SmallBizResource Blog -- Economy

Sound Off About The Economy

Posted by Gayle Kesten Monday, Nov 3, 2008, 02:33 PM ET

All economy, all the time -- that's the niche for American Express OPEN's new forum for small-business owners.

The Today's Economy section features blog and news commentary, advice for surviving the downturn, polls about what the state of the economy means for small business, and personal experiences from business owners about how they are managing.

By way of example:

"For the last several months, we've been looking at every area of the operation, trying to figuring out where we can cut. It's especially difficult in the services industry because you have to give so much, offer so much, and it's very hard to do the same with less," says noted restauraunt owner/chef Tom Colicchio, in an "Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind" video -- also a new site offering that showcases roundtable discussions with celebrity business owners in key vertical industries. "But in a down economy, your employees are more willing to help you because. They're also nervous they'll lose their jobs."

Blog contributors include Small Biz Trends' Anita Campbell, whose latest posting offers tips on how to communicate with your employees when your business is going through difficult times; Wharton management professor Raffi Amit on which growing businesses will be most affected by the downturn; and Duct Tape Marketing's John Jantsch, who says "the current state of economic affairs cries out for leaders."

But big names aside, all members are encouraged to share their experiences, some of which will be featured in OPEN's "Small Business Spotlight." It's also a great place to turn for a free dose of inspiration.

Besides this site, that is.

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