With skyrocketing gas prices in the US people seem to be doing what they can to save a little gas here and there. My wife and I are hopping on our bikes for grocery runs and walking to the nearby coffee shop. Returning to good, wholesome basics is what we're doing. Stuff we should be doing no matter what the cost of gas!

It's funny but that seems to be the lesson we all need. In times of economic uncertainly people tend to refocus on blocking and tackling, doing the basic stuff you should always do. When the market is rockin and gas is cheap it's easy to get lazy. Let calls go unreturned, let relationships drift, let the blog posting wither, chase the next new thing.

The best thing about a slow market is that it slaps you upside the head and forces you get back to basics.

So, instead of focusing on the external circumstances beyond your control turn your focus to the internal realities within your grasp. Hug your customers!

• Call five customers just to find out more about how you can help them deal with a downturn
• Reach out to five potential strategic partners and start a discussion about banding together
• Visit a local floral shop and send five bouquets of flowers to five referral sources
• Sit down and write five hand-written notes thanking five people for something
• Take your banker, accountant and five suppliers out to lunch to talk about ways to cut expenses

And. . . go pump up the tires on your bike.