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How Small, Growing Companies Can Build Resilience in Uncertain Times

No crystal ball? No problem. Here's how to prepare your business for whatever the economy throws your way.

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Plane Team

Summary: In uncertain economic times, resilience is essential — especially for small, growing companies. This guide shares insights from four C-suite business leaders on how to stay agile and prepared through strategic workforce planning, flexible hiring, cost control, and a strong, values-driven culture. From using AI for scenario modeling to balancing full-time and contractor talent, and automating tasks to negotiating with vendors, the post offers practical tips to help businesses weather economic turbulence. It also reminds leaders that resilience isn’t about being invincible — it’s about being prepared.Recession, inflation, global unrest — economic curveballs hit companies of all sizes. But for smaller businesses that are still trying to get their footing, uncertainty can especially throw everything off balance. The key to making it out the other side of uncertain times? Resilience. And that doesn’t mean you have to be invincible. It just means you have to be prepared.We talked to these four leaders across the C-suite to find out how growing businesses can weather whatever storm comes next:This is what they had to say about how to keep your organization stable when the future's looking wobbly.

Preparing for change: strategic workforce planning

You don’t need a 10-person HR department to think strategically about your workforce. Dr. Amy Dufrane, CEO of HRCI, a certifying organization for HR professionals, recommends scenario planning to stay a step ahead. “Scenario planning involves both ‘blue sky’ scenarios, to leverage growth opportunities, and ‘stormy weather’ scenarios, which challenge leaders to test their adaptability,” she said.For agile teams trying to plan for whatever the future throws at them, she recommends leaning into AI to build out models based on your circumstances and goals and the potential variables that you need to plan for. Of course, for security and confidentiality reasons, you’ll want to make sure that the AI platform you adopt won’t reuse your data to train its algorithm.For example, with the proper guardrails in place, you could plug in your revenue forecast numbers and workforce data and ask:
  • If revenue decreases by 20% next year, how will we need to adjust our headcount?
  • How would our workforce budget need to change if contractor rates rise by 10%?
Some leaders may feel protective of their original plans and reluctant to pivot, but Dufrane says that’s a risky mindset.“Leaders need to prioritize operational agility, and that means setting aside ego to be both able and willing to make changes to infrastructure if the need arises,” Dufrane added.Cross-training and upskilling your team members is another resilience booster, says Michele Nilles, the Chief Administrative Officer at Frontline Performance Group (FPG), a growing consulting firm focused on the hospitality industry. Nilles points to how FPG has invested in Headway, a microlearning app, to help employees develop skills such as executive presence, negotiation, and using AI to improve results for their clients.“It has empowered our team to expand their skills and knowledge,” she said. That can have them more prepared to wear more of those proverbial hats if and when the organization faces challenging times.And when it comes to your hiring mix, flexibility is your friend. Dee Joubert, COO at DentalyGo, a dental tourism startup, said they rely on contractors for short-term or specialized needs while keeping long-term roles in-house. “Determining whether we hire full-time employees or go with contractors hinges on the company's particular need at any one time,” Joubert said. “In the case of long-term, critical positions, like our operations managers or customer service workers, we use full-time employees. But for situations with a defined schedule or specialized capability that isn't required year-around, we have contractors come in.”That balance keeps their headcount lean and adaptable without compromising on steady, reliable service for their customers.

Controlling costs: smart strategies for staying lean

Cost-cutting doesn’t have to mean cutting corners. Milos Eric, Co-Founder of OysterLink, a job platform for hotel and restaurant jobs, has this advice for founders who are looking to control their costs: At every decision point, ask yourself if it will help the business grow or operate more efficiently.“If not, it goes,” he said.Starting a business is a Herculean effort, and he’s learned that founders should “live below their means, not overspend, and focus on sustainable growth.” When the business environment is favorable, it can be easy to start adding personnel. Eric believes that’s a mistake. “Don’t hire just because things are going well,” he said. “Hire only when you absolutely need to. Build a team that can handle both slow and fast periods without constant changes. The market will always be unpredictable — don’t rely on it to decide when to grow.”On the tech side, automation is your friend when it comes to controlling costs. Joubert shared how DentalyGo implemented a CRM that automates patient scheduling, freeing up staff to focus on high-impact tasks and provide first-rate customer service. They also outsource functions like digital marketing and customer service during peak seasons to avoid the costs of full-time overhead that can add up when companies bring on people who aren’t needed year round.Then there’s the art of vendor negotiation. Joubert again: "Instead of slashing costs across the board, we look for opportunities to collaborate with vendors and restructure terms or explore other solutions that won't affect quality.” She points to how she and her team were able to negotiate flexible payment terms from some of their biggest suppliers, which allowed them to maintain smooth operations without disrupting cash flow.

Team psychology: culture, morale, and the human element of business

Let’s be real: Economic stress doesn’t just affect your company’s bottom line. If times are tough, it’s impacting the daily lives of your team members. That’s why transparency and empathy matter more than ever when uncertainty strikes.During COVID, Nilles saw FPG lose 85% of its revenue almost overnight. Their clients (hotels) simply didn’t want the people of FPG visiting on-site during a pandemic. Plus, the entire hospitality industry was in crisis mode, since no one was traveling. They had to make tough decisions.“Through it all, we prioritized transparency and compassion. Every conversation, whether it was about furloughs, redundancies, or role changes, we did our best to handle it with thoughtfulness and respect.”Nilles’s team did their best to help affected FPG employees find new opportunities and leverage available government programs for financial assistance while they waited out the pandemic. During that difficult time, honesty and helpfulness “strengthened trust, rather than breaking it,” she said. It also gave FPG a chance to adapt its business model. “It allowed us to rethink how we support our teams,” she said. “One of the most significant shifts has been the move toward remote work. All our employees now enjoy the flexibility of remote work, which has led to increased job satisfaction. It’s also expanded our talent pool beyond specific geographic locations.”The lessons learned from the pandemic have been ingrained into the DNA of FPG. CEO Geoffrey Toffetti emphasized that they put their new hires through a rigorous process, including up to four interviews, to join the company. Once they’re on the team, they’re trusted completely. Once they’re on the team, they’re trusted completely.Dufrane backs that up: Clear values, consistent communication, and structured check-ins (even in fully remote environments) go a long way. Whether it’s town halls, cameras-on meetings, or offsite events, HRCI makes sure their team feels included and informed.And let’s not forget flexibility. Nilles emphasizes results over rigid schedules, while Dee highlights asynchronous work as a win-win for global teams and working parents alike.

Steps to prepare for when uncertainty gets real

If there’s one takeaway from these leaders, it’s that resilience isn’t reactive, it’s proactive. Start with:
  • Using AI for scenario planning as you prep for whatever might happen — good or bad
  • Cross-training and upskilling team members to boost agility
  • A flexible workforce strategy that aligns with your business needs and goals
  • Automation and vendor strategies that reduce costs without sacrificing service
  • A culture of trust that accommodates remote employees while keeping them engaged and connected
The fact is that you don’t need to be big to think big. Start building your resilience playbook today.

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