Location for the European office
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Industry: Transportation
Dates: April 2015
Research geography: Spain, Portugal, Hungary
The client obtained a long-time contract in Europe and decided to open a branch there. The management was hesitating in between Hungary, Portugal and Spain. The main criteria were such as business environment, quality and not-expensive labour force, acceptable labour laws, connections to a home country, etc. I performed the comparative study of the European countries and suggested the one with the most favourable conditions for the business.
Objective
- Choose the best EU country for establishing a branch of a North American company
Methods used
- Secondary research (EU databases, Eurostat, Doing Business Directory, World Bank Group, national labor legislations, airlines’ websites, real estate websites, job websites, cultural differences Hofstede and Lewis models)
- Comparative ranking and analysis
Results
The client received a comparative study where all the countries were ranked according to the following criteria: Business environment (governmental responsiveness, absence of bureaucracy and corruption), Labor market attractiveness, Easy to pay taxes, Price of properties, Quality of life, Connection to Quebec, etc. One country (with possible locations) was suggested as the best option for the clients’ needs.
