When in February 2022 the number of Ukrainian enterprises in Poland was only 188 companies, few could have predicted that in just two months this figure would triple and continue to grow every month. The full-scale war in Ukraine changed the economic map of Poland — thousands of Ukrainian entrepreneurs began to build their businesses in a new country. In total, during the period 2022–2024, approximately 77,700 Ukrainian sole proprietors (JDG, the Polish equivalent of FOP) were registered in Poland — roughly 9% of all new businesses during that time.
Under these circumstances, the founder of the accounting bureau Kwartał approached us. An experienced specialist with many years of work in transport, IT, and construction companies, she saw a rapidly developing niche.
“Our goal is to attract 20 clients for regular accounting services. Then scale up to 70 clients,” the founder of Kwartał formulated the task.
But how do you enter a market where approximately 54,177 accounting and auditing firms already operate? How do you find your place among competitors when your company doesn’t even have a website yet?
Kwartał turned to Solve Marketing to develop a system that would deliver results from day one.
| How long did it take to develop the strategy? | 150 hours, 6 working weeks |
| What is the composition of the marketing strategy development team? | Head of Marketing Team, Head of PM Team, Head of Content Team, Operations Marketer, Content Marketer, Head of PPC Department, PPC Facebook, Editor. |
| How were the results of the work used? | Independent implementation by the client |
External environment analysis
Before developing the strategy, we conducted extensive market research. And what did we see?
The scale of opportunity
Since the beginning of the war, every tenth company established in Poland has been Ukrainian — a phenomenon the country had never experienced before.
The most active industries among Ukrainian entrepreneurs are construction, information and communications, and services. This means a wide range of potential clients with diverse accounting needs.
Ukrainian business in Poland is a long-term trend. Despite statistics showing a decrease in the number of refugees at the end of 2023, most entrepreneurs who have already started their businesses remain in the country. They are integrating into the Polish economy for the long haul.
The state of the accounting services market
The accounting industry in Poland is valued at €3.9 billion and continues to show stable growth. The number of enterprises in this sector has been increasing by 3.6% annually over the past five years.
A critical fact: 60% of all companies use the services of external accountants. This means that accounting outsourcing is the norm, not the exception, in the Polish market.
The market is low-concentrated — no company holds more than a 5% market share. This creates equal opportunities for new players to compete.
Search behavior insights
An analysis of Google Trends over the past five years revealed an interesting pattern. Search queries such as “Ukrainian-speaking accountant” or “Russian-speaking accountant” show moderate activity. This is due to the relatively small target audience compared to the total population of Poland.
Ukrainian entrepreneurs primarily look for accountants through social networks, Facebook groups, Telegram channels, and word of mouth. Classic SEO search on Google is just one of the channels — but definitely not the main one.
Need a detailed market analysis to enter a new niche? Understanding target audience behavior is the foundation of a successful strategy. Order a professional marketing strategy that takes into account all the specifics of your business environment.
Choice factors: what really influences an entrepreneur’s decision
An entrepreneur’s decision to choose an accounting firm is made long before the first phone call or meeting with a manager — it is born from dozens of small signals and points of contact.
From the first impression of the company in search results to the final decision after the presentation of services, every element of interaction affects trust and willingness to entrust your business. The website, reviews, the speed of the consultant’s response, the expertise of the team, and understanding of the specifics of Polish legislation all contribute to a comprehensive architecture of trust.
We have created a framework of choice factors that allows you to manage these signals and turn them into a strategic tool for attracting customers. For accounting firms, we have identified over 100 factors that influence the decisions of different audience segments: from technical expertise to emotional comfort during cooperation.
💡 The choice factors framework is a strategic approach that allows you to influence the underlying motives behind customer choices and build long-term competitive advantages.
Among the key factors we have identified are:
Expertise factor: 3+ years of experience working with Polish legislation, while newcomers to the market are still learning the nuances of the tax system. This is a decisive argument for entrepreneurs who do not want to risk their business.
Language comfort factor: the ability to communicate in Ukrainian or Russian creates an additional level of trust, especially for relocators who are still adapting to their new environment.
Scale factor: A team of 20+ specialists and over 100 completed projects demonstrates stability and reliability, which is critical for long-term cooperation.
Insight: Successful positioning is built on a system of interrelated advantages. The choice factor framework allows you to identify and systematize all points of influence on the customer’s decision, from rational to emotional.
Who plays on the accounting services market and how
The market for accounting services for Ukrainian entrepreneurs in Poland has turned out to be an interesting mosaic, combining various approaches to marketing, from minimal presence to fairly active promotion. But what unites almost all players? Mediocre marketing.
Most competitors in the market have mediocre marketing. This means that well-developed marketing channels will become a real competitive advantage.
We conducted a comprehensive analysis of websites, social networks, reviews, and promotion channels of the main market players. And here’s what we found:
Overall market picture
The competitive landscape has revealed several interesting trends. Most companies do not limit themselves to accounting services alone — they offer comprehensive assistance in starting a business, legalization, and obtaining a residence permit. This indicates that the audience needs an ecosystem approach to solving bureaucratic issues.
A significant proportion of companies operate not only on the Polish market, but also on the Ukrainian or European markets. Such diversification of the audience creates additional challenges, as each country has different accounting and reporting rules.
The market is leaning toward comprehensive solutions. Clients are not just looking for an accountant — they want a partner who can help with all aspects of doing business in a new country.
Digital solutions: landing pages as standard
Analysis of websites revealed an interesting trend: landing pages are more prevalent than full-fledged multi-page websites. This solution proved to be appropriate for this niche. In the absence of a large number of different services, all important information can be placed on the landing page.
The most effective websites have several features in common:
- Multilingual (Polish, Ukrainian, Russian).
- Transparent price list with the ability to quickly calculate the cost.
- Lead magnets in the form of calculators or free consultations.
- Live photos of the team to increase trust.
Insight: SEO optimization provides tangible benefits. Competitors who have invested in organic promotion receive a steady stream of high-quality traffic without ongoing advertising costs.
Social networks: from minimal use to active promotion
Some companies have a minimal presence on social media — just for the sake of it — while others develop real communities around the topic of doing business in Poland.
The most active players demonstrate interesting approaches:
- Combining useful content with soft commercial offers.
- Using the owner’s personal brand as an additional channel of trust.
- Creating lead magnets in the form of guides and checklists.
- Active moderation and quick responses to comments.
The most successful competitors do not simply provide services, but build expert communities. They become a source of useful information and sell services as a logical extension of this expertise.
Competitors’ weaknesses are our opportunities
A detailed analysis revealed several systemic shortcomings in the work of competitors:
- Low engagement rates on social media (ER% often below 2%).
- Duplication of content between platforms without adaptation to the specifics of each.
- Lack of a systematic approach to lead generation.
- Ineffective use of lead magnets.
These weaknesses create enormous opportunities for a company with a well-thought-out marketing strategy.
Want to know how your competitors really work? Professional competitive analysis will reveal weaknesses for breakthroughs. We will discuss a plan for your business during a free consultation.
Development of a three-level development strategy
Based on market analysis and Kwartał’s internal resources, we have developed a three-level development strategy:
Stage 1. Preparation and launch
At this stage of the project’s development, it is important to take the first steps in “packaging” the brand and launching it quickly in order to test hypotheses and attract the first customers.
1.1. Developing positioning for an expert
We suggested starting to enter the accounting services market in Poland by developing the founder’s personal brand. Why a personal brand?
In the field of accounting services, trust in an expert is often more important than trust in a company. People entrust their business not to an abstract office, but to a specific person with specific experience and reputation.
1.2. Creating a unique visual style
Like positioning, a unique visual style is an important tool that allows you to stand out from your competitors. To begin with, we proposed developing a visual style that would be used for personal pages on social networks.
1.3. Launching expert pages on social networks
We suggested developing a personal brand specifically through social media. It should showcase the founder as an expert and inspire trust.
Content categories:
- “Useful“: up-to-date information and life hacks on accounting in Poland.
- “Lifestyle“: showing life and work routines to create a personal connection.
- “Commercial”: presentation of services for various niches and forms of business.
- “Reputational”: personal achievements at work, increasing expertise, case studies
- “Entertainment“: accounting humor, interactive activities with subscribers.
1.4. Lead generation testing
In the context of paid promotion in the early stages, we suggested testing two methods:
Using lead forms — collecting contacts of interested users without a landing page.
Lead generation on social networks — using social networks as landing pages for advertising.
1.5. Attracting customers through communities
Telegram chats and Facebook groups with Ukrainians in Poland are a very common place to find your target audience. It is important to choose the platforms where your business audience gathers.
Stage 2. Development in the corporate segment
It is worth starting work on this stage after acquiring your first customers and verifying the effectiveness of your initial hypotheses.
2.1. Landing page development
A landing page is a page that should contain all the necessary information about services in such a way that it motivates the customer to leave a request and start cooperation.
Key landing page blocks:
- Positioning and unique advantages.
- The team’s experience and expertise.
- Detailed information about services and their cost.
- Customer reviews and case studies.
- Convenient form for submitting an application.
2.2. Expansion of lead generation channels
At this stage, it becomes possible to use not only Meta Ads, but also Google Ads. Search campaigns are particularly effective, as requests for accounting services are quite common among the target audience.
2.3. Email marketing
Email marketing is a common channel for maintaining communication with your audience, especially in the B2B segment. It allows you not only to “warm up” and motivate visitors to become customers, but also to communicate effectively with existing ones.
2.4. Development of a partner network
Partnering with experts in related niches can be a powerful channel for attracting customers. Collaboration with lawyers, legalization consultants, and business start-up experts creates an ecosystem of mutually beneficial referrals.
Stage 3. Strategic steps
This stage is aimed at long-term development and consolidation of leadership positions in the market.
3.1. Development of a full-fledged website
The next logical step after landing is a full-fledged website. This will allow you not only to post more information about the company, but also to start promoting organically through SEO.
3.2. SEO optimization
Search engine optimization helps you get traffic and leads organically, without spending money on marketing. In the B2B segment and accounting services, people are more likely to trust organic search results than ads.
3.3. Creation of educational content
Educating the market is a great way to establish your brand as an expert in accounting. Creating video courses, webinars, and detailed guides helps both attract new customers and increase the loyalty of existing ones.
What next?
The developed strategy became the foundation for the systematic development of Kwartał — from the launch of the founder’s personal brand to scaling in the corporate segment.
But most importantly, we have created an adaptive growth system. Each stage logically follows from the previous one, allowing the bureau to move forward gradually — without chaotic experiments and wasting resources on ineffective channels.
This method allows Kwartał to:
● Develop systematically — each tool has its place in the overall marketing architecture, its launch time, and clear performance indicators.
● Adapt to market realities — a three-level strategy allows you to adjust tactics depending on audience response and the competitive environment.
● Invest your budget wisely — each stage is based on the results of the previous one, which minimizes risks and maximizes ROI.
We don’t leave customers alone with a strategy
We understand that developing a strategy is only the beginning of the journey. The real value comes during implementation, when theory meets market reality.
That is why we work as strategic partners — we immerse ourselves in the specifics of your business and help build a sustainable growth system that takes into account the characteristics of your niche and audience.
FAQ
Is it possible to quickly occupy a niche in accounting services without large start-up capital?
Yes, but only with the right entry strategy. Our case study shows that success depends not on the size of the budget, but on understanding the needs of the audience and taking a systematic approach to addressing them. Even with minimal resources, it is possible to create competitive advantages.
How to understand what should be prioritized at the initial stage of the agency’s development?
It is critically important to start with a personal expert brand and test hypotheses through social media. This allows you to quickly check demand and audience response with minimal investment before scaling up.
How long does it take to reach the planned customer base targets?
Basic results can be achieved in just 2-3 months of active work, but a stable customer base is usually formed within 6-12 months. It is important to understand that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
Is it enough to develop only social networks to attract customers?
Social media is a powerful channel for the initial stage, but diversification is needed for scaling. A website, SEO, affiliate programs, and email marketing create a sustainable lead generation system.
How to measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts in the B2B segment?
Key metrics include not only the number of leads, but also their quality: average customer spend, length of cooperation, and retention rate. In B2B, long-term customer value is more important than quick conversions.
