Head SC ” The Messenger” tells the story of how risky it is now to create new projects and how to avoid such risks.

To date, the business environment has changed , and entrepreneurs are already accustomed to phenomena that have recently considered the crisis , so do not panic . Now if you want to start your own business , you should be aware that selling your products and services will be very unstable , and the same goes for your financial situation. Not so easy was to get loans from banks , and investors are not in a hurry to invest in new projects.

The opening of the next project SC ” The Messenger” , namely, retail store chain had to Enter in the fall of last year. Store format was such that any man could not just walk into a store and choose the desired product, but also to order it through an online store or by phone. Enter the store assortment is very wide – from toys to furniture for the home. The idea of ​​setting up shop in this format came to me two years ago , but I was able to realize it only last fall. The fact that my team has been working in MTS. 13 top managers and executive director of the State Corporation ” The Messenger” went on a 3-year work in the ” Russian Telephone Company ,” which promotes the retail network operator. Only with this team I could build a really strong business.

Be able to ” squeeze” the business

For us, a new project is no more risky than the others. The most important risk can only be low liquidity . While many entrepreneurs are most afraid of falling demand for their goods or services. But that’s not the worst. Worst of all – is the lack of finance , even for a minimal development of your project. The fall in demand can be scary for those projects during the fall can not shrink it proportionally. If you own a retail business , you’d better avoid permanent and considerable costs and long-term commitment to a situation of falling demand , you can quickly adapt to new conditions. For example, if a chain of salons 80 % income is spent on rent and staff salaries , we can afford to give up shopping. In 2008, when a wave washed over the crisis , we had to close some stores , and with the tenants failed to agree on reducing the cost of rent. Thus, we have achieved a reduction in rental costs by 11%. In addition, the varied and the number of people able to avoid cuts and new employees we hire , and wages are not indexed . Especially in the field of retail trade turnover is very large , and for the year may change 40-60 % of the staff . As a result, the number of employees has decreased, but consistent demand. In running a business should always remain flexible .

Always be aware of the liquidity

The lack of liquidity may cause considerable problems . For example, for the last wave of the crisis has stopped a lot of development projects. It was not that bad projects , just do not have enough money to bring them to fruition . In this case, too, has its risks , but we try to minimize them through the acquisition of new financial partners , working closely with banks, attracting investors to invest in our project . We , of course , a little bit easier, as the years of its operation network of shops ” The Messenger” has already gained an audience , and the large debt we never did. Now we are very seriously working to increase the liquidity of the Bank’s liaison in an attempt to attract more people and businesses to the contributions of deposits. We are constantly offering new and exciting environment for deposits, and for the last three months we have been able to attract new product – deposit ” Messenger +” more than 5 billion rubles. We hope that 2012 will be a period of active development areas of retail lending – such as credit cards and retail lending, which will provide us with a good income.

Look for new directions

Have you heard the phrase: ” The crisis – a time of great opportunity” ? Yes, it’s a little corny , but this does not become less popular. Even in the most difficult market conditions the company can find new directions for the development of their business. Back in 1998 , we were selling audio player Sony Walkman. At that time they were very popular, and even before the crisis brought us considerable revenue. But the market collapsed because of the devaluation of the ruble , so we had to work on a ” two -for-one player ,” but at the same time sell the whole game we were able to just one year . After that, we discovered a new direction – a standard cordless DECT, which were created by the new at the time, technology. Growing demand for wireless phones , regardless of the fall in the electronics market . Now at the peak of popularity of mobile Internet and smart phones, so we are actively developing these areas . Enter A new project has become such an example of sustainable destinations in crisis : now trade on the internet is much more popular than the offline trade , so it will grow even in a crisis.

Do not wait for problems – improve

Working in the field of mobile communication , we ‘ve experience and periods of rapid growth, and a sharp fall. Despite this, “The Messenger” is now one of the largest networks of mobile retail . What makes our business remains strong in all conditions ? The answer is – we are always ready for something to change , improve, optimize. That is why our company has been developing steadily and a half years , regardless of market conditions. We are always trying to increase the effectiveness of each outlet, and as a result of increased turnover on the entire network.