It goes quite far back — more than ten years ago. I had my own business automation agency, MIGBUSINESS. I already had been an authorized Zoho partner and had been working with the ecosystem.
At the end of 2024, major changes occurred: new U.S. sanctions limited access to business software for Russian citizens, and my official Zoho partnership was canceled. At that exact moment, Ivan contacted me, and we quickly realized we shared values, perspectives, and a love for Zoho.
We decided to combine our experience and create Business Lab. TFrom that moment our mission began to help companies build efficient digital processes using Zoho.
The idea of automation itself started even earlier when I discovered Zoho Creator. Back then, not many people in Russia knew about Zoho, and I was impressed by the ability to build business apps without code and create cloud-based solutions tailored to specific needs. Compared to local products, Zoho stood out for its functionality and ease of use.
In fact there are several reasons. Zoho One allows for a fast start without the need for coding. It includes CRM, projects, finance, HR, and more — all in one suite. From the top three solutions for businesses — Microsoft, Salesforce, and Zoho — Zoho is the most cost-effective, offering similar features with better vendor support.
Most of our clients are companies founded by Russian-speaking entrepreneurs operating with Russian-speaking teams all over the world.
They value a unified ecosystem and aim to fully use Zoho One’s potential. We help them migrate to Zoho, audit their processes, set up automation, train employees, and provide support in daily work. Our goal is to increase profitability by reducing operational costs and improving team efficiency
Ivan
Since our main audience consists of companies that have relocated from Russia, their leaders expect to communicate with a partner in their native language, which is a major factor in choosing us. We mostly focus on service-based businesses working with international documentation and teams indifferent countries.
We follow a “one-stop shop” model and provide services such as:
- Consulting. Adapting Zoho to your business needs.
- Process audit and design new ones in Zoho.
- Migration to Zoho One and integration with third-party services.
- Business process automation setup.
- Employee training.
- Long-term support and maintenance.
The main advantage of Zoho is that it acts as the “economic core” of your business helping you manage sales, customers, and operations.
Key benefits include:
- Quick launch: you can start working within the first few weeks.
- Rich ecosystem: CRM, projects, finance, HR, marketing — all in one solution.
- Ability to scale and add modules without complex integrations.
- One subscription (Zoho One) instead of many fragmented services.
- Flexible setup: from no-code to advanced scripts and API integrations.
- Excellent built-in AI and automation tools.
Many companies start implementing Zoho using habits from Russian software, which complicates the process. They often don’t realize how many ready-made solutions already exist in Zoho and waste time learning instead of using what is built-in. Some try to piece things together using external services. But Zoho One includes more than 45-50 applications in a single ecosystem, where everything is already integrated and ready to use. It is enough to understand what already exists.
One of our most successful cases was a legal firm in the UAE offering business registration and accounting services.
We solved several major issues:
- A large amount of manual work (KYC, contract preparation, invoicing, signatures).
- Disparate file storage systems.
- No unified task management system.
- Zoho One was implemented in stages: automated the KYC process with pre-filled data and digital signatures, set up centralized document storage, and integrated CRM with Zoho Books to issue invoices from multiple legal entities.
As a result, the application processing time has been reduced several times and the process has become transparent and convenient..
The future, in our opinion, lies in complex ecosystems, not individual applications. If a company plans to grow long-term and is ready to invest in IT, it should choose an all-in-one platform from the beginning. It offers flexibility, scalability, and holistic process management.
However, if a business is still testing ideas and not ready to commit, starting with standalone tools may be faster and easier. But over time, demand for integration and automation grows, eventually, a full ecosystem will be needed. This should be seen as an evolutionary path.
Before implementing a system, define your direction and priorities:
- What are the key business goals for the next 1–3 years?
- What markets or products do you plan to focus on?
IIf long-term growth is important, build in the capacity to support, scale, and maintain the entire system from the start.
Compare platform options. Choose one that fits your goals not just today, but in the long run.
You are not just installing a CRM — you’re building a solid foundation for sustainable business growth.
- Think not about CRM as a separate tool, but about an ecosystem that can support business growth.
- Don’t try to implement everything at once — take it step by step.
- Involve your team in the process and train them to use the system.
- Gradually digitize all processes to take advantage of AI and analytics in the future.
- Set a strategic goal: transparency, efficiency, and growth — not just “ticking the CRM box.”
This is a story about how, in the conditions of restrictions, there is a chance to start all over again, to strengthen the focus on the client and to give the business a tool that not only works, but develops and brings results.
The Business Lab team helps companies find the right solution — automating, training, and supporting them at every stage.
Take your first step toward automation with Zoho — submit a request and get a solution designed just for you.