Small business support
In the context of the ongoing global economic crisis, European governments spend a lot of effort and money on creating favorable conditions for the activity of large corporations, considering them as the basis of local economies. Of course, the Russian authorities did not stand aside from this trend and are trying in every possible way to breathe new life into the stagnating sectors of the economy.
Despite the endless disputes over tax rates for small businesses, government assistance programs for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and individual entrepreneurs are developing in the Russian Federation. After all, first of all, small business is self-employment and the creation of new jobs. Small and medium-sized businesses provide a significant part of gross domestic product production and a share of taxes in the budget. Thus, according to experts, the share of SMEs in GRP (Gross Regional Product) is about 25%, and the total turnover of SMEs in Moscow alone is kept at about 5,7 trillion rubles. And finally, SMEs improve the quality of life of citizens, since it is small business that responds most quickly to current market demands and satisfies them.
In July 2007, Federal Law of the Russian Federation No. 209-FZ "On the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in the Russian Federation" was adopted, which "regulates relations arising between legal entities, individuals, government bodies of the Russian Federation, government bodies of Federation, local authorities in the field of development of small and medium-sized businesses, defines the concepts of small and medium-sized businesses, infrastructure support for small and medium-sized businesses, types and forms of such support. " So there is a solid legislative basis for state support. What happens in practice?
As part of this federal law, the governments of large cities of the country have adopted various programs to support small businesses. For example, in Moscow, the Department of Science, Industrial Policy and Entrepreneurship is implementing the program "Development of small and medium-sized businesses in the city of Moscow for 2012-2016." The good news is that its main task is to support small businesses through the allocated subsidies. Entrepreneurs are promised free advice on legal and other issues, a variety of training programs, assistance in entering the market and assistance in finding business partners.
Financial support
One of the main difficulties hampering the development of SMEs is finance. This is a whole complex problem, which includes the low availability of financial resources, the difficulty of obtaining bank loans and their high cost, which grew even more at the beginning of the 2015 year. However, not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. For the 2015 year, the Moscow government allocated more than 2,2 billion rubles for the program for the development of small and medium-sized businesses in the city, of which 800 million rubles are planned to be spent on reimbursing interest rates on loans. Now the Moscow Government is working on a program of financial support for small businesses, developed back in 2012.
Based on the Moscow Government Decree No. 254-ПП dated 01.06.2012 of the year, the city provides subsidies to start-up entrepreneurs (up to 500 thousand rubles), compensates leasing payments under financial lease agreements (up to 5 million rubles), exhibition costs (up to 300 thousand rubles) and compensates the cost of paying interest on loans (up to 5 million rubles). In addition, the Moscow Small Business Lending Facility Assistance Fund provides guarantees and guarantees in obtaining bank loans, and the Microfinance Assistance Development Fund provides loans up to 1 million rubles. At the same time, over the past 3 years, 7,3 billion rubles have been spent on financial support to SMEs in Moscow.
You should know that in the 2014 year all submitted applications were considered, while the amount allocated by the budget for subsidies was only half selected. The fact is that the quality of applications was an order of magnitude lower than experts expected. In applications, candidates often indicated understated salaries that did not match the market, and such structures alone could not be recipients. In a number of cases, expert commissions have encountered unfair schemes. It is important for us that the main focus of the SME support policy in 2015 is on the availability of credit. The main thing is to calculate everything correctly and fill out an application.
Contact us: + 7 (495) 957-05-10; dnpp@mos.ru
Are you still not educated enough in terms of finance? In this case, the project "University of Personal Finance", implemented by the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" with the support of Promsvyazbank, will help you. It is an online educational platform that anyone can join. The training is completely free. The goal of the project is to improve the financial literacy of Russians. The course consists of five parts, each of which reveals one or another part of knowledge about finance. Students are given two to three weeks to study each part. After each topic, you must pass a control test (theoretical tasks) and a case (practical tasks). In total, you can score a maximum of 200 points (20 points for each test and case). On the site, you can both watch video lectures and read educational literature on various subjects. Links to materials will open gradually - as the material is assimilated. The test and case will be limited in time, and their results will be recorded in the student's "Personal Account". With the help of new knowledge, graduates of the University of Personal Finance will be able to make better decisions related to purchases and investments. The best students of the project will receive commemorative prizes, and the winner will go to New York, where they will visit the world financial mecca - Wall Street.
Contacts: univer.kp.ru/
Consultations of specialists
Another problem for SMEs is the lack of competencies and skills in business management and entrepreneurship, a shortage of qualified personnel and the inaccessibility of highly qualified specialists due to the small size of the payroll. At first, the specialists of the State Budgetary Institution "Small Business of Moscow" (GBU "MBM") will help you deal with legal problems. Lawyers will help you create a package of documents for registering an individual entrepreneur or LLC, and will be happy to advise on new or existing contracts. Thanks to the highly qualified specialists, you will receive a package of necessary documents or consultation on a contract within 1 working day. Lawyers will prepare all papers based on the information you provide. To use the capabilities of the GBU "MBM" service, select the appropriate section on the institution's website and enter your data, the whole procedure will take you no more than 15 minutes. Do you need advice on a contract? Attach it to the electronic request form, write your question and send. You will receive the prepared documents by e-mail specified when filling out. You just have to print the documents and take them to the tax office. Also, a specialist consultation on the contract you sent will come by mail.
Contact us: more details here; + 7 (495) 225-14-14.
Training courses / seminars
Almost every day, the district offices of the Small Business of Moscow, together with representatives of the expert community, hold seminars on the most pressing issues in the field of small and medium-sized businesses in Moscow. Interested in topics? Go to the section "Events" on the website of the GBU "Small Business of Moscow". We recommend the most popular - "Ways to promote and optimize online stores through Internet technologies", "Ways to attract new customers in 2015, despite the crisis, dollar growth and an abundance of competitors", "Startup. We start our own business ”, etc. As you can see, the topics of the seminars are relevant and you can get a lot of useful knowledge. Participation in the events is free. It is enough to choose the required seminar and register on the website in advance.
Contact us: here
You need get an accountant training? Start your career
from free video courses "CUBA" from the creators of the famous online service "Accounting.Contour". Cuba is an online learning space where you set a professional goal and achieve it. Cuban experts will support you. “No boring lectures! Tell us about what is really important in the work of an accountant, and then our students will be guided, ”- this is how the founders of the service instructed the teachers. And they did it. Take tests, watch videos, become a pro. Getting started?
Contact us: here
Did you dream about an experienced mentor who could share his knowledge with you and help you lay a safe course for your "ship" in the turbulent ocean of domestic business? The easiest way to find such a person is in Moscow, where the National Association of Mentors (NAM) functions. Mentors are successful businessmen who help start-up entrepreneurs to avoid risks, facilitate project promotion on the market, and find partners. This service is free and can be obtained by any aspiring entrepreneur who needs consulting assistance. How to find a mentor? Easy peasy. You must register on the website and fill out a form there. Make a short presentation about the project and prepare specific questions for the mentor.
Contact us: here
Store Manager: Strategic Asset or Redundant Position?
What factors influence pricing, and how to work with retail prices for shoes
How Pareto's Law Works in a Shoe Retail Store
How to preserve a retail business in the fashion market in the era of marketplace hegemony?
How to Conduct an Effective Strategy Session for a Shoe Business?
Store Manager: Strategic Asset or Redundant Position?
Owners of small shoe stores often juggle multiple roles: negotiating with suppliers, managing inventory, handling marketing, and even personally participating in sales. In such an environment, it's difficult to focus on strategic development and operational management. This is where a store manager comes in – a key employee who oversees daily processes and ensures stable business growth. However, many owners believe they can handle this on their own. SR fashion business management and development expert Maria Gerasimenko explains why a store manager is essential and why you can't do without one if you want to grow and scale your business.
Euro Shoes — March 4-7, 2026 at the WTC Congress Center
From March 4th to 7th, leading brands from Europe, Asia, and the CIS will gather at the WTC Congress Center in Moscow to present their Fall/Winter 2026 collections, capture current trends, and set the direction for the fashion industry.
What factors influence pricing, and how to work with retail prices for shoes
Footwear retail is one of those segments that is highly dependent on seasonality. Pricing in the footwear business, in turn, depends on a multitude of factors, from production costs to the vagaries of weather and regional factors.SR's expert in product assortment and management, Emina Ponyatova, discusses the key principles of pricing footwear products, as well as the main pressure factors and challenges facing footwear retailers in 2025, and offers recommendations on how to ensure successful and profitable retail.
Customer profiling in a shoe store. What is this technique and how can it be used in sales?
Profiling is a scientific method of "reading people," allowing one to create a psychological profile of a person and predict their actions or behavior in certain situations, or even catch them in a lie. Profiling is used in sales because the salesperson needs to understand a person's emotional state and their underlying motivations for purchasing. An expert and practitioner in sales growth in fashion, SR, discusses this method and its practical application in footwear retail.
SOHO Fashion Group: 20 years of sustainable growth and collaboration with global brands
This year, SOHO Fashion Group celebrates its 20th anniversary—a significant milestone that highlights the company's sustainable development and its contribution to shaping the Russian fashion market. During this period, the company has established a leading position in the industry, forging strong relationships with international brands and establishing itself as a reliable representative of the fashion segment.
Just a month until the Euro Shoes exhibition in Moscow!
We are counting down the days for the main international exhibition of footwear and accessories Euro Shoes Premiere Collection in Moscow! The exhibition will be held from August 27 to 30 at a new premium venue – the capital's congress center WTC on Krasnopresnenskaya Embankment.
Salvatore Ferragamo's Shoes Inspire Pastry Chefs
Italian confectioners have created cakes that are exact copies of six legendary pairs of shoes from the archives of the Italian "Shoemaker to the Stars" maestro Salvatore Ferragamo. They were presented in the 10_11 restaurant of the Milan hotel Portrait Milano, which is part of the hotel management company owned by the Ferragamo family.
Main trend themes for footwear and bags collections for the fall-winter 2025/26 season
Whatever aesthetics your collection adheres to - craft heritage, elegant minimalism inspired by traditions or, conversely, futuristic forms - if your customer strives to be fashionable and you need to regularly update your assortment with current trendy novelties, pay attention to the design trends, models and details of women's shoes and bags in the fall-winter 2025/26 season described in this article. To prepare it, the author used materials from the international trend bureau Fashion Snoops, which is a source of commercial forecasts for the seasons ahead, and current trend analytics of key events in the fashion industry around the world: industry exhibitions, shows, shows.
How Pareto's Law Works in a Shoe Retail Store
Analysis of the company's performance is an important quality of a manager. Many indicators in the retail business are subject to analysis, primarily - sales planning and inventory balances, KPI performance by employees, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, the number of sellers, their work schedules and many other factors that affect the final result of the store. In this material, SR expert on increasing sales in shoe retail Evgeny Danchev, using the Pareto principle, understands the reasons why revenue and volumes of goods sold are distributed very unevenly between weekdays and weekends. The author is confident that the Pareto principle is indispensable in the systemic analysis of sales management efficiency and sales results. But it is important to apply it correctly and interpret its meaning.
Clarks: 200 years of quality, style and innovation
In 2025, the legendary British brand Clarks celebrates its 200th anniversary – an impressive milestone that demonstrates its enduring relevance, impeccable quality and global appeal.recognition of the brand. Since its foundation in 1825, the company has not only created shoes, but also set the standards for comfort and style, remaining a symbol of British craftsmanship and innovation.
New brand in the SOHO FASHION portfolio – BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB
SOHO Fashion continues to grow and develop in the Russian footwear market, and in 2025, the leading distributor's brand portfolio added a new one – the legendary BeverlyHills Polo Club (BHPC). This is an international brand that has become a symbol of the American way of life, freedom and style. Founded in the 1980s, it is inspired by the spirit of polo sport, which
associated with elitism, aristocracy and an active lifestyle.
Micam and Livetrend presented a selection of footwear trends for the spring-summer 2026 season
The Italian international footwear fair Micam presents the "Spring-Summer 2026 Trend Guide", developed in collaboration with Livetrend. The guide is based on the analysis of social networks, online marketplaces and fashion shows, as well as new technologies such as artificial intelligence and Big Data.
The Battle for the Sports Shoe Market
Fashion market experts and economic analysts predict a decline in sales of Nike and Adidas. The leadership positions of the unsinkable sports giants may be seriously shaken in the coming years, as they are being pushed out by young, bold and active competitors – challenger brands. Why is this happening, and what are the main reasons for such changes? Daniya Tkacheva, a fashion market expert and practitioner with 20 years of experience in sales management, and 13 years of experience in the Nike Russia team and fashion retail, shares her view on the situation on the market in the sportswear and footwear segment.
The cyclicality of fashion and its impact on the financial results of the fashion business
Stylists and experts never tire of telling both professionals and ordinary consumers of goods and services in the fashion industry that fashion develops cyclically. The cyclicality of fashion has a significant impact on the financial results of the fashion business, since it dictates periods of demand and decline and determines which goods will be in demand at a certain moment. SR expert in assortment planning and management Emina Ponyatova talks about which aspects of the cyclicality of fashion should be taken into account by shoe retailers in their work, and how they affect the financial performance of the business.
PETER KAISER - the best brand of 2025!
"CAPRICE Schuhproduktion GmbH has received a certificate for awarding PETER KAISER the title of "Top Brand 2025".
Shoe educational program: what shoe soles are made of
“What is the difference between TEP and EVA? What does tunit promise me? Is PVC glue? What is the sole of these shoes made of? ”- the modern buyer wants to know everything. In order not to smash his face in front of him and be able to explain whether such a sole suits him in soles, carefully read this article. In it, process engineer Igor Okorokov tells what materials the soles of shoes are made of and what makes each of them so good.
How to set prices that will earn
Some businessmen still confuse the concept of margin with the concept of trade margins and set prices for their goods, guided solely by the example of competitors. No wonder they go broke! Analyst at the Academy of Retail Technologies Maxim Gorshkov gives several tips and formulas with which you can set not only ruinous, but also profitable prices.
Sales of shoes and accessories: effective techniques for business rhetoric
Which speech modules are effective in communicating with potential and current customers of shoe stores, and which are not, Anna Bocharova, a business consultant, knows.
We form the salary of sellers: expert advice
“How do you charge your consultants for personal or general sales?” Is one of the most popular questions causing a lot of controversy and gossip on the online forums of retail business owners. Indeed, how to properly form the earnings of sellers? But what about bonuses, where to get a sales plan from, do employees allow them to buy goods at discounted stores? In search of truth, the Shoes Report turned to a dozen shoe retailers, but no company wanted to disclose its motivation system - the process of its development was too complicated and individual. Then we asked four business consultants, and finally became convinced that the topic of seller motivation is very complex, because even our experts could not come to a common opinion.
The whole truth about Bayer. Who is he and how to become one?
Bayer is no longer a new, but still a popular and sought-after profession. It’s fashionable to be a buyer. Buyers are at the origins of the emergence and development of trends. If the designer offers his vision of fashion in the season, then the buyer selects the most interesting commercial ideas. It is on buyers that the policy of sales of stores and what, in the end, the buyer will wear depends on. This profession is surrounded by a magical fleur, often associated with a lack of understanding of what exactly is the work of a buyer.
Technology Selling Issues
There is nothing worse than meeting the buyer with the words “Hello, can I help you with something?”, Because the seller works in the store just to help. Criticizing this well-established pattern of communication with the buyer, Andrei Chirkarev, business coach for effective sales and the founder of the New Economy project, shares the technology of truly selling issues with readers of Shoes Report.
Fur, and not only: types of lining
In the production of winter footwear, various materials are used that are designed to retain heat and meet the requirements of consumers: natural sheepleather, artificial fur, artificial fur from natural wool and others. All types of lining fur have their own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider the properties of each of them.
The best models of Czech shoes of the past
In Soviet times, for shoes from Czechoslovakia sold under the Cebo brand, customers stood in line for four hours and did not regret it, because Czech shoes were considered to be of high quality, comfortable and fashionable. Shoe designer Juraj Shushka shared a photo archive of his collection with Shoes Report magazine, which contains the most interesting Cebo models from the 1940's to the 1980's.
Retail Arithmetic
Before you begin to solve specific problems, you need to find out how accurately all the leaders of your company understand the basic terminology of retail.
How to fire a worker without tears, scandal and trial
Sooner or later, any manager is faced with the need to part with an employee. Properly and on time the dismissal procedure will save the company money, and the boss himself - nerves and time. But why sometimes, knowing that a break in relations is inevitable, we put off the decision for months?
