You Can Trounce the Recession

Every dark cloud has a silver lining. Many entrepreneurs, especially from Gen Y (Millennials), are jumping into the fray with some new thinking, says one author, Donna Fenn, in her new book “Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business.” She seems certain that they will trounce the recession and be big winners.

Upstarts! examines and analyses this entrepreneurial revolution to reveal critical lessons every entrepreneur and marketer must learn. Donna describes a new generation of entrepreneurs that is highly collaborative and team-oriented, quick and alert when it comes to new technologies, and hell-bent on changing outmoded business models, and changing the world in general.

But the insights I see from her book and elsewhere are equally applicable to entrepreneurs of all ages, and businesses of all ages. Here are a few of her recession-trouncing strategies that you should apply to your own startup or small business:

1. Pursue repeat business. It's far less expensive to nail down repeat business from your existing customers than it is to land new ones. Now is the time to reap the benefits of those good customer relationships that you've been cultivating over the past few months. Viral marketing campaigns to new customers will cost you big money.
   


2. Focus on your core competency. Examine every cost center in your business. Maybe it’s time to outsource that call center operation, or complex manufacturing setup. Look for operations that are hogging resources without generating significant revenue. With a concentrated point of focus, your company might be well positioned for growth this year.
   


3. Snap up top talent. Layoffs at big companies mean that there's a surplus of great employees on the market now. Examine your pool of higher-paid contractors and freelancers. Now is the time to bring on board those people who would have been inaccessible in a better economy.
   


4. Respond rapidly to market shifts. The economy is almost certainly having a profound impact on your customers: they may have altered their purchasing habits, or found themselves with entirely different needs. It's your opportunity to respond to those shifts. These are chances to broaden your product line, change distribution, offer new services.
   


5. Look for hidden sources of revenue. Sometimes your best source of new revenue is right under your nose. One entrepreneur in the book had a proprietary technology she developed to efficiently manage vendors. The system works so well that she is now marketing it to other companies for a transaction fee.

Most companies I know agree that the recession is teaching them the art of laser-like focus, and compelling them to make better decisions, to become more frugal, and to initiate systems and procedures that will help position them for economic recovery. Simply deciding to lay low and “tough it out” is not a winning strategy.

I agree with Donna that this recession has actually been a good “wake-up call” for many in the new generation – it has forced them to face the reality of hard knocks. Similarly, it should be a wake-up call for the rest of us, or we will be overrun by young entrepreneurs with their burning desire to control their own destinies.

But I’m convinced that you don’t need to be an “Upstart!” to trounce the recession. Use your experience and your expertise to lead the way, or you will be left in the dust. The first step is to execute your own recession-trouncing strategy. Or don’t you even have one?

Marty Zwilling