Access to current and archived data such as World Economic Outlook and Primary Commodity Prices (includes Oil and Natural Gas).

Discussion of global trends and analysis of individual countries.

Many factors go into making a business successful, and where it is located can be the first major decision for investors and entrepreneurs.

The World Factbook provides basic intelligence on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.

Market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business customs for over 125 countries prepared by trade and industry experts at U.S. embassies worldwide.

Expanding your business to another country can help you open up new markets and even develop country-specific products. If international business were easy, however, every small business would be opening up international offices. When you do business overseas, you'll need to consider the cultural mandates of each country in which you do business, and you will also need to ensure you obey both local and international laws.

The aspirations of doing business in other countries come with several challenges and prerequisites that you need to consider before stepping into the world of expanding your abroad. Here we go into the specifics of conducting business in a foreign country, things to look out for, pitfalls etc. to get you started with your international expansion plans.

Starting a business in another country can be financially and emotionally rewarding if you do your homework, have realistic expectations for success, and avoid or compensate for the potential obstacles that inevitably accompany a new venture. All new businesses are inherently risky. In the United States, perhaps one of the most friendly climes in the world for entrepreneurship, almost one-half of new business operations fail by the end of the fourth year, and one in four fail by the end of the first year.

While there are no statistics indicating the failure rate of new enterprises by country, you should assume that the difficulty of achieving success is as least as hard in a foreign land as here in the United States. However, there are a number of tips and techniques you can follow to help better the odds of success.

Economic information about countries of the world. (Courtesy of FAU. Users will need to sign in with their FAU user name and password.

Most people live their whole lives in the country they were born in. And so it’s easy to see why most businesspeople base their operations in their home countries. But there are good reasons to look around the world and see if your business might be better located somewhere else.

Country economic profiles.

The World Bank Group is formulating a new approach to assessing the business and investment climate in economies worldwide following the discontinuation of the Doing Business project. Updates on the development of the new Business Enabling Environment (BEE) project will be published on this website as they become available. In the interim, this website will act as a one-stop shop to spotlight a set of curated indicators and resources for users focused on improving the business environment.

The word is out – Double the Donation maintains the largest, most comprehensive, and most accurate matching gift database. We know size matters because we’re in the business of helping donors submit matching gift requests.

Your donors will search for subsidiaries, brand names, and local offices. They will misspell company names. The comprehensive nature of the Double the Donation database ensures that no matter what your donors search, they find the right company.

Although philanthropy has some commonalities with charity, not all charity is philanthropy, although there will always be overlap.

Selflessly makes it easy for employees to discover aligned charities, donate on demand, track their contributions, and even prepare for tax season. Employees report feeling empowered when they give back. They desire giving to be easy. And, they feel grateful when giving programs are provided by their workplace.

Samples of corporate philanthropy.

Use our ratings to find and support nonprofits that align with your passions and values.

Corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility

All things philanthropy...

Aside from business expansion, here are a few other things to consider before relocating your business:

New markets. Is your target market no longer in the same area as your business? You may relocate to an area or community where there is higher traffic frequented by your target market.
Hiring opportunities. Relocation offers the chance for businesses to tap into a qualified, educated, and talented workforce— but the opposite can be true, too, especially if you are a niche business. Are there enough workers in your new market that specialize in what you do?
Opportunity to lower costs. Some business owners may discover they can significantly save on rent and utility rates if they move out of expensive cities and into suburban areas.
Tax incentives. Tax rates can seriously influence the size of your profit margin, and those tax rates are primarily determined by location. Look for a location with tax rates amenable to you. Some locations even offer tax credits for businesses in specific industries!
Employee experience. Employees want to work for companies that keep their needs in mind. Is your new location better or worse for your employees? Existing employees may like or dislike the new location for reasons of commute time or proximity. These and other factors will influence whether your present employees are ready to relocate with you.
Customer experience. How will your customers be impacted if you move? If your business relies on one type of client or market, be cautious about how relocating could impact that business relationship.
Better quality of life. If the area you currently work in has gradually grown unsafe or unhealthy, moving presents the chance for a better quality of life. Relocation may also help attract emerging talent to your business.

To rank America’s Top States for Business in 2022, CNBC scored all 50 states on 88 metrics in 10 broad categories of competitiveness. Each category is weighted based on how frequently states use them as a selling point in economic development marketing materials. That way, our study ranks the states based on the attributes they use to sell themselves. We developed our criteria and metrics in consultation with a diverse array of business and policy experts, and the states. Our study is not an opinion survey. We use data from a variety of sources to measure the states’ performance. Under our methodology, states can earn a maximum of 2,500 points. The states with the most are America’s Top States for Business.

Starting a business in 2021? Where you start your business can make a big difference. Check out our in-depth study to identify the top 10 best states to start your small business in.

A new survey from CNBC looks at the ease of doing business in each US state.
The methodology includes factors like the cost of doing business and access to capital.
This visualization looks at the results.

The United States often ranks as one of the best countries to start a business in, but the ease with which one can do business varies state by state. There are many considerations that factor into starting a business like the available workforce, the condition of local infrastructure, access to investors, a culture that’s open to business, and so on.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 47 million people quit their jobs in 2021. Then, roughly 5.4 million new business applications were filed, a 53% increase from 2019. If you’re thinking about joining this entrepreneurial club, several crucial decisions lie ahead.

The "Top States" report looks at some of the places ripe for successfully growing and doing business based on the views of our expert panel of consultants.

Annual studies examine business policies around the U.S. to find the best states for small businesses.

Listing the states from best to worst requires lots of research. Multiple factors affect each destination in different ways. Starting a business needs office space, employees, and capital. Moreover, each state has its tax rates, some of which affect fresh business owners.

In deciding where to bring their business, companies must define their priorities by weighing multiple operating and human costs. National governments face a similar cost-benefit analysis in setting corporate tax rates and policy. The countries considered the most business-friendly are those that are perceived to best balance stability and expense. These market-oriented countries are a haven for capitalists and corporations.

2021 Best Countries rankings, formed by US News & World Report, BAV Group, VMLY&R, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, evaluate countries with various indicators. In this article, we’re going to find out the best countries for entrepreneurs.

Most people live their whole lives in the country they were born in. And so it’s easy to see why most businesspeople base their operations in their home countries. But there are good reasons to look around the world and see if your business might be better located somewhere else.

Each year, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) presents its comparative assessment of national entrepreneurial conditions. The aim of this is to rank countries in terms of their ability to encourage new businesses. The results should be of interest to policymakers and entrepreneurs alike.

The World Citizenship Report (WCR) looks at the top business hubs globally, among other motivators for individuals looking to widen their prospects. The economic opportunity motivator measures the “overall ability of a nation to extend wealth, material comfort, and other key benefits of a strong economy to all its citizens.”

Every year, the World Bank Group releases its "Doing Business" report, which ranks the best countries to do business in, based on 10 key indicators.
In 2020, the top five countries best to start a business in were New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong (China), Denmark, and South Korea.
According to the 2020 report, 115 countries made it easier to do business in the past year, although Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America generally fall behind; no countries in Latin America make the top 50.

When you start a business, the first question that comes to mind is probably where you'll be located. You might have some ideas about your industry or what type of business you want to start. But where should you set up shop if you're considering expanding across borders and doing international business? Here are three ideal countries for starting a global business based on their ability to accommodate new businesses, lack of stress on the pocketbook and friendly atmosphere for foreigners who want to start something new.

Which country would you like to start a business in?

To better quantify investment risk, including the potential for market illiquidity and volatility; country specific risk charges are incorporated within AM Best's Universal BCAR Model. This enables the analytical team to increase the risk considered within an insurance company's invested assets which could diminish financial flexibility. Countries are categorized into one of five Country Investment Classes (CICs). Country Investment Class 1 (CIC-1) represents economies with relatively stable and liquid capital markets while CIC-5 represents markets with the least liquidity and highest volatility. It should be noted that while there are 5 CRTs and 5 CICs; there is not always a direct correlation between the two classifications. View the list of Best's Country Investment Classes.