Today, we are sitting with Maksym Bezorudko, co-founder of ZWEBRA, a full-service digital agency that helps businesses grow through custom web design, web development, and smart digital marketing. He delves into how he managed to build a highly reputable agency, what services are the most popular in Toronto, and how he turned one of his startups into a 6-figure business in just a couple of years.
With a background in finance and over 15 years of experience in digital strategy consulting, he has helped scale dozens of businesses, from local service companies to large eCom brands. Now based in Toronto, Maksym continues to blend entrepreneurship, strategy, and creativity while building tools that serve both clients and the wider community.
What inspired you to start your business, and why did you choose Toronto as your base?
Scaling a business is ultimately about increasing visibility, generating more leads, and converting them into sales.
I’m passionate about guiding brands through the complex process of building recognition and driving growth online and the internet is one of the most powerful tools to achieve that. This applies not only to our client’s projects but also to the businesses I’ve launched myself.
My journey in the IT industry began in 2007 in Ukraine. With a couple of my friends who were tech-savvy, we built and launched a city directory specializing in small business listings. This helped local businesses get found online. During our first two years of operations, we onboarded more than 800 companies. I had an opportunity to meet and communicate with many types of business owners and saw a growing demand for custom-designed websites. For a certain percentage, all they wanted to do was get their websites to the top rank of Google for specific queries. That’s how ZWEBRA agency was born.
A decade later, in 2017, we moved to Canada – starting in Saint John, New Brunswick, and eventually relocating to Toronto in 2019. While smaller communities were a great starting point, doing business there came with limitations. Toronto, being Canada’s financial and business hub, opened up far more opportunities for both myself and my wife, who now runs a fast-growing hair extensions company.
What was one of the biggest challenges you faced early on, and how did you overcome it?
When we brought our agency to Canada, the first major challenge was landing our initial clients and building a portfolio tailored to the North American market.
The second was positioning ourselves effectively. In Ukraine, about 70% of our work came from large organizations, including factories, manufacturers, eCommerce brands, gas station networks, and even government entities. In Canada, however, we quickly realized that large corporations tend to work with equally large IT firms. Breaking into the government sector was also nearly impossible without existing connections.
While we secured a few key projects with mid-to-large businesses like CAA, Bayer, and MacDon, most of our focus had to shift toward serving small businesses – a significant strategic adjustment for us.
How does living and working in Toronto shape your business or creative approach?
Running a digital agency – whether focused on web development or digital marketing – is highly competitive. What helped us stand out was our track record of success in specific niches.
Successful case studies made it easier to onboard new clients and, more importantly, build long-lasting relationships by consistently delivering results.
With my background in promoting eCommerce websites, I also decided to launch an online store for my wife. We grew it into a six-figure brand within just three years, starting with a relatively small investment. Today, owning both a digital agency and an eCommerce business gives me the flexibility to work from anywhere while maintaining a healthier work-life balance.
What’s one local resource (event, space, community, or person) that helped your business grow?
When we first moved to Toronto, I attended TechTO events and major entrepreneurship conferences hosted by companies like Shopify, Google and Facebook.
These events were useful for making connections and gaining insights, but they weren’t major drivers of our business growth.
Ultimately, success has come down to dedication and continuous learning. These days, I focus more on investing in myself, including deepening my knowledge in areas that can directly help grow my businesses, rather than attending random networking events.
What are the most popular services among your clients?
- Providing dedicated web developers to work on our client’s projects (e.g. Laravel developers, Magento developers, etc.).
- Digital strategy consulting that digs into target audience, unique selling points of a brand, and ROI.
- SEO with a focus on LLMs, combining time-tested brand optimization with new, fast-paced AI tech.
- PPC to instantly get a brand, product, or service in front of qualified leads on search engines and social media.
- Website maintenance, ensuring design, security, performance, and content are kept up-to-date.
Another thing we do that’s a hot trend right now is different forms of content production, such as short videos for social media, websites and YouTube. Our company is partnered with talented local videographers and now offers branded video content creation for Toronto businesses.
What’s a misconception people have about your industry or role?
That’s a great question. Many people approach digital marketing expecting a quick fix that will bring instant success and new clients. In reality, building a recognizable brand takes time, expertise, and consistent effort. Sales follow brand awareness, not the other way around.
Achieving strong ROI and long-term value requires a solid investment of both time and money.
You also need to stay adaptable. Whether it’s changes to Google’s algorithms or the rise of new tools like ChatGPT, keeping up with evolving technology is essential for staying competitive.
What’s one key lesson you’ve learned that you wish you knew when starting out?
Helping clients grow their websites and boost revenue is always rewarding, but it’s equally important to invest in yourself and make time for your own projects.
Running your own ventures not only creates additional opportunities for growth but also gives you a valuable platform to test new strategies, tools, and ideas before applying them to your clients’ businesses.
Tell us about your e-commerce startup and how you grew it into a successful business in just a few years?
My background in digital agency work gave me a strong foundation when launching a family-run e-commerce startup. I understood exactly what features an online store needed to be effective and how to market it successfully.
From day one, I focused on building a platform that not only looked great but was optimized for performance and visibility. One of the biggest advantages was offering a unique, high-end product that appealed primarily to the U.S. market, allowing us to carve out a niche with limited direct competition.
What really helped us grow quickly, though, was a relentless focus on customer experience and smart use of marketing automation. We treated every customer interaction as a chance to impress, offering responsive service, thoughtful packaging, and consistent follow-ups. At the same time, we used automation tools to streamline marketing efforts, nurture leads, and keep customers engaged, which allowed us to scale efficiently without compromising on service quality.
How do you stay motivated and focused during slow periods or setbacks?
Being an entrepreneur means there is always something to do, whether it’s managing client projects, supporting your team, or developing your own initiatives. During slower periods, I use the extra time to improve our internal websites and business processes, explore new ideas, and continue learning in areas that can help the business grow.
Tell us about a recent win you’re proud of – personal or professional.
A few years ago, I became a father, and that experience has been a powerful source of motivation. It inspires me to aim higher, set bigger goals, and create a better future for my family and the businesses I manage.
What role has community or collaboration played in your growth?
Throughout my business journey, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many inspiring people and fellow business owners and entrepreneurs. I’m always open to new connections and eager to keep learning and growing through collaboration. You will find links to my social networks below. Make sure to say “Hi!” and connect.
What’s your favourite Toronto neighbourhood or spot to unwind?
When I have free time, I like to spend it outside of Toronto enjoying various activities with my family and friends. It can be fishing, riding sports cars, indoor skydiving, attending a shooting range and more.
What advice would you give to someone starting a business or brand in Toronto today?
Now is a great time to start a business, especially in e-commerce, which has virtually no geographic limits. Economic challenges in Canada have shown that even major companies can struggle if they fail to adapt quickly. A recent example is the closure of the Hudson’s Bay Company.
This shift creates space for new businesses to thrive. The best investment you can make is in yourself. Learn about current trends, understand how to build and run a successful business, stay social, build your personal brand, and embrace the rewards of entrepreneurship.
What’s next for you? Any exciting projects, launches, or goals on the horizon?
Our latest project is a website called Toronto’s Best. It is a digital PR platform created to showcase inspiring local businesses and personalities.
The main goal is to help them gain more visibility through organic search and appear in AI search results like ChatGPT. Importantly, a portion of the revenue from advertising is donated to charities, allowing you to promote your brand while supporting a good cause.
2025-07-29
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