Migrant entrepreneur in Finland is a phrase that carries real meaning in the story of Ruslana Kuisma. She arrived from Ukraine as a teenager and has grown her work life into a respected company known as RVK Palvelut. Her business now employs more than 60 people and serves clients across several cities in the Uusimaa region.
The National Entrepreneur Days in Tampere recognized her journey with the 2025 Migrant Entrepreneur of the Year prize. The award included a 15000 euro financial prize funded by Elo, the pension provider.
Kuisma first came to Finland in 1997 to visit her mother in Kirkkonummi. The visit turned into a permanent move and created the foundation for her future career. She started by working as a cleaner in retail stores. With time she progressed to supervisor roles and later became a service manager before deciding to establish RVK Palvelut in 2017. She started as a sole trader and later registered the company.
The business grew when it began winning both public and private tenders. By early 2018 the company had already signed contracts with around 100 housing companies. RVK Palvelut now focuses on stairwell cleaning, office cleaning, and final cleaning jobs. The company does not provide home cleaning services.
Kuisma said one of her biggest principles is protecting employee well being and maintaining steady quality instead of competing through the lowest price. She has chosen to turn down contracts where pricing would compromise working conditions or reduce the standard of service.
She explained that all services are handled internally by the company. They do not rely on subcontracting. RVK Palvelut mainly serves Kirkkonummi, Espoo, Helsinki, and Tuusula. Many new clients come from word of mouth referrals within property management networks. According to Kuisma, the company has not needed to advertise. Property managers simply recommend the service to each other.
The company employs staff from Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, and Moldova. Languages spoken include Ukrainian, Russian, Estonian, English, and Finnish. Kuisma said that this multilingual environment is especially useful in multicultural housing companies because it makes training easier and communication more natural.
Employees receive small rewards such as sweets or sparkling wine. The office provides snacks and coffee. During Christmas, employees and their children receive presents. Kuisma and her supervisors choose and wrap the gifts themselves to make it personal. She described giving gifts as something that brings joy to both her and the employees.
Client feedback is shared in a WhatsApp group so everyone can see positive comments directly. Kuisma said this motivates workers and strengthens the culture of quality service.
Her business approach is built on direct communication, hands on training, and consistent service delivery without relying on outside contractors. The reputation of her company has grown through visible results and steady customer satisfaction.
After the war in Ukraine began, several relatives moved to Finland. Some now work in her company with valid work visas, continuing the family connection inside the business.
