In this edition you will find the following articles: 'Power to the mid-market': It would have passed you by – a small survey in the energy sector conducted in one of the more remote parts of the UK. Obscure it may be, but The Aberdeen City and Shire Export Survey 2010 is a microcosm highlighting the potential for small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) to develop specialist skills that are now prized internationally…'Exports drive China’s superpower status': Gone are the days when foreign companies operating from China predominated in its export market. Now, home-bred Chinese firms are taking the upper hand…'A matter of trust': In the last decade, the way businesses go about using professional services has changed dramatically. Clients expect their advisors to cater for all their professional service needs. How is UHY meeting the varying needs of their clients?
In this issue: 'Africa: now a business case, no longer a hand-out case': Only some countries in the African continent are enjoying economic growth from investment. Investors cherry-pick based on natural resources, political risk and previous corporate pioneering. Sub-Saharan Africa is seen as an emerging growth market and new global player, in a new analysis country-by-country by Standard Chartered. They argue Sub-Saharan Africa is in a similar position to Brazil 20 years ago. An International Monetary Fund (IMF) report points to Africa’s ‘virtuous circle’ of factors that feed off each other: exports and imports up; banks unfreezing lending; inflation low; private finance growing again; governance improving; and conflicts decreasing… 'Dispute resolution just got easier': Faced with the prospect of expensive legal representation and open-season publicity from public court battles – not to mention the risk of losing and costs being awarded – more companies are turning to arbitration and mediation in a bid to resolve disputes. Just about any type of dispute can be settled through arbitration, including contract disputes involving competitors or consumers; intellectual property disputes; employment and labour claims; real estate issues; and civil matters. Yet there are disadvantages… 'Renewable energy: where yesteryear meets tomorrow': Whatever the potential, the US solar power industry still lags behind that of other smaller nations. UHY, with its longstanding track record in the energy sector, has for the past decade been developing its expertise in the renewables market globally…
In this issue:‘Making of a family business’ - As family businesses expand from their entrepreneurial beginnings, they face unique performance and governance challenges. To be successful, a family business must achieve strong business performance and must keep the family committed to, and capable of, carrying on as the owner. - ‘Signs of a rebound spur M&A’ - While family businesses globally may be enhancing their strategies to survive and prosper, some are coming to the end of their family line and choosing to sell when the prospect of an attractive offer is presented. In many regions, due to the global economic downturn, family owners are sitting tight, but in Latin America it’s a different story. - ‘R&D; incentives for growth’ - While economies around the world struggle out of the economic downturn, many businesses, are continuing to invest significantly in research and development (R&D).