How to Do Business in a Dangerous Place

The U.S. and the U.K. may be mired in what was once thought of as a Third World style of financial crisis, but what was once considered the Third World is not. As the centre of economic growth shifts away from the West and Japan, emerging markets like the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), Mexico, South Africa, and parts of South America are ripe for Western investment. That's the good news.

The bad news is that doing business in those parts can still be downright dangerous. In recent years Brazil's murder rate has matched that of some war zones. Since 2007, crime networks in Johannesburg have increasingly targeted foreigners, following them as they leave the airport in taxis and then robbing them at gunpoint down the road. Or consider the attacks last year on Mumbai's Taj Mahal hotel, where executives from Tata and consumer giant Unilever happened to be staying at the same time.

None of this means that you need to steer clear of these markets. It does mean, however, that you need to prepare for a business trip in certain markets more thoughtfully than you would for a trip to Europe or the U.S. It's always possible to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, anywhere in the world. But with some advance preparation, you can range the globe without unnecessary risks and return from your small corner of global trade both profitable and safe.

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