The creator of Euroset on what you need to know when starting a business in Russia

Let's assume that you are a representative of that relict type of active people who want to become successful and rich by doing business in Russia. You are not seduced by the career of a gray undercover mouse in a state corporation or a werewolf in uniform. Commendable. Although not fashionable.

Questions at the start

Most likely, you know better than others what you want to do. If you are looking for a niche, then you need to sit quietly in front of the mirror and, looking into your eyes, honestly answer a few questions.

1. Won’t you then be ashamed and won’t you have to hide from your children and grandchildren, and not just from “mom and dad,” what you did?

2. What is the size of this market in Russia and what is it in the world?

3. When did the trend become a separate industry and when might it end?

4. Who are your competitors? How evil are they? How strong? How “substituted”?

5. What is the government control factor and how has it changed since 2000?

6. How much money do you need to invest to make everything work?

7. How long will it take to break even, let alone make a profit?

8. Where is the Achilles heel of this business?

9. How will business suffer if Russia attacks Georgia?

10. If everything works out, will you be able to buy yourself a summer house on Cap Ferrat and fly there on a jet full of cheerful friends?

If you uncompromisingly like all the answers, we move on.

Money

You already have an idea, and it’s certainly brilliant, but you don’t have the money. Try not to borrow from private individuals, but go to the bank . At the time of applying, it will be better if you have already invested what you had into the business. If you can demonstrate a sample of the final product or service, that’s generally great. If a business operates on a micro scale and is profitable, the bank will be happy to help scale it up.

Take the list of the top 100 Russian banks and go to each one yourself, “from the street”, do not listen to anyone’s advice. Try to get as high up the hierarchical ladder in the bank as possible. Don't act like a guilty child or Judushka Golovlev. You are a businessman, that sounds proud. No matter what the bank employee tells you, know: the bank wants to give you money, it’s just afraid. The state banker will give money for a kickback, a normal banker will want collateral. But since, I assume, there is no collateral, the banker can take a risk.

In order for him to trust you, you must demonstrate your passion for your favorite business and professionalism without hesitation. Try to get the banker to ask as many questions as possible and answer them in detail - if he knows you as a childhood friend, he may believe in you. If you are interesting and even unusual, he may show you to his boss and even his boss's boss just out of curiosity. And each subsequent boss has more authority in making decisions on loans. In small banks you can reach the chairman of the board and real shareholders. It’s not at all scary if you tell your story to all hundred banks and no one will give you money. But if the story is honest, the 187th bank in a row will believe you and there will be money.

Partner

There is an idea. There is money. No partner. The Eastern Slavs historically conducted commercial affairs without partners. Even Peter I, by decree, tried to unite merchants into partnerships in the Western style. But that’s the mentality we have: we live tightly together, the hucksters are separated . Therefore, if you can do without a partner, do without a partner.

A partner can be in business , or maybe financial. The first one must bring something to the business that you cannot bring, otherwise it is not needed at all. I won’t reveal a secret if I say that the basis of a business partnership should be one hundred percent trust. Anyone who takes cops, FSB officers and other werewolves as partners, firstly, is not a businessman; secondly, he risks being left without business, money and freedom if the werewolf turns out to be not lazy and decides that he will do everything himself from now on; thirdly, most likely, he is an accomplice in corruption crimes.

If the partner is financial, that is, he gives money in exchange for a share, but will not get involved in business, then the lawyers that you personally hire should be a level or two ahead of the level of the proposed business and be no worse than the lawyers of the financial partner . A fifth-year law student will not be suitable, nor will a high-level lawyer working part-time at odd hours.

If you are starting a more than small business, do not be lazy to conclude an agreement in English law, since the courts in Russia are a sham. An agreement with a financial partner is a wedding, and you are the bride. It is you who will wash, clean, please and give birth. We must be clearly aware of this. So, before the wedding, it is worth studying the history of previous marriages, and most importantly, divorces. If Yandex produces 6,350 mentions of a partner, read everything. That is, everything, even if it seems to you that the information is repeated. The early mentions are especially interesting - they show character. If there is a lot in English and you don’t understand it, learn to read the goat translation. Forewarned is forearmed.

Employees

The word “employees” contains the very essence by which you need to choose your team. Co - Labor. There is not a hint in this word of thieves, slackers or lazy people, with whom Russian public and private companies are swarming. You can find like-minded people who are passionate about your idea out of 142 million people. A person who believes in success is ready to work on a full deal with a zero minimum wage. Try to get rid of people who fold their arms and seek stability - these are stones in your backpack.

Don't neglect the Pareto principle. 80% of the store premises must be occupied by trade. 80% of people should bring money to the company . 80% of all investments should go into a product or service, and not into security, accounting and other dregs. Eight with a fry and two with a spoon is the law of living business.

Uniqueness of the offer

Who is your client ? Describe it to yourself, draw a portrait. Just don’t imagine people who don’t exist in nature.

Your product or service must be unique. “Regular board wholesale and retail from a warehouse in Moscow” will feed your family, but will not make you rich. It must be a unique board, or the price must be the lowest, or the service must be the best, or the delivery must be the fastest, or better yet, a combination of all these factors.

Uniqueness and originality are an integral part of success. While competitors are copying the feature, you must come up with the next one or strengthen this one.

Promotion

A professionally made speaking brand helps business, but an idiotic one hinders it. But if it has become system-forming, then it doesn’t matter what it is.

If you don't have money for branding, just write the name in black on white. If there is money, make a full-fledged brand, not rebranding.

If the product or service is not unique, money for advertising is to warm up the atmosphere. (In general, direct advertising and large budgets are a combination of laziness and inflexibility on the part of management, and an attempt on the part of advertisers to profit from the development of this budget.)

If the product or service is unique, sooner or later word of mouth will do its job. To make this happen sooner rather than later, use the possibilities of PR, viral campaigns, flash mobs and other highly intelligent and low-cost techniques .

Learn to communicate with journalists. And use Twitter, LiveJournal, Facebook to popularize your company. Get on the forums and leave comments. Make people laugh. Be transparent. It seems to you that journalists are crocodiles, yes, sometimes they are crocodiles. But the source of information is you, the string bag with fish in your hands. You can not feed them, feed them, feed them later, feed them in exchange for simple demands, feed the greenest, the smallest, or, conversely, the most pimply and large. As you communicate, you will understand that the crocodile is plush, and hidden inside is a person, almost the same as you. He just has a different profession - a reporter.

Specifics

Every business has specifics. For example, if this is retail, then almost the most important thing is geography. If online delivery , then trust and service. If an advertising agency is resourcefulness . You need to understand what is the key indicator for your business, gummy berry juice, which helps you jump higher than everyone else.

Intuition is an unconscious analysis and must be trusted. If your intuition doesn’t let you down, you don’t need to read such articles and, as Richard Branson said : “To hell with everything! Take it and do it!”

Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs from Evgeny Chichvarkin