because of the pandemic, thousands of Russian businessmen on the verge of ruin, some hope to save their company. While state support can count only a small part really affected business. The law, however, “if somewhere departed it means that somewhere arrived” still has not been canceled. While some entrepreneurs shed tears over the ashes, others quite successfully survive in a pandemic. How and why they do it, we asked the entrepreneurs themselves.
last year in early summer I discovered the Georgian cafe in a small village in Kashira district, – says the businessman from the Moscow region. – In our region before that not a single restaurant or cafe was not, the nearest we had to go about 15 miles. So the first time the locals we regularly frequented, arranged banquets and weddings. Sometimes received orders from the truckers, but mostly in pastries, kebabs, apparently, all the could themselves on plots to fry.
Since October, the situation began to deteriorate, customers became fewer, the village we have a small and very poor. Until February we still somehow held out due to the festive holidays. However, it is almost obvious that the business becomes unprofitable. And suddenly started this whole situation with the pandemic.
by the middle of April, orders for delivery, we had more than enough, even had to expand the staff of chefs and recruit couriers from the local. In the area from Moscow to the isolation pulled the Muscovites, accustomed to pamper yourself with food delivery.
Work that all the other outlets are too far away, and here the food does not deliver. And to go and pick up an order by self, many of the infections were afraid. In addition, we had expanded the menu, added the popular Italian and European dishes. So far, only can’t find a decent expert on sushi, about Japanese food, we are constantly asking. I hope that after the quarantine without orders we will not stay. Many gardeners, yet tasted our food in isolation, live in suburban homes all the time.
Without significant loss managed to survive two months of quarantine and shops building and household goods, who were able to establish trade during prohibition.
– From the beginning we realized that, if close at least a week as it is first made many, you will lose half the clients – explain Marina, working in one of the suburban cities. – The competition we’ve got big, so I had to take risks. First, we hung a sign on the door with a phone and a credit card number and began to take orders remotely.
of Course, remotely to trade in construction products is very difficult. Many customers in words really could not describe what they need. PR��fell constantly to photograph even the most penny goods up to the nails and send photos to customers. The orders will be betrayed to the client at the entrance of the store after paying on a card.
Now we just tired to be afraid and to call the people run to the store for product selection. And what we have to do, each saving his business as best he can. It’s silly to splurge when the demand for our products due to the pandemic has grown, as people moved to the country, and there is always something being built, repaired. Despite the ban, to somehow stay afloat trying and businessmen closed Moscow companies.
– the First three weeks after the introduction of restrictive measures we frankly did not work – says the owner of a small wholesale company on trade in jewelry from silver and semiprecious stones. – At the same time we needed to pay staff salaries, and rents.
Negotiations with the tenant without success, we were unable to obtain even a discount for a period of quarantine. The building owner argued that the passage to the warehouse and office for us is not limited.
When we realized that the list of affected companies, we also clearly don’t get state aid and we will not break off, decided it was time to act. The more that calls from customers were constantly coming in. For the first time, we organized the on-call crew and released the product two times a week, now I work every day. All verified customers, we launches into the selection of goods. The rest, we offer you to choose products according to the pictures on the website, and then pass them at the entrance.
by the Way, large orders now we are including the buyers, who keep small shops in the city. Obviously they manage somehow to sell the product. Come and buyers from regions where trade because of the coronavirus in General almost did not stop.
In my opinion, the government is now playing a business game called “we pretend to help you, and you pretend that I don’t work”. Wait for the sea weather to the end limits, means to remain idle, which created a lot of years. Anyway, all who have had at least some opportunity resumed its activities after the may holidays.
