Small and large businesses alike have two choices right now: be bold or go home. In our industry, I’ve watched competitor web design and video production companies, interactive agencies, and social media shops here in Los Angeles teeter and fall. In fact, right now one shop that bills itself as the premier web design company in LA is pretty much over, and word is it will close its doors in September (editor’s note: they did).

Just about every company that’s in trouble has slashed marketing budgets and headcount. They’ve given up, and they’re going home. Or, hoping and praying that they’ll somehow survive this downturn in an amputated state and be able to come back in the future.

This sad reality is playing out in pretty much every industry in almost all parts of the country. And to me, it’s exactly the wrong strategy. Others see a nightmare. I see opportunity. And not just for digital agencies like us.

I’m not saying to be stupid. Certainly costs have to be kept under control, and the orgy of easy credit and bogus billings that certain companies have feasted on over the past few years had to come to an end. I’m happy for that, and now’s the time to grow up, to get smart, and to get back to the realities of what we’re all about, as a creative services industry. This is exhilarating. It’s the good stuff.

Let me explain. Here’s what PatrickOrtman, Inc. is doing about the economy:  we’re refining our brand and our services. We’re finding ways to offer first-class services to a wider range of clients. We’re partnering with other visionaries.And we’re finding ways to differentiate us from the rest of our industry. Most of all, we’re not cutting our marketing budget or hunkering down and stopping R&D. Exactly the opposite, in fact.

Crazy? Perhaps. But this is exactly what Apple is doing, on a much larger stage.

Apple? Yes. Those guys are marketing and innovating just like they always have. Sure, their marketing buys have been smarter and more well-thought-out lately. But the fact remains that they are out there doing business, creating amazing products, and not blinking or withdrawing. And they’re reaping the rewards of this bold, strong strategy. After all, everyone wants to do business with a confident winner- AAPL is the shiniest stock in the tech industry.

I see the same thing with many of our clients, and the business community at large. There are those who are running scared. And there are those brave ones who are harnessing their brainpower and creativity (with our help) to take this time as an opportunity to make gains that will ensure they will outpace their competition for decades.

I’m not saying this is easy. Hard choices need to be made, sometimes. But big success requires bold moves. Be bold.