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The Ultimate Business Tune-up for Times Like These

In a tough economy with credit extremely tight, big investments are not an option for most companies. Yet no business can afford to stand still. We asked our favorite entrepreneurs for the tips and tricks they have used to pilot their businesses through difficult times. The result: 23 things you can do right now to energize your employees, wow your customers, and get your business back on track

Flying Chilli

George Naddaff, Boston Chicken
Bring Back the Fun

Paul Graham, Y Combinator
Think Like a Tech Start-up

John Mackey, Whole Foods
If You Cut, Cut Deeply

Scott Cook, Intuit
Think Young

Fritz Maytag, Anchor Brewing
Take a Risk

Barbara Corcoran, The Corcoran Group
Furlough Your Sales Staff

Ari Weinzweig, Zingerman's Community of Businesses
Be a Mensch

Richard Thalheimer, The Sharper Image
Disconnect Your Phone

Tony Hsieh, Zappos.com
Pay Employees to Quit

Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre Hospitality
Find Ways to Praise Employees

Bob Metcalfe, 3Com
Make Everyone Sell

Bert Jacobs, Life Is Good
Listen. Really Listen.

Brian Scudamore, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?
Rally the Troops

Keith McFarland, McFarland Strategy Partners
Be Brutally Honest

Eric Ryan, Method
Piggyback on Someone Else's Efforts

Bernie Marcus, The Home Depot
Expand Employees' Minds

Jenny Craig
Market More, Not Less

Jack Stack, SRC Holdings
Open Wide

Scott Anthony, Innosight
Go Back to Your Roots

Paul Orfalea, Kinko's
Pay for Leads

Robert Stephens, Geek Squad
Get Crazy

John Chambers, Cisco Systems
Plan for the Upturn

Perry Klebahn, Timbuk2
Get Serious About Service

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George Naddaff, Boston Chicken
Bring Back the Fun

Back in the days of Boston Chicken, we had a very effective promotion for slow periods. We had a chicken suit designed. Boy, that thing was chickenlike. One of the employees would slide into it. And then we would "put the chicken on the street." The chicken, armed with coupons, would chase women with strollers, flapping its wings. And the street would suddenly pick up. People would start honking their horns at the chicken. Giving the chicken the thumbs-up. It just made everyone more upbeat.

So I was thinking, What can I do to get more people into my new business, UFood Grill? I went to the guy who designed that chicken suit. And I said, "Bob, I want you to design us some French fries" -- we call them UnFries -- "in a box. And I'll put a person in the box. And I want you to design a cup that looks like my UBerry yogurt. And I'll put a person in that. And we'll put them on the street. We'll create some action."

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Adam Bluestein

A former editor at Real Simple, Adam Bluestein writes frequently about innovation and new technology. He lives with his wife and two children in Burlington, Vermont. @AdamBluestein

Leigh Buchanan

Leigh Buchanan is an editor at large for Inc. Magazine. A former editor at Harvard Business Review and founding editor of WebMaster magazine, she writes regular columns on leadership and workplace culture, and she contributes Inc.'s capsule book reviews, "A Skimmer's Guide to the Latest Business Books." @LeighEBuchanan

Max Chafkin

Senior writer Max Chafkin has profiled companies such as Yelp, Zappos, Twitter, Threadless, and Tesla for the magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. @chafkin

Jason Del Rey

Senior reporter Jason Del Rey covers technology, branding, and company culture for Inc. magazine and contributes to the From the Reporters daily blog. Before joining Inc., his work appeared in Newsday, The (Newark) Star-Ledger, and the Staten Island Advance, and on ESPN.com. He lives in New York City. @DelRey

April Joyner

April Joyner is a reporter for Inc. magazine. She regularly covers sales and marketing topics and writes on start-ups for Inc.’s "Elevator Pitch" column. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. @aprjoy