If you were to say something disparaging about a friend’s mother, what should you do next? The correct answer is “duck” because you’re likely to come face-to-face with a roundhouse right. The same response should apply to a bad economy threatening to destroy your business development plan, asserts Steven S. Little, author of the new book Duck and (Re)Cover: The Embattled Business Owners Guide to Survival and Growth. Companies that duck the immediate dangers of the economic downturn and put themselves in a position to jump at any opportunity to recover once the dust settles will be the ones on top in the end, he says.

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The book is divided into two sections; the first dedicated to the “pressing immediacies” of the current economic environment and how to survive it, and the second to boosting your business development strategy and growing your business post-recession. Below are a few of the immediacies Little cites, and how to deal with them.

• Get real. When the economy goes south, you need to recognize that change is inevitable. An unwillingness to adapt your business development process to the new economic environment is a surefire path to plummeting profits, morale, and business.

• Prioritize. Like a triage doctor who must identify which patients need care the most and which one are lost causes, you have to put your emotions aside and prioritize what can and should be saved in a crisis situation. In the end, these tough decisions will help keep your business alive.

• Analyze your cash flow. Letting pennies slip through the cracks may be acceptable during good times, but in a recession, it’s important to keep a close eye on cash flow. Take a look at your indirect overhead costs, rent, payables, receivables — any area where money is involved — and ask yourself: Is this the most cost-effective way to do this? The answers will help you prioritize which aspects of your small business development need attention first.

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