2024-02-06
by Michael
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2024 STEP export grant applications open

Applications are now being accepted for the first round of State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grants in 2024. The STEP program is designed to support small businesses seeking to start or expand exports to foreign markets. The program is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration and administered in Texas by the Texas Department of Agriculture. (Non-agricultural businesses are also eligible.)

Texas Department of Agriculture Seal

The program provides stipends to reimburse up to $10,000 in export-related expenses for eligible small businesses. Applications for this round must be received by February 29, 2024. The grants are no longer awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, but it's still never a good idea to wait till the last minute to apply!

Free assistance with grant applications

Small Business Administration logo

For a limited time, Swift Passage will provide free, no-obligation assistance in completing the STEP grant application to eligible Texas businesses. Please complete the form at the link to request free grant application assistance.

A world of opportunity awaits!

2024-01-18
by Michael
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Free online event for World Endangered Writing Day

It’s not just the diversity of languages themselves, but also that of the writing systems that express and preserve them, that is endangered around the world. Tim Brookes, founder of the Endangered Alphabets Project, estimates that some 85% of the world’s scripts are close to extinction. To encourage the study of written language within the discipline of linguistics and to support indigenous communities struggling to revitalize their unique scripts, Brookes and the Endangered Alphabets Projects are organizing a free online event for World Endangered Writing Day on January 23, 2024. MultiLingual Magazine has more details and a registration link.

Exotic vertical writing engraved on a wooden board

2023-12-28
by Michael
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Global traders learn adaptability

Resilience has been a hot topic since the supply chain disruptions that emerged during the Covid pandemic. A recent Global Trade article examines the roles of technology and both internal and external communications as companies adapt to the inevitable logistical and regulatory problems that crop up in international trade. I’d add that the adaptability, resilience, and agility that a company develops in learning to overcome these exporting challenges also make it a far stronger competitor back in the home market.

2023-12-22
by Michael
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Anguish in Prague

I am horrified by yesterday’s mass shooting in my beloved once-and-future “third home” of Prague (report in English, in Czech). I took Czech classes in my first summer language program in the very building where it happened. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and the people of this beautiful city.

AI image with outline of heart with colors of Czech flag, Prague skyline in background

2023-12-21
by Michael
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New Cato Institute series “Defending Globalization”

The Cato Institute has launched a new series of essays on “Defending Globalization: Society and Culture”. The first, “Food Globalization Puts the World on Your Plate”, explores the ways globalization has revolutionized the ways the world eats and drinks, both at home and dining out. Who would have guessed the most popular takeout food in Thailand — burritos?

Thanks to Laurel at the Global Small Business Blog for the link!

Colorful pread of fresh produce, bread and pasta

2023-10-08
by Michael
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Swift Passage will support language revitalization groups

As I reboot my business (more on that in a later post), I'm committed to making a positive difference in the communities we serve that goes beyond our day-to-day work with clients. Since the diversity of human languages is a key element in what we do, there's no better avenue for realizing that commitment than to support organizations working to sustain and promote endangered languages — and no better time than Indigenous People's Day to make an initial donation.

Language preservation is of paramount importance for indigenous communities, serving as a fundamental pillar of their cultural identity and heritage. These languages are not mere tools of communication; they encapsulate centuries of wisdom, traditional knowledge, and a unique worldview intricately tied to the land and environment. As globalization and modernization continue to exert their influence, indigenous languages face the risk of extinction, with many already on the verge of disappearing. The loss of a language equates to the erasure of a distinct way of understanding the world, impacting social structures, spiritual practices, and the transmission of ancestral wisdom. Language preservation is a crucial step towards maintaining the rich tapestry of diversity in our global cultural landscape, fostering a sense of pride and self-worth within indigenous communities, and facilitating intergenerational continuity. Efforts to safeguard and revitalize these languages are not just linguistic endeavors; they are acts of cultural resilience and resistance against the forces that threaten to homogenize the world's cultural mosaic.

This year we begin with a donation to The Language Conservancy, the foremost organization working with endangered languages in North America, working in partnership with dozens of communities to revitalize their languages.

Since "Swift Passage 2.0" is still in its infancy, this year's contribution is more of a symbolic gesture, but I intend to increase the percentage of profits donated to The Language Conservancy and allied organizations each year as long as we're around.

Map of native languages of North America
Image source: Wikimedia Commons