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Originally sent out March 20, 2009 Last year, when M3 Planning first published our recession-planning toolkit (now titled Strategy on a Shoestring), we began the volume with an article titled Recession Survival: Find a way to Paint the Grass Green. The article, focused on finding opportunities that present themselves in a recession, mentioned a company based [...]
Three things make the web the best place to market in a downturn: the virtually unlimited flow of instant information, the almost non-existing barriers to entry, and it’s just really, really, cool. Because of these factors, the last few years have seen a massive explosion of online companies solving problems [...]
Original sent out January 28, 2009 In this final article of our “strategy on a shoestring” series, we are focusing on activities that you can use to get your plan going without breaking the bank. In the same way that we have addressed how to “make strategy a habit,” “be surgical in your decision-making,” “evaluate your [...]
Original sent out January 14, 2009 The focus of our recent columns here has been about “strategy on a shoestring” and making the most of your resources in the face of economic uncertainties. In keeping with that theme, we offer the following guide for maximizing the quality and effectiveness of your meetings in the New Year. Keep [...]
Scanning for Strategic Planning articles on the web, I came across a recent article from mckinseyquarterly.com, titled Strategic planning: Three tips for 2009. The article is written mainly to strategists, so our consultants reading this blog should definitely check it out, but the information in it is relevant to anyone in business. The basic gist [...]
Are you worried about losing your best employees and having to deal with all the costs of replacing them and then training new employees during a recession? You may not be able to give everyone raises, or fund a huge company picnic, but there’s tons of things you can do to increase company morale that [...]
It’s January 2009; do you know where your strategic plan is? With all the news this past year about the changing economic and political climates, there’s a good chance that most of us have been focused more on news about the elections or a looming recession, and less focused on the future of our organizations. In [...]
Despite Recession, James Cameron Believes in Costly 3-D Movies From CNBC: Cameron believes that despite the high costs coming at the wrong time, 3-D will prevail, and it will be key to the future of the movie industry. Check it out.
According to this article on Tiny Comb, Myspace is fighting the recession by outsourcing work to India. Contrary to Facebook’s strategy of paying top dollar for talent, Myspace has consistently fought to save money on developers.
Recently, Business Week posted an article on recession planning from Kevin P. Coyne titled, Up from the Rubble: Post-Recession Planning. In the article, he argues that current organizations can prepare for an economic downturn by taking some lessons from the Cold-War-era United States government. CEOs and strategists of companies would do well to learn a lesson [...]
How you can take advantage of a slowing economy Recessions don’t just affect businesses- they have a real impact on individuals. It’s hard, in fact, to imagine anyone whose job won’t be impacted one way or another during the recession. In a recent article titled Recessions Suck, Jared Bernstein put it this way: But what does [...]
Take care of your customers, your people and yourself (reprinted from RLife Magazine) Over the last several months there’s been a lot of talk of economic woes, a slowdown, or some other soft-peddling term for the possible coming recession. This evening, listening to NPR I heard an economist say that it’s no longer a question of whether [...]
20 Essential Business Tips to Get Through a Slump in the Economy Throughout our Ultimate Recession Planning Toolkit, you’ll find a wealth of information, but here’s a collection of some of the best of it- boiled down to a list you can print up to bring to your recession planning meeting or keep nearby to reference [...]
How to get no-cost exposure on the Web By the time you finish reading this, three internet start-ups will have emerged to help you find new customers. OK, that’s a made up number, but it illustrates something you need to be aware of: while the economy may be taking a dump, you can turn to the [...]
Five Exercises for a Leaner Organization If the economy tanks, is your marketing budget ready? With uncertain times ahead, the last thing that you’ll want to do is stop attracting customers. In fact, with a possible recession approaching, this is a great time to increase your market share, become more efficient and get to know your [...]
What BCP is and how to use it for your organization You’re surrounded by circumstances and choices every day, and you need to be ready. Readiness isn’t just about disaster preparedness; it’s about being ready for opportunity, as well as adversity. Readiness is a lifestyle, and any organization needs to prepare for all those little things [...]
How to Trim your Costs While Keeping Clients and Employees Happy The two words “cost cutting” are almost as upsetting as the word recession. It smacks of negativity and loss of jobs. Unless you are a turnaround consultant, cost cutting is as painful as weight loss. But consider “strategic” cost cutting, instead of taking action that [...]
A practical tool to ensure your future makes cents After you’ve completed your goals and actions, assess the financial viability of your strategic plan. While your action items and goals are fresh in your mind, estimate the costs associated with the implementation of each item. All the best-laid strategic plans are subject to time and money. In [...]
A step-by-step framework for adjusting your strategic business plan for a possible downturn Here are the steps to running your own recession plan. One suggestion – this exercise need not be exhaustive. Begin by identifying the risks from the list of big “what-ifs” and smaller “what-ifs” and create a one-sheet for a few realistic, possible scenarios [...]
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