In this economy, and really in any economy, it is wise to keep overhead -- recurring fixed costs -- as low as possible. That way, your "nut" is a lot lower, and you can sell many fewer units to breakeven and make a profit.

Few successful entrepreneurs start their business with expensive trappings like a big office or gorgeous retail space. These days, entrepreneurs are going back to the basics, and their strategies now make sense in all economic times.

For instance:

1. The Wall Street Journal recently featured an article about retail businesses giving up their $7,000 or more in monthly rent to open shop from home and via the Internet. Bricks and Clicks are returning to just Clicks. Now these businesses focus on local customers from home, and are working to build an international clientele through smart online strategies.

2. Parenting product company Moms on Edge never even bothered with a retail presence. Instead, the company started from the founder's kitchen, ordered products from China that it stores in a nearby warehouse, and processes all orders online. The firm has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, won numerous national and international awards, and now has customers in 18 countries worldwide! To reduce overhead and increase margins even more, the company has launched new educational programs for Moms to help them become entrepreneurs.

3. Gyms are focusing on smaller spaces over huge, luxurious facilities. For instance, Tony Spain's Absolute Boxing operates out of a space less than 1,000 square feet, in contrast to huge franchises like LA Boxing that can require half a million dollars or more to start. Tony's clients love the old-school feel of his industrial space, and Tony uses his space brilliantly. His boxing bags retract to the ceiling when he needs floor space, and easily come back down when he wants to set up stations. His monthly breakeven might be 10 students, compared to hundreds for a traditional luxury gym.

4. Move over Mrs. Fields! Recall that this famous cookie entrepreneur began by passing out free samples from her space in a mall. A recent local news story featured a cupcake bakery that tested the market even more cost-effectively, with an online-only store. Once they got enough orders, the company opened a small retail presence.

5. Even restaurants are lowering fixed costs. A new trend in LA is upscale food trucks; gourmet chefs are forgoing the million-dollar overhead of a restaurant and offering their dishes via mobile trucks. Similarly, a Sarasota restaurant called Rays' rents space in a local diner every Fri and Sat night, transforming the diner into a beautiful French restaurant. Smart!