The quarantine that started it all ... Successful cases of entrepreneurs

There are many entrepreneurs who know how to see opportunities in crises and are able to quickly act in unusual situations. Several company leaders shared with us case studies and recommendations on how to find opportunities in the current situation.
The results of a survey conducted by the European Business Association among the participants of the Unlimit Ukraine project, which unites micro and small entrepreneurs, show that during and after quarantine, 33% of them lost 50-75% of their income, 44% - up to 50%, and 7% generally think about closing. And only 14% of respondents had no changes in their jobs or even increased their income. “During the pandemic, the safety margin of small businesses was limited. The biggest blow was on financial results. Another bottleneck is the ability to retain staff and keep salaries. But the plus for small businesses is flexibility and creativity. Unlike large companies, he can make decisions quickly. Therefore, this advantage should be used to adapt to new conditions ”, - notes Elena Ero, manager of Unlimit Ukraine. To stay afloat, you need to quickly change business processes, find new ways to develop the business, transform it, or even start something completely new. Several entrepreneurs talked about how they acted and what conclusions they came to.

Pavel Astakhov, company founder InWhite:

We design, sew and sell medical clothing. There are shops in Kiev, Kharkov, Lvov, Odessa, Dnipro. We export to 12 countries. Just a day after the announcement of quarantine, they began to sew protective masks. Another day - to produce an antiseptic. This helped to fully maintain production. The staff was quickly optimized: several ineffective workers were fired. Salaries were not cut; employees who were sent to quarantine were paid financial assistance. This has retained the personnel that are key to our business.
Realizing that the main sales channel is online, the advertising budget almost tripled. We began to display clear KPIs for the sales department. And his managers were like a psychological support service for clients who were afraid of uncertainty.
If earlier most of the functions were delegated, with the crisis I began to be involved in all processes. Undertook negotiations with key clients. The result is obvious - we have agreed on an exclusive representation in three countries. We treated customers' receivables with understanding and agreed that they would pay it in small installments. The majority appreciated this, and the level of loyalty increased.

Anti-crisis advice:

• Prompt decision making allows you to save your business
• Look for solutions that satisfy you, partners and customers. Learn to negotiate
• The business owner must lead key clients on his own, since only he understands all the processes best of all
• During a crisis, the staff is well aware of innovations and changes and is ready to promptly implement them.

Yaroslava Antipina, founder of the ecosystem for women WE ARE:

The WE ARE ecosystem is a completely new type of business for Ukraine, which helps women to start and develop their own business, as well as pump various skills. In addition to the usual format of thematic events and online training, which were the main source of income, I was the first in Ukraine to start making online subscriptions to content from ecosystem participants. But the quarantine made adjustments. To continue to work effectively, we promptly adjusted the processes and tools: launched the site, simplified the subscription, the cost of which has grown, but also the value. We launched online consultations with experts, conducted focus groups, did collaborations and research. All this not only kept the project afloat, but, on the contrary, became a catalyst for development.

Anti-crisis advice:

• Research the needs and pains of the target audience and help close them
• Test new tools and implement the most effective ones
• The cost of a product / service can rise if its quality, value, and the like improve. But it is necessary to explain to the client what he will pay more for now. Done right, success is guaranteed

Elena Alexandrovich, founder of a clothing brand Original White:

Last fall, I decided to change my life and took up a new business. We sewed women's original shirts, which were supposed to be launched in mass sale in the spring. We made an apartment boutique in Pechersk, but quarantine began. To keep the business, I started to actively work on my own brand, mastered the methods of working and promoting on Facebook and Instagram. This helped to get customers and start promoting the brand.

Anti-crisis advice:

• If it is not possible to hire an SMM manager, master the work in social networks and use this tool to promote your business
• Delve into every business process to make your business as efficient as possible
• Never fear anything and take action. Fears themselves fear action

Elena Kushnir, founder of a tailor shop, brand Fleur & Bloom:

For twenty years I have been developing a tailor shop. Quarantine helped to dot the i's in business. First of all, I answered the question: who is our client? What is the value of our service and is it needed at all? It turned out that, despite the difficult crisis period, people need beautiful clothes. And clients should be approached pointwise and understand the needs of each of them. Since the beginning of the crisis, we have weeded out a lot of toxic clients. This allowed us to focus on those who need our product and get results and returns - financial and emotional.
The next stage is the establishment of business processes. Due to the fact that most of the staff began to work from home, the task setting mechanism has been reduced, it has become more accurate and rational. Self-organization took the first place. We also agreed with our partners to make concessions. The value of communication and the level of trust has increased. The third aspect is resources: I realized that a room of 100 sq. m in the center of Kiev is not needed, and found someone with whom it can be shared.

Anti-crisis advice:

• Evaluate the effectiveness of all business processes and resources
• Get rid of toxic customers. Remember 20% of customers generate 80% of profits
• Analyze the process of communication with partners, clients
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Irina Smolyar, co-founder of the shoe brand Vin&Vona:

For the past six years I have been working in the travel industry, four of which have been moderating one of the largest profile travel groups on Facebook. The industry was hit hardest during the quarantine, so I started looking for new opportunities. And she suggested to a friend who had his own automated shoe production and was engaged in wholesales to create a new shoe brand. This is how Vin & Vona was born. Moreover, in the idea of creating a new brand, I saw an additional earning opportunity for my colleagues. After conducting a survey among them, I received positive feedback: many dreamed of their own store of shoes and accessories. Such collaboration will help in scaling the business. Vin & Vona will run under the motto #KuyYakisneUkrainske, because we adhere to all requirements and standards in production.

Anti-crisis advice:

• The most important skills to possess today are communication, empathy and networking
• Use a win-win strategy in collaboration with partners
• If you want people to work with you, always be human. Relationships are created only when there is trust, and trust is the result of your actions and deeds. Remember this, and then all doors will be open for you

Julia Tuz, founder of an organic grocery store «Сіль»:

Previously, I was engaged in building my own brand as a mother with many children (I have 7 children), an adherent of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. Previously, she had her own grocery delivery business, later joined her husband's real estate business as a partner. When the quarantine began, I decided to return to delivery and open an organic store called Sil. I have been a member of the Organic Farming Club for many years and know a lot of farmers and owners of mini-shops.
To promote I use my pages in social networks, launched native advertising in groups for moms, and even just phoned up my acquaintances. Since I enjoy the trust of the audience and have many acquaintances, everything worked out. Now delivery across Vinnitsa, where we live, is carried out by two couriers, across Ukraine - through "Novaya Pochta". Soon I plan to launch an advertisement and a project with two bloggers. Customer testimonials and word of mouth work well.

Anti-crisis advice:

• Work on your own brand. It builds trust in your business
• Develop your networking skills
• Build your own brand - that's the foundation. You will not need to look for clients, they will come by themselves
• Dating, communication, collaboration. Any difficult situation is easier to cope with with someone
• Remember, this is a time of constant change. Operations often need to be "reflashed". Learn to feel the time

Of course, every entrepreneur during the quarantine has developed his own life hacks. We hope that you will share stories of victory over circumstances by sending your stories to: [email protected]