I have pretty much lost my faith in publicly traded markets. There are too many people who make too much money off the volatility of markets, and the value of a company’s shares rarely reflects the actual value of the business. People talk markets up, and they talk markets down. They typically do this because of a pre-disposition about the current environment, or because of some other self-interest. The fall in yesterday’s markets due to the retail sales number from March is a perfect example.

Retail sales fell in March 1.1%, .9% if you exclude automobiles. It was reported in the media that the markets viewed this as extremely negative. Some even reported that this is an indication the economy isn’t recovering. Seventy-Five percent of the time retail sales will either rise or fall less than 1%. A drop of 1.1% in March is not the end of the world, and it is likely not an indicator that the economy isn’t recovering. Given where we have been over the last several months, it strikes me as more of a victory than a defeat!

Today there are many analyst and pundits working to convince you that the economy has died, and will never recover. These are the same folks who were telling us eighteen months ago that global growth would stave off a recession in the U.S. I did not believe them then, and I do not believe them now. Focus on your business, find ways to grow, and remember nothing lasts forever, this recession included!

The strategy for 80 percent of executives and business owners this year seems pretty clear at this point, cut your cost to the bone and ride out the storm. Many of us have come to the conclusion that the only solution to the current crisis for our business is to make the business smaller, but is that really the panacea we all seek.

Eighteen months ago I was suggesting to my Rough Air readers and clients that they do everything to conserve cash. The evidence of a declining economy was overwhelming, and we were telling clients to be prepared. Now I recommend putting that cash to work. We all know that asset prices are depressed and that now is a great time to be a buyer. I think today’s environment also provides business owners with the right mindset, an unprecedented opportunity to grow! It could be a generation before you have this chance again.

Following the pack is a reasonable approach, but it will not help you move your business forward in today’s environment. Those that step out and take calculated risk today, will reap in the rewards in the near future. Those who face their fears in the current environment, will be the ones all of us are writing about in the years to come.

I was reminded of this yesterday while I was listening to the Easter Sermon at church. Our Pastor was discussing the resurrection of Christ, and the terror and amazement that his followers felt at the moment of discovery. I am sure they had to confront considerable fear and doubt when they debated the risks of sharing their story with the rest of the world.

Fear and doubt have overwhelmingly gripped the business world today. Bankers, business owners and executives are all waiting for the next shoe to drop as opposed to leaning over and picking up the one that is already on the ground. We need an economic resurrection, we need people to step up to the plate and take calculated risk. We will not move forward if we are constantly looking backward. We cannot change what has happened, we can only dig deep into that great sense of American innovation and entrepreneurship, and start the process of moving forward again!