Estimates of initial investments for retail and handmade: for an online shop they cite 80−400 thousand UAH, for a small physical outlet — 300−900 thousand UAH, for handmade — from several tens of thousands of hryvnia with the possibility of grants up to 500 thousand UAH.
Start-up costs and business components
To start trading you need product or a reliable supplier, a sales channel, accounting, logistics and advertising. For a physical outlet you additionally need rent, equipment and stock.
The e‑commerce niche is not tied to the customer’s location, but more entrepreneurs are concentrated in cities with logistics hubs — Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro — due to delivery convenience. Potential net profit is cited at 20−80 thousand UAH per month for a small shop and 50−200 thousand UAH for an online shop with steady orders.
Handmade: investments, margins and sales channels
Handmade is characterised by high added value and mark-ups from 100% to 300%. Main start-up costs are materials, equipment, marketing, packaging, possibly targeted advertising and content creation.
Initial capital is mentioned as «from several tens of thousands of UAH». For micro‑manufacturers (sewing workshops, craft food products) grants under the «YeRobota» programme can be considered, which finance projects up to 500 thousand UAH. Social media are cited as one of the main sales channels for this niche.
Risks and regional characteristics of demand
As order volumes grow, handmade producers either have to hire people and lose «craftsmanship», or turn customers away. This is called the key operational dilemma of scaling such a business.
In regions rich in crafts there is talk of rethinking applied arts in contemporary design as a basis for export products. In large cities modern accessories and craft cosmetics are popular, while in frontline regions production focuses on tactical gear, adaptive clothing and souvenirs made from repurposed military artefacts.
