Recessions are Great?

I wrote the headline as a question because I assume most of you will heartily disagree. Let’s see if I can make a case for you to reconsider your position. Maybe I can move you to “good” if not “great.” Consider the following:

Companies of all sizes across all industries have been forced to take a hard look at their cost structure and become lean during the past two years. Not too surprising, most business owners and their key managers are reluctant to make the necessary, but tough, decisions required to “skinny” down the company. Some talk a good game about lean manufacturing or Six Sigma, which in the end amounts to little more than lip service.

The sad fact: When sales decrease, we either get lean or we die. With a strong motivator, the smart ones choose the former, making it the thread of a recession’s silver lining.

Once we “go lean” and then achieve even a modest uptick in sales, measurable changes begin to occur to the bottom line...in most cases. Those that fail to see improvement are the companies that tend to start spending like drunken sailors, thinking they are now freed up to again be the “nice guy.”

Don’t let it happen to you. Take this opportunity to keep your cost structure low and keep some money on the bottom line. I am not, however, advocating short-sightedness. A portion of the improved bottom line should be reinvested in future growth. Update your technology to stay on the leading edge, and make other investments appropriate to keep your company competitive.

This is also a strong message to take to your customers when you are talking to them about their marketing projects: “Be sure to market, but market smart. Keep your cost structure low, reinvest in new technologies, and let us help you to reach your strategic marketing goals.”