Top 03+ lean business models "reign" during economic recession
Linh Do
•
June 5, 2025
During a recession, it is not the bigger businesses that will win, but the leaner and more adaptable businesses that will survive and thrive. From small shops, online businesses to technology startups, everyone is shifting to models that can operate lightly, at low cost, and easily replicated. So what are the lean business models that will dominate from 2025 to 2030 and how can you, even if you are alone, still start a business in this direction? Find out with GTG CRM in this article!
1. Why is a lean business model important in a recession?
The economic recession has forced many businesses to cut costs, optimize resources, and focus on real value. Lean business models are the optimal way to help you operate a business even with little capital or a small team. Here are some business models you can consider:
1.1. Digital product business
Digital products such as ebooks, online courses, and templates are ideal during a recession because they don't require warehousing, shipping costs, or geographic restrictions. You create content once and can sell it multiple times, bringing in a sustainable source of income at a negligible cost. The benefits of digital products include:
- Low cost: Only initial investment is required to create content
- Automation: Everything from payment to product delivery can be automated
- Suitable for individuals: Solopreneurs, freelancers, or content creators can all get started
Solutions from GTG CRM
You can create a course sales landing page in just 10 minutes without knowing how to code:
You can easily find a landing page that suits your business field
You can send an automatic welcome email or deliver the product immediately after the customer purchases:
The available Email Templates help you easily create customer welcome emails
You can manage your customer list and upsell new products through a single platform:
You can easily manage data and classify customers in one place with GTG CRM
1.2. The “1 person – 5 roles” business model
In a recession, hiring a large team is not feasible for many people. The “1 person – 5 roles” model allows you to handle everything yourself, from production, sales, marketing, to customer care, thanks to automation tools. This is the perfect choice for small business owners or solopreneurs who don't have a large budget to hire a team.
The solution from GTG CRM
You can manage advertising, content, and customers in one platform:
GTG CRM is a platform that integrates many useful features for business people
You can use AI to suggest content to create posts quickly:
With just one simple command, GTG CRM helps you create many articles in the blink of an eye
You can set up customer care messages to be sent automatically:
You can easily create automated customer response messages
1.3. Professional Services Business
Converting personal expertise into services such as consulting, teaching, or design is an effective lean model. In a recession, demand for high-value but affordable services (such as financial advice, nutrition, or content writing) remains strong. You can start with the following simple tasks:
- A service introduction channel (website, social network)
- Online appointment and consultation system
- Customer retention process via email or text message
Solutions from GTG CRM
You can create a professional service profile page in just a few minutes:
GTG CRM has landing pages for freelancers to build their capacity profiles
1.4. “No-warehouse” business (Dropshipping, Print-on-demand)
The dropshipping or print-on-demand model allows you to sell without having to stock inventory, reducing financial risk during a recession. You only need to focus on marketing and customer service, while the supplier handles inventory and shipping. Some of the benefits of the warehouse-free model include:
- Low risk: No need to worry about inventory or storage costs
- Easy to test: Test multiple products without a large investment
- Flexible: Suitable for people new to online business
Solutions from GTG CRM
You can create a landing page to run ads to quickly test products:
Easy to create a series of landing pages to run ads with GTG CRM
You can deploy Ads campaigns on Google and Facebook:
With GTG CRM you can create and manage multiple advertising campaigns
2. Conclusion
Business models such as digital products, professional services, or warehouse-free businesses allow you to start low-cost, operate alone, and easily expand when the market recovers. And GTG CRM is the platform that helps you implement the above business model. GTG CRM is an All - in - One platform that helps startups, small businesses and individual entrepreneurs easily build their brands, attract customers and develop sustainably without the need for a technical team or a large budget. Sign up for a FREE 14-day GTG CRM trial today!