Today in Global Small Business: 7 Language and Learning Apps for Travelers

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• The 7 best language learning and translation apps for travelers according to R.T. Watson for the WSJ.
• Here comes Pico by ByteDance.
• Find, hire and pay remote employees in 160+ countries just got easier.
• Chipotle creates a $50 million fund to invest in early-stage tech companies.
• Quote of the week:  “Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture." — Anthony Burgess
• Christine Lagarde, President of the ECB says, "High inflation is a major challenge for all of us. The Governing Council will make sure that inflation returns to our two per cent target over the medium term."

A New Era of Global Trade

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Christine Lagarde, IMF Managing Director, talks about the future of trade, especially in Portland, Oregon—which she thinks is a fitting venue for her speech on global trade.

Why? Because global trade has a lot in common with the famous bridges across the Willamette River. Some are old, and some are new. Some are in good shape, while others are creaking. Some are non-descript, while others are exceedingly beautiful.

As Christine goes on to say, "Despite their differences, all these bridges are getting the job done—connecting communities and businesses, and encouraging the flow of products, capital, and ideas. This is, in many ways, the story of global trade."

Read more about Christine Lagarde's speech on creating a better global trade system.

Young People in Europe are Deferring Their dreams Due to Poverty and Excessive Inequality

Are We In a New Mediocre or Just a New Norm?

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Digital transformation is here to stay so it really is a case of navigating a path forward with our global small businesses.

According to the World Bank, global economic growth slowed to 2.4% in 2015 and in 2016, has so far shown volatility in global stock markets, a decline in oil prices and growth in emerging economies plateauing amid troubling economic data from China.

At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos many reported the mood being subdued in the face of stubborn macroeconomic headwinds. The head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, called the global economic prospects we now face the “new mediocre”. But is this the new norm?  If so, how will countries be able to spur growth in the future?

Read more:  Digital transformation is here to stay, so how do we navigate a path forward