{"id":3327,"date":"2020-10-07T18:28:10","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T11:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecopywriterclub.com\/?p=3327"},"modified":"2024-08-05T22:55:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T15:55:30","slug":"recession-proof-your-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecopywriterclub.com\/recession-proof-your-business\/","title":{"rendered":"What I Heard at TCCIRL: 6 Tips for Recession Proofing Your Business\u2014And How I Implemented Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before you read this post… the best way to recession proof your business is to build a strong, resilient business in the first place. A business with products and services that solve real problems for your clients. A business with the right systems that ensure things get done and clients are happy. A business that attracts the right prospects and clients you love working with. What’s the best way to do all of that? The Copywriter Accelerator<\/strong><\/em>. Join the waitlist here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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What to expect…<\/b><\/p>\n

In this post, you\u2019ll find a detailed tear-down of the activities I did to shore up my business come hell or high water, following the recession-proofing framework that Rob Marsh shared at TCCIRL.<\/span><\/p>\n

My goal is to help other copywriters and freelancers know what gear they need to insulate their business from current (and future) recessions.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of each tip there is a \u201cGo Try It Out\u201d Section. Look for this symbol: \ud83d\udee0.<\/span><\/p>\n

My brain deals with stressful things by making systems.\u00a0<\/span>And if that\u2019s you too, I made a hyper-detailed spreadsheet, complete with formulas and structured planning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It puts this whole long-ass blog post into ACTION form.<\/span><\/p>\n

Download the spreadsheet guide here.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

(Don’t want the spreadsheet? Pen and paper also work.)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


\nNow let\u2019s get to it.<\/b><\/p>\n

I really dislike the insulation part of a building project.<\/span><\/p>\n

From winter-proofing our house to finishing up the cabin I\u2019m building in the woods, insulation is the step I put off until it\u2019s <\/span>absolutely <\/span><\/i>necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

I hate it because it\u2019s gross. It gets everywhere. It’s totally itchy and I have to wrap myself up head-to-toe in a coverall that says my name is <\/span>Allen<\/span><\/i>, goggles, mask, hat, and gloves.<\/span><\/p>\n

And then I crawl around for hours on end armed with a staple gun and utility knife.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s awful.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"recession
Me, in the attic, disliking everything.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n

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But the thing is, without insulation in your house, you\u2019re just wasting energy.<\/b><\/p>\n

Your home\/cabin (and wallet) will pump heating and cooling and it will all…dissipate into the ether.<\/span><\/p>\n

Insulation is what gives your home a baseline temperature, protecting you from the highs and the lows.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Recession-proofing your business is like insulating a house.<\/b><\/h4>\n

It seems like such an arduous insurmountable task that will probably take <\/span>forever<\/span><\/i> and requires <\/span>so<\/span><\/i> much gear… so we put it off and focus on client work instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Because that\u2019s what pays the bills, yeah?<\/span><\/p>\n

When bad economic weather hits you won\u2019t be caught pumping wasted energy only to get bad leads and scrambling to make ends meet.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luckily, recession-proofing is not as complicated as it sounds.<\/b><\/p>\n

In the right-before-COVID times, I went to The Copywriter Club In Real Life event (TCC IRL 2020) and heard Rob Marsh\u2019s presentation all about how to do recession-proof your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

We were all nervously chuckling at how on-point it was while taking <\/span>furious<\/span><\/i> notes at the conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Spidey-senses knew that when we got home, the pandemic would find ways to make serious waves in our business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And those waves would probably suck <\/span>a lot.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

As I was sitting there writing down Rob\u2019s tips trying desperately to ignore my sweaty armpits, I realized I was nodding along because I had already done all of these things!<\/span><\/p>\n

Call me a giant worry-wort, but recession-proofing my biz was my #1 objective waaaay back at the beginning of 2019.<\/b><\/p>\n

I just didn\u2019t have his nifty framework to follow.<\/span><\/p>\n

2019 was Year 2 of me as a full-time copywriter. I did pretty well in my first year, but instead of doubling down to <\/span>scale<\/span><\/i>, I slowed up. I wanted to make sure that when (not if) a recession hit, my business could survive it.\u00a0 We were <\/span>well<\/span><\/i> overdue for a recession in 2019 and I did NOT want to go back to a \u2018regular\u2019 job.<\/span><\/p>\n

I knew I couldn\u2019t put off installing the insulation in my business\u2014I had to gear up and get it done.<\/span><\/p>\n

I <\/span>wish<\/span><\/i> I had Rob\u2019s 6 Tips to follow in 2019 because there would have been way less fumbling around in the dark and more DOING THE THINGS. It was exhausting and confusing work, but when the recession hit in March, I was padded by all the insulating work I had done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My business has <\/span>doubled<\/span><\/i> and I surpassed my 2019 gross revenue by <\/span>June<\/span><\/i> in 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, Rob\u2019s step-by-step advice really worked.<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My own biz success is one solid data point to prove it.<\/span><\/p>\n

And his advice can still work even in the middle of a recession (which we\u2019re in now).<\/span><\/p>\n

And<\/span><\/i> you get the added benefit of following these tips, unlike me who just poked at stuff hoping it\u2019d work.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re a systems-thinker like me, <\/span>grab the spreadsheet<\/span><\/a> from the get-go to accompany you through this post. It’s the best way to see how to tangibly implement the advice.<\/span><\/p>\n

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6 tips for recession-proofing your business <\/b>(and what they look like in action)<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n