The Innovation Toolkit Even in a tough economy, there's one thing you can count on to keep your business afloat: Innovation. We asked these entrepreneurs and experts to reveal the secrets of their success-and how you can use their experiences to your advantage.

In a difficult economy, when small businesses have trouble finding capital, health insurance and nearly everything else, there is one element of business success that can still be had on the cheap: innovation. According to most economists, innovation remains probably the most important component of small-business success. Despite the downturn, smart companies are pouring more into research and development, and small businesses that continue to innovate, even in highly competitive fields, don't only survive, but thrive.

Here, then, are 18 how-tos of innovation every entrepreneur should consider.

How to convince people they need your innovation
Karl Jacob
Over the past year, many different technologies have come out for fighting spam. Using traditional advertising to differentiate yourself in such a crowded market just doesn't work. Instead, we make sure all the technical people at the big companies, like IBM, get a free copy of our software. Once people see the techs using it, they assume it's the best product and start using it themselves.
Karl Jacob is the CEO of Cloudmark, a company that develops spam-fighting technology.