EVEN THOUGH THE economy is looking pretty bleak, that doesn't mean it's impossible for businesses to generate new sales — and profits.

During the downturn that occurred between 1999 and 2003, nearly a quarter more companies made the leap from laggards to leaders (by boosting sales and net profit margins) than during the four-year period of economic calm that followed, according to an eight-year study conducted by Boston consulting firm Bain & Company. The study, which analyzes the profit and sales growth of more than 2,500 businesses, shows that a fair share of the gains made by companies during that time resulted from better cost management and more effectively tapping into new business opportunities.

Indeed, downturns can serve as an ideal time for businesses to experiment with unconventional and innovative ways to boost sales, says David Rudofsky, president of Rudofsky Associates, a small business consulting firm in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.

We spoke with a handful of entrepreneurs who successfully used this approach at their own businesses. Here are the strategies that worked for them:

Lesson: Use the Internet to further your reach

Five years ago, Bob D'Amico, a New York-based cartoonist and graphic designer, posted his graphic design services on Elance.com, an online marketplace where businesses connect with freelancers. Since that time, D'Amico has landed clients in such far-flung places as Ireland, Tokyo and Australia. "Instead of being limited to working in a 50-mile radius of where I live, now it's the whole U.S. and the bumper crop are the sales overseas," he says. "By working over the Internet, your geographic boundaries have disappeared."

Simply adding a multilingual component to your web site can also help boost sales abroad since customers tend to respond more often — and more positively — to communications in their native language, says business consultant Rudofsky. After all, "we don't all speak English," he says.

New York-based cartoonist and graphic artist Bob D’Amico.

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CLICK FOR MORE: 5 Innovative Ways to Boost Sales in a Down Economy
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Use the Internet to further your reach	Tap underserved markets	Expand without expanding your costs	Become your customer's customer	Profit from your own expertise

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