In preparing this special edition of Briefing, we discovered some resources which may be beneficial to you in these challenging times:

American Express OPEN Forum® links to Knowledge@Wharton, the Wharton School’s online business journal presents a series of podcasts on key issues facing small business owners – the outlook for the economic downturn and which small- and medium-sized businesses will be most affected.

The National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant 2009 Industry Forecast, an exhaustive analysis based on the latest industry, consumer and demographic data, as well as extensive surveys of restaurateurs and consumers.

R&I and Chain Leader’s series of podcasts offering insights from leading industry experts on the challenges posed by the economic slowdown

The Wall Street Journal’s monthly Economic Forecasting Survey, based on the opinions of 55 economists surveyed throughout the year.