Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has changed drastically, moving from a centrally planned economy to a market-based economy. The majority of industry in the country is now privatised, although there are some exceptions.

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South Africa is a country with a strange mixture of third world poverty and advanced infrastructure. It is the wealthiest country in Africa, but has a life expectancy of just 45. However, it is going through rapid economic changes and has seen huge social changes since Apartheid ended – although racial tensions are still high.

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Taiwan’s population is largely made up of Chinese migrants – as a result, doing business in Taiwan is very similar to working in China. However, the Taiwanese tend to be more competitive and driven to succeed. Throughout the country, traditional Chinese values compete with capitalism.

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The UAE is generally viewed as a very rich country thanks to its oil reserves, and rightly so – it was ranked as the world’s sixth-richest country by the International Monetary Fund in 2010. Its residents have the highest average income in the world, with over 50 percent of this wealth coming from the capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi.

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The USA is the largest economy in the world, accounting for almost a quarter of GDP globally. It has strong trade links with Canada, Mexico and China. The USA is also the world’s most heavily invested-into country, receiving $2.58 trillion in foreign investment in 2010. As well as having a huge economy, the USA is widely recognised as being very supportive of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

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Argentina is the second largest country in South America, made up of 23 provinces and the autonomous city of Buenos Aires. It is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, and the eighth largest country in the world by land area. Argentina is South America’s third largest economy; in recent years, it has been classed as an emerging economy due to its potential market size and percentage of high-tech exports.

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Officially known as the Kingdom of Norway, Norway has a population of 4.9 million and is the world’s largest exporter of oil and natural gas outside of the Middle East. It is known for its commitment to social welfare and offers universal health care, subsidised higher education and a comprehensive social security system. The country has historically been heavily involved with international development, and has the world’s second-highest GDP per-capita (after Luxembourg).

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Although investing in another market can be risky and require a lot of capital, the rewards can be huge.

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The latest round of data from the Office of National Statistics on the performance of the UK’s export market has indicated that the trade deficit narrowed in May – helped largely by a boost in exports of 6.6 percent. The data also indicated that exports to non-EU countries saw a significant increase – suggesting that UK businesses are starting to find work arounds to the Eurozone worries in search of growth. With the world’s eyes on the UK this summer, targeting countries with an appetite for ‘Brand Britain’ is a good way to identify markets to kick-start exporting programmes. With positive export data and the onset of the summer’s events, businesses should feel confident about ongoing trading conditions.

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So you have a growing company, cash in the bank and Asia is the next big thing. But who to hire and where to locate your VP Sales APAC? Singapore seems sensible – safe, good standard of living, advanced infrastructure and high English levels. But wait – can that be right? – it says it’s a 7 hour flight to Japan which could well be one of your key markets. What about Hong Kong? All the benefits of Singapore, but a stone’s throw from China, which could after all be your endgame with billions of people itching to buy your product.

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