How To Survive in Business During a war in Ukraine

To survive in a time of war, it's important to see new opportunities for yourself in the situation. What turned out to be better for business?

Ukraine is a brand

Both in Ukraine and around the world, military and patriotic themes became popular. Most of all, in the price are the things that symbolize courage, kindness, solidarity and belief in victory. In Ukraine, there was a line of people to buy the Ukrposhta stamp with the Russian doomed battleship. Now a lot of goods are on sale with the phrase «Russian warship, Go F...», e.g. pendants, T-shirts, pillows, etc.

Abroad, there is the same trend. Lego sold figures of President Zelensky and Molotov cocktails with Ukrainian flags for $1,540. In Switzerland, Drink For Peace sells an alcoholic beverage Vodka Zelensky. All money from the sale of these goods, brands donate as charity to Ukraine. While selling such goods, it is also desirable to give part of the profit to charity, and do not embarrass to tell customers about this. You may stylize clothes, phone covers, bags, paintings, dishes, etc.

New memes appear every day and it's fashionable. These expressions and pictures have authors, so don't forget to ask permission to use memes on products.

The government helps with the payment of workers

6,500 UAH of workers' salary is covered from the state budget if the employer hires a relocated person. There are many hardworking, experienced people among the refugees,
and it is possible to hire a good specialist among them now. The main thing here is not to abuse the situation and pay a respectable fee, considering that part of it is already covered by the state.

New Tax Benefits for Entrepreneurs

The government made simplifications for the period of war, which are useful for business

• During the war, it was allowed to label imported goods in a foreign language without translation into Ukrainian.
• During the martial law, it is possible to import and sell tobacco products without the established labeling, but with labeling in accordance to EU requirements.
• From March 1, 2022, till the end of martial law and for 12 months after the end of martial law, entrepreneurs have the right not to pay the Single Social Contribution for themselves.
• Payers of Group 3 single tax can switch to 2% taxation of income.
• From March 1, 2022, to December 31,2022, you don't have to pay for land that is located in the territory of military hostilities and temporarily occupied territories. The list of such territories is determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Change of need and new niches

• Transportation. Some people evacuated abroad and left most of their stuff at home. It is possible to organize the delivery of stuffs from Ukraine to abroad. Some transportation companies have already organized this service, such as Nova Poshta, but so far they do not transport goods to all the necessary countries.
• Pets. Many people couldn't take their pets with them abroad. It is possible to organize accommodation for pets on the type of hotels. But even more people will be happy with the service of transporting pets across the border to their owners. There are nuances with permits, pet passports and vaccinations. For now, this niche is empty and those who can organize such a service will probably have many orders.

• Reorienting the store. People now buy more clothing for hunters and fishermen, sleeping bags, inflatable furniture, flashlights, body armor and cartridges, binoculars, travel bags, backpacks, cross boots, women's tights, thermal underwear, diapers, antiseptics, dog and cat food. They also need medicines, radios, helmets, kettles, disposable dishes, night vision equipment, and weapons. Defenders and volunteers need chemical protective equipment and other things. Now there is already a store of Oboronprom and a separate section of similar products on Prom and Rozetka, but this still doesn't cover all the needs of the Ukrainian army and volunteers. What exactly they need, you can ask the volunteers and organize your own store for the needs of the army.

Opening of new markets

Last year, Ukraine became the largest exporter of raspberries in the world. This year, the attitude to Ukrainian exporters is even more positive. Now, Ukrainian producers are welcomed in most countries of the world. So, it is possible to establish partnerships with European and Baltic countries, the UK and the USA.

People don't want to put life on hold

The war showed the unpredictability of life. That is why people want to enjoy every moment while it is possible. So recreational services are relevant in calm areas. It could be

• Swimming pools, spas, salons, gyms.
• Language courses: English, Spanish, Polish, German.
• Entertainment content. Now everything is about the war, and people need other topics, for which there is almost no competition right now.
• Displaced people need babysitting services and private daycare, summer camps.
• Cafés, restaurants, entertainment complexes for children.
• Organizers of parties for kids, such as birthday parties.

Rashist products are gone from the market, and people are ready for the newest

According to Cases media, 86% of shoppers are ready to experience new brands, so you can create your own brand now. You can replace rashist goods with your own production: baby care products, yogurts, children's cartoons, and software. There was also a higher demand for painting and art abroad in 2021.

Need for food

Plants and factories in the east and south have been damaged, production has declined, so have crop areas, food warehouses have been destroyed, and there is a food shortage. It's time to grow, produce and sell whatever you can: animals, grains, vegetables.

New types of advertising appeared

Now, the information that an enterprise is working is already advertising. There are interactive maps on which information about working establishments in Ukraine is updated daily, for example, the Lun map.
Goodness is valued today. Help the Ukrainian army, civilians and animals. Good deeds do not go unnoticed and also serve as advertising.

New types of promotions

During the war, entrepreneurs give discounts to defenders, doctors, volunteers, etc. What kind of promotion to choose for the store depends on the product and the region. If it is general goods, food, diapers, you can make a promotion for the residents of the regions affected by the war. For goods like flashlights, batteries, bulletproof vests it is reasonable to make a promotion for volunteers and Ukrainian military all over the territory of Ukraine. For example, the arms store in Kiev sells goods at a discount for Ukrainian defenders.

There will be actual discounts on Ukrainian language courses for displaced persons. Also, it's a good idea to do promotions on Ukrainian-made goods. More about different kinds of promotions you can find here.

Safety comes first

If a business is located in an area where there are hostilities, it is better to relocate it to a safer area. To do this, there is a government relocation program. If it is possible, employees should work remotely or from home. For example, some beauty salons have already organized their work so that specialists serve clients at home.
Stores and entrepreneurs take advantage of the experience of lockdowns and go online. They sell goods and deliver by Novaya Poshta, Ukrposhta, and couriers. Online you can consult clients, provide technical support, conduct master classes, conduct training courses, and so on. For this, entrepreneurs develop their own sites, use marketplaces like Prom and Rozetka, use social networks, Telegram, Viber, Facebook, etc.

The experience of large companies

Bikenov has suspended its transport rental business since the war began, but now, they have not only resumed bicycle and scooter rentals in Kiev, but have also launched an electric scooter rental service in Lviv.
The Nova Poshta office suffered considerable damage caused by the war: half of the offices were not working, more than 20 offices were damaged by hostilities, and only 8,000 of the 13,000 working post offices remained. The number of orders fell sharply at the beginning of the war, fuel prices rose, and some workers were forced into downtime. But in spite of everything, this company continues to transport packages for payment and for free (humanitarian aid). To compensate financial losses in Ukraine, Nova Poshta expanded its delivery territory to European countries.
Retailer ATB faced a shortage of goods for sale during the war. Some warehouses were damaged by Russian invaders, and some foreign suppliers suspended deliveries during the war. ATB started its own imports and began bringing canned goods and other needed products from abroad on its own.
So, in this difficult time, it is important not to hold on to the past, but rather to think about the future, catching every moment of the present.