How else to help your business before the crisis is over

1. Try new sales channels

The crisis is another reason to finally open an online store. Assemble a page in a special constructor, set up an online payment mechanism and conclude an agreement with a courier service - it is better to immediately find a backup option in case the main delivery service has a large loading.

An online showcase is useful not only for traditional shops, but also for cafes and restaurants. Connect to a delivery aggregator or launch your own courier service - at the same time, employees who are temporarily sitting idle will have the opportunity to earn money.

Evgeniya Golovkova

Managing partner of the federal chain of confectionery Kuzina.

An online store needs the right logical structure, an operating system for communicating with customers, and competent online promotion. If you cannot hire an internet marketer, e-commerce manager and SMM manager on the staff, hire them for consultation.

Takeout and delivery work allows you to cover the minimum wage and stay in touch with your guest. Now delivery is a chance not only not to lose our guests, but also to attract new ones who find us due to the fact that their usual channels are closed today.

2. Look for fresh footage

Due to the difficult market situation, some industries were covered by a wave of reductions. If you thought about expanding your team, now you can replenish it with valuable specialists. Before the market starts operating at full capacity again, you have time to bring new fighters up to date.

Vadim Zhdan

Serial entrepreneur, business transformation and repackaging expert, venture investor.

Now is the time to invest in staff. You can take an average person and, while he is in self-isolation, train him. When we enter the usual rhythm, the person will be fully armed and at the same time insanely grateful.

Study the candidate's resume before the interview. If he regularly changes jobs at least a couple of times a year, find out what is the reason for this behavior. The desire to develop and grow in your field is absolutely normal, but when the reason for dismissal is at once there is a conflict with colleagues or a refusal of the head to raise a salary, it is worth a good think.

Alexandra Gudimova

Founder of the Bionova healthy food brand.

It is important to understand why a person was left without work. If one candidate quit due to temporary difficulties, and the other has completely closed the company, we would advise hiring the second one. Those who have temporary difficulties, under certain conditions, can return to their previous place of work, even if you have already invested time and money in its training.

For the time being, you will have to forget about unhurried internships lasting a couple of months: a new employee must join the team and start working as quickly as possible.

Nikolay Polushkin

Director of the web studio DIUS, an expert in search engine promotion and internet marketing.

At least two candidates must be taken for one vacant seat so that there is healthy competition between them. Enter an unpaid internship for a week, and if you travel far, pay the fare. Choose the best employee based on this week's results.

3. Cut costs ruthlessly

It's time to review spending and leave only those without which you cannot survive. If possible, try to abandon the office for now, having agreed with the team to work remotely and after the self-isolation regime in your region has been canceled.

Gayane Asadova

An expert in promoting a personal brand in the media, director of a PR bureau for experts.

Recalculate all indicators, and first of all expenditure items. Talk to landlords and suppliers about cost reductions, interest-free loans, and deferred payments. Leave only working advertising channels that bring real traffic and customers. Review the payroll - you can reduce the salary and increase the bonus.

Some expenses, even in a crisis, should not be completely abandoned. For example, employee training and advertising are investments that, in the long term, can increase the company's profits.

Anton Korbutyak

CEO of FruitPack.

Don't neglect promotion. If you have to limit your advertising budget, use budget-free methods. For example, cross-promo: look for projects with a target audience similar to yours, and talk about each other on social networks and mailings to customer bases. This tool allows you to expand your customer base.

4. Consider moving

Not all companies will survive the crisis. It means it's time to stake out the vacated places. If you've been thinking about opening a store or cafe in a high-traffic point for a long time, it's time to act. There is a chance that in this situation the landlord will make concessions and give a discount.

Evgeniya Golovkova

Some companies reduce the number of outlets and stop developing in certain areas or even regions. Contact the representatives of the locations and find out if the premises will be exhibited for rent.

Three factors are important when choosing a location:

1. Conservative calculation of your economic model based on all known data: pedestrian and car traffic, rental rates, infrastructure around.
2. Evaluation of the marketing component of the location: how many new guests can you attract with your sign. Brand capitalization depends on your brand awareness in the market.
3. Correct and civilized lease agreement: clearly spelled out conditions, including on actions in crisis situations, clean documents, clean owner. When difficult times come, the success of the company depends, among other things, on the adequacy of partners.

5. Develop new directions

Some spheres, due to self-isolation, are literally forced to fight for life. As a result, they find non-standard sources of income: for example, restaurants are turning into delivery services, and fitness clubs are turning online.

Lilia Voytsitskaya

Co-founder of Beauty Studio 5.

We chose two main areas: the sale of online certificates at a discount and the online sale of products for salon care with home delivery. These include online stylist consultations, the sale of online training courses, and a prepaid booking discount. While the stores are on hold, such measures will help to stay afloat, reduce losses, provide employee support and keep in touch with customers.

If the usual sales model has fallen apart, review the existing set of services and customize it so that even in tough times you still have channels that are profitable.

Gayane Asadova

Now is the time to diversify your business. You need to find new sources of income, sales channels, options for cooperation and partnership programs. Based on all the calculations, prepare a financial plan and a plan for key indicators. These strategies should be long term, but always with weekly detail and goals. By the time the restrictions are lifted, you will have an understanding of where you are going and what indicators you expect, and the team will have clear motivation and a plan of action.

6. Decide what you will do after the crisis

The income of potential customers is falling, which means that you have a serious struggle with competitors ahead of you. You need to approach the exit from self-isolation in good shape and understand what to offer buyers so that they choose you.

Vadim Zhdan

Prepare all the tools that will be relevant after the crisis. Calculate advertising campaigns on the Internet, make landing pages for sales funnels. All reasonable competitors are now doing just that. Whoever comes first, once the restrictions are lifted, will be the segment or market leader.

Find out what products or services your customers are missing. It is risky to build theories based on sales analysis, it is better to reach out to the people you work for and ask them what they would like to see in your product range.

Maxim Belov

Founder of NoRobots advertising agency.

The market is on fire, but it hasn't stopped. Working for the future and for knowledge is always an investment in the future. Watch the changes closely, see what others are doing, and rebuild now.

In a changing environment, it is important to listen to the needs of the client's business, find insights on time and bring interesting solutions. Talk to your current customers more often and feel free to ask how you can help right now.

In order not to lose customers, stay in their field of vision. Otherwise, after the market revives, you have to start all over again.

Yulia Trus

Founder of the first online school of remote sales managers, sales and marketing expert, business blogger.

If customers don't buy because there is no access to services, work with your existing retention base. With the help of mailing lists, you can describe the product, offer advice and thus “warm up” people in order to have a ready-made solution for the opening.

A business whose clients are left without money should get out of the crisis slowly. At first, people will satisfy their vital needs and only then, as free funds appear, they will start spending them on other segments. Add cheaper products, offer replacements for your usual services, and installment or credit services.

7. Create a remote team

The self-isolation regime has proven that it is possible to work effectively not only from the office. If you do not limit yourself to finding employees exclusively in your city, there is an opportunity to find competent specialists for quite reasonable money.

Peter Chernyshev

CEO of FriFlex IT solutions company.

The crisis may show that now you cannot afford to hire expensive specialists. The way out is to look for new team members for remote work in the regions. You can pay these employees more than they would earn from themselves, and at the same time not go broke.

You can remotely search for developers, testers, designers. In April, we urgently needed a mobile developer to strengthen the team for a large project. The search took three days: from posting on the Telegram channel with vacancies in IT and interviews to signing an NDA and an employment contract.