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If you’re looking for marketing advice for your small business, OPEN from American Express may have some hints for you. Their “Inside the Entrepreneurial Mind” series of online forums offers small-business owners insight from successful entrepreneurs in niche-specific industries. The latest forum focuses on “The Business of Technology,” and is available to view starting today at openforum.com/eventcenter. Learn from notable names like Facebook founder Sean Parker and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales as they share their business experience to benefit your business. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the topics:

Viral marketing–How is viral marketing different than word-of-mouth marketing? Wales believes the best of “old world” business principles still applies in the world of new media.
Transparency–Wales explains how radical transparency works and why your customers will respect you for it.
Branding and marketing–Parker talks about the importance of creating an experience in order to engage your customers online.

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Washington, D.C.—As the U.S. economy appears to slow down, many small business owners confront new challenges. Unlike corporations, small businesses rarely have the resources to monitor and take action for every issue and trend. Even those owners who have weathered numerous business cycles may meet new circumstances that frustrate their otherwise successful instincts and experience.

Business owners can take a number of steps that will help them overcome the worst of times and achieve success when conditions inevitably improve. SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business” offers tips on how to deal with a slowing economy.

Consult your bank about your business’s financial status. Lenders have valuable experience with economic cycles, and they can advise you on issues specific to your business and industry. It also may be helpful to arrange a line of credit. You may not need it for several months or at all. If a lag in cash flow occurs, though, you will have a ready source of bridge money in place.

Make sure you have good relations with your creditors. You may find it necessary to renegotiate terms, but overdue bills and inconsistent payment practices will not help your position. Your creditors may be experiencing financial difficulties as well. Any flexibility will hinge on whether they perceive you as a reliable partner, or as a risk.

Keep a close watch on your receivables. Follow up with anyone who owes your company money and make sure they are meeting their terms. Be firm when dealing with problem accounts, but also be willing to negotiate when appropriate. It may take only a matter of months for a struggling customer to become a stable source of income. If you can accommodate such situations without adversely affecting your company’s financial position, everybody wins.

Review your operations and expenses on a regular basis. If you monitor your profitability on a monthly basis, you may want to do it weekly or biweekly during slow economic times. Review your business plan more often. Monthly or quarterly reviews will make it easier to make adjustments and keep your business on track.

Step up your marketing outreach. Many businesses mistakenly see marketing as a luxury when money is tight. This is the time you need marketing most. It reassures your current customers you are still there to serve them, and it can help you reach new markets to sustain your business. Stay “top of mind” by publishing a print or email newsletter.

Maintain good relationships with your customers. Make sure it is easy for people to contact you, and return calls promptly. Develop a Web site and dedicate a part of your Web site specifically to customer needs. Create a survey and ask your customers how you can serve them better.

Build a support team. Establish an advisory group with key personnel inside or outside of your business. Attend seminars, read trade publications and join online message boards. Consult outside professionals to get unbiased advice.

PC maker and services company Elonex is to launch a $195 laptop aimed at students.

The British manufacturer will unveil the “One” laptop at The Education Show, which is to be held in Birmingham from February 28 to March 1. According to Elonex, the Linux-based laptop will boast a 3-hour battery life, Wi-Fi, a flash-based hard drive, a “hard-wearing case” and a “wireless music server,” and will weigh less than 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). However, the company has refused to release any hard specifications for the device ahead of the show.

“The One removes the cost barrier that has prevented the one-laptop-per-person, large-scale uptake of computers in the education system that has for so long been just a pipe dream,” Sam Goult, Elonex’s marketing manager, said in a statement last week. “Investment in digital technology is paramount to help the next generation achieve their full potential.”

Speaking to ZDNet.co.uk on Monday, an Elonex spokesperson justified the company’s reluctance to reveal hard specifications by claiming that “the main thrust of the whole One project is not really about the specs–the most important thing about it is it (costs) 100 pounds”

Referring to the device’s use of Linux, the spokesperson said that–aside from the fact that avoiding Windows brings down the cost of the laptop–the decision was influenced by government guidelines that encourage a “move away from the monopoly Microsoft has.”

According to Elonex, the One laptop “fits in line with the goal of the (Department for Children, Schools and Families) to close the gap between those from low-income and disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.” To this end, for every 100 laptops sold, the company will donate one of the devices to underprivileged children.

The One laptop is not the first low-cost laptop to be aimed at the educational market–the One Laptop per Child project’s XO device, Asus’s Eee PC, and Intel’s Classmate PC all fit the same bill. But so far, the Elonex machine looks to be the cheapest option for U.K. customers, due in part to the lack of local pricing from the other vendors.

Before finalizing the decision to start your own business, get a “buy-in” from your family. It’s surprising how few people discuss in detail with their family the possible impacts of owning a business. Create a list with your family of the pros and cons of starting your own business. Then continue these conversations on a regular basis to assess what is or isn’t working for everyone.

Compile a schedule that includes your business commitments as well as the activities of each family member. Evaluate your calendar for openings and schedule or delegate your to-dos to prevent tasks from being overlooked. That includes tasks as simple as running to the cleaners. Don’t overdo the multitasking because you’ll be less productive, and the quality of your work could suffer if you spread yourself too thinly.

Working for yourself requires you to wear many hats. Coupled with family commitments, you can find yourself completely overwhelmed. So plan ahead to relieve the stress of hectic mornings. Lay clothes out the night before. Begin preparing weekday lunches on Sunday by placing small bins in the refrigerator for each day of the week. Fill each bin with luncheon goodies, such as chips, cookies and fruit. If your child needs milk money, include that in each bin so you don’t have to hunt for change. Each night before you go to bed, grab the contents of the bin and place them in a lunchbox.

Resist the Superwoman Role
Don’t try to be superwoman. If your house resembles a tornado, learn not to let it stress you out. Ask family members to help out or consider hiring a housekeeper. So what if you have soup and grilled cheese sandwiches rather than lasagna for dinner? That won’t harm anyone. What will harm you is trying to do everything without any help or downtime. That will leave you with a struggling business and an unhappy family.

One benefit of both parents working is the opportunity for children to learn responsibility. Have the kids pitch in with age-appropriate jobs. Create a checklist for the kids: Brush teeth, brush hair, make the bed and feed the dog. This can be done on a reward basis. Measure their contributions to the household on a chart and factor that into their allowance. You can also reward children with “chips” for chores and good behavior. They also can lose chips for not doing chores or for exhibiting bad behavior. In our home, each chip is worth 50 cents. Every two weeks, the kids cash in all their chips for money.

Make time for everyone in the family to relax. For example, make meal time family time. That means no TV, no phone calls and no multitasking. This time is for sharing your day with one another. It’s a wonderful way for everyone to unwind and enjoy each other.

Keep communication lines open with your children’s teachers and caregivers. Staying on top of issues will reduce stress down the road. Also, hearing positive things about your child’s progress provides uplifting topics for dinner conversation. If you like to participate in your child’s classroom events but can’t fit them into your work schedule, try being involved based on your availability. When you know you’ll have free time, contact the teacher and ask whether you can assist in class.

The key is not to get overwhelmed. Take time for yourself, delegate when possible and manage your to-do list so you can live a balanced life.