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Small business owners have to juggle a lot of hats, especially amid coronavirus. To help you navigate these challenging times, American Express is moving its Business Class LIVE: Summit for Success online.
The event takes place next Tuesday, October 20 and has over 35 virtual sessions hosted by a variety of speakers including Shaquille O’Neal and executives from Dell, Amazon, Google, Netflix and more. The events aim to support small business owners through networking, resources and tools. Plus it’s completely free to attend, regardless if you’re an Amex card member or not.
If you’re interested in attending the summit, you must register by October 18.
Here’s what to expect from the ninth-annual Business Class LIVE: Summit for Success, plus how a small business credit card can help you manage business expenses.
Business Class LIVE: Summit for Success
The ninth-annual Business Class LIVE: Summit for Success aims to address the concerns of business owners that were uncovered in a recent survey and expand on Amex’s mission to help businesses do more business, Clayton Ruebensaal, EVP of Global B2B Marketing at American Express, tells CNBC Select.
Business owners stated that the top three resources they would find most helpful in navigating these unprecedented times are virtual business conferences/webinars (47%), virtual networking events (44%) and advice/resources about leading through a crisis (44%), according to the recent American Express Business Resiliency Survey.
The Summit’s goal is to provide resources that can help businesses grow, hire more people, increase sales and expand into new lines of business. Ruebensaal says that this virtual event balances three themes — education, social and entertainment — to make the information resonate with business owners.
In order to shift this event from in-person to digital, American Express built a fully immersive Amex Virtual Campus that attendees can explore. The virtual campus includes an auditorium, rooftop and lounge that host sessions throughout the day.
Sessions are broken up into one of four tracks:
- Good for Business: Tools to help grow and operate a business.
- Good for People: Tools to help stay balanced, inspired and motivated to fuel success.
- Good for Community: Workshops and tips on building a cross-cultural business community.
- Business Stories: Hear how business owners have pivoted, the lessons learned and tips to unleash growth potential.
Some events you can expect include a keynote round table with Shaquille O’Neal, Venus Williams and Anna Marrs, President of Global Commercial Services at Amex. Plus sessions addressing the needs of women- and black-owned businesses, as well as challenges faced by LGBTQ+- and Latino-owned businesses.
Perks of using a small business credit card
Opening a small business credit card is a great way to streamline day-to-day business expenses while also benefiting from perks like rewards and discounts at merchants.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express offers 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases up to $50,000 per year, then 1X point per dollar.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express is a great option if you're starting a business because it's affordable, earns flexible travel rewards and offers an intro-APR on purchases for a year.
- Valuable intro-APR offer for purchases for 12 months
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20+ airline and hotel loyalty programs
- No annual fee
- Bonus rewards for purchases are capped
- Few useful travel insurance benefits
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
- 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 16.74% - 28.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
- Earn 2X points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter. Terms and limitations apply.
- You've got the power to spend above your credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power. *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is flexible, so it adapts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors. Just remember, the amount you can spend with Expanded Buying Power is not unlimited.
- No Annual Fee
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.
And since it’s important to separate personal and business expenses for tax reasons, a business card can help you designate between the two. Plus you can manage employee spending by adding your employees to your business card account. This takes the hassle out of reimbursing employees for business spending on their personal card and can make expense management easier.
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has no annual fee and doesn’t charge for employee cards (see rates and fees). Meanwhile The American Express® Business Gold Card has a $375 annual fee and allows up to 99 additional cards. (see rates and fees)
The American Express Business Gold Card maximizes spending with flexible bonus reward categories based on where your business spends the most.
- Earn up to $545 in credits every year for eligible business purchases
- Generous bonus rewards categories with high spending caps
- Earns flexible rewards you can transfer to 20 airline and hotel loyalty programs
- High annual fee
- Statement credit offers are earned on a monthly basis and only apply to specific purchases
Highlights
Highlights shown here are provided by the issuer and have not been reviewed by CNBC Select's editorial staff.
- As High As 200,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 200,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $15,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points on the top two eligible categories where your business spends the most each month from 6 eligible categories. While your top 2 categories may change, you will earn 4X points on the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these categories each calendar year (then 1X thereafter). Only the top 2 categories each billing cycle will count towards the $150,000 cap.
- Earn up to $20 in statement credits monthly after you use the Business Gold Card for eligible U.S. purchases at FedEx (through 10/01/2026), Grubhub, and Office Supply Stores. This can be an annual savings of up to $240. Enrollment required.
- Enroll and get up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year on U.S. purchases of ChatGPT Business* on the Business Gold Card. *Subject to auto-renewal.
- Enroll and get up to $150 in statement credits per calendar year for U.S. purchases with Squarespace. Subscription purchases subject to auto-renewal.
- Get up to a $12.95** statement credit back each month after you pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) with your Business Gold Card. **Up to $12.95 plus applicable taxes on one membership fee.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels booked on AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™.
- The Business Gold Card comes in three metal designs: Gold, Rose Gold and White Gold. Make your selection when you apply on Americanexpress.com.
- Terms Apply
- See Rates & Fees
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Don’t miss:
For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
