NEW YORK, October 27, 2008 -- American Express OPEN, the
nation's leading issuer of payment card products for small business owners,
today announced the launch of OPEN Forum's Economy section, a new platform for
small business owners to connect virtually to discuss the current state of the
economy and how it affects their businesses. The Economy section is a component
of the newly refreshed OPENForum.com, an education and networking resource
designed to provide small business owners with practical, actionable information
from business experts, celebrity business owners and best-in-class bloggers and
news outlets.
"Business owners tell us they want quick access to actionable information
that can help solve problems," said Marcy Shinder, vice president of brand
marketing and strategy for American Express OPEN. "The uncertainty in today's
economy calls for a robust and efficient resource from which entrepreneurs can
draw insights and practical tips to help survive and thrive in turbulent
times."
At present, the Economy section of OPEN Forum features blog and news
commentary, expert tips and advice for surviving the downturn, personal
experiences from business owners across the country about how they are managing
in times of the downturn and polls about what the state of the economy means for
small business. To view the Economy section, visit http://blogs.openforum.com/category/economy/.
Also part of OPEN Forum's enhanced content, OPEN has unveiled new video
segments from "Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind," an interview series featuring
roundtable discussions with celebrity business owners in key vertical
industries.
Video segments from the culinary industry featuring celebrity restaurant
owner Tom Colicchio and celebrity chef Sara Moulton as they discuss business
issues such as personal branding, business expansion and leveraging new
technology are now available on the site. Clips from the roundtable discussion
can be viewed at http://www.openforum.com/food.
Clips from this year's Inc 500/Inc 5,000 Conference, America's leading
conference for entrepreneurs, featuring entrepreneur, best-selling author and
marketing guru Seth Godin and best-selling author and management expert Tom
Peters as they discuss small business trends are also available.
While Colicchio and Godin are best-known in their respective culinary and
marketing industries, their discussions with the "Inside the Entrepreneurial
Mind" series are designed to uncover insights that transcend industry barriers
and provide actionable information for all small business owners.
"Business owners are faced with daily challenges - more so now than ever -
about what to do differently and how to better sustain and grow their business,"
said Shinder. "OPEN has teamed up with luminaries like Tom Colicchio and Seth
Godin because they not only inspire business owners broadly and particularly in
their industry, but also because they come to the table with practical advice on
managing through adversity, growth avenues for marketing and distribution, tips
for working with large customers, and so much more."
The enhanced OPEN Forum site also announces exclusive original content from
noted small business bloggers, including:
- Guy Kawasaki, distinguished author, entrepreneur and creator of the "How to
Change the World" blog
- Mike Masnick, business development and marketing expert and creator of
"TechDirt" blog
- John Jantsch, marketing and digital technology coach, award winning social
media publisher and creator of "Duct Tape Marketing" blog
- "Knowledge@Wharton," the online business journal of The Wharton School of
the University of Pennsylvania
These bloggers join OPEN Forum's existing roster of small business bloggers,
including John Battelle ("Searchblog"), Scott Belsky ("Behance" blog), Anita
Campbell ("Small Business Trends" blog), and others, to provide users with a
stream of fresh, relevant content. For a complete list of blogs available on
OPEN Forum, visit http://blogs.openforum.com/.
In addition to enhanced blog coverage, OPEN Forum will continue to feature a
mix of information developed by OPEN, including videos and information from its
educational platform and interactive commentary from business owners.
Also featured on OPEN Forum is mainstream media coverage from best-in class
small business news providers such as CNNMoney.com, Entrepreneur, Fortune Small
Business, Inc, iVillage, Slate and WIRED.
In addition, OPEN Forum was recently recognized by The Interactive
Advertising Bureau (IAB) with a Gold MIXX Award for excellence in Brand
Awareness and Positioning. The MIXX Awards honor interactive advertising
campaigns and recognize excellence in both creativity and effectiveness.
Exclusive content from the "Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind" interview
series, news articles, blog posts and electronic copies of OPEN Book,
OPEN-authored business guides, can be found on OPEN Forum at http://openforum.com/.
About American Express OPEN(SM)
American Express OPEN is dedicated exclusively to
the success of small business owners and their companies. OPEN supports business
owners with exceptional service. With tailored products and services, the team
delivers purchasing power, flexibility, control and rewards to help customers
run their business. Specifically, business owners can leverage an enhanced set
of products, tools, services and savings, including charge and credit cards,
convenient access to working capital, robust online account management
capabilities and savings on business services from an expanded lineup of
partners. To obtain more information about OPEN, visit OPEN.com, or call
1-800-NOW-OPEN to apply for a card or loan. Terms and conditions apply.
American Express Company www.americanexpress.com is a leading global
payments, network and travel company founded in 1850
