Business
The main area of my professional activity is providing business development services to my clients. This includes preparing business plans for newly established and existing enterprises, selecting business models and developing business strategies, marketing of the clients’ services and products, preparing advertising and promotion campaigns. I also develop investment projects based on the use of commercial, agricultural or industrial real estate property. These projects are usually intended for a group of potential investors who would like to participate. Most of my clients are foreign investors and businessmen from abroad, who are looking for business and investment opportunities in other countries, and who consider Canada as one of the most reliable and stable places for investments and doing business.

The described services are provided by the company Dest Group Ltd., where I hold a position of a president. I am also a co-owner of this company. I work with a team of highly educated and experienced specialists in development and implementation of marketing, advertising and creative solutions. Dest Group Ltd. also contracts advertising specialists, software developers and artists in different areas of specialization. Due to this approach the company is able to offer our clients a range of high quality services that are aimed to obtaining the most efficient and beneficial results for our clients.

Because we work mostly with foreign businessmen who do not have a status in Canada, our company offers to our clients a wide range of additional services, such as providing help with obtaining a permanent resident status in Canada through business immigration programs, with moving family to Canada under student visas, with buying residential and commercial property, etc. All these services are provided in partnership with licensed specialists: immigration lawyers, real estate brokers, financial specialists etc.

During the last few years I partnered up with my wife, who is a licensed Realtor, in developing investment projects in such areas as recreational and hospitality business, vineyards and orchards, golf courses and resorts, entertainment.

Background
 
I was born and raised in Russia. I graduated from Ufa Airspace Technical University with the qualifications of a Software Engineer, with major in development of large scale management systems. Additionally, I completed a two-year post-graduate course at the Moscow State Technical University (Bauman Technical School), having obtained a Ph.D in Computer Science. For the next few years I worked as a researcher for the airspace industry.

In 1991, after the Soviet Union collapsed, I started my own business specializing in software development, publishing and advertising. My business was successful despite the fact that the local economy was suffering from chaos and depression.

In 1995 my family and I moved to Canada under the Business Immigration Program for Entrepreneurs. Right from the beginning, when we just arrived and settled in Toronto, I founded a company that one of the first in Canada started providing services on the Internet, such as web site design and Internet publishing. Since then the company has grown and we have become experts in advertising and promotion on the Internet. We have also expanded our activities to other related fields, such as commercial photography, video production and animation, CGI scripts and software development.

All this led us to working with start-up companies that specialized in IT projects, who were looking for a help of experts in developing a successful business strategy for them, in promoting their services on the Internet and attracting potential clients and/or investors. As the Internet was growing, changing and expanding, we were growing with it. After years of experience we decided to focus on providing services in business development, using our vast knowledge in such areas, as advertising, marketing and promotion, content production, web design and Internet publishing.
 
Random thoughts...
 
People often ask me, how do I manage to run a successful business and have time for my hobbies? In my case the answer is simple: I made my hobbies a part of my business. I widely use my passion for photography, writing and travel in different areas of my work, such as content production, preparation of advertising and promotion materials, attracting potential clients, and so on. One day I realized that a big part of my business is based on my hobbies, and maybe that is one the reasons of our success. For example, my ardour for my hobbies is reflected on my work, as I apply the same approach of enthusiasm and great interest when managing the company and working with our clients.
 
My hobbies also help me to bring more creativity into my work. Thanks to my passion for the art in all forms of it, I have learned to see things differently, I transform and complete them using my imagination. For example, photography teaches you to notice the most significant elements from the surrounding environment and to be patient and wait for the right moment. Painting gives you a power of using your imagination in creating a whole new world without any limitations. Writing helps you to structure everything you work with, and pay attention to every detail. And one of my biggest passions, travel, opens new horizons, helps to find different ways of living, gives new ideas for businesses and investment projects.
 
So, how to run a successful business and have time for your hobbies? Just be passionate about everything you do.