‘We get creative’: How these 8 orgs are approaching the 2023 economy

While the shape of those plans and the level of concern varies from company to company, they all recognize that it’s better to be prepared and are taking steps to brace for whatever 2023 has in store. They know that the future may be a bit scary, but it doesn’t have to be. From getting creative about resource allocation to investing in employee training and retention to refocusing on community efforts, both tech companies and their ecosystem supporters are applying the lessons they learned in 2022 to ensure they’re flexible and adaptive for the year to come.

For the month of January, Technical.ly’s reporting has explored the theme of Navigating a (Possible) Recession for our editorial calendar. For some additional perspectives, we asked our Technical.ly Talent and Ecosystem Builder companies the following question:

How is your org planning to stay resilient in 2023 (ie. revisiting growth plans, maintaining company culture during economic uncertainty, supporting the local community in the event of a recession, etc)?

Here are some replies from their teams. If you like what you see, follow the links to companies’ Directory Pages to learn more and explore open roles.

Ballard Spahr

“We are committed to the long-term success of our clients and offer a wide range of options, to help make the most of limited resources and turn focus on sustainability during times of economic uncertainty. During times when budgets are tight, we get creative both in how we serve our clients but also in the ways in which we continue to stay engaged with the community. We don’t sacrifice getting involved in the ecosystem when considering budget cuts — instead, we focus our spend on the events and resources that mean the most to our founders. We continue to provide (and in many cases increase our focus on) free education, peer-to-peer networking opportunities and alternative fee arrangements that ensure that our clients have the tools they need to overcome the challenges of contracting valuations and longer sales timelines. We advise clients and host events to help educate clients on keeping their eye on the runway, staying transparent with their team, cutting costs on things like conferences and tech upgrades, and getting face time with their biggest customers. We also offer pro bono legal assistance on discrete issues facing their potential ventures and accommodate client-driven fee arrangements designed to provide start-up ventures with the highest caliber of legal support and advice without stunting growth potential.” — Kimberly Klayman, partner

Fastmail

“We’re making sure our product remains affordable, and we always have a policy of granting grace periods to customers suffering economic difficulty. Internally, our plans are focused on retaining and supporting our current staff. We know they are one of our best investments, in good times and bad.” — Helen Horstmann-Allen, COO

Kleer

“By learning from past economic downturns as well as the pandemic, Kleer has a strategic plan to stay resilient in 2023. We have put a temporary pause on hiring to reduce the risk of layoffs caused by over hiring and increased overhead expenses. We are upskilling and cross training employees to contribute to different areas of the business as well as strengthen their own career paths. There is transparent communication that starts at the top of our organization so employees understand the emphasis put on managing expenses and driving revenue growth. In addition, the leadership team is using the feedback received in our employee engagement survey to build an actionable plan that will reinforce our company culture and ensure Kleer remains a Best Place to Work.” — Sarah Colletti, talent acquisition specialist

Morgan Lewis

“Workplace culture is a key factor for resilience and success for any business. In the last few years, organizations have seen an increased focus on workplace culture efforts to maintain what makes their businesses special. At Morgan Lewis, our Workplace Culture Consulting and Training Practice has been busy advising companies and organizations to help them in their efforts to create safe, respectful, diverse and inclusive workplaces. We not only advise clients on this issue, but as a Firm we know and understand that fostering an environment where knowledge and innovation are shared and well-being is actively promoted is the only way we can help clients stay resilient in 2023 and reach their goals.” — Jeffrey P. Bodle, partner

NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers

“The NEXT practice group, within Shulman Rogers, will continue in 2023 to focus on the value it provides to its clients. NEXT will expand its innovative offerings for the delivery of legal services to startup and emerging growth companies, and will enrich its NEXT Platform to help startup clients de-risk and grow their businesses. This includes NEXT’s broad range of fixed price legal packages that offer clients predictable and reasonable legal fees, which is particularly important to early stage companies during uncertain economic times.” — Anthony Millin, founder of NEXT powered by Shulman Rogers, venture capital partner and serial entrepreneur

Perpay

“The last couple years have taught us that it’s impossible to predict the future, so we remain committed to running our business in a way that’s aligned with our mission and values, regardless of the external economic conditions.  For our customers, that means building products that reward good behaviors vs. punish bad ones. For our team, that means maintaining positive unit economics across our company, and executing a thoughtful, disciplined hiring plan that paces with (or even slightly behind) the demands of our fast growing business. We know we can’t accurately predict the exact timing or level of volatility of future economic conditions, but we’re confident that living our values will put our customers and our team in a better position to navigate the changes ahead.” — Chris DiMarco, founder & CEO

TEDCO

“TEDCO’s resilience comes from supporting entrepreneurs in the state through our funds and programs like the Social Impact Funds, the State and Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), and the Rural and Urban Business Innovation Initiative, to name a few. To ensure this resiliency continues into 2023, TEDCO plans to expand our outreach to help more innovators and small businesses from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds throughout Maryland.” — Terry Rauh, chief operating officer

Zip Code Wilmington

“The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 26% employment growth for software developers between 2021 and 2031 (an estimated 370,600 jobs opening up). By training talented folks to fill high-tech, high-growth jobs, and helping them to land jobs, we are creating economic resiliency for members of our community. To quote Cy Wakeman: ‘Your circumstances are not the reason you can’t succeed. Your circumstances are the reality in which you must succeed.’ We will continue to work within the realities of the current circumstance to continue creating opportunities for our graduates and providing quality talent for our corporate partners.” — Lossie Freeman, director of corporate partnerships

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Curious how these orgs could fit into your 2023 plans? Check out all the Technical.ly Talent and Ecosystem Builder companies here, and find out about their missions, cultures and open positions.

P.S. If you’re curious about Technical.ly’s services for your own org, find more info here and connect with us.

This sponsored content is a part of Navigating a (Possible) Recession Month of Technical.ly's editorial calendar. The organizations appearing in this article are Technical.ly Talent and Ecosystem Builder clients.