The most dangerous counter to the unpredictability of any economic crisis is… doing nothing. The same everyday attitude can ruin any company. But what’s the next most dangerous behaviour? Clumsy or uncontrolled reactions.
What is needed, therefore, is finding and embracing the less common but noteworthy opportunities that unveil themselves during slow economic times.
You can do this in two stages.
- First: steady your company by sheltering it from associated dangers and make sure that it has the cash flow needed to stay afloat during the crisis.
- Only once you’re confident that you’ve adequately prepared for the worst, should you approach the second stage: looking for ways to grow your revenue over time.
An article by Gulati, Nohria & Wohlgezogen in Harvard Business Review (2010), indicates that, “…a subset that deploys a specific combination of defensive and offensive moves has the highest probability of breaking away from the pack. These companies reduce costs selectively by focusing more on operational efficiency than their rivals do, even as they invest comprehensively in the future by spending on marketing, R&D, and new assets. Their multipronged strategy…is the best antidote to a recession.”
Stage 1: Steady your company
In the first stage of stabilising your business in a recession (especially one that could continue to slide), take the time to methodically evaluate its weak points.
- Test out a few economic scenarios both at department level and across the broader business. Assess how each might impact your organisation, and cautiously calculate the financial effects. Then find ways to reduce your exposure. Make sure that you have sufficient cash flow and access to capital, to sustain your financial stability.
- Make a strong and targeted effort to lower expenses and boost efficiency. But, while it’s imperative to be fast, it’s also essential to have a rational, cautious, and well-thought-out plan. Don’t make radical cuts that will damage your business in the long term – by, for example, risking valuable future opportunities.
- Remember that cutting expenses boosts profits, but only if the sales price and the quantity of sales stay the same. If a reduction in expenses affects the quality of your products, you may need to consider lowering your price to maintain sales. This is critical as it can cancel out any potential returns and ultimately end in aloss.
- As your customers’ needs change, re-evaluate your pricing strategies and product mix. This may mean raising prices through effectivebranding, like Coca-Cola and Sony have done. These organisations have such strong brands that they can get away with charging higher prices than many of their competitors… all while growing their market share and preserving quality status, even during recessions.
- You can sell off non-core businesses and peripheral (or poorly performing) operations. Don’t hold out for ‘better times’ in the hope that you’ll secure the price you would’ve gotten when the economy was stronger. If the company isn’t essential to your goals and it increases your risks in the recession, sell it now.
Step 2: Prepare for the future
- A common challenge that many businesses encounter is inflexible or obsolete business models. Reconsider yours. Innovation in technology and media is constant, yielding a perpetually evolving business landscape. The traditional publishing industry is a perfect example of this.
- Do things differently and don’t be afraid to stand out by marketing your product in a novel way. Take Jordan’s Furniture: a US furniture outlet that sells more furniture per square foot than any of its competitors thanks to a strategy called “shoppertainment”.
- Consider pursuing transformative opportunities like mergers and acquisitions. If your business is relatively strong financially and strategically, a recession can be a rare opportunity to boost your competitive position. According to a Harvard Business Review article by Rigby and Harding (2009), “…companies that acquire in bad times as well as in good outperform boom-time buyers over the long run.”
Bottom line? Businesses that can find calculated and clever ways to balance lowering expenses to endure today and carefully planning and investing to grow tomorrow are most likely to survive and thrive after a period of economic recession.