American Express OPEN today unveiled the new OPEN Forum (openforum.com), an online resource and networking site for business owners. The site is designed to forge meaningful business connections and provide practical, actionable information and insights from influential bloggers, industry leaders, and savvy entrepreneurs. In addition, the site will aggregate relevant online small business conversations from Twitter.
At the heart of the new OPEN Forum is the ConnectodexSM, a powerful tool for American Express OPEN Cardmembers which enables them to market their business, find vendors and build relationships. The Connectodex differentiates OPEN Forum from other social media sites because it allows members to navigate a virtual rolodex of credentialed businesses to make meaningful business connections.

The Connectodex’s recommendation engine can help users find businesses with similar interests or in similar geographies, as well as connect with members that may offer complimentary services and expertise.

Coming later this summer, OPEN Forum will introduce The Pulse, an innovative feature that can help business owners harness the vast information and collective brainpower of the popular microblogging website Twitter in one easy-to-follow location. The Pulse section curates and filters small-business-focused updates and allows users to sort by industry to help make it easier to follow conversations relevant to their businesses. Business owners can also receive the latest news from OPEN Forum by following @OPENForum on Twitter (twitter.com/openforum).

“Our research has found that nearly 60 percent of small business owners feel challenged in finding innovative ways to market their business, yet only one-in-ten are tapping opportunities in social networking,” said Marcy Shinder, vice president of brand management for American Express OPEN. “The new OPEN Forum provides a one-of-a-kind community where business owners can equip themselves with the best information and resources available to build and grow resilient businesses, including opportunities to leverage social media.”

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Posted: 07|22|09 at 6:26 pm. Filed under: Business.