ANTI-CRISIS MANAGEMENT OF SMALL BUSINESSES: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE AND STRATEGIC APPROACHES TO ENSURING ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

Abstract

In the current conditions of economic instability, increasing competition, and the impact of global crisis phenomena, the issues of effective crisis management of enterprises are becoming particularly relevant. Small businesses represent one of the most vulnerable sectors of the economy, as their activities largely depend on changes in the external environment, access to financial resources, market conditions, and the institutional framework of operation. In this regard, the formation of effective management mechanisms aimed at the timely identification of crisis situations, prevention of their negative consequences, and ensuring the sustainable development of enterprises becomes especially important. The purpose of the article is to generalize theoretical approaches to understanding the essence of crisis management and to substantiate the main stages of forming a system of anti-crisis measures in the activities of small businesses. In the course of the study, scientific approaches to the interpretation of the concept of «crisis management» are analyzed, its main functions and role in ensuring the stability of enterprises in conditions of economic instability are determined. Particular attention is paid to the study of the specific features of crisis manifestations in the activities of small enterprises, which often arise under the influence of both internal management problems and external economic factors. The article identifies the key stages of implementing crisis management, including monitoring of enterprise activities and analysis of the external environment, comprehensive diagnosis of the financial and non-financial condition of the business, identification and systematization of problems, development of strategic directions for overcoming crisis phenomena, implementation of management decisions, and evaluation of the effectiveness of the measures taken. It is substantiated that an effective crisis management system should be based on a strategic approach that involves not only responding to crises but also their timely forecasting and the formation of mechanisms for adapting enterprises to changes in the external environment. The practical significance of the research lies in the possibility of using the proposed approaches to improve the efficiency of small business management, strengthen their competitive positions, and ensure the stability of their functioning in conditions of crisis phenomena.