What do people need in times of crisis? In which business to invest money, what is more profitable to do? New ideas for business in a crisis

The economic crisis corrects the plans of businessmen and their clients, and both fall under the blow. People have less money, wages go down, and prices go up. Owners of their business have to look for new prospects for earning. Among the lines of business, you should choose those that are based on the basic needs of a person. Consider a few popular ideas of what to do in a crisis.

Which business lines thrive in times of crisis?

The largest losses are expected by businessmen working in the field of entertainment and selling premium goods. It is on this that the population begins to save in the first place. Contrary to popular belief, a crisis is a reason not to close your own business, but an opportunity for new development prospects.

In an economically difficult time for the country, it is worth paying attention to the features of doing business:

The ability to pay is declining, but people are still willing to spend money on meeting basic needs - housing, food and clothing. When deciding what to do in a crisis, consider these areas first.
Cheap products are in the greatest demand, even if the quality suffers. Pay attention to Chinese and Russian manufacturers producing everyday goods.
In production, staff are being reduced; according to statistics, a third of small businesses become bankrupt. The labor market is overcrowded, those who want to work are ready to accept lower wages.
People do not tend to buy new things, it is more profitable to repair broken household appliances or shoes.

Important advice! In a crisis period, you should not invest significant amounts in a new business, try to do business with a small start-up capital.

Be ready to implement new ideas, switch to related business areas if something goes wrong. Try to find the direction in demand.

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In a crisis situation, people switch to economy mode, reducing their expenses. Before deciding which business to open during a crisis, you need to understand what changes have taken place in the economy. It is with these in mind that you need to look for options.

From this article you will learn:

Factors to consider when opening a business in a crisis
8 reasons why you should start a business in 2017-2018
9 real business ideas
Actual business on the Internet
Business management in crisis

5 factors to consider when opening a business in a crisis

The real incomes of the population are falling, people primarily seek to satisfy basic needs (food, housing, clothing).
Demand for inexpensive entertainment and liquor is increasing.
Reductions are becoming frequent, and people are looking for work, the labor market is growing.
The expenses of the population are reduced, people are more likely to think about tomorrow. This period is favorable for scammers, the implementation of quick enrichment schemes (which you should not do).
People make fewer purchases and more often give broken equipment for repair.

8 reasons why you need to open a business in a crisis in 2017-2018

Lack of a good alternative

If no one guarantees you stability at work, and the salary leaves much to be desired, then why don't you go into business and not depend on anyone? You will spend your time and energy on the implementation of promising ideas. If you have a talent and you have always dreamed of having your own business, then you should start right now.

More highly qualified professionals

In good times it is difficult to find experienced professionals. As a rule, such people are already employed. But during the economic crisis, the state is often “cleaned up”, and even highly qualified specialists can get laid off. Think, perhaps among your acquaintances there are those who can help you in starting a business.

Inexpensive business support

Consider renting empty office space located near you. Try to negotiate with their owners.

Another good option, which requires almost no costs, is to use social networks for negotiating or advertising.

Vulnerability of competing firms

They started their activity a long time ago, so their costs are higher, their obligations are long-term, and advertising contracts are signed for several years. Also, they pay a lot of rent. All this is the reason for high prices, which are almost impossible to reduce. These problems do not threaten you, and you will be able to devote more time to finding and attracting new customers.

Technology Development

If you open a business at the beginning of a crisis, then there will be more chances for success. The implementation of an idea similar to yours can be taken up by another businessman. Go ahead, and while others hesitate, you will already be making a profit.

There are no fewer buyers

You, as a business start-up, have more control over your customer base. Most likely, you are not in danger of losing all your customers at the same time, even if, due to the crisis and falling incomes, they will not be able to purchase goods from you.

Emergence of new business opportunities

While other firms cannot reach the desired sales volumes of their products, resourceful businessmen sell their leftovers from warehouses. For example, many people of retirement age have various health problems, so even in a crisis they will need medicines and medical services.

Even in a crisis, investors are attracted by promising business ideas, and they are ready to sponsor them

Everyone knows this: buy in a difficult period, implement after overcoming it. Some investors follow this rule, so be prepared to provide them with your business plan.

If you are opening a business during an economic crisis, then you will have to learn cash flow. This skill is also necessary outside the crisis. If you do not know how to handle money, you can quickly go bankrupt.

Therefore, the less initial investment a business requires, the easier it is for it to survive. Fortunately, nowadays starting a business does not require large investments.

The best day to start your own business is today. Get started now, don't procrastinate. If you put it off once, you'll put it off again. And you probably never will.

Do you see yourself as a businessman? Then don't waste your time working with low pay and no prospects. By working for yourself, you can not depend on anyone, secure decent medical care and a pension in the future.

What needs to be done so that business in Russia does not go bankrupt during the crisis

A business during a crisis will be profitable if you correctly calculate all the indicators at the stage of developing a business plan.

To make it, you need to know a lot. Be sure to develop it:

deeply and in detail analyze the current market situation, make a forecast for the development of your industry;
assess existing risks, find ways to minimize them. In this case, you will be more confident in yourself and in case of difficulties you will be able to use the existing developments to overcome them;
develop potential development paths, calculate the required amount of costs for each of them.

Money that would allow you to start developing your business under normal market conditions can become serious start-up capital during a crisis. But remember, you need to correctly calculate the potential income and payback of the project. If it turns out to be unprofitable, it is better to immediately declare bankruptcy in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.

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Tips from cool entrepreneurs on how to start a business in a crisis

Grigory Beglaryan, analyst, editor-in-chief of the Business&Financial weekly newspaper

Grigory Beglaryan believes that business in the virtual economy has great prospects. This is online trading, delivery of goods, logistics services. The disadvantage of this business is that it is in rubles. The sword of Damocles in the form of devaluation constantly hangs over businessmen.

The stable exchange rate of the ruble should serve as the basis for business, otherwise another jump may lead to a lack of orders. Developing projects in the long term is hampered by the lack of clear rules and tax planning horizons. For business in the virtual space, this is still possible.

According to Oleg Yuryevich, start-ups in medicine can count on success in the near future: the production and sale of medicines and dietary supplements, the pharmacy business, the construction of clinics and hospitals.

In the absence of sufficient initial capital, it is possible to develop applications for gadgets that allow you to consult clients online. Here is where to roam.

Life expectancy has increased, aging is more active, so the body needs special care. Here, Russia's lag behind world developments is about 15-20 years. This opens up opportunities for copypaste.

The ideal option is to invest in science and medical developments, but this requires huge sums. In addition, the payback period of such investments is huge. In our country, we are not used to doing this.

Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba

Ma believes that online sales in Russia are at the very beginning of their development, he advises not to wait until state corporations begin to engage in e-commerce.

In addition, he says that Russian small business is underdeveloped:

“Moscow is a very large, beautiful city that has changed in recent years. But I think that Moscow and all of Russia lack small businesses. Do not expect that all problems will be solved by oil and gas. We need more private rather than public companies.”

Ma's assumptions about the consequences of technological development are as follows: in the future, there will be no need for people to perform unnecessary operations, but there will be no reduction in the number of jobs.

On the contrary, the labor market will grow. The head of Alibaba is sure that man will always have an advantage over machines, because he has a heart, faith and religion.

David Yakobashvili, one of the founders of Wimm-Bill-Dann

The businessman believes that in the current circumstances, one should concentrate on a business that can bring pleasure, peace and tranquility. He is sure that you need to invest money only in the business that will burn you, which will bring only positive emotions.

It is difficult to open a profitable business from scratch during a crisis, since the refinancing rate leaves much to be desired. Therefore, the recommendation of the ex-Minister of Economic Development Alexei Ulyukaev is now relevant - "it's time to take care of the family and spiritual development."

What business is relevant in a crisis

Consider what kind of business is now relevant in a crisis.

Loan online

Traditional banking organizations have high interest rates on loans, and there is no transparency in pricing. In addition, they prefer to cooperate only with large borrowers.

Some of these problems can be solved by implementing the peer-to-peer lending model. Lending Club is the leader in this niche. Its successful IPO took place in December, and now its capitalization is more than $9 billion.

Lending Club allows ordinary people to act as lenders. The platform’s source of income is commission fees for organizing transactions. That is, there are no credit risks for it.

Let's describe the process: after the borrower fills out the form on the site, in which he indicates personal data and the required amount, Lending Club assesses how solvent he is and assigns him a credit rating. The loan rate (from 6%) depends on this rating. The loan can be taken for 3 or 5 years.

Lenders review applications and make a choice in favor of a particular borrower. At the same time, they determine the amount of the loan that they are ready to provide. In this regard, the borrower can receive the required amount from several people.

Since the site was created, more than $6 billion has been issued to borrowers through it. In 2016, Lending Club generated more than $150 million in revenue. There are also Russian analogues of the company, their models are slightly different: Vdolg.ru, Credberry, Loanberry, Fingooroo.

Sale of old phones

The average life of a phone is 18 months. For many, a broken or outdated phone becomes junk, while for some it is a valuable item. Sprint collects used phones and sells them. The buyers are residents of India and Africa, telephone manufacturers.

In addition, Sprint has its own store. The cost to restore a phone to its original state is less than to produce a new one. In most cases, only the case and battery need to be replaced.

A client brings an unwanted gadget to the Sprint office. After evaluating the condition of the phone and calculating its cost for the partner company, the employee of the company pays the owner a certain part of this amount.

Seat at the dining table

During a crisis, going to a restaurant becomes more rare: there you have to overpay for a lot. Arrogant waiters, terrible music, strangers around, artsy and heartless food... All this is very uncomfortable and expensive.

The purpose of the SupperKing app is to do to restaurants what Airbnb did to hotels. Thanks to SupperKing, hospitable hostesses with good culinary skills got the opportunity to earn money.

Using the application, you can send dinner invitations to other users, turning the apartment into a home restaurant. Guests come, get acquainted with the owners, and after dinner evaluate the visited mini-restaurant.

If you are not ripe for inviting strangers into your home, you can cook takeaway meals. This is a good way to capitalize on your talents.

Dinner for the week

Do you want to start a business? Making money in a crisis will help create a subscription service. These services are popular because they make cost planning possible. It's good when you know for sure: your expenses on books will amount to 150 rubles this month. The same goes for other expenses.

For example, services for "shopaholics in the eyeballs" have been developed. Every month they send a certain number of things to a person, taking into account his stylistic preferences. It is allowed to return items that did not fit as a result of trying on.

It is also possible to plan food expenses. For this purpose, the service "Tastes better at home" has been developed. You pay 2,700 rubles, and they deliver a set of groceries and a list of recipes for cooking dinners for two for seven days. At the same time, the number of products is accurately calculated, so you don’t have to worry that they will remain and disappear.

Such services allow you to stop shopping during a crisis and prevent impulsive purchases.

pay for laughter

An anti-crisis offer for the entertainment industry - pay only for what you really like.

This year, a system was installed in one of the theaters in Barcelona to record how many times a person laughed during a comedy. The cost of viewing for each Roblox viewer is determined at the rate of 24 cents per laugh, up to a maximum of $24. That is, over 24 dollars you can laugh for free.

How does the system work? In the back of each chair there is a screen that reacts to the change in the facial expression of the viewer in front of him. It also recognizes smiles and laughter-like sounds. True, a system has not yet been developed to assess the quality of tragedies.

Salary for gamers

There is a computer game called Roblox that gamers (usually children under 15) can earn money by playing. In fact, Roblox is a platform with which you can create games. You get the tools and build a game based on them.

Its style is similar to the Minecraft game. An advertisement is shown above the game, Roblox pays a certain part of the profit from it to the player.

The history of Roblox has eight years, but only in 2013 its business model was changed. The opportunity to make money attracted new gamers, and they attracted new advertisers. The circle is closed. The total amount of annual payments to players amounted to 600 thousand dollars.

9 real business ideas in a crisis

Import substitution business

The key to creating a business during the economic crisis is import substitution. This is also what the government is trying to do. It is possible to receive a grant or attract an outside investor by organizing a business in Russia.

It may seem unusual to some, but you can not only import goods from other countries, but also export your products, for example, to China. The price of many food products there is quite high, so with proper organization of supplies, you can become a successful businessman.

In addition, during a crisis, the cost of imported food increases as the exchange rate changes. This leads to an increase in demand for domestically produced goods, the price of which is stable and acceptable. This becomes the basis for organizing a business for the production of various products.

It can also be agricultural products (honey, nuts, meat, dairy products, cheeses, etc.), textiles, canned food (fish, vegetables, meat), fresh vegetables and fruits, etc.

Outsourcing

The essence of the project is as follows: you create an outsourcing company that provides various services to third-party companies for a fee. There are many options for specialization - accounting, legal services for enterprises, solving financial issues, IT technologies. You can also set up an external call center to handle orders.

Now the outsourcing services market is being formed, so the relevance of projects in this area is high. During an economic downturn, many companies go through layoffs. It turns out to be much more profitable to outsource the solution of various issues.

You will have to spend the initial capital on paying for the rent of office space, its design, marketing activities, and maintaining life during the first period of work. To work with clients, you will need to conclude a special contract with them.

The calculation of the cost of services should be carried out depending on the specific situation and tasks. The work must be done with high quality and in full. This will contribute to the formation of a permanent customer base and increase the level of profitability.

Pharmacy business

This type of business is very profitable during the crisis, although the market is oversaturated with pharmacies. In our city for the last two years there has been an increase in the number of outlets of well-known pharmacy chains. This can be explained by an increase in the incidence due to stressful situations, the cause of which may be dismissal, lower income, fear of being laid off.

The number of patients with diabetes mellitus and heart disease is increasing. People often suffer from problems with the digestive tract. In this regard, they go to pharmacies more often.

Starting a pharmacy business requires a lot of capital investment. But it is not necessary to open a large store. At first it may be a pharmacy kiosk. You can also open a franchise outlet.

driving school

Another option is to open a driving school. This business is not afraid of crises and competitors. Even with modest earnings, young people go to law school.

In addition, if 15-20 years ago it was mostly men who wanted to get a driver's license, now about 50% of driving school students are girls and women. That is, in recent years the number of clients of driving schools has increased significantly.

Also, the legislation increased the minimum period of driving training, so the prices for the services of driving schools also increased. Now the cost of training is at least 50 thousand rubles (theory and practice). This is a decent amount.

If you recruit a group of 20 people, then the revenue will be 1 million rubles! And how many people want to get rights in your city? It's thousands of people.

Car and equipment repair

During an economic downturn, when the population is experiencing financial difficulties, many people cannot afford to buy new equipment and cars. But they can't refuse these things either.

Therefore, if an appliance or a car breaks down, people have to carry it in for repair, and not go to a home appliance store or a car dealership. Therefore, in this area you can open a profitable business in a crisis.

To attract people, form a client base, you can use inexpensive methods - place ads on the Internet, social networks, newspapers.

A promising idea for future businessmen in the automotive industry: you buy a bankrupt auto shop (of which there are many in a difficult economic situation) and open a car repair shop on its basis, carrying out maintenance of cars and selling spare parts at an affordable price.

Legal and collection agencies

Another business option in a crisis is debt collection services.

In a crisis, the reason for stopping payments on loans by many enterprises is not the lack of money, but their use of the situation. Therefore, the services of collectors and lawyers are in great demand during this period.

Sometimes collection agencies use "dirty" methods to achieve their goal, but this is not at all necessary. Such a business can be successful and profitable, even if you act within the law.

Commission shop

Commission goods were traded back in the Soviet Union, they are in demand even now, especially in the context of the economic downturn. Not everyone can buy new household appliances, clothes of famous brands.

By opening a thrift store, you make it possible to buy good things at a low price. This type of activity requires small investments. You do not have to search for suppliers, people will bring the goods themselves.

To open a commission, you will need to register as an individual entrepreneur and a competent business plan. After obtaining the necessary permits, you will only need to find and rent a place and conduct an advertising campaign to attract as many customers as possible.

The assortment of a thrift store can be large. You can accept and sell clothes, baby clothes, strollers, household appliances, electronics. Have a good income and be useful to people - isn't that your dream?

Actual business in the crisis on the Internet

Mobile Application Development

If you are a competent programmer, then a good business for you in a crisis is the creation of applications or games on the Android platform. Users install many applications on their smartphones and are interested in new ones. The success of the game will be ensured if it is exciting, and the graphics are bright.

Nowadays, most applications can be used by both adults and children. Updates are often released for many games, players can compete with each other. First, you can create a simple game of several levels.

Developers used to make money by selling paid versions of apps. Currently, many games on Google Play are free to play. For money you have to buy bonuses, weapons, game currency. Another source of income is in-app advertising.

It can take several weeks or even months to develop a game. You need to understand that you will not have income at this time.

The finished game needs to be uploaded to Google Play. You will need to buy a developer account, which costs at least $25. This is a one-time fee collected during the registration procedure.

There are also app stores where you can register for free. But sales in it will not go so actively, since most people prefer the Google Play service.

Online training courses

A profitable business with minimal costs in a crisis is the registration of your organization for the provision of educational services. Those who complete your courses will receive a corresponding certificate/diploma. It is very beneficial to organize training courses.

If a person wants to move up the career ladder or qualify for a higher salary, then he will be ready to pay well for training. Moreover, you do not need to obtain permits to conduct courses alone.

foreign language courses (mainly English);
programming training, web-design courses, it-technologies;
courses for students to prepare for exams.

You will have to invest in a good camcorder and microphone to record video. In addition, you will need a board for the presentation of materials. To host courses, you will need a personal website, which is not free.

The list of expenses includes resource support, payment for the mailing list service and online advertising. If you do not allocate funds to promote your courses, there will not be many customers.

Basically, courses cost 1500-3000 rubles. How much such a business will pay off depends on the amount of advertising costs and the usefulness of training materials.

Opening an online store

You can develop and sell goods, deliver them to customers using the services of a courier service or mail. Such projects are relevant, which is confirmed by the results of market research. The demand for online stores is high among middle-aged people. The market is growing every month, which indicates its prospects.

If you decide to organize an online platform for selling clothes for women or children, then be prepared for the following costs:

website development and maintenance;
for the salary of the administrator, courier;
to rent a warehouse;
for the purchase of goods.

The costs of renting the premises of a regular store are replaced by the costs of creating and maintaining an Internet resource, purchasing software, and an advertising campaign.

The profitability of knitwear and clothing stores averages 20-25%. If you buy things for more than 200 thousand rubles, then you can receive a profit of more than 40 thousand rubles every month. If you actively promote your store, carefully think over the assortment and plan expenses, then the payback of the project can be only 4-6 months.

Site layout

This area of business in a crisis is very relevant. The cost of services of large IT companies is quite high, and small enterprises cannot afford them.

In addition to being expensive, the disadvantage of such information products is that they are unnecessarily functional for small businesses. If you make up business card sites for individual entrepreneurs, you can have a good income. The earnings of an IT freelancer can be 1500-2000 thousand dollars a month.

Dropshipping

This business idea is to sell goods over the Internet as an intermediary between the manufacturer and the customers. Your income is a percentage of sales. Absolutely all costs are borne by the manufacturer, and you are responsible for promoting products.

First you need to choose the products you want to sell. It is better to opt for products that are well known to you. It can be clothes, souvenirs, handicrafts, etc.

It is most profitable to sell clothes and cosmetics on the Web. Some manufacturers of these products do not have their own retail stores, that is, the buyer can only purchase their products online.

The next stage in the implementation of a business idea is the search for suppliers of goods. You can also search the Web for the query "wholesale/wholesale sales + product name".

Dropshipping requires opening your own online store. This is another step in organizing a business. You can create groups / communities in social networks.

To attract customers will allow the publication of the offer of their services on each of your resources, on electronic trading platforms. For example, there is a platform for selling goods on the Yandex.Market service. You can pay either a fixed amount per click on your product, or a certain percentage of the order amount.

Another site on the Web is Tiu.ru. You can place as many offers as you like on it for 2350 rubles per month.

Business management in crisis

During a crisis, a business can be considered profitable if it is not unprofitable. The task of an entrepreneur is to do everything not to go bankrupt. Success will be ensured if you approach the solution of problems carefully and calmly and avoid unnecessary expenses.

Be flexible in times of crisis

The existence of a business is impossible without its development. In a crisis situation, the implementation of many plans becomes impossible. But the company still needs to grow. Leadership will have to be flexible to adapt to changing conditions. Then it will be possible to talk about such a factor as liquidity.

The importance of liquidity in times of crisis

The relevance of the liquidity indicator in a crisis is high. Remember: during the economic downturn in 2008-2009, many construction projects were frozen due to insufficient funding for projects. A low level of liquidity is a big risk that affects the existence and functioning of a business during a crisis.

To maintain liquidity at the proper level, you need to constantly develop. Development may not be as active, but still new ideas, methods, technologies are needed.

Start experimenting

Despite the variety of types of business, as a system it is the same in different areas, regardless of scale, structure, products, technologies and markets. Many will take this advice with skepticism. What kind of experiments can there be if even the measured functioning of the business in the previous mode is under threat?

However, a crisis is a good time to implement fresh ideas. It is not necessary to radically change your activities, because there are many related industries.

The ability to "compress"

If the low purchasing power of the population due to the crisis is added to the low level of liquidity, then the enterprise is doomed. To reduce the risk, its leveling, the ability to "shrink" is necessary.

In a period of economic instability, long-term contracts should be avoided, and costs should be carefully considered. In addition, there is no need to hire new employees and index wages.

Tight control over business processes

During a crisis, you need to have everything under control like never before. We must not allow a decrease in sales, customer dissatisfaction, the use of inefficient promotion methods. Any mistake will be very costly, and you already have little money.

Therefore, strict control over each business process is necessary: from the activities of sales managers (how they communicate with customers, whether they fulfill KPIs, etc.) to the work of auxiliary resources (production, store, website).

If you have any doubts that the sellers are completely dedicated to their work, you can hire a "mystery shopper". If the sales managers do not comply with the norm, their functions can be transferred to employees of an outsourcing company.

At present, in order for a business to develop successfully, it is necessary, including through the Internet and its own website. If you already have your own Internet resource, but you can’t call it cool, then we advise you to audit the site.

Vadim Dymov

Founder and owner of Dymovskoye Sausage Production, Suzdal Ceramics, Respublika (a chain of bookstores) and Rubezh (cafes and restaurants) companies

Now you can start any business based on import substitution from Europe. It could be something simple. You just need to analyze what was bought in bulk. To do this, you can simply refer to the customs statistics. It could also be food. How to make such a business? Yes, exactly the same: with hands and feet, with a cold head and a warm heart. The crisis has not really changed anything, the people are the same, the officials are the same. Probably, the purchasing power has changed, and then only temporarily. And for a startup, it doesn't matter.

You need to do agriculture. For example, as brother Yegor [Duda] suggests to me: we all leave for the Far East, take “Putin’s land” (but not 1 ha, but 100 ha each) and start growing soybeans in the zone of risky farming, and then we sell it to China. Soy is a great business. Milk is good too.

What else? Small mechanical engineering logistics or components for assembly. In small towns, it is now possible to create small warehouses and develop services for medium and small businesses. We have these niches empty. You can make Russian furniture. I want to build a carpentry workshop. Suddenly? Well, what, it's nice to sit and eat at the furniture that he made himself. And you can also become an official, get money and a term later, too, but that's another story.

Oleg Tinkov

The founder of the St. Petersburg network "Technoshock" and the dumpling brand "Daria", in 2003 he created the Tinkoff brewing company, and in 2006 - the Tinkoff Bank.

The near future belongs to medical startups, everything related to medicine: dietary supplements and medicines, pharmacies, clinics and the hospital sector. And if there is no corresponding investment for this, then you can go into applications for online consulting and recommendations based on gadgets - there is a whole expanse here. We began to live longer, the bodies began to age more actively, and they need care. In this sense, Russia has lagged behind world developments by 15-20 years, but this provides an opportunity for copypaste. Ideally, it would be nice to invest in R&D and medical development, but it is expensive and pays off for a long time - we are not used to doing this.

Fedor Ovchinnikov

Founder of the network of bookstores "The Power of the Mind" and the network of pizzerias "DoDo Pizza"

In difficult times of crisis, you can start absolutely any business, because a crisis is only a new coordinate system, life does not stop, only the rules of the game change. It's not the "what", but the "how" that matters.

Mercedes will always be bought, regardless of the crisis, you just need to find a competitive business model to win in the new conditions. At the same time, new players definitely have a chance, because they can start from scratch, building a business in new coordinates.

After my first major setback in my "entrepreneurial career" [selling bookstores for next to nothing], I start any business as if it were a major crisis. I immediately ask myself the question: “What will happen to my business when everything is bad, even if everything is very good now?” It seems to me that now the country has a great opportunity to start a healthy and strong business.

David Yakobashvili

He started as a co-owner of the Metelitsa casino on Novy Arbat and the car dealer Trinity Motors, stood at the origins of the Wimm-Bill-Dann company, now develops the Bioenergy Corporation (peat processing)

In the current situation, it is worth focusing on a business that can bring pleasure, peace and tranquility. I would advise startups to get into a business that they don’t mind investing in, a business that can deliver positive emotions. After all, it is difficult to talk now about a new business that could become profitable: unfortunately, the refinancing rate today leaves much to be desired. So, as Minister of Economic Development Aleksey Ulyukaev advised us all, “it’s time to take care of the family and spiritual development.”

Sergey Belousov

Co-founder of Rolsen and software companies Parallels and Acronis, as well as venture fund Runa Capital

It is difficult to give a specific answer to such a question, but you can start from simple facts. First, the cost of skilled labor in Russia has become much cheaper, people have become more loyal to their employers, and have begun to work more diligently. As a result, any export business has received serious competitive advantages. In particular, this applies to the export IT business, which develops technologies in Russia and sells all over the world. I see this very well with Acronis, Parallels, and the Runa Capital portfolio. Such companies are doing very well, and the best example here is NGINX. So we can advise you to start with such a business.

The second fact is that in a recession, the big advantage is the presence of cash, and its absence is a serious risk. For those who keep a good eye on their cash balance, during a crisis, opportunities usually fall out to buy other businesses inexpensively. And for those who do not pay attention to this, there is a risk of being, on the contrary, bought. Both opportunities must be ready to take advantage.

Alexander Kravtsov

Founder and owner of the Ruyan company, through which he first traded in shoe cosmetics and mosquito repellents. Then he created the umbrella brand "Expedition", under which goods for tourists and gifts are sold. Owns several restaurants and organizes various expeditions.

Now you can start any business, if there are strong people, they will be able to do it. It is important to maintain good spirits, to put your soul into the project. If you are not afraid, do not bury your head in the sand, then everything will definitely work out.

I have always believed that crises do not exist. There are a lot of collapsing markets right now. But I know many companies that are overloaded with orders. For example, in Russia there is the only company that sews backpacks, they have a lot of orders. Extremely interesting topics are food products, domestic tourism. All markets are interesting, and especially those from which foreigners have left. If you now drive along the Garden Ring in Moscow, you can see a lot of rental offers, a year ago this was not the case.

But now you need to be careful with fixed costs. Significant changes are taking place on the market, the employer's market is returning: before, employees were fastidious, there were few people with high qualifications, and now there are many free professionals. Healthy cynicism in management is important today: not having unnecessary expenses, not paying high salaries, high rents and not investing in what you would have invested in before.

Photo: TASS, PhotoXPress, Ekaterina Kuzmina/RBC, facebook.com/ovchinnikov.fedor

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What ideas can be used for business in a crisis? Crisis times in Russia come not for the first time. Suffice it to recall the period of 2008, 1998, when the life of ordinary citizens was like survival, and hard times came for business. During the financial crisis, the state saves itself and its government, and ordinary citizens can only look for ways to earn money and develop.

Is crisis always synonymous with decline and regression? A large number of entrepreneurs started their business in times of crisis, and they achieved great success. In an environment where you can rely only on yourself, your knowledge and intuition, the best business idea matures. What kind of business to do in a crisis? Are there favorable areas for the activity of a novice entrepreneur?

The most relevant business in times of crisis

It is necessary to consider, think over and choose which business to open in a crisis, assessing the opportunities and the situation in a particular region. While in one region a small business in a crisis reduces salaries to employees, makes layoffs and exists at zero, in another region they open new individual entrepreneurs that work for profit. In order for a novice entrepreneur to understand what kind of business to do in a crisis, one should apply logic and select those areas whose position only benefits from the difficult financial condition of the country. There are such business ideas, and there are many of them.

No matter how there is a business in a crisis, people never cease to need food and treatment. Food is needed anytime, anywhere. When the financial tension in the country grows, people try to save on everything, especially on food. The economic situation is pushing retailers to remove delicacies and expensive products from the shelves, replacing them with cheap ones. The food sector is considered the least affected by the crisis. Business ideas related to food production are getting a good start and development.

Bakery production is an excellent example of a win-win option for opening an IP. A small bakery in a residential area with fresh pastries and competitive prices will provide a good turnover. The idea does not have to be innovative and creative - this does not affect success. A stably operating small enterprise that provides residents with inexpensive bread is doomed to success. It is important to understand what exactly people need in a crisis and how to cover this need at the lowest cost.

The sweet business is flourishing like never before during a crisis. The experience of the 90s showed that sweets, chocolates and sweets sell well in difficult times. It has to do with the psychology of a consumer who wants to sweeten up a hard life. Expensive gifts are replaced with boxes of chocolates, chocolates and confectionery.

A profitable business goes into crisis when it is possible to recognize an unoccupied niche, a product that consumers need, and set a competitive price. It is necessary to correctly calculate all the indicators, draw up a business plan and follow it carefully.

Sell your opportunities

Successful small business ideas are based on the management of financial resources. If a person has knowledge and experience in the field of consulting, but does not have the opportunity to invest on his own, then he may well sell his ideas and knowledge in consultations to businessmen and investors. In a crisis, ordinary people need new ideas on where to invest their savings, how to save them until the end of the economic downturn, etc. For this they are willing to pay. Consulting services are a great example of a small business in crisis that does not require a large initial investment.

Another working business idea is a car service. New cars are an illiquid commodity in a downturn, but old ones continue to break down. People do not have the opportunity to update old models, and they go to fix them. For the working class, in most cases, the car is not a means of luxury, but a means of survival. Someone starts to earn extra money in a taxi, someone gets an additional job related to the transportation of goods. Business development in a crisis in the field of auto repair has been popular since the early 90s. You can start repairing cars, gradually considering offers to buy a parts store or a car wash in your neighborhood.

Entrepreneurial women can organize their tailoring business. To do this, it is not necessary to rent a property - you can get by with a room in your own apartment. Since buying good clothes is becoming too expensive for the population, many are looking for an alternative way out and go to dressmakers to alter an old coat, make new trousers, a three-piece, a dress. Owning a business for women who can sew does not require any costs if you have the minimum necessary equipment.

Ideas for business in a crisis can be gleaned from the experience of Western colleagues. Companies in a crisis are trying to reduce costs by cutting salaries and headcount. By reducing the staff and rented space, they manage to emerge in difficult economic realities. At the same time, such companies use outsourcing services. Freelancing and outsourcing are becoming more and more popular these days. Companies hire an incoming specialist to service office equipment, and another company or a private worker who is ready to serve online for bookkeeping. When compiling an anti-crisis business plan, companies are actively looking for opportunities to save money. If you quickly navigate the needs of such companies, you can profitably sell your services.

Service business

Many ideas in a crisis are related to caring for the elderly and young children. Since most of the citizens, due to lack of money, are trying to get a part-time job or a second job, children and the elderly are left unattended, and care services are required for them. You can organize a fairly profitable business in the form of a private kindergarten. Few things bring so much joy and pleasure. There are more and more working mothers, and state children's institutions cannot cope with the volume.

Parents are forced to send their children to special groups where they will be looked after while they try to earn more money for the family. The situation is similar with older people who require special daily care. If earlier a person could afford to take care of elderly parents on his own, then in a crisis and lack of money, he will most likely go to work, and hire a specialist for them.

Actual business in the 21st century is the creation of a video blog. The most popular youtube platform allows anyone to create channels without restrictions and investments. All that is required of a blogger is to create popular content, get a large number of subscribers and start earning from advertising. This business is not easy, but with the right approach it is very profitable. Many girls and young people, opening a blog for entertainment, in times of crisis began to seriously consider it as a source of income.

Internet business is relevant in times of crisis more than ever. Online stores are becoming an alternative to regular shopping: those who want to save money order clothes and groceries online, and the owner receives his percentage without spending money on renting premises and staff. When choosing a direction for a store or a blog on the Internet, you need to evaluate what kind of business is currently relevant. For example, selling children's clothes or goods from China.

New in crisis

How to open a business in a crisis, what to do? Women who want to increase their income, in times of crisis, start selling cosmetics. Surprisingly, but true: in difficult economic times, girls buy more cosmetics than in calm, stable times. This phenomenon has a psychological explanation, and this must be used. Any enterprising girl will be able to open her own business in a crisis selling inexpensive skin and body care products.

Recently, online stores offering environmentally friendly tonics, handmade creams, soaps and hair masks have become widespread. Mastering a small home production of simple creams, gels and tonics is not so difficult.

You can start a business with home cooking in small batches, and then develop into your own store.

If a crisis has come, what should an active young man do? Start your own trading assistant business. Due to the onset of a difficult economic situation, people begin to sell their property in order to pay off debts or simply survive. Those who have at least once tried to sell property through an ad on the Internet have encountered a number of difficulties that can be skipped by hiring a sales assistant. For a small percentage of the transaction, this person will disseminate information on the necessary resources, organize the delivery of things from the seller to the buyer and receive favorable conditions for everyone. Owners are willing to pay for it. This is a relatively new business that is just coming into Russian reality.

Starting a business from scratch is very difficult, and especially in a crisis. It is during this period that network marketing flourishes, offering its adherents a high income without investment. The network business idea is as old as the world, but it gives obvious advantages to those who want to have unlimited earnings. In times of crisis, goods from the catalog are perceived better than in any other period, so you can and should start building your business on this.

Before you open your business in a crisis, you need to assess the situation on the market, understand the needs of people and identify open niches. They are always there, as needs grow and change. The most profitable small business is built on low costs and high demand. Think about what you can present to the market that others cannot. Doing business during a crisis is no more risky than at other times. You always need to be able to assess risks and calculate profitability. Those who keep their nose to the wind quickly switch to new things if they see problems ahead.

There are types of businesses that will be relevant at all times, for example the following:

grocery;
medical;
services sector;
car service.

But their success depends on how to develop and how to manage. The crisis is the time to think about how to start living by your own rules, which will not depend on the decisions of the state.

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How to make money in a crisis without waiting for better times? This question has to be solved by each new generation - crises "please" with enviable regularity. Offer people something they can't do without, and they'll find ways to pay for your work.

Our generation was lucky - it did not know the hardships of war, famine, repressions of dictatorial regimes. But life is arranged in such a way that, apparently, no one succeeds in getting around the difficulties in it. The most severe economic crisis of the times of the collapse of the USSR, the economic crises of 1998 and in just a couple of decades set new tasks for the young Russian business, the experience of solving which could not be.

Each crisis has its own causes, but the symptoms of all of them are similar. If governments try to deal with the causes of the crisis, then its symptoms (or consequences) become the problems of ordinary citizens who have no choice: they must survive and get out of difficulties with dignity. Every enterprising person understands that in a crisis you can rely, first of all, on your own strength.

Opening your own business during a crisis seems at least strange, because it is at this time that a lot of companies go bankrupt, people are left without work. In the context of a sharp drop in the purchasing power of the population, opening a new business looks adventurous also because, as a rule, there is no one to support a new entrepreneur. Investors, creditors or potential partners do not trust a novice businessman and refuse to support him. In general, mistrust becomes the basis of any economic crisis (see "").

But no matter how difficult it is, a person cannot be inactive. Many are forced to open a new business because they have lost their savings, people are deprived of their livelihoods. Are there types of businesses that you can bet on in a crisis?

Since businessmen are extremely limited in funds, the proposed business should be low-cost, and it is better to do without initial capital.

What to do in a crisis?

We will offer several options for a small business to open during a crisis. Of course, they cannot be considered as universal means that will necessarily prove to be effective. Each proposal should be carefully considered in relation to specific conditions.

1. Food production

No wonder, since people always need to eat. During a crisis, the food market is fundamentally reshaped: trade in delicacies, expensive imported products is sharply reduced or completely stopped, production facilities are being reorganized into inexpensive food products.

But there is a main group of products that are needed in any conditions. For example, bread and pastries should always be fresh, and for the holidays, the buyer should be able to buy cakes, pastries, etc.

Chocolate is in constant demand (and especially in difficult times). Remember the numerous stalls of the early nineties, which were littered with suspiciously manufactured chocolate, lollipops, packaged nuts, chewing gum, etc.? All of these sold well. Psychologists say that in difficult times people especially need sweets, everyone subconsciously tries to “sweeten” reality.

The most important thing for a businessman is to correctly identify an unoccupied niche and set the right price for a hot commodity. The price should be such that everyone can buy the product. You need to determine what exactly you are going to cook in your own kitchen, where it will be sold, register and get down to business.

2. Financial consulting

In times of crisis, many businessmen experience financial difficulties: investments are risky, payments are delayed, obligations are not fulfilled. Proper money management becomes very important.

If you have professional knowledge in this area, you can successfully advise clients. Advice from individuals on the subject of savings from inflation is in particular demand. Investors are interested in promising areas in a falling market. The business is interesting because the owner does not incur any costs, selling only his own knowledge and experience.

3. Car repair

Cars in a crisis are sold poorly, but the old ones continue to break down. You always have to spend money on a car - a person gets used to a car and cannot imagine life without it. Car repair is a stable business in times of crisis. Having taken care of it, you can additionally monitor the possible profitable acquisition of a car dealership or an interesting franchise.

4. Home design, landscaping, home staging

The crisis hits the real estate market the hardest. Sales volumes are falling so much that realtors are often on the verge of despair. To find a buyer, they are ready for reasonable investments to give an apartment or house an attractive look. To carry out such pre-sale work, home staging specialists are usually hired - preparing housing for sale. Work can be very different: interior design, furniture arrangement, landscape design, etc.

Of course, without special training, a person cannot master such work. But, if you have knowledge and experience in this area, then such a business can turn out to be very promising in a crisis.

5. Ecobusiness

In recent years, environmental orientation has become a very fashionable trend. The release of products that contribute to the protection of the environment during a crisis can also be promising. You can try your hand, for example, in the cultivation of organic vegetables or in consulting on the optimization and disposal of waste. It all depends on what knowledge you have, on your desire and the availability of free land.

6. Virtual assistance

During a crisis, many companies, reducing their own costs, transfer the solution of many tasks to outsourcing. In this way, savings can be made by reducing the rent of office space and reducing the staff that was previously involved in this work.

You can perform various types of work while being a remote user and using e-mail or online. Such workers are needed by large and small companies, as well as private entrepreneurs. Outsourcing is a rare type of business organization that expands during a crisis due to low costs.

7. Caring for the elderly

The elderly care industry is developed throughout the civilized world. The crisis does not stop the aging of people, so the care of the elderly will remain relevant in difficult times. Many retirees love to travel. Here’s another great business theme – travel for the elderly. To choose an activity that suits you, open thematic sites and familiarize yourself with the work of social services for the elderly. If you are disposed to such work, then you will surely find something that will interest you.

8. Online video production

Movies and TV, which were familiar yesterday, have now been replaced by the Internet for many. During the crisis, people go to clubs, cafes and cinemas less. For an entrepreneur who loves and knows how to shoot interesting videos, you can offer a business selling your own film materials on specialized sites.

9. Selling cosmetics

Cosmetics for a woman is a cure for depression at all times. Analyze the cosmetics market in your city. You can create an online store and successfully sell perfumes, lipsticks, eye shadows, mascaras, creams, etc. High-quality products and no additional costs will ensure attractive prices and good results, since similar cosmetics in stores will be at least a third more expensive.

10. Trading Assistant

Many people during a crisis are ready to offer unnecessary things for sale in order to earn at least a little. eBay and Craigslist, for example, run auctions to sell unwanted items. A rare layman will meticulously understand what kind of auctions they are, how they work and how you can trade through them. These portals have options to sell on behalf of a third party, allowing you to earn a certain percentage of the sale. This is what a sales assistant does. Despite the seeming frivolity, this profession is quite in demand during the crisis.

11. Sale websites

In times of crisis, people especially need goods sold at discount prices. Sites that provide information about trade enterprises that sell goods at discounts and all kinds of sales are especially popular. These sites make money from ads.

12. Your own blog

Running a personal blog or website can be a profitable business. The main requirement is that the published materials should be interesting and attract a large number of visitors. On well-visited blogs, advertisements are placed on which the blogger earns (see "" and "").