The aim of the work is to identify the destabilizing factors of the competitiveness of enterprises and to develop recommendations aimed to increase the development efficiency of Kazakhstani enterprises in a crisis. In the work methods of observation and comparison, methods of concretization, analogies were used. The article is based on the materials of an expert survey conducted with the direct participation of the authors of the article and it was a great help in writing the article. The results of the study showed that in the industrial production of the Republic of Kazakhstan a relatively unfavorable economic situation has developed. The COVID-19 pandemic, which made big changes in the plans of all people and businesses, initially put everyone into a stupor, creating such a phenomenon as a global crisis. The analysis of the situation showed that the existing economic model should become a thing of the past, although the population of the whole world has not yet had time to restructure and still is in shock. Nevertheless, people and enterprises are gradually beginning to rethink the current situation and looking for ways out of the current situation. According to the results of the expert survey, at many industrial enterprises there is a decrease in the level of business activity, liquidity indicators, profit margin and profitability in a pandemic. The proceeds from the sale of goods, works of services have decreased the working hours of many industries, shops, beauty salons, etc. were stopped or reduced. Supplies and transportation have decreased. The dominant position among the destabilizing factors limiting the activities of industrial enterprises is occupied by factors of insufficient demand for manufactured products, a shortage of owner’s financial resources, tougher market competition, and the uncertainty of the macroeconomic situation. Despite the fact that this study mainly covers a range of issues related to the Republic of Kazakhstan, the findings born the certain interest when developing an economic strategy at enterprises of other countries with developing economics.