop a high-quality personal business plan.

Illustrative photo.

Experts advise veterans to immediately seek individual advice, as each business is unique in its own way. It is also essential that over time, the grant will need to be returned to the state as taxes, which should be spelled out.

"Thanks to the business plan, I realized that my business should work based on quantitative indicators. You need to have a plan and be aware of the future perspective. You should not just do something intuitively, but write clear plans and deadlines for their achievement and thus adjust work processes," adds the owner of Markobook.

Melnyk listed the challenges faced by his publishing house and shared the methods of solving them:

📌 Problem: it is difficult to understand business processes without experience.

📌 Solution: find a professional who will help manage the case.

Melnyk notes: "Our director led business processes because she has relevant experience. She saved the publishing house."

📌 Problem: it is difficult to popularize the product.

📌 Solution: cooperation with other organizations.

Military literature is a rather specific segment of the book business, so it was not easy to create a demand for books. Melnyk was constantly looking for opportunities and was able to arrange cooperation with the program for the replenishment of library funds.

They arranged the delivery of books to district and regional libraries throughout Ukraine, except for the occupied territories. Thanks to this, buyers from all over the country became interested in the books.

📌 Problem: constant lack of personnel.

📌 Solution: calculate the future expansion of production and look for professional and interested specialists in advance.

"We are scaling naturally. More and more books are being ordered, so there is always a shortage of specialists," says the publisher.

Veteran business usually reflects the military's worldview and fulfills an important purpose: it popularizes patriotic views and prevents civilians from forgetting that the Russians are the enemy. In addition to the fact that one's own business has an important ideological component, it supports the country's economy and creates jobs for fellow citizens, helping them feel useful and needed among civilians.

"When you don't just earn money through business, but also do a socially useful thing, and it really becomes useful to people, then you get a strong motivation. It becomes a guarantee of one's own development," says Melnyk.

Marko Melnyk (left) with his comrade during service. Photo from the hero's archive

The importance of a veteran business is also that it can become an actual therapy, both for its owner and for its employees and customers. For example, Markobook's primary goal is to help book authors return to civilian life and reintegrate into society.

"We wanted veterans to perceive their experience as valuable. They shared it with society, and it appreciated it. It was a kind of therapy," recalls Melnyk.

The most important thing is to do what you are passionate about. You can create the best business out of a hobby. Melnyk adds: "I publish what I truly like. These books, in my opinion, should be useful and interesting. When I find people for whom the matter is also important and necessary and hear their feedback, then I get real support."

When a veteran understands the importance of their cause and enlists the support of like-minded people, they will definitely be able not to lose faith in business despite any obstacles. And in the most challenging times, you should not be afraid to turn to family and friends for help or to professionals at the crisis support hotline for veterans.