With fast-growing countries such as Russia, India, China and Brazil representing a new economic world order, it has never been more important for British companies to be trading internationally.
If firms are able to find customers, suppliers and resources in overseas countries, they can keep costs low while also rapidly increasing their customer bases and turnover.
The same goes for overseas companies looking to take advantage of the UK market – one that is highly skilled and increasingly attractive to foreign investors.
London addresses have huge amounts of prestige, which can make a big difference to companies as they attempt to claim market share from more established rivals.
And with the government knocking another two per cent off corporation tax in 2012, and dropping the main rate from 28 per cent to 22 per cent over the course of this parliament, it is a great time to be trading out of the UK.
Whether it is British firms looking to sell goods overseas, or foreign businesses aiming to establish a foothold in western Europe, there are clear benefits to international expansion.
Businesses can set themselves up quickly in a new location – such as London – by taking advantage of serviced office space.
Companies can access fully furnished, connected office space in London without having to purchase commercial property or take out a long-term lease and set up an operating base from scratch.
For smaller businesses, this can help keep costs low, while larger organisations can take advantage of greater agility – and even local professional expertise – during the early stages of development.
Running a professional office becomes one less thing for the company to worry about, enabling it to focus on attracting customers and increasing revenues.
This week, the Financial Times revealed the South Korean state pension fund is to open an office in London as it aims to double its commercial property investments.
