Entrepreneurs who want to invest abroad can do so best in Finland, Latvia, Germany, the United States or Brazil, among other countries. In these countries, the probability of bankruptcy in the coming year is the lowest. In the countries Italy, Spain, Portugal and also in the Netherlands, the prospects are less positive. This is evident from Dun & Bradstreet's Insolvency Risk Outlook.
Dun & Bradstreet predicts that in Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, New Zealand, Singapore, United States, Brazil, Germany, Norway, Israel and Slovenia, the probability of bankruptcy is lowest in the third and fourth quarters of 2012. Companies in these countries have higher average liquidity. This offers opportunities for Dutch entrepreneurs. Jan Willem de Vries, Managing Director of Dun & Bradstreet: "In this unstable economic climate, entrepreneurs are less hesitant to invest. Yet in a number of countries there are opportunities to expand existing business or create new ones. Sales efforts will also yield more results if they are aimed at companies that are actually able to pay.
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It is well known that countries like Italy, Portugal and Spain have been hit hard by the euro crisis. The 'Insolvency Index' shows that the status of these countries will not change in the coming period. The Netherlands is in the same league and shows a high risk of bankruptcy. Both the economic outlook and the development of the number of bankruptcies are negative. De Vries: 'Countries that are expected to face difficulties in the coming period due to a deteriorating economy are France, Japan, the United Kingdom and Russia. There is a risk here that companies will no longer be able to meet payments. As an entrepreneur, you can anticipate this by, for example, offering a discount to a French company with which you do business if they pay on time. Entrepreneurs doing business in countries with a high risk of bankruptcy may also start charging interest on late payments.
About the Insolvency Risk Outlook
Dun & Bradstreet's Insolvency Risk Outlook is published twice a year. The report provides insight into the global development of insolvency figures. The report outlines the outlook for 2012 and provides a global Insolvency Index for 29 countries.
