The message is consistent:
“We need improved performance… but we don’t have the budget for training.”
It’s an entirely understandable response during economic uncertainty. When costs rise and restructuring looms, development budgets can feel like an easy place to make savings.
But here’s the truth that businesses often overlook:
On paper, trimming development spend looks logical. You can see an immediate reduction in outgoings and feel you’re taking control of spiralling costs. But short-term relief often disguises long-term damage. Removing training is like skipping maintenance on your highest-value machinery. You might save a few thousand in the short run, but the eventual breakdown, downtime or replacement cost far outweighs the saving. The same applies to people. When your sales team, leaders or operational staff aren’t supported, coached or upskilled, performance erosion starts quietly… and compounds fast.
1. Performance Decline
Undertrained teams rely on outdated techniques, reactive behaviours and guesswork. In a climate where buyers are more cautious and margins are tighter, this leads to:
Ironically, the very performance issues leaders want to solve get worse, not better.
2. Talent Drain & Turnover
When budgets are cut, employees don’t just lose training, they lose growth, clarity and motivation. And that’s dangerous in a competitive talent market. Top performers leave first when development stalls. Not only does this damage capability, but replacing just one salesperson or manager typically costs far more than their annual training budget.
3. Leadership & Succession Gaps
With fewer internal development pathways, progression slows, and capability gaps widen. Businesses become more dependent on expensive external hiring or end up promoting underprepared managers into roles they’re not equipped for. Both scenarios are significantly more costly than investing in structured development from the start.
The instinct to pause development is understandable. The impact of doing so is often invisible… until it’s not.
Underperformance grows quietly.
Teams stagnate.
Leaders burn out.
Staff turnover increases.
Skills gaps widen.
And by the time the cracks appear, fixing them costs significantly more than investing in development would have in the first place. In tough times, training isn’t a luxury, it’s a safeguard. It protects revenue, retains talent, strengthens capability and enables businesses to meet rising demands with confidence.
Apprenticeships remain one of the most financially efficient ways to develop:
And with blended learning, 121 coaching and digital tools (like AI-powered practice and feedback), the disruption to working time is now minimal, meaning businesses can upskill teams without sacrificing productivity.
If you want to build a lean, cost-effective development plan that strengthens performance in 2026 without blowing the budget, BMS Progress can help.
We specialise in creating development pathways, so get in touch to find out more about how we can partner with your business to deliver measurable ROI and long-lasting impact.
Looking to tackle a business challenge? Develop and evolve employees? Enhance performance across the board? Find out more about our sales training and manager coaching courses.
Want to take advantage of the Apprenticeship Levy, or simply foster the next generation of talent? You’ll need to ensure that the curriculum is tailored to your needs and aligned with your values.
Want to find out more? Whether it’s about a specific programme, apprenticeship standard or just about us and how we work, our team is always on hand to help. Simply get in touch using the button below and we will endeavour to answer your questions.
