How has the business transformed? What happens during the post-quarantine period? What awaits the Ukrainian entrepreneur in the coming months and what actions need to be taken today in order to continue to grow and develop in the context of the global crisis?
During the discussion “The resilience factor: how to emerge victorious from the crisis?” owners of small companies, members of the Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs, shared their experience of developing enterprises during the epidemic.
DroneUA founder Valery Yakovenko shared insights into the development of DroneUA. The company managed to enter another European market and launch the largest project for the supply of equipment to EU countries.
«At the end of last year, we completely abandoned the retail trade and consumer segment and concentrated only on business clients. This is what saved us during the crisis.” — noted Valery.
On the eve of quarantine, the company opened several new markets where it managed to set up offices. At the same time, online helped to take control of the situation.
«Due to the fact that the European market actually stopped during the quarantine period, we were able to agree on organizing an enterprise in Ukraine to supply drone sprayers to the European market. This opportunity arose thanks to the crisis.” — added Valery.
The founder of Powercode and Foodex24, Vladislav Savchenko, said that during the quarantine period there was an urgent need for home delivery of food.
«I felt pain in the market, because people were sitting at home and they needed food. But as it turned out, it was impossible to order groceries for delivery on the same day. This is where the idea came from to launch the first online supermarket in Ukraine that delivers the product to your door.” — noted Vladislav.
The speaker emphasized that he set himself a 14-day limit to start a business.
«Why exactly so much? Because in two weeks it seemed impossible to me.”
Vladislav began filming daily vlogs about starting a business, where he promised a thousand people that he would successfully complete everything on time.
“It “ignited” the whole team. I gathered all the "free" ones. people, that’s 30 people in 4 cities and we started building a business through ZOOM.”
AGT plus Director Maxim Rogozhin shared his experience of online activities. The company created and conducted a series of online webinars “Lazy Breakfasts”, where they invited both entrepreneurs and LEAN consultants to share their experience in implementing lean manufacturing and Kaizen strategy.
«During quarantine, people at home didn’t know what to do with themselves. Therefore, we have not stopped investing less in advertising and marketing. We offered everyone who wanted to make repairs, change interior items that they were not happy with before.” — says the entrepreneur.
According to him, processes in any company can and should be improved in relation to losses.
«The cost of our products increases when the saw cuts into a sheet of chipboard and MDF. The rest — these are losses. When we measured losses and time and added value, it turned out that only 15% of the time an employee works effectively, and 85% — waits, finds out, reworks defects, or simply does not show up for work. We have begun to eradicate these losses.”
In addition, the company joined the LEAN Challenge of Companies. As of today, AGT plus, thanks to such daily improvements, has already saved about UAH 2 million.
Founder and CEO of the Ministry of Doors Sergey Panchenko noted that by mid-May the company’s export volumes reached the 2019 level.
«It is clear that production continued to operate, and the office was transferred online. Only the sales department, sales representatives and marketing specialists were left.”
The entrepreneur said that during the quarantine he was also in the office and motivated the sales department employees. The company counted active and inactive clients, and once a week employees contacted them under various information channels to remind them about themselves.
Each team member now has their own “tasks of the day” tasks. (export contract, agreement on installment terms with the buyer, etc.).
Summarizing the results of the meeting, we can conclude that the epidemic helped existing companies transform, optimize existing business processes, use online to the maximum, look at routine processes from a different angle and choose a new one for themselves way of development. Largely thanks to the epidemic, new ideas and new businesses emerged based on emerging needs. Difficult times — encourage decisive action.
