Start your business in Europe: Introduction

  # 41 Ukraine

  Very clean

  Mostly clean

  Moderately clean

  Not very clean

  Moderately corrupt

  Mostly corrupt

  Highly corrupt

  The ranking from 2015 shows that Scandinavian and Central European countries are rather clean. Next in the ranking are Southern and Eastern European countries that rank fairly law and that have the highest perceived corruption in the entire Europe. It is also worth of note that the former Soviet Republics in Eastern Europe (Russia, Ukraine and Belarus) have one of the highest corruption indices in the world.

  4.Where exactly set up your business in Europe?

  Verifying the attractiveness of any of the European regions or a particular country as an investment location is intended to support to make most efficient investment decisions. Currently there appears a great variety of annual surveys of major business centers in Europe based on data and assessments from leading European companies: you can rely on Cushman & Wakefield Index (a privately held commercial real estate services firm), the Forbes Leading European Cities Ranking or on the Big Four consulting companies such as EY, KPMG, Deloitte or PwC, which are the four largest professional services networks, offering audit, assurance, tax, advisory, corporate finance, and legal service.

  However, please keep in mind that it is very important to determine the particular needs, limitations and goals of your business or business start-up before putting your faith in any of the surveys and studies mentioned in this contribution. The reason is simply that that what makes London, Berlin or Paris attractive for Europe’s leading businesses may not necessarily be as significant for small businesses or start-ups.

  All of the aforementioned surveys focus not only on the main topic “city best for business” etc., but first of all they intend to verify and take into account also quality of life, telecommunications, access to markets, human capital, cost effectiveness, infrastructure, business friendliness, the amount of foreign direct investment, technology and financial services. Those factors might be important in indentifying best business locations.

  If you would like to know more about Leading Business Cities in Europe, M&A operations as well as operational constrains: time, costs and required minimum paid-in capital please check our e-book: “How to set up business in Europe”.