Like everyone I know, I've grown weary of hearing about the economy and its seemingly endless downward spiral. The chickens from the last eight years of bad deeds are coming home to roost, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and it might be a lot closer than you think.

When speaking to clients, they often bring up the economy as having mortally wounded their company - more often than not, though, they're not referring to their online business. This is both a good thing and a bad thing - naturally it reminds all of us who work in the online world that there are other mass channels that account for a great deal of revenue for most large travel brands. The fact that travel has managed to cultivate its revenue stream online over the past few years more than any other vertical bodes well for the future of this industry and its chances of weathering the recession.

Now let's get past recession talk and move on to more productive topics. Specifically, I want to discuss 6 methods that will not only help you avoid slumping sales, but also just might help you grow while everyone else is suffering. ...