As each individual result is based on the background and experience that created it, it may be helpful to take a quick look at already established startup companies in that geographic area before starting to explore the most popular and effective jurisdictions for incorporation in to describe Asia.
Asia is leading the growth in technology investment, defying the dismal numbers for other parts of the world with economic powerhouses in China and India. The most popular business areas or business trends in this region today are: E-Commerce, Marketplaces, Financial Technologies, Transportation, Biotechnologies, Computing Technologies, Internet Infrastructure and Enterprise Business Solutions Area. These sectors accounted for about 30% of VC investments a few years ago.
Market leader in Asia Each of these areas has its leader in terms of business performance and funding. For example, e-commerce site Lazada was valued at $1.3 billion with total funding of $686 million. Ride-hailing cab application Grab has received $680 million in funding. There are other Asian startups that have really great potential: Zalora (e-commerce sector, fashion industry); PropertyGuru (real estate business); Elevenia (e-commerce area, marketplaces and platforms); M-DAQ (fintech area); Tokopedia (e-commerce section, consumer-to-consumer marketplace); Qoo10 (e-commerce section, business-to-consumer marketplace); Capillary Technologies (cloud-based customer loyalty platform for retailers); Aslan Pharmaceuticals (biotech company); IcarsClub (peer to peer car rental platform) and other companies. Most of these startups are formed in Southeast Asia in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, India, China, United Arab Emirates and Indonesia. These can be considered as the top 6 jurisdictions for company formation in Asia.
Singapore This country has one of the best startup ecosystems in Asia Pacific. Today, around three and a half startups are active there. It is a well-known business center that is home to the headquarters of Uber, Facebook and Google. Therefore, the main areas of development include e-commerce, social media and gaming. It is a perfect place for e-commerce development as 9/10 of its citizens have access to a smartphone. Only half of Singapore's potential startup clients live abroad.
Indonesia This jurisprudence is more cooperative compared to other countries. There is also a large flow of investors in the country entering the market. For example, Jakarta gathers investors around the world focused on e-commerce, travel and lifestyle.
Malaysia The country has had special programs for startups since 2013, which support them and help entrepreneurs by equipping them with skills, networks and the necessary knowledge. These programs are the largest startup accelerators in this region. It is also perfect for developing and nurturing foreign talent. Hence, Malaysia has a really supportive government. Incidentally, the cost of living in Malaysia is significantly cheaper than in Singapore. Another advantage is that the country has a good test market, which is slightly larger than the Singapore market.
China Beijing is one of the top startup cities in Asia along with Hong Kong, which is seeing global growth in startups across various industries such as fintech, hardware, and e-commerce. The second has about 2,000 small and large startups. China also has a tax break program for startups. Annual tax deductions are around $1,500 million. They are usually awarded to companies set up by previously unemployed workers and university graduates. Currently, the country operates about 1,500 business incubators created by the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is conducted as part of the 27-year Torch program, which provides policy, consulting and financial services to high-tech companies.
India India has about 5,000 operational startups established in cities like Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai and others. New projects are actively funded, consolidated, growing financially and evolving in the technical sense. India is making a revolution in this business field that is fundamentally changing the way markets work today. There are some estimates by the Internet and Mobile Association of India showing that India has 500 million internet users worldwide in 2017. This place also has a lot of high-profile talent, a larger number of investors willing to invest in potentially successful projects, rather cheap real estate prices
With the right paperwork and initial outlay, it is possible for a foreign citizen to open a bank account in Namibia. This opportunity for international accounts and investments offers several advantages based on economic regulations and tax structures. Interest rates, tax laws, and fees vary depending on the specific country in which you are investing; careful research and strategic financial moves could result in significant portfolio growth.
When considering opening a bank account in Namibia, one must enlist the help of international experts to guide them through the process.
Legal structures in Namibia Every international jurisdiction abides by a different set of legal structures for taxation and banking. Confidus Solutions helps you to understand the nuances of each country's legal structures. To do business in Namibia, it will be critical for you to have a firm grasp on the financial and legal implications.
Initial investments The vast majority of bank accounts in Namibia will require an initial financial outlay to secure account opening. This value differs from bank to bank and also depends on variable rates of currency exchange. An international finance expert will help to navigate these conversions as well as the assorted fees and minimums involved in sustaining a bank account. Be sure to understand interest and growth rates associated with any potential international bank account so that you are able to maximize your earnings while minimizing risk.
Tax structures in Namibia For best results and to avoid bureaucratic and legal pitfalls, enlist the support of an expert in international finance and economics. This initial investment in proper processes and research will help to avoid a litany of long-term costs and fees associated with unforeseen errors and legal miscues. Language expertise, financial knowhow, and bureaucratic experience will ensure that your account opening is handled smoothly and without unintended consequences.
Depending on the website's purpose, there can be different features which should be pointed out in order to build website's technical foundation. For example, if a company wants to advertise some new products available on the market in order to increase sales by selling the goods online, then a smart content management system is needed in order to make online sales efficient. If the goods are exclusive, above the average price comparing to other their prototypes in the market, then website's content must reflect the level or the standard of the products.
This means that the website must have an alluring interface. If the range of products is pretty wide, than the website must have not only attractive interface, but also a rather intuitive design in order to help potential customers easily navigate it. Therefore, the site must incorporate tools and features that stretch across appealing design, wisely chosen and arranged content and promising online marketing tools as well due to the necessity of making goods sellable.
Essential features of a good corporate website When it comes to website appearance, a successful site's domain name must be chosen first in order people to be able to easily recognize it. SEO would be helpful too, since Google recognizes the content and structure of a website when it ranks for search. In this case a wire framing throughout site's content can be done. Social media integration can make the website recognizable and boost SEO as well: Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram etc. This also can be accompanied by creating a mobile-ready or mobile friendly version of a website.
Clear navigation is one more feature which a good corporate website must have. Navigation strategy is a call to action defining what website owners want people to do on the site. For example, place an order, email, become a member, visit the company, receive services a company can provide etc. When it comes to standard website content, there are some features which it must contain such as logical roadmaps. For example, from the visual point of view the site must definitely contain a main page with sections describing its content.
Effective website content In general the site can contain information about the company, its Team members or historical background, terms of selling-delivering goods or services, shopping section like shopping cart or basket, if the website offers its customers countable items which can be bought online, support section, contacts section where a list of addresses and phone numbers can be included and an illustrative section where picture gallery, video gallery and/or audio files can be placed, stored, downloaded and/or viewed.
Additionally, the site may contain sections with frequently asked questions (FAQ ) or “advice desk”, feedback section, special offers, upcoming news or events, popular or useful articles arranged as a blog, notes or even a diary.
Website building platforms as an alternative to traditional website creating approach There are some automated website building platforms available in the Internet these days which can provide a necessary help for those who wish to have already-made patterns of picture galleries and image box layouts, text box templates and arrangements, title font designs and other useful tools for website's visual presentation. Most popular of them are referred to as WIX.com, GoDaddy, Weebly, SiteBuilder.com, Web.com, BigCommerce etc. Usually these platforms have demo versions which can be easily used in order to make very first steps in creating a new, stunning website for free.
Of course, there will be some limits regarding website building features; however, each registered user is able to subscribe for wider range of technical means in order to achieve perfection. Such website builders are a great alternative for long meetings with graphic designers, exhausting discussions with many disagreements, attitude conflicts and other distracting and unnecessary engagements. Website's interface can be made on the spot, very easy, taking all the hard work out while a beautiful and functional site's design is being produced.
The main advantage of this approach, however, is that the interface can be adjusted, replaced or rearranged just as easy as it was created without the need to understand and write special software codes and do other programming and IT stuff which can be done only by professionals.
In general, a beneficiary is an individual who derives a profit or other benefit from something. In the financial world, a beneficiary refers to someone qualified to receive distributions from a will, life insurance policy, or trust. In business, it refers to a beneficial owner who ultimately owns and controls a business and/or other natural person on whose behalf a particular transaction is being conducted. Beneficiary is a person who exercises ultimate effective control over a legal entity or arrangement. The notions of ultimate ownership or control and ultimate effective control are useful in situations where ownership of the entity is exercised through a chain of ownership and does not clearly identify the direct and actual owner of the entity.
Importance of identifying a ultimate beneficial owner of the account Beneficial ownership is currently the main concern for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance professionals in banks. And there's a good reason for that. By developing comprehensive know-your-client (KYC) and other due diligence procedures before opening a bank account and throughout working with clients, banks have succeeded in fighting terrorism, tax fraud and other crimes. Large-scale fraud is often related to the inappropriate use of commercial structures. For example:
60% of abusive companies are involved in white-collar and financial crime; 75% of known criminal organizations use companies to cover up their activities. While banks risk losing their customers and profits after stepping up their KYC and other due diligence procedures again, this is usually done to meet increasing AML requirements from national governments and international institutions. Global AML standards dictate that understanding the ultimate beneficiaries of bank accounts is an essential part of any financial institution's AML program and can be achieved through extensive know-your-client and other due diligence processes.
Who exactly is considered the ultimate beneficiary of the bank account? The Fourth Money Laundering Directive of the EU (MLD4) is essentially aimed at the final beneficiaries. Under this policy, ultimate beneficial ownership is presumed in one of three cases:
A natural person holds 25% or more of the capital of the legal person; A natural person can exercise 25% or more of the voting rights during general meetings; A natural person is a beneficiary of 25% or more of the capital of the company. It is sometimes difficult to determine the ultimate beneficiaries of a company. The above policy also requires that officers be treated as beneficial owners if the above criteria are not met.
Ultimate beneficial owner and the nominees If a beneficial owner wishes to keep their name out of public records, the company can use a nominee shareholder service. The nominee shareholder is generally an independent third party with which the legal entity's shares are formally registered and held on behalf of a beneficial owner. The ultimate beneficiary of the company can enjoy actual ownership of the company while public ownership is held on behalf of the nominee shareholder. Generally, the true identity of the ultimate beneficiary is known only to the law firm or company incorporation service and the beneficiary himself.
The final beneficiaries usually do not want to lose control of their company, but they also do not want to be perceived publicly as the owner of the company. Therefore, it is crucial to create adequate documentation that proves the rights of true ownership. These documents include a Declaration of Trust and a Nominee Services Agreement and will be kept strictly confidential.
With regard to political and civil freedoms, Kosovo is 2. Citizens in Kosovo experience partial freedom. While the majority of citizens are able to exercise their free will to a certain extent in Kosovo, some political engagement may be limited and certain population groups may be excluded from certain freedoms or expressions. In terms of journalistic freedom, the media of Kosovo is in a 3.
The monthly minimum wage in the Maldives is not regulated by the government. The Maldives has a public debt of 60.8% of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) as estimated in 2012. In terms of consumer prices, the inflation rate in the Maldives is 5.1%. The currency of the Maldives is Maldivian Rufiyaa. The plural form of the word Maldivian rufiyaa is rufiyaas. The symbol used for this currency is .wandern and is abbreviated as MVR. Maldivian rufiyaa is divided into laari; there are 100 in a rufiyaa. Consumers spend around $315 million every year. The ratio of consumer spending to GDP in Maldives is 0.01% and the ratio of consumer spending to world consumer market is 0.09%. Corporate tax in the Maldives is 8%. VAT in the Maldives is 6% and is known as GST. In 2013, the Maldives received US$58 million in development aid. In 2014, foreign aid amounted to USD 44.7.
Gross domestic product The total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) valued as Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in the Maldives is US$4,554 billion. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, calculated as Purchasing Power Parity (PPP), was last seen at $10,250,777 in the Maldives. PPP in the Maldives is considered very good compared to other countries. A very good PPP shows that citizens in this country find it easy to buy local goods. Local goods can include food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, personal hygiene, essential furnishings, transportation and communications, laundry, and various types of insurance. Countries with very good PPP are safe investment locations. The total gross domestic product (GDP) of the Maldives is 2.836 billion. Based on this statistic, Maldives is considered to be a small economy. Countries with small economies generally support fewer industries and investment opportunities. However, worthwhile investment opportunities can be found. The Maldives' gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was last seen at $6,383,664. The average citizen in the Maldives has a very high level of wealth. Countries with very high per capita wealth have a longer life expectancy and a very high standard of living. Highly skilled labor can be found in many industries and labor is very expensive in these countries. Very wealthy countries offer safe investment opportunities as they are often backed by a diverse and thriving financial sector. The annual GDP growth rate of the Maldives averaged 4.5% in 2014. According to this percentage, the Maldives is currently experiencing significant growth. Significant growth countries offer the best opportunities for a significant return on investment, as the GDP growth rate is the most important indicator of economic health. As GDP grows, so do businesses, jobs and personal income.
If you are setting up, doing business, or dealing with partners from that country in South Africa, it is imperative to understand the basics of corporate culture in this particular area. Business meetings and negotiations often start with both parties having unspoken assumptions and certain expectations of their partners. In-depth knowledge of South African business culture can make all the difference between a successful business meeting and a lost business.
Practical advice on business etiquette in South Africa
Below is our list of pieces of advice to keep in mind when dealing with South African partners:
South Africans are unlikely to do business with people they haven't met personally. It is advisable to have a friend introduce you in order to build successful business relationships. If possible, try to draw the partner's attention to South African business references that you already have in your portfolio.
It is highly recommended that you receive letters of recommendation in case you have done business with mutual contacts of the company or entrepreneur with whom you wish to develop a relationship.
Most of the time, a first business meeting is more about personal contact and getting to know one another than a direct discussion of business issues. The chances that South Africans will do business with you are much higher if they trust you as a person.
Keep in mind that almost everything is closed from mid-December to mid-January, as well as during the Easter and most Jewish holidays. Therefore, do not plan your business trips and meetings on these dates.
Working hours in South Africa are almost the same as in Western countries, including the fact that most of South African companies are closed during weekends. Major exceptions are banks and state office employees, because banks and state authorities are often open in until noon on Saturdays.
You may face quite a challenge to locate a certain address in South Africa. This may happen because of the way in which the address system works. In case you are driving to a meeting with clients/partners, you better leave early to make sure you have some extra time to find your destination address and to park your car safely. We would recommend taking a cab rather than driving yourself.
Remember that acceptable business clothes are suits and ties. Shirts preferably in light colours. If you aren’t wearing a jacket, make sure to put on a long sleeved-shirt. In case you are invited to a dinner at someone’s house, a dinner jacket is normally expected. It is advised for women to put on dresses and skirts instead of pantsuits and the former should not be sleeveless, too tight, or very short, as it is considered a bad taste. Keep in mind that winter in South Africa starts in June and lasts until August, so do not forget to dress something warm in case you are visiting during these months.
Most locals speak English quite well, therefore, it is not required for you to translate documents or materials into any of the African languages.
South Africans are quite friendly and open, meaning they often express emotions openly. It is a quite common situation when your business partner slaps you on the shoulder, shakes your hand tight, or even holds your hand as a gesture of trust and friendship.
It is considered polite to offer small gifts to your partners. If you are invited to a house for dinner, do not forget to bring some gift: a box of chocolate, wine, or something similar – it is considered a good gesture and it shows respect for the hosts.
Always show respect to elders, even in situations when they are not actually a part of the company. Elders are widely respected and usually considered to be extremely wise and experienced; those who disrespect elders openly are often end up being classified as undesirable business partners.
Speaking of table etiquette and cutlery, the knife should always be kept in the right hand and the fork in left — never switch hands and never wave your hands around while holding cutlery. It is also considered a minor insult to leave food uneaten – so it is advised to plan prior to ordering dishes. Smoking is generally accepted, but only after all the guests has finished their food. Never chat or talk with waiters during the meal.
It is generally considered impolite to point your finger at anyone, also the V for victory gesture is considered offensive. Remember not have a dialogue while having hands in your pockets.
The development of telecommunications and economic globalization have made it possible for interested investors to set up companies all over the world. With proper research, financial investment and legal backing, business ventures can be safely incorporated in almost any country in the world. Building an international business used to be a complicated entrepreneurial venture, but today it is commonplace with the help of experienced legal and business advisors.
The advantages of founding a company abroad are as numerous as they are obvious. Many countries offer specific locational advantages, ranging from natural resources and well-established infrastructure to beneficial laws and regulations that encourage growth in a particular industry. Likewise, it can be difficult to start a business or an acquisition in your own country due to adverse situations: political or regulatory environment, lack of resources and more. In this situation, it makes sense to consider an overseas option that offers greater opportunities for growth, development, and success.
Company registration in the Philippines When starting a business in the Philippines, an interested investor must conduct due diligence regarding legal procedures, international regulations, and sufficient investment for success. It is crucial to understand cultural, social and political factors that influence starting and growing one's business. Failure to do so may result in unintended consequences. Poorly researched and toneless international launches often end in disaster as time, money and energy is wasted due to poor planning.
Legal Documents Every country in the world presents its own intricate challenges when it comes to starting, developing and maintaining a business. Owners, financiers and investors must make these commitments with the support of a knowledgeable and experienced legal team. Only someone with in-depth knowledge of local and international corporate law will be able to set up an overseas business while avoiding the pitfalls that plague many new businesses.
Additionally, smart business people can consider ways to invest in foreign companies without actually starting their own businesses. In these situations, it is still beneficial for the investor to partner with a knowledgeable global economics and litigation advisor. International investments create a truly diverse portfolio that offers growth opportunities that were unthinkable decades ago.
Potential investors, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs should consider the existing infrastructure in the Philippines when planning to start a new business. While extensive infrastructure and systems can help make the process of starting a business a smooth one, it could also represent market saturation and reduced growth potential. On the other hand, a lack of infrastructure is often a major obstacle to growth; However, the lack of infrastructure points to a clear market opening for a creative and efficient new business.
Opening a bank account in the Philippines In connection with the formation of a company, it is necessary to open one or more bank accounts in the Philippines. Confidus Solutions offers the ability to open a bank account in over twenty jurisdictions, making it easy for you to avoid challenging language barriers or bureaucratic hassles.