How to Recession-Proof Your Small Business: The 4 Buying Motivators Framework
Contributed by SBOC Member:
Pat Miller
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
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Not all products and services are created equal when it comes to economic durability. Where your offering falls on this spectrum determines how quickly customers will cut you when money gets tight.
1. Pleasure in the Present (Most Vulnerable)
These are entertainment purchases, impulse buys, and treats. Dining out at fancy restaurants, leisure activities, “nice to have” purchases.
This is the first line item that disappears when anxiety spikes.
When people feel uncertain about the economy, pleasure-in-the-present purchases get eliminated immediately. They’re enjoyable but entirely optional.
Examples: Entertainment, luxury retail, recreational activities, impulse purchases
2. Pleasure in the Future
These are aspirational purchases. Coaching programs, online courses, dream vacations, self-improvement products. People still buy them even in tough times, but they’re easier to postpone.
The customer thinks: *”I see the value, but I’ll start next month when things settle down.”*
Examples: Educational courses, coaching, travel, personal development programs
3. Pain in the Future
Now we’re getting into more resilient territory. These purchases prevent future problems: insurance policies, security services, compliance solutions, preventative maintenance.
The challenge here is that customers can still gamble. They might think: *”I know I should, but maybe the problem won’t happen to me.”*
The sale requires some belief, and uncertain times can shake that belief.
Examples: Insurance, security systems, preventative maintenance, retirement planning
4. Pain in the Present (Most Secure)
This is the category where customers will pay whatever it takes, regardless of economic conditions. The need is immediate and unavoidable.
As Pat Miller puts it: “Toilet overflows? You call the plumber. Tooth is killing you? You go to the dentist. Server crashes? You pay whatever it takes to get back online.”
Pain in the present is primal. It’s evergreen. It doesn’t care about the stock market.
Examples: Emergency repairs, urgent medical care, IT recovery, legal emergencies
How to Apply This to Your Business
If your current offerings sit primarily in categories one or two, you’re exposed. That doesn’t mean you need to abandon what you do—but you might need to expand what you offer.
Example 1: The Jeweler
A jewelry store selling luxury items sits squarely in “Pleasure in the Present” or “Pleasure in the Future” (engagement rings). Both categories are vulnerable to economic swings.
The solution? Add jewelry repair services. When a diamond falls out of a wedding ring, that customer needs it fixed immediately. That’s Pain in the Present—and it keeps revenue flowing even when discretionary spending drops.
Example 2: The Travel Advisor
A travel advisor booking dream vacations to Japan operates in “Pleasure in the Future.” When the economy dips, clients say “maybe next year.”
The solution? Become the emergency travel contact for all clients. Create an emergency folio with their preferences—airlines, hotels, car rental choices—so when they get a call that a loved one is in the hospital across the country, one phone call handles everything.
That’s Pain in the Present. People travel for emergencies whether they want to or not.
Example 3: The Financial Advisor
Investment planning and 401(k) management falls into “Pain in the Future”—important but postponable.
The solution? Position yourself as the immediate resource when a spouse or parent passes away. That’s an urgent, overwhelming situation where clients need help right now, not next quarter.
The Strategic Question
Look at your current product or service mix and ask:
- Where does each offering fall on the four-motivator spectrum?
- If everything in categories one and two disappeared tomorrow, would your business survive?
- What could you add that solves Pain in the Present for your existing audience?
You don’t need to transform your entire business. But having at least one offering that solves immediate, unavoidable pain gives you something to lean on when the pleasure purchases dry up.
The economy may never tank. But if it does, the businesses that survive will be the ones that moved closer to solving pain that can’t be postponed.
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Contributed by
Pat Miller
Founder of the Small Business Owners Community
Pat spent two decades in broadcasting management and hosting. After leaving the radio industry, he spent time consulting small businesses and realized the support system for entrepreneurs was broken. Where could you find help for improving small businesses and building real connections with other like-minded people. In June of 2020, the Idea Collective Small Business Community was born.