Boris Molodov: Our task is to help businesses master the communication tools that emerged and were tested during the crisis

According to him, the coronavirus pandemic that began in March was a blow to all Russian business, including the communications industry. However, its representatives were quicker than others to restructure their own business processes and develop alternative solutions for their clients: for example, to offer online formats of events instead of traditional presentations and conferences.

At the same time, the agency realized that online format can become a lifesaver for small businesses: service and trade enterprises forced to stand idle due to restrictive measures. “Friends and acquaintances approached me, and our employees, asking what to do, and several times we managed to come up with a way out. At that moment, we realized that our advice, our experience can be useful to many. And we decided to create a consulting center: a channel through which we can advise entrepreneurs in difficult situations to give advice”, Molodov said.

According to him, to date, the Center has processed more than 170 applications, in 59 of them received specialized consultations.

B.Molodov named several examples when the advice of the Center’s specialists helped entrepreneurs to keep their business, and in some cases even increase profits. For example, Irina, who had previously rented an atelier, was offered to organize contactless delivery and tell about herself in regional groups in social networks; we offered the owner of a fitness club to teach zoom classes and she successfully mastered this format. Several small regional universities in the Center were helped to set up distance learning algorithms, several entrepreneurs received advice from the center’s legal partners, thanks to which they were able to resolve conflicts with landlords, get installments in payments from suppliers, etc.

“The quarantine is ending, but it is clear that the usual life will take a long time to recover. Many communication formats, tried and tested during the crisis, apparently continue to exist. Our task is to help businesses operate with them and put them into practice”, B.Molodov concluded his speech.