Business for love, not for money

When you come to Livadia, a part of the city of Yalta, you plunge into the atmosphere of a regular life-style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. You immediately feel a certain pleasure in doing everything and want to wear long and light clothes and, of course, a hat. The security guards in the park of the Livadia Palace know the names of all the dogs walking in it and, certainly, the names of the ladies walking with them (‘Hello, Anton Pavlovich Chekhonte’). People greet each other, and a garden stuff seller brings a bunch of radishes - that doesn’t grow in the Crimea in the summer - specially for you.

In the evening, as it gets dark, and only the noise of old Lebanese cedars, the ceaseless shrill of the cicadas break upon the quiet of the night, or sometimes, classical music is heard from the Livadia Palace when summer music concerts are held there. Tourists no longer walk up and down in the park, you can hear children laughing not far from you as local mothers walking their kids near the monument to Alexander III and, if you live in Livadia, you can feel that you are the master of this small world, where time stopped long ago.

Undoubtedly, this is a magical world. The buildings that are parts of the Livadia Palace built in the late 19th century - early 20th century by imperial architects to the court are an integral part of this world. They were intended as the residence of imperial servants and household workers. Today, the Villa 7/8/4 project started in 2020 is located there. The buildings were gradually renovated. And now, it is an apart-hotel where one can feel a careful attitude to history. This was done by two ladies from Moscow - a doctor and a builder. EcoTourism EXPERT talked to them about what it’s like to start implementing some project like this one and make it a profitable business.

- How did it happen that you, a doctor, moved from Moscow to Yalta and started a hotel business in the Crimea? How do people usually come to this idea? In my opinion, this is one of the downshifting options...

Tatyana: Probably, everyone comes to entrepreneurship in their own way: there are people who need to get a special education, and something inspires them to do this. Maybe, their dream since childhood was to become an entrepreneur. And it’s not bad, of course, to have a special education.

But I can tell how I decided to go in for business. I am of the strong conviction that every person should go in for the business he or she likes. You just should think about what you would like to do if you had money, if you didn’t need to earn money for living, what you would like to do even without any payment for your work. So, you should go in this direction. Do business that makes you happy, even without being paid for it...

Sometimes, it is difficult to figure out what you really like. After all, from our childhood something is ‘implanted’ in our heads that we should like it. And if you ask yourself about what you would like to do as your business so that you would like your job, it’s difficult to answer right away. People either don’t like anything, or they do what they have to do. Their parents helped them to get education in any field, brought them to some profession, and people live all their lives within the framework of this profession. Maybe, they don’t really like this profession but they continue doing this work...

As for myself, I know what I like... Everyone thinks I like cooking. No, I don’t like cooking at all. (We are sitting in a cozy summer café that is also part of their business. Tatyana is more of a hostess here than a chef. Her daughter Alina is both a hostess and a waitress, and they cook together in the kitchen - corr.) I like to sell food. That’s right... You understand what you want when you look deep into yourself, this is something you understand about yourself. I remember my games in my childhood. I played alone collecting some leaves from the trees. Some leaves were my ‘sausages’, and there was some other ‘food’. There was also some sand that was my ‘sugar’. And I was selling all this to an invisible buyer. That is, these were children’s games that we usually forget later on. When I started to understand what I really like to do it turned out that I like selling food, really. I really understand that I like doing this.

Okay, next, in order to sell food, you need to get it somewhere. Where can I get food for selling? And this is a problem. So, there are people who like to cook food, but I don’t like the taste of the food cooked by many other people, and I don’t want to sell it, because I would like to sell what I like to eat myself. Well, that means that I should cook the food I would like to sell.

As for our café, I like to have a cup of coffee in bed in the morning, or somewhere around here, close to this place. Well, I want to eat something, too. I understand that to have breakfast, I need to get dressed, go to a café, sit and wait. Therefore, I need a café very close to my place. And a thought came to me immediately that people like me live here; maybe, any of them don’t need this café as they usually do not have breakfast, but people like me, I think, wake up in the morning, and where they should go to have breakfast… And a good idea just leaped to my mind, I said “Ira (business partner - corr.), let’s offer food to people, everything is fine, but let’s cook for them!” And these two things just coincided, it’s very natural, it’s not that you sit and think “What should I do, what strategy should I work out?”

And then you just start doing it. Yes, of course, you need to think it over, whether you can cope with this project or not, whether your strength will last, whether you have enough money and other resources or not. And then you experience fright whether it will work out or not. And, probably, many people ‘stumble’ at this stage, but you just need to start to succeed. You don’t know whether it will work out or not until you try. And the first key point is that you should think about what you would like to do. The second key point is just do it.

Well, it may happen that it doesn’t work out. After some time, you can understand that it didn’t work out, but that’s no disaster. Well, you can understand what mistakes were made and why it didn’t work out. You can correct your mistakes, or you will realize that you don’t like doing this and you will choose another option. It’s part of your life. This is not anything separate from your life that you thought through.

Anyway, life always makes its adjustments. Well, this is the way it was with me. Ira’s way, probably, was completely different...

- Irina, as I understand, you started the project... As far as I know, you came from the construction business?

Irina: I was in the business of constructing multi-storied buildings in Moscow. We got fed up of this, we built 20 multi-storied houses there. And then the whole situation changed... I don’t know, I was sick and tired of Moscow... We arrived in the Crimea, and I felt at home here. Well, if you are at home, you have to be busy with anything... I can never loaf around and do nothing... I start looking for something to do and think what I would like to do... I agree with Tanya, really, everyone should do what he or she likes to, then a success can be achieved - if you like what you do and do it with loving care... So, Tatiana was thinking about a cafe, “If it doesn’t work out, okay, I’ll eat this food myself...” - something like this.

Tatyana (to Irina): And you thought “If it doesn’t work out, okay, I’ll live in the mansion myself...”, right?

Irina: “I’ll live in the mansion myself” (laughs), for sure, because I liked the building. It was in deсay and neglected. I had no idea what to do with it. This was unreal to find builders here (in the Crimea - corr.). And at some stages, we just painted and did everything on our own. Well, that is, we did the repair. And the ideas were born in the process of work. For example, I was painting the windows one day. A group of tourists passed by and they asked “What will be in this building”? I could have said “A hotel”. But I suddenly said “A museum”. I don’t know why I said this. I got off the windowsill and thought “Well, okay, I need to think about it.” Later on, this idea was implemented. That is, we also didn’t know whether it would work out or not. Everyone laughed at us, pointed the finger of scorn at us... But it turned out to be very popular.

- So, this is still not about pleasure, but about business, is it so? I would like to know whether it is more about pleasure or more about business.

Irina: I would like to mention once again, we didn’t make any feasibility studies and didn’t draw up any business plans. We are doing this (Tatiana can confirm) because we like it, and we see some sense in this, some kind of idea... Under some circumstances (not the current ones), when there were air flights to the Crimea, we felt great from the point of view business. That is, it was very effective. But as for any feasibility studies, any business training - I did not do feasibility studies and underwent any training, I did this work because I liked it.

- This is not exactly what I had in mind and I’ll try to explain. There is a project in the Moscow Region to construct business-segment buildings... It is now being completed, it is selling very well and has received various awards. So, when the project was started, when its creators constructed everything ‘as if for themselves’ and thought over every detail, people who were in the real estate business in Moscow and the Moscow Region for many years told them “It’s not about money.” They meant that the construction company won’t make money on that project... There is a special expression, something like “What’s the business?” In short, the project will not bring the expected profit. It looks that your project in the Crimea began the same way. And in the end, it became profitable and successful. I’m trying to understand a ‘formula’ for the success of such projects.

Irina: To be honest, all people told me I was crazy. I really don’t like people who say so. The person has a lot of difficulties. When a person starts some new project, he or she must overcome this inertia, resistance, both in his or her mind and in business, it’s hard for any person to carry this burden. And it’s not good to say that “nothing will work out, you crazy are, and this is not about business”... How do you happen to know that to say so? It’s better not to listen to all these words. There are few people who can say “Wow, it’s cool!” For some reason, everyone has the expectations that you will fail. And this is at the stage when you just start your project, you don’t know what will happen - it’s wrong to say such words... Well, of course, money is needed for living. And you hope that the project will bring you some money. Therefore, it cannot be said that our project is not ‘about business’ at all. Naturally, you need to roughly estimate whether you have enough resources to implement all your ideas.

Although, on the other hand, it’s all pointless to calculate your future income... Yes, it’s possible on paper, but what’s the point? You do not know whether the project will be a success or a failure in future. How will you know? You know that you have a vacant hotel room, you can calculate and say that this hotel room will bring in a certain sum of money... And then, suddenly, the air flights are canceled. Indeed, the air flights have been cancelled, that’s what it is now...

All sorts of training courses teach you that you need to draw up a clear business plan, look at what is happening around you, and take into account what projects are under implementation by other companies. I am a business coach myself and I wrote these business-training courses myself - business-training courses for career coaches. Business coaches must sell their business-training courses. What business-training courses are the most profitable? Those where the career coach supposedly teaches you how to make money. People join the business workshop and pay money to the coach who says: “Look, I’ll teach you how to earn money, you have to believe me, you paid money to me for the business workshop, so I know how to earn money, so I’ll teach you to do this, too...” And such business coaches, springing up like mushrooms, are trained according to this scheme: there is a business plan, make a comparison with competitors. Everyone knows this, but for some reason, all these people who follow these steps, see that all their business activities are a failure very quickly.

We are not young and have a life experience, I have several professions, my friend has also done a lot in her life. We just intuitively understand what we need to do. If you understand that this business is useful to people, perhaps, it will be in demand. People want to relax and they want to have meals. We can certainly work in this direction. Just do it. Do it for pleasure.

- So, is this project a pleasure for you?

Irina: In general, when you have already received results and opened your hotel, of course, it brings a feeling of, maybe, not pleasure, but satisfaction and self-fulfillment. You may be happy about one thing, upset about another one, you may be arguing with someone or you are suddenly given an unexpected gift. And all this mixture of feelings and experiences cannot be called a ‘pleasure only’.

The main thing is - I also started from this point - do what you like to. Of course, it’s pleasant. Are you getting tired? Of course, you get tired. When you get tired, there is no longer any pleasure. Then I have some rest and I wish again to keep on my work. I feel that I miss my work.

In general, things are like this. We are not some kind of business women who have a definite business plan.

- I ask about this because the creators of that construction project in the Moscow Region that I already mentioned achieved their financial success, starting from the construction project that brought pleasure to them. They said “This is the way we want to work.” They were answered “You don’t say so! It’s very expensive, it’s not a rational decision...” And in the end, they have succeeded.

Tatyana: The two things must coincide. One more thing is needed in this approach. After all, we will receive money from people in future, and people will give money only if you offer them what they really need. Business success, in my opinion, still comes thanks to pleasure. Really, thanks to pleasure, of course. You can, for example, earn money and buy onion. It would be necessary to rent a truck in the spring, bring onions to the market and sell them to gardeners who plant onions. Well, it’s profitable. You just need to buy onions in bulk which comes cheaper and sell them in retail. It’s a cool scheme! But this will not bring me any pleasure at all. And even if this business brings money, I won’t do this. However, there are people who rent these trucks and enjoy this type of business. For some people, the result is more important than the process. But I do care how I make money.

- Another question. Of course, I understand that, you are a person of strong will because you worked in the construction industry. But even a person of strong will coming from Moscow to the Crimea thinks “Where can I rent anything? Well, this is a beautiful house. How can I rent it?” Do we need to know which way is up, don’t we? How did you find the mansion you leased?

Irina: I found it on the advertisement website Avito...

- So, this mansion was put up for rent on Avito? In the ‘to-let’ column? Are you serious?

Irina: Right, exactly. Moreover, we came to an agreement in five minutes. That is, it was at the snap of a finger (she snaps fingers - corr.). When the owner liked everything we made, all the other buildings were offered to us (the talk is about the buildings of the former Livadia health center. The project was started with building No. 7, then No. 8 and No. 4 - corr.).

- What about the risks? Many people are afraid of leasing such premises, for example, old mansions, as they think that later, after they put them in order, the owners will simply take them back. Is this issue legally spelled out in your agreement?

Tatyana: Well, such a risk exists. Any business has risks. And you weigh whether you are ready to take the risk or not.

Irina: I felt like ‘Well, then I’ll live in this mansion myself and enjoy it’.

- And what is the rental period?

Irina: Three years. It has already been extended.

- Do you want to buy this building later?

Irina: No, I don’t.

- Then definitely, this story is ‘about love’. But as a journalist, I still look for what the essence is, where the business benefits are. You have invested in the project, the project is expensive taking into account the construction materials and the cost of work, especially now. It’s much more expensive than it was earlier. The situation is so unpredictable, and you lease the premises only for three years...

Tatyana: As for business benefits, we do have benefits. The money and efforts have already been repaid and the project is already bringing money. In this particular case, we need someone to look after the park, these buildings, which decay faster if people do not live in them and the mansion and the park are not kept in order. Things are going well here, housekeeping is good, nothing gets damaged, and if it does, we repair it right away.

Irina: There are a lot of lease holders who have a different approach...

- I want to ask about the prospects. What are your plans?

Irina: Construction and plans are incompatibles.

- I know you leased another house that is under renovation...

Tatyana: We’ll finish renovating it soon, complete the repair and open it. We should just keep on renovating it and we will open it someday... (as of this writing, building No. 4 has been already opened - corr.). But we do not set the date when we must open it - it’s not our practice. We have been working seven days a week since November. There was a huge amount of work and the area was large. By mid-summer, 70% was already repaired, I think this was very productive. We do a lot of the repair work on our own, too.

- Well, what next?

Tatyana: We’ll lease another mansion...

- Are you serious? Which one?

Tatyana: They will give it to us, they will come and give it to us. This is such a magical place. If you send a message into space, you get a response... Our apartments, for example, are filled with unique things, many of which practically ‘came out of nowhere’. There are things that came to us from a very famous house. Those who were selling them contacted us as they wanted these things to be in our mansion.

There are no agreements regarding future projects. But some projects will be implemented. We will have some rest and we will begin. I am a person of active habits. I like to do something...

- Are you planning to take a break?

Irina: It depends how things are going...

- So, if you are offered anything, you’ll take it right away, won’t you?

Irina: It depends what will be offered. If we get a worthy proposal, then we’ll take it right away.

- You have an incredible internal energy...

We talked with Tatyana and Irina in the middle of summer. They said that the Livadia Palace’s park was under a reconstruction and they were really looking forward to complete it. But so far, the park has been reconstructed only in its upper part. The lower one looks more like a somber forest from a horror movie or a fairy tale about the ‘sleeping beauty’ where thorns have woven the royal castle. Destroyed tsar’s pavilions, an elevator that is not running... Even the famous Tsar’s Path called the Solnechnaya (Sunlit) Path in the Soviet times, is now just a narrow path overgrown with thorns. The mansion is in a rather good condition, but a large building for retinue needs either reconstruction or new owners. It’s closed now. In one of its wings located next to the mansion, there is a free cinema hall where people can watch old films. But working hours are not indicated, so it is not clear when people can come to watch a film. Not far from the monument to Emperor Alexander III, there is an out-of-service fountain from the times of the Russian Empire and a summer cinema place, chosen by homeless persons...   

But this is definitely a magical place. It seems now that there were no 70 years of the Soviet power and, after the Romanovs’ tsar family left Livadia forever, everything here collapsed and ‘froze’. Perhaps, if someone comes here who can carefully, ‘creeping about on tiptoe’, breathe new life into the dying park, time will start running again. Without new ‘urbanism’ and ‘organizing the public spaces’ here but with a careful preservation of history, the life will return to the old Livadia’s cedars. What is needed here is a ‘business for love,’ not for money. The Villa7/8/4 project is really a thin ‘stream’ of it.