Welcome to "Don't Waste a Good Recession", a group with positive and practical advice for businesses from 2 to 500 staff. If you want tangible advice you can execute now, not just more waffle, be sure to Subscribe to my podcast channel and join our Facebook discussion group.
The Number #1 critical measurement in your business today is likely one you're not even measuring. Change that immediately.
Chapters:
Where we are in the Economic Clock (ticking downwards)
How "Free Cash Flow" is the KPI that connects your P&L with your Bank Balance
The "Cash Absorption" risk I'm seeing in SMEs right now, where Revenue is growing but Free Cash Flow is declining
How to grow cash fast
With every passing month we move closer to the next economic downturn, the next Recession, the next great opportunity of your business life.
Right now, before even the "Respond" phase on the Economic Clock, Cash is King. So are you measuring your Cash and your Cash Flow? Are you prioritising cash accumulation in your business - by managing expenses, managing debtors, and holding strong with your pricing and payment terms?
If not, you still have time to catch up. But the businesses who thrive from the very start of the crash will be those with cash who are ready to act. We will all end up in the same stormy seas - but some of us will arrive in much safer boats.
16 Apr 2026
Understanding the Economic Clock for Small Business Owners
Why the World’s Tallest Buildings Open in Recessions (Economic Clock Explained)
Chapters: 00:00 – Why skyscrapers open in recessions 02:10 – The Economic Clock explained 05:30 – Where we are right now 08:00 – The 4 phases: Down, Drag, Release, Up 11:30 – What to actually do in your business 14:00 – Where the real opportunities are
Here’s a strange but true fact: Most of the world’s tallest buildings open during recessions. Not before. Not after. Right in the middle of the downturn.
That’s not bad timing. It’s how economic cycles actually work. In this episode and the corresponding video on the Don't Waste a Good Recession YouTube channel, I break down the Economic Clock—a simple way to understand where we are in the cycle, what’s coming next, and what small business owners should actually do about it.
No jargon. No theory for theory’s sake. Just practical, “mom and pop economics” you can use in your business right now.
What you’ll learn: == Why boom-time decisions show up as pain later == The 4 phases of every economic cycle (and how they actually feel in real life) == Where we are right now—and what that means for your business == Why most businesses miss the biggest opportunities == How to respond, plan, execute, and profit through a downturn
You don’t need to predict the economy perfectly. You just need to understand where you are on the clock—and adjust your strategy accordingly.
If you run a small business and want to stay ahead (instead of reacting late), learn to tell the time. And don't waste a good recession...
9 Apr 2026
Circle of Control | Circle of Influence in an Economic Downturn
In small business, sometimes it's the uncertainty that does the damage - not even through a thousand paper cuts, but through that constant sense of something hanging over all of our heads.
So how do we own the uncertainty? How do we manage our energy and still make good decisions in business when we're unsure about the future?
Welcome to Don't Waste a Good Recession, episode two. Last week, I talked about the three different ways that small businesses respond to an economic downturn. If you want to thrive, not just survive, a key part is how you respond. Not just reacting, not just going in blind.
This week, I'm going to share a key framework you can use to stay in control and take ownership of the outcomes in your life and your business. I'm talking about the Circles of Control framework by Stephen Covey. And in particular, in the "Before" phase of the current economic downturn, I talk about Cash.
Revenue is Vanity, Profit is Sanity, and Cash is King - a fact that is most true at the point of maximum financial opportunity, the depths of a recession. The individuals and businesses who will benefit most at that time are the ones who are focusing right now on how they build cash in their Circles of Control and Influence.
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