Financial analysts are predicting the next recession is looming. To avoid the mistakes of past recessions now is the time to put a strategy in place so that your business can thrive when the next recession hits.

A recession, when properly planned for, can present opportunities for business growth. While it may sound outrageous, business owners and entrepreneurs should look forward to the next recession.

If you’re ready to grow your business and prepare for the next recession, follow these 4 steps:

Create Uncontested Market Space

Why fight the competition when you can simply just make them irrelevant? Creating uncontested market space is the most strategic route to surpassing your competitors. Find a way to solve your target market's problem that nobody else has solved yet.

To do so, I recommend embracing new technology and using it to differentiate from your competition. Utilize technology to run your business more efficiently and effectively.

Begin with the End in Mind

In order to create a strategic plan for your business, you need to know what the exit situation will look like for your business. Do you plan to be acquired or would you prefer to sell?

By understanding your long-term goals, you’ll be able to make smarter business decisions so you can work to grow, diversify and maximize your business value.

Bridge the Gap

Now that you know your end goal, how will you get there? It’s important to create an action plan to bridge the gap between now and then. This can include hiring the right teams, making smart investments and setting incremental goals to ensure you are on track.

Create Your “To-Buy” List

For the most part, everything is cheaper during a recession. Understanding ahead of time what your business should acquire when the time comes will help you act quickly and resourcefully. Hire the right talent that will get you to your endpoint, acquire companies who will help you to dominate the market and take advantage of low prices on anything else your business may need to position you for immense growth.

With a new decade comes new opportunities and it’s time to set your business up for success! By following the above steps, your business will be ready to take on whatever financial downturns may come and keep you one step ahead of the competition.

Jonathan Slain has seen firsthand how businesses with successful leadership mistakenly hit plateaus. Now, working exclusively with founders, owners, CEOs, and management teams, Slain uses that experience to help best-in-class companies worldwide achieve their vision of success.