A Broken Scanner

Before you can open a business in Ukraine, you must submit all the documentation (a moving puzzle game with many parts) to the local government ... then and only then, they submit a form of completion to the national government in Kyiv. Once Kyiv signs off on the paper, the paper is electronically submitted to a national data-base where your business receives a work number to operate. The local government (our case, Lviv) must then print that work number, and then we pick it up, and march it over to the city-council office for it to be filed and on record. No more signatures, but the city-council has to have a record of it before you can do business. 

Stock Photo

This process was painfully close to being complete last Friday ... we had everything submitted through the government in Lviv, and they forwarded their form of completion to Kyiv. We should have received the work number on Monday, allowing us to open our business for customers, but it didn't come.

So, we called to find out what the problem is ... A BROKEN SCANNER. That's right - our final documentation is sitting on a desk in Kyiv waiting to be scanned before it can be electronically submitted and printed off in Lviv, so we can file it with the city-counsel. 

Didn't Adobe solve this problem years ago with electronic signatures and pdf, you may ask? We ask that too - but since said technology hasn't made it this far east ... we are all waiting on a 'technician' to fix the scanner, so we can print, pick-up, drop-off, and file our official work number and finally get this laundromat show on the road!

Good News

Who's the most powerful man in town?
Mayor - No, he's elected and can be ousted.
Mafia - a Hollywood farce. Please.
Okay, that was sort of a trick question, since it isn't a single person in Lviv ... more like a single entity. And the answer is (drum roll please) - Lviv Gas. Nothing here gets done without the blessing of the gas department (especially if you have industrial dryers that run on gas).
Today Lviv gas came, dug a trench from the main gas-line in the road to our building, laid the gas pip-line, and covered their marks. This is good news for Bubbles, great news for us. Now we just need them to flip the switch and send that clean-burning energy our way.

Covered & Completed Gas Line for Bubbles

To grasp the full-nature of this situation, we have to give a little back story. Before we quit the day job in San Francisco to start this venture, we hired two Ukrainians who are long-time, trustworthy friends to get the business process started. A main task entrusted to their care was to find a location for Bubbles - said location was to have specific capability for the water, gas, and electric needs (all clearly outlined in writing). The location we're in, they said, met all the needs we sent ...

and to be sure, they even sent pictures of the gas pipe-line connected to our building (painted yellow).
So we gave the green-light, and they began the time consuming paper-work process to lease the building.
You can imagine our horror when, in July, we learned that the building does not have gas at all. How can this be?! You even sent pictures of the gas-line to the building before we gave the final okay? "Oh, sorry ... those pictures must have been to a different building," was the only response and explanation we received. While an honest mistake, this 'mix-up' has cost us dearly. Lesson learned - you are only as successful as those who represent you ... and if you want something done correctly, you have to do it yourself.
We then began the arduous process of securing gas for our store. Many, many hours (late nights, early mornings, and full-days of work) were spent meeting people, getting signatures, project approval, and such ... yes, even at times meetings in back seats of cars, because 'offices' are not where such business is conducted.
White gloves were used as many players seemed to emerge with vested interest in how, when, if, and at what cost we were to receive our necessary gas-line - our construction company, and landlord, for example. In truth, the whole scenario has not yet fully been played out. The good news, however, is that we hold the ace - the gas-line - and it is sure to be a meeting of gentlemen that even Georgette Heyer would be proud of.
In addition to the gas-line, yesterday we also received final documentation from the water and sewer department, allowing Abilit (the construction company) to connect our sewer line to the already existing line - rather than building a whole new line, costing more money, and time (which Abilit previously insisted was the only way).
All and all, we'd say it was one of our most productive days since we've been in Ukraine - and that is the good news!

Firefighter Approval

SMC Firefighters 1921

While sitting at work in San Mateo last spring, a city firefighter came to the office. He was dressed in full firefighter apparel, had the truck in the parking lot, and proceeded to explain the various ways in which our office was not up to code. Then he handed over a paper that said we owed a specific sum of money - to be paid on the spot. The whole thing was a little amiss ... Clearly the owner of the building, not the tenants, should pay for any such violations, and why the urgency, on the spot payment? When we suggested this to the said firefighter, he got a little uneasy and said it would be better if we paid right now, and signed the form. We didn't. He left quickly. We looked up the issue, and sure enough, it was a scam. While there was a geographic area in San Mateo that the various precautionary codes applied to, our office was well outside that territory.

Lviv Fire Department

That was one experience that set our fears of Ukrainian corruption at bay a bit. We realized no matter where you do business (Lviv or San Mateo) someone is out to make a buck on the less suspecting.

Our construction company Abelit tried to convince us today that our current dryer set-up would never pass the Lviv firefighter approval - we needed to drill a hole in the roof behind the dryers for ventilation ... more time, and more money. We already know (an expensive lesson) that this construction firm is not always straight forward and certainly have their best interest in mind at all times - more work, more time, more money.

So, we brought in the big guns and had the Lviv fire department walk through and get it from the horses mouth - are we up to code? The verdict ... No need to drill another ceiling hole! We were right - Abelit was wrong. Great news. See, Ukraine isn't so corrupt after all ... well, at least not the firefighters.

Only the Best

Dexter Washers

Shortly after we had this great idea to open a laundromat in Lviv, Ukraine (four years ago), we decided to join the Coin Laundry Association. Shortly after joining the Coin Laundry Association, we learned that Dexter equipment is the very best. So, of course, for our store (and laundromat chain) we needed Dexter washers and dryers.
In addition to figuring out how to purchase, transport, and get these babies from Iowa, over the ocean across many borders, and through customs ... the Ukrainian government had to certify them before they could be used. After all, these machines are the first of this kind to enter the country. Makes sense really, I mean if we were bringing in large industrial equipment from Ukraine to the States, I'm sure a myriad of government agencies would want to plug in the thing, run it, test it, whatever, before they gave the okay for commercial use.
Well, I am here to let you know, Dexter passed with flying colors. In fact, the Ukrainian government agency said our dryers were tested "beyond a level of precision than the government testing and certifying machines were able to handle." Woo hoo! We knew they were good. And - as if that isn't enough - the government official who tested them wanted to know where he could buy, and or use, one of these machines ... he was that impressed. He's on our contact list for when we franchise into Kyiv. Only the very best for Bubbles!