Where Being Together Is As Easy As Showing Up

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According to AngelList:

Social app usage is exploding: Daily downloads of Houseparty have risen 25x. The video chat app was downloaded over 650,000 times on March 25. 

Try it out.  Be together.

It's clear the Novel Coronavirus has changed the way we Internet.

Today in Global Small Business: How to Stay Happy During Troubling Times

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

• The novel coronavirus can be stopped but only with harsh steps, experts say.
• Thousands of applicants, zero loans.  Let's hope this changes soon for global SMEs.
• Quote of the week: “Through each crisis in my life, with acceptance and hope, in a single defining moment, I finally gained the courage to do things differently." – Sharon E. Rainey
• Do not count on a fast global economy bounce back.
• Why the global recession could last a long time.
• Tips for how to stay happy during troubling times.

Today in Global Small Business: The COVID-19 Issue

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

• Tracking the number of COVID-19 cases.
• Best iPhone apps and resources for accurate COVID-19 information
• Quote of the week: “I have an increasing sense that the most important crisis of our time is spiritual and that we need places where people can grow stronger in the spirit and be able to integrate the emotional struggles in their spiritual journeys." – Henri Nouwen
• Coronavirus National Emergency Declaration Permits Employers to Offer Tax-Favored Financial Assistance to Employees
• COVID-19 Briefing
• Coronavirus resource center
• SBA to Provide Disaster Assistance Loans for Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Jittery Global Business Owners and Consumers

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Businesses from pet hotels to tour operators to smartphone repair shops and fashion brands, among others, are facing challenges tied to corporate, government and consumer response to the novel coronavirus.

While fears over the growing global coronavirus outbreak sparked widespread economic worries and wild stock market swings last week, small business owners have felt the ripple effects of canceled travel reservations, scrapped conferences, closed factories and jittery consumers.

Learn more about how global small business owners are facing and attempting to overcome hurdles caused by the naval coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Novel Coronavirus Disrupts the Entire Global Supply Chain

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Even if you are buying from factories in India, Vietnam and Myanmar, many of the materials to finish off a product still depend on Chinese producers.

The deadly novel coronavirus that has devastated the Chinese economy is having a ripple effect across the globe. And while it has hit the lucrative auto, tech, energy and tourism industries particularly hard, it is also hurting the small businesses that shape everyday life in just about every corner of the world.

The food we eat, the work we do and the clothes we wear are all daily reminders of the vital role China plays in the global economy.

Read more about how the coronavirus is a daily reminder of China's global reach.

Health Epidemics are a Global Risk

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At the end of January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had downplayed the risk of Novel Coronavirus, but two more weeks with it, the health epidemic instilled a new fear that caused a change of mind.

Tesla’s latest annual 10-K filing revealed a new risk to its business: “health epidemics.” In the filing, the electric automaker said its gigafactory in Shanghai was closed for a brief time as the coronavirus spread in China. “It is unknown whether and how global supply chains, particularly for automotive parts, may be affected if such an epidemic persists for an extended period of time,” the company said. “We may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of our control, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, operating results and financial condition.”

Read more at CNBC's update and get live Novel Coronavirus updates here and here.