5 techniques that will allow a business to survive the crisis and start earning more

1. Check with current trends

No enterprise exists in isolation from the global economy. Even if you have a small convenience store or services within the same city, it is important to consider new trends. For example, today the society is concerned about environmental problems. This prompts the business to change approaches: to recycle waste, to choose organic materials. Many brands present new collections made from recycled plastic, reduce packaging volumes and accept things for recycling.

Consumer behavior - For example, people are buying online more often. This leads to the emergence of darkstores - warehouse stores that deliver orders to your home. Not only retail has moved online, but also the service sector. On the Internet, you can go in for sports or learn to play musical instruments. Even telemedicine has become available - a remote appointment with a doctor.

Technological advances are driving digital fatigue. In response, travel companies may offer retreat tours, during which the client abandons gadgets, lives in a house near the forest, meditates and does yoga.

2. Implement Lean Manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is an approach to company management that aims to reduce all types of losses. It helps you get the job done faster, better, and cheaper. The transition to lean manufacturing includes several stages:

• Decide what is valuable in the product to the consumer. Value is the benefit that a customer receives from a product and service. For example, if you sell pizza, the value could be the quality of the ingredients, a wide range of flavors, and fast delivery.
• Remove unnecessary production steps. For example, if company managers get together for a planning meeting every day to agree on tasks, this can lead to a loss of time. It is better to implement a scheduler in which each load will be visible.
• Evaluate not individual actions, but the entire workflow. This is helped by a value stream map - a diagram that will allow you to see not one production process, such as assembly or delivery, but all stages. It is needed so that all participants understand how the entire chain works, and can improve actions that are not beneficial. In lean manufacturing, two flows are distinguished: material - what ultimately becomes a finished product that can be seen and touch, and informational - something that is not part of the product, but affects it (phone calls, emails, plans graphs). It is important to consider all processes.
• Forecast demand. Make only that product and in the quantity that the consumer needs. The goods should not collect dust in warehouses.
• Continuously improve processes. Lean is not a one-time process optimization. It is used all the time in the company. It is important to regularly collect feedback from employees and customers and improve the product.

3. Try new methods of project management

Agile project management is often used in IT companies, but it can be applied across all industries. Let's say Agile assumes that work on a project cannot be based only on a pre-made plan. New data may appear, the wishes of customers, which are important to take into account and make changes. This distinguishes Agile from the Waterfall waterfall model, in which the developer moves to the next phase of the project only after completing the previous one.

Basically, Agile does not describe specific approaches, but values. And Scrum can be called one of the options for its implementation, which helps to increase the pace of work. In it, work on a project is divided into segments (sprints) lasting from two to four weeks. At the end of each sprint, the team presents the results of their work. As a rule, work is carried out in small groups of up to 10 people. The roles are clearly defined: there is one product manager, a team, and a Scrum Master who teaches employees the necessary practices. This approach will be useful if you are producing a new product and do not know exactly what the final version should be. With it, you can quickly find weak points and make edits.

4. Involve employees in decision making

Most Russian leaders recognize the importance of corporate culture for business development. But many find it difficult to give subordinates more freedom in their work. And for the business to develop, you need employees who are not afraid to take the initiative and make decisions. If the employee simply does their part of the task in isolation from the entire process, it will be more difficult to solve atypical problems or see the space for improvement.

If an employee accidentally makes a mistake, you need to sort out the defect together with him, but not devalue the work and not rush to impose sanctions. The fear of doing something wrong again and losing part of the salary can deprive a person of the motivation to work freely and offer new things. It would be more correct to explain the goals and objectives of the company so that each specialist understands what criteria indicate that the work has been completed successfully.

5. Look for ways to incentivize employees

Staff turnover can be costly for a company. We'll have to look for candidates again, conduct interviews, train new people. To keep employees at your company, consider how to incentivize them. The most obvious option is financially. Big victories or successful block closings can be rewarded with prizes.

But money is not the only incentive. It is important to establish a feedback system with employees and find out what they consider a valuable reward. For example, more than 20% of employees could work outside the office without loss of efficiency. Many people value distance, and it's important to provide them with this opportunity. Others build loyalty through corporate events and team building. Still others value the opportunity to participate in conferences and study at the expense of the employer, and for some it may be important that the company provides medical insurance.