Entrepreneur Polina Agarkova told what qualities an employee should have, why it is worth trying freelancing and how to keep your marketing knowledge in good shape.
– Polina, good afternoon! The idea of making souvenirs in Sweden came to you when you were leaving a St. Petersburg bookstore with another badge, right? Was it difficult to decide to directly implement it?
– That’s right, at that moment I realized that this niche in Sweden is not occupied, which means that it is necessary to study the market as soon as possible and start working. The most difficult thing at the initial stage was to find production. I was looking for a factory in Sweden, then in the entire European Union, but from the prices and production time it became clear that all these firms make badges in China. It took two months to find a good supplier in China, during which time I already had my first designs ready and the company was legally registered. Then difficulties of a different nature appeared – then I was just learning Swedish and was very embarrassed to speak it. I had to literally break myself, overcoming the language barrier, communicate with the bank, consultants, and clients in Swedish and English. I still have problems with communication, but my self-confidence has increased significantly.
From the very beginning, I didn’t give myself much time to think. If I don’t stop in time, I can hover over some idea for weeks, bring it to my mind, but never implement it. With Polly Rocket, I decided to do everything as quickly as possible, learn along the way. A lot has changed over the year, and yes, mistakes were made, but I never once had to be upset because I didn’t do something. I do everything in my power to develop what I love.
– You write in detail about supporting young entrepreneurs in Sweden. What do you think, what should be learned from their experience by other countries, incl. Russia?
– In Sweden, you can get a wide range of assistance from the state: free courses, lectures, expert advice. I struggled with accounting for several months: firstly, a complex specific vocabulary, and secondly, I am a humanist. As a result, I wrote to the Tax Office and they offered me a short free course on accounting. It’s simple – it is profitable for the state to help me because I pay taxes. And the more I earn, the more I will give to the treasury, which is no less than 32% of the profit.
Almost every week I go to lectures from cool Swedish brands and advertising agencies. Early breakfast, networking, and a short lecture – everything takes an hour and a half and then you can come to work without delay. Brands are happy to share interesting cases, work out their presentations to a small audience, make useful contacts, distribute business cards, and become closer to people. In this case, everyone wins both those who listen and those who speak.
I have never done business in Russia and I cannot judge objectively, but if you imagine that I am just starting my own business in Russia, where should I go? who to ask for advice? where to find people like me? where to meet customers? We need to create more points of contact for freelancers, young entrepreneurs with each other, investors, customers, and brands who are willing to share knowledge. And now I’m not talking about a Soviet-style expo when everyone is gathered in a cold hangar once a year, but about small lecture halls or cafes where everyone would be pleased to be and communicate comfortably.
– We always have a lot of vacancies on the site in the field of SMM, but the institutes usually still do not have special courses on social media marketing. How did you study: did you finish some courses separately, immediately in practice, read some books?
– I graduated from university as an advertising specialist, but I can’t say that it was useful for me in work or business. Only the crust came in handy. The field of advertising and marketing is developing so rapidly that the knowledge gained in the first year of the university becomes obsolete by the fourth.
I learn everything by experience, I read a lot and write a lot. Useful sites include the Texterra Agency blog and the Dnative site. In Telegram, I read the channels Dark Side, Setters, Russian Marketing, and Pasha and his procrastination. Besides, I set myself the bar – until the end of the year to read one book a week. Top useful books at the moment are “Burn Your Portfolio” by Michael Jund, “Content, Marketing, and Rock and Roll” by Denis Kaplunov, and “100 Hacks for Internet Marketers” by Evgenia Kryukova. A marketer needs to be aware of everything that happens in his field, but you should not dwell solely on theory. I try to use the rule – 20% theory, 80% practice.
– Are you planning to recruit a team of interns / young professionals for your business soon? What are the most important qualities for an employee, in your opinion?
– Soon I will definitely do everything myself. To delegate something, you first need to figure it out yourself. When I get bigger, I will look for assistants. I have a desire to enter the Russian market, and my badges can already be found in one St. Petersburg cafe, The Doris Day. But until I get on my feet in Sweden, I will not rush to Russia.
The main qualities for an employee are to be proactive and very curious. I know that there is a great temptation to relax as soon as I got the coveted job, but this cannot be done. You need to continue to learn in your field and beyond, otherwise you can quickly lose competence. When you get a job, learn from your boss and colleagues. Find weak points that few people understand, dig in this direction – this way you will make yourself irreplaceable. Prepare yourself before the interview, find out everything you can about the company you are hiring for. During the interview, don’t talk only about yourself, talk about them, show that you know about their successes and possible weaknesses.
– Can you give any advice to a college graduate who is trying to figure out what he wants to do?
– Take the gap year – a year free from work in a profession. Go to work in a cafe, go on a trip, find Zen. I graduated from university nine years ago and immediately went to work – I had no respite to understand what I really want. Four years ago I moved to Sweden and spent two years doing freelance and non-core work, and it was at this time that I finally understood what I wanted to do in life. But this realization could have come to me much earlier if only I had a little time to think. Give yourself time to rest after graduation, so you will sooner find your calling.