Written In Partnership With Ascend
Photo Credit: Nikolay Shkilev
Today we have Nikolay Shkilev Ph.D., one of the most famous people in the field of Blockchain, owner of the Balt-Shelf logistics holding company, and founder of the Private Business Club.
And we will talk about how to achieve success and fame.
Nikolay, first of all, tell us about your path to success and recognition all over the world, how was it?
The path was not as fast as many people think. Yes, I became a millionaire early, at the age of 23, working in logistics with my company Balt-Shelf, which then turned into an entire holding company and served almost all major enterprises in Russia. But there were many obstacles and difficulties on the way. Those who have done or are doing business in Russia will understand me very well.
Can you be more specific, Russia is a mystery to many people?
Well, it’s constant harassment, constant pressure, corruption, and difficulties. You have to be a man of iron to do business in Russia, and at the same time you have to be extremely stress-resistant. At the same time, there is no need to complain, Russia is a very rich country, it is a huge market, which allows you to make a decent amount of money.
Yes, many people in the world are aware of this, but they still work with Russia.
Of course, business is outside of politics, and everyone wants to make money, although politics gets in the way of doing business a lot. Therefore, foreign companies are always looking for strong people in Russia, companies with a good reputation.
My holding company Balt-Shelf and I have managed to establish a reputation not only for the Russian market, but also for companies from all over the world who want to work in the Russian market but are afraid of it.
For these companies, we have removed all the headaches.
In what way?
Here is a quote that the director of one of the largest companies in France told me: “Nikolai, we do not understand Russia and we do not want to deal with your bureaucracy, your laws, fines and so on. You just do everything for us door-to-door, sign all the local contracts yourself, and get all the necessary licenses. We don’t want any part of it. Here’s the invoice, the packing list – and we’re not interested in the rest. Can you do that?”
And then I realized BINGO! – this is my golden ticket, I identified the headache of all the companies working with the Russian market.
Naturally, I fulfilled all the wishes and then began to offer my “turnkey services” to the other companies, giving them complete security and removing all the headaches – after that a line of companies from all over the world lined up for us.
And the recommendations must have worked?
Of course, the powerful word of mouth began to work.
And this is stronger than any advertising.
What advice would you give to new businessmen who are just starting their business?
Be sure to work on your reputation. This is not a quick way, for 10 successful works there is a maximum of 1 review, and if you don’t do something at least once, then everyone will know about it.
But if you work honestly, your reputation will work for you for life!
Didn’t you have any mistakes and failures? How did you manage to keep your reputation?
I have thousands of times. The one who does nothing is not mistaken. But I have understood that the only way to avoid losing a Client and ruining your reputation is to always tell the truth! I force my subordinates to do the same, so that they always tell the truth, even if it is uncomfortable.
For example?
Somewhere we missed the delivery time, a force majeure happened or somewhere we made a mistake, I always tell my Clients everything as it is.
Believe it or not, maybe for a minute they are angry, but they understand that we do not lie to them and even try to help us, and then this inspires even more trust and works very powerfully on our reputation.
Again, everyone makes mistakes, but if you say it honestly, the client appreciates it and will always work with you.
So the path to success is not abrupt, it’s a long process?
No, the situations are different, you can catch Hype and get an inheritance. Anything can happen in life, but you should not rely on it. I realized one thing: the more you try in business, the more honest you behave and build your reputation, the more chances you have to achieve fame and success. Failures and setbacks will certainly be, but if you work systematically and do not give up, then success will come and your reputation will help you a lot!
