The new horizons of autotuning business
Co-founder of Vilex Group Alexey Shlyakhov told how to build a business, based on the desire to keep the car in perfect condition from damage on domestic roads. And also about how, being in a difficult situation due to the sudden start of the ATO, to transport business and colleagues to a new city, which Kiev has become, and start from point zero.
On the streets of the city often flash bright cars that can not be overlooked. Sometimes it is something quite unusual, for example, a fully mirrored car or trendy colors of the most unusual shades, combined in different variations. Also attracted the attention of well-groomed and glossiness. And that's all - auto films.
Spacious light room with floor-to-ceiling windows, hibiscuses, wax ivy and monster. And then - as in the premium motor show. A few guys next to the glossy chocolate-colored Porshe Panamera. From a distance, it seems that the guys are just petting their cars. In fact, they glue it with a smoky transparent film. The car must be made matte, without changing color. “In this way, we will close two issues,” says Alexey Shlyakhov, co-founder of “Wylex Group”, “we will make the surface resistant to damage and change the standard design to an individual one. At the same time, the film can be removed at any time and returned to the car’s original appearance. ”
The company in Kiev has two rooms for auto-tuning, where you can simultaneously work with twelve cars. Basically this is a premium segment. Vilex customers are mainly from Kiev, while there are also other cities of Ukraine and Belarus.
The company also develops its store Plenka.market, specializing in auto-films and related products. “We work all over Ukraine, we deliver to all cities of the country, every day we improve the quality of the service we provide,” says Alexey. And one more activity of the “Wylex Group” is architectural pasting services for buildings and structures.
From the moment all three co-founders believed in their idea and opened a joint business in Donetsk, 8 years have passed. And five years since the company's second birth in Kiev after the move.
Ambitions and ideas
It all began, according to Alexei, from the usual hobby. Interest in cars, the desire to try something new and led to the occupation of tuning. Every day the skills improved, and time spent on the hobby more and more. And so the idea of earning money, or rather, about a favorite business, appeared.
At that time it sounded fantastic to the entrepreneur. It is lit. Alexey found where to buy such a film. But it turned out that not everything is so simple. There were difficulties in the installation of the film. In addition, the product was quite expensive. And the market at that time was filled with cheap counterparts of poor quality and fakes.
And then something happened that the future entrepreneur was subconsciously waiting for. Manufacturers appeared on the Ukrainian market who were willing to cooperate and wanted to transfer their brand to reliable hands. So Vilex became the official representative of the best foreign brands in its segment.
After one of them, Alexey realized that his hobby has a business future. And it was a product that left the competition for three years behind. The films were not cheap and were suitable only for the premium segment. “It was 2010. The country was gradually recovering from the crisis. Banks again began to give loans, and people buy new cars. And we risked betting on the premium, ”the entrepreneur recalls.
Protective films, according to Alexey, are a mast for car today. Even manufacturers do not produce cars without them. “We are constantly analyzing our business in order to understand where we earn more, what is more productive for us, and most importantly, what goals and tasks determine tomorrow!”
Over time, the company expanded the range and added a service to change the design of the car. Due to the vinyl film, you can get those colors that can not be achieved by painting. It turned out to be very popular.
“This product has its fans. There are those who do it consistently once a year. We can predict their appearance with us to the nearest month, ”the entrepreneur says.
These customers follow trends and often order colors that are at the height of fashion. Manufacturers of films also take into account fashion trends and promptly update the palette. The most popular color of the last year is matte gray. “In general, matte is the trend of recent years. But if you order a frosted car from the factory - wait for it longer and add to the base price five to seven thousand euros. And if the paint is suddenly damaged, it is much harder to fix it than during normal painting. With a film of these problems there is no and pasting is much cheaper. Visually, there is no difference, ” - says Alexey.
During the years of work in the field of tuning, completely different and sometimes unpredictable, so to speak, original orders were carried out. In addition to a variety of color solutions and branding were implemented. With the help of the film it is possible to fulfill almost all wishes concerning the modernization and change of the color of your car.
Alexey Shlyakhov: “If I started all over again, I would scale the business faster. Now I understand that it is not necessary to be afraid of it. No need to wait for it to happen by itself. Our main resource is time. Therefore, it is important to be able to properly distribute their own and on the same principle to build the work of their subordinates. It is important not to forget that the goal should be the pursuit of perfection, and not the amount in the bank account. I consider it important for myself and advise others to continuously develop their communication skills, to build the most comfortable and mutually beneficial relations in absolutely all areas of their lives. Setting goals, planning time and resources and, of course, continuous and persistent movement towards the realization of the goal - these are my main principles. ”
Second life
In May 2014, Alexey and two co-founders transported the company from Donetsk to Kiev. They took part of the team and started everything from scratch in a new place.
“I have been building a business for five years, developing clients, growing a team. And reached a certain desired level. And then everything changed. Psychologically it was very difficult. My task was the following thought - to save the business and the team. And also I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that this was not an accident for the first time, ”he recalls.
“Today, a considerable part of the state is the staff with whom we started in Donetsk. And it is important and valuable to me. After all, a reliable team of professionals is the key to success. We do not forget who we were yesterday, and show who we can become tomorrow. Now I truly realize that money is not the most important thing. More important is what I know and can do. That I am ready to roll up my sleeves and start all over again. And this cannot be taken away from me, ”says Alexey.
“Keeping yourself in good shape certainly helped and helps communication with partners and business colleagues. They are successful and smart people who are ready to share their experience and knowledge. Among them are those who, in parallel with us, moved to Kiev. Mutual support and even healthy competition is an important component on the road to success, ”says Alexey.
Team Coaching
Alexey spends a lot of time working with staff. “I am always open and ready for a dialogue with my employees. I am interested in their experiences, doubts and failures, victories and joys. I know how to help them. I can show where a person spends time irrationally. Suggest how to become more effective. I ask people to contact me for help in any situation, ”he says.
The entrepreneur himself is not directly engaged in sales directly with customers, but teaches his team this. “I can sell our product absolutely easily. I know the process inside and out. The confidence of the seller is always felt. I share this skill with my managers, ”he says.
“We have been cooperating with Raiffeisen Bank Aval since the foundation of the company. We choose for ourselves stability, reputation and reliability. When we moved to Kiev, we simply re-registered here. In this bank we have a salary project, main account and currency accounts. Thanks to Raiffeisen Bank Aval, we work with our foreign partners easily and efficiently. Easily send money worldwide. We have adjusted this process and now everything works automatically. Previously, additional coordination was needed, a lot of unnecessary actions. Now we understand what is needed from us, and we do each operation correctly the first time. Bank employees with whom we work constantly understand that we can be trusted. Respond to our requests quickly, explain and offer useful products ", - Alexey Shlyakhov, co-founder of the Vilex Group
