What happened
Entrepreneur published a candid story by an entrepreneur who lost one of his businesses during an economic downturn. The experience was painful, but it produced a concrete set of practices for protecting a company from recession. The author systematized the mistakes and derived a resilience formula: a financial cushion, diversification, and operational flexibility. The main conclusion is that recession does not automatically kill a business. You simply need to prepare for it in advance, while there is enough money.
How this is useful for business
The article provides not abstract slogans, but a working framework for action. The principle of the “financial cushion” is especially valuable — the author recommends keeping reserves for 6-12 months of expenses. The second key point: income diversification. If a business depends on one channel, a crisis hits it directly. The third element is operational flexibility. The ability to quickly cut costs and restructure processes becomes a competitive advantage in unstable times.
How to make money from this
The topic of business resilience itself is a market. Consulting companies have long been selling crisis management programs. But you can act more precisely. Financial planning consulting for small businesses is a service with constant demand. Implementing management accounting systems is a one-time sale from $2,000. An audit of operating expenses starts from $500 per project. Cloud services for remote work are a subscription from $50 per month. Each of these products solves a specific problem from the article.
Business ideas
1. Crisis financing consulting. Helping small companies build financial buffers and action plans for revenue decline. Cost: from $3,000 per project, including 3 months of support.
2. Income diversification service. Analysis of the client’s current revenue structure and implementation of additional sales channels. Development of a new business line “turnkey” for $5,000-15,000.
3. Online course platform on crisis management. Packaging the author’s knowledge into a membership community format. Subscription $29-99 per month, one-time courses from $199.
4. Interim CFO services for startups. Consulting on a part-time basis. Rate from $75 per hour or a fixed $4,000 per month for 20 hours.
5. Discount aggregator for B2B suppliers. A marketplace where companies look for cost-effective partners during budget optimization. Commission 5-10% per transaction.
6. Accounting outsourcing service focused on management accounting. Helps businesses see the real picture of expenses. Rates from $300 per month for a small business.
Risks and limitations
The consulting market is oversaturated, and positioning requires a clear niche. Expertise must be proven with real cases, not theoretical recommendations. Online courses compete with free content on YouTube — this means a unique format or a strong community is needed. Aggregators work on volume, which means investment in marketing is needed before the first revenue. All directions require time to build reputation — there is no quick money here.
7-day action plan
Day 1: Choose one direction from the list above that is closest to your current expertise. Test demand through 10 interviews with potential customers.
Day 2-3: Draft a minimal offer — service description, positioning, pricing. Define the minimum product for first sales.
Day 4: Create a landing page or update the existing website. Add a block with the new service and an application form.
Day 5: Write 3 articles or posts revealing the client’s problem. Show that you understand the pain, not just offer a service.
Day 6: Send offers directly to 20 potential clients. Use LinkedIn or email outreach.
Day 7: Analyze the first reactions and adjust the offer if necessary. Schedule 3-5 calls for the following week.
Original news: Entrepreneur · See other news in the news section.
If the idea fits your business, see which stages make up the cost of development and where it makes sense to start.
