The global economy continues to experience a period of high interest rates. In the U.S., the most likely scenario now appears to be sustained high rates set by the Federal Reserve for the long term. This negatively impacts investment activity by narrowing the financial base available to businesses. In such conditions, businesses in the U.S. looking for resources to grow will need to rely more on their own reserves and enhance their investment attractiveness, says Tatiana Kolesnikova, an internationally experienced Chief Development Officer (CVO) who has successfully developed and scaled businesses across several national-level companies.
Tatiana Kolesnikova began her career as a junior marketer at a regional manufacturing company, but through deep market analysis, creative use of familiar methods, and a visionary approach to work, she quickly rose to a top managerial position. By applying advanced management techniques, Tatiana Kolesnikova managed to find and attract key investors, modernize production, and expand the company to both national and international markets. She believes that even in challenging economic conditions, large, medium, and even small businesses can find new paths for development, and she is ready to share her knowledge with colleagues.
At the start of your career, you organized the creation of a joint venture between your company in Belarus and Italian investors whom you found and brought into the project, and thanks to working with investors, you were able to lead the company to the top position in the country. Could you tell us about the key factors that help businesses attract investment capital for development?
There must be a fundamental understanding that in order to attract investors, a business needs to demonstrate its value and potential. Also, it’s necessary to develop a strong business plan that includes clear goals, strategies, financial forecasts, and market analysis. This will show investors that you are serious about your business and know how to succeed. A proven track record is also important, along with growth and sales volumes. You must explain what makes your product or service unique and what problems it solves for customers. A clear understanding of the target audience will also help investors make a decision in your favor. A strong team with the necessary skills and experience is another key aspect, as investors are looking for competent and motivated team members capable of handling challenges. Transparency and honesty in communication with investors also matter greatly. The willingness to openly share information about the company, its finances, and strategy builds trust. Participation in business events and exhibitions can help establish valuable connections with potential investors, and conducting pilot launches of your product will demonstrate its viability and convince investors to invest. When you’re looking for capital, your company itself is your product, and you have to sell it. And for that, the product must be of high quality.
Your experience in attracting investors can be seen as a successful example of strategic partnership. What criteria do you use when selecting international partners?
When selecting international partners, it’s important to focus on long-term relationships and development. Serious investors are interested in companies that are not seeking quick profits but are ready to invest in production expansion and innovation. However, it is also crucial that partners understand that a strategic approach takes time and that they are prepared for long-term collaboration. Therefore, it’s important to look for companies with experience and a solid understanding of the market whose values align with yours. This helps build productive relationships and achieve common goals, ultimately leading to successful partnerships. This approach not only helps achieve financial objectives but also creates high-quality products and services.
The investments you received were directed toward purchasing robotic equipment and automated production lines. Is production modernization the key investment focus, or are there alternatives?
It is undoubtedly important that investments are primarily directed toward creating goods in order to recoup the investment, build trust with partners, and generally improve the company’s efficiency. But the choice is highly individual, and this decision is made by the business during the stage of investor search and investment strategy development. Some companies may lack production capacity, which would be the only obstacle to their success. Others may already have a quality product but may need, for example, properly structured logistics, a large-scale marketing campaign, or business expansion through opening new branches. Therefore, businesses prioritize according to their specific needs. But clearly, investments should go toward goals that have been agreed upon with investors and for which there are insufficient internal resources.
During the production modernization process, what challenges did you face, and what should other entrepreneurs pay attention to?
Let me list the main challenges we faced during the business expansion. First, the significant increase in production volumes required nonstop operations, which led to a shortage of working capital. As a result, we had to increase sales to find resources for expanding production. At the same time, our marketing capabilities didn’t immediately adapt to the increased workload, so the increase in sales happened more slowly than we wanted. As a result, we had to take on additional credit liabilities to complete the modernization process, which created additional financial obligations. Therefore, I recommend that when implementing an investment strategy, entrepreneurs carefully plan for all potential bottlenecks and proactively scale business capabilities in line with production growth.
In your company, you were the first in the country to implement IML (In-Mold Labeling) technologies in production, which became an important step in improving the quality of the company’s products. How did you manage to successfully integrate this technology? And what key points should small and medium-sized businesses focus on when adopting new technologies?
To successfully integrate IML technologies into our production, we focused on several key aspects. First, it was essential to prepare our technical staff to work with the new equipment. We realized that we needed specialists with higher education, not just those with secondary vocational training, so we organized regular training sessions, inviting experts from the equipment suppliers. These specialists trained our employees on how to effectively use IML technologies.
It was important to ensure that our customers were ready for the new products. We focused on quality, which helped build trust in the technology. Active participation in exhibitions and conferences allowed us to track market demands and adapt our products to customer needs. Moreover, we weren’t afraid to take risks and try new approaches. Constant market monitoring helps stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies, which is especially relevant for small and medium-sized businesses. The preparedness to change and openness to new ideas are key success factors when adopting new technologies.
In addition to your work in the industrial sector with a national-level enterprise, you also did a lot of work in a restaurant network — increasing activity through events, enhancing brand recognition, and, as a result, attracting new partners and investment, which led to growth from small to medium-sized business levels. PR was your main tool in this process. Does this mean that for small businesses, a proper marketing strategy can, to some extent, replace investments and bank loans?
Yes, absolutely. For small businesses, a well-executed marketing strategy can play a decisive role, often replacing the need for large investments or bank loans. In my experience with the restaurant network “Restfood Group,” increasing event activity and enhancing brand image helped draw attention not only to the restaurants but to the business as a whole. Effective PR and marketing activities significantly boost brand visibility, which in turn attracts new customers and partners, as well as stimulates sales.
Proper positioning and communication with the audience create trust and interest in the company, leading to higher foot traffic and increased revenues without the need for additional external funding. Moreover, thanks to an effective marketing strategy, many suppliers, seeing the potential of the restaurants, are willing to finance them by providing equipment for showcasing their products. This is an opportunity worth capitalizing on. It’s important to negotiate wisely and understand which offers and conditions will be most beneficial for the restaurants.
Ultimately, the success of a business largely depends on its ability to adapt strategies to the changing market conditions and the evolving needs of its customers.
And now, some advice for beginner investors. Which manufacturing sectors are the most promising for investment?
I can only offer recommendations based on my own experience. One promising sector, in my opinion, is the food industry. The situation with food products is such that locally produced goods are almost often trusted more than imported ones. Therefore, investing in the agro-industrial complex and supporting local producers can be a successful strategy. Not only will this strengthen trust in local products, but it will also contribute to the overall development of the economy.
When investing, it’s crucial to consider the real needs and preferences of consumers. This is where thorough market analysis comes in handy — a clear understanding of how the market is performing, which sectors are currently growing, and which are expected to grow in the coming years, will help you focus on sectors with clear growth and development potential.
