Before it hits, it becomes a taboo word.

“Recession.” There, I said it. Recession. To some, the mere mention of the word brings on a preternatural sense of impending doom. But after a historic period of growth following the Great Recession that rivals the 1990s for untainted longevity, it’s fast becoming a risk every business should think about.

If you started your business since 2009, you don’t know what it’s like to lead a company through the troubled waters of an economic downturn. But it doesn’t have to be frightening. Many businesses find themselves in generally “recession-proof” sectors—or can instead “recession-proof” themselves with a few key precautions. Is your business one of these? Let’s find out.

Recession-Proof Sectors—and What They Mean for You

The concept of being “recession-proof” means you work in a business that’s stable enough to go on surviving in the aftermath of a burst stock market bubble. Pets.com was not recession-proof; Amazon, willing to diversify beyond books, was.

The complicated truth about recession-proof sectors is that they’re not 100% insured against recessions. Sweeping changes in technology and consumer trends can affect businesses before they know they have to adapt. But over the course of a few recessions, we can reliably assume that businesses in the following sectors will have plenty of consumer demand even in tough economic times:

How can you tell if you’re in a “recession-proof” sector? Those that tend to do well in recessions are those that remain necessities for most people. Low-price goods and services will also tend to perform well as consumers tighten their budgets.

How to “Recession-Proof” Your Business

Maybe your business caters to high-end services and doesn’t pump oil out of the ground. Maybe you’re not sure about the timing of your business. Maybe you’re a fragile startup that’s just looking to turn a profit before a recession even hits. But these scenarios don’t have to be alarm bells for your business. There are ways to “recession-proof” yourself before a recession strikes.

One caveat: the best time to think about recession-proofing your business is when times are good. We’re not in a recession now, which means that extra revenue that can be used to broaden your company’s appeal can pay off dividends should the economy take a turn for the worse.

Finding Opportunity in the Difficult Times

Economic recessions don’t have to be all doom and gloom. Alec Lynch of Forbes once wrote “Ten Reasons the Best Time to Start a Business is During a Downturn,” citing the vulnerability of incumbent businesses that have lost trust and the broader availability of credit.

But running a business during the tough times can also speak to the better nature of free enterprise itself. Inc.com noted the rise of a New Orleans business that took off in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina—the crisis of the flood left Barrett Wiley wondering if there were cleaner and more sustainable ways of cleaning large commercial spaces across the New Orleans area.

Difficult times mean that consumers are spending less and investments are giving out poor returns. But this isn’t a universal experience. Some investors made their fortune by starting during the Great Depression.

Warren Buffet once said, “Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful.” In other words, the best time to make an investment is when prices are driven to disproportionate “lows” thanks to the fear in the marketplace.

The same logic holds true for many businesses. Problems like recessions and economic downturns can seem like death knells for some businesses. But it’s also important to keep a positive mental attitude in these tough times, to recognize that there might be opportunities here where there weren’t opportunities before. If a recession leaves a hole in the market, might your business be able to fill it? If a recession shows you an opportunity you didn’t recognize before, was it really so bad to begin with?

Start taking steps today to "recession-proof" your business, and consider saving your company money while giving yourself a professional look and sound today! And there's no risk. Start your free trial of Grasshopper now.