By Mike Myatt, Chief StrategyOfficer, N2growthWhile the text that follows willbe brief, it truly merits the attention of anyone still grapplingwith 2010 budget concerns. I'm going to share something with youthat you might not want to hear, and quite frankly, something thatwill likely send your CFO straight into apoplexy. Youdon't grow a business by shrinking it. The key tocorporate growth is not to fall into decline; hopefully not bydefault, but certainly not by design. If your 2010 plan is one thatinvolves constriction, contraction, shrinkage or retraction, youshould note that this is not what your clients andprospects are looking for.Do you think your clients will beimpressed that you're cutting staff, shrinking marketing budgets,eliminating service lines or any other item that they perceive as alimiting factor in your ability to help or add value? Know this:your clients and prospects will never see any form of bunkermentality as being beneficial to them. One of the great businessmyths is the theory of "remaining flat" - it simply is notpossible. A business grows or shrinks - it gains ground oncompetitors, or loses ground to them. So my question to you isthis: What are you specifically going to do in 2010 to better serveyour clients, to continue acquiring and developing talent, to buildyour brand, and to grow your business? General George C. Pattonsaid it best: "Never defend, always attack."