There are many reasons why someone who lives in the UK may have an ownership stake or influence over a non-UK company. For example, offshore companies as well as companies incorporated in countries such as Cyprus, Malta or Luxembourg are often in tax planning structures. It may also be the case that the owner lived in another country before coming to the UK, and set up the company in that country before moving. Also, it is not unusual for people to accept appointments as directors of companies which are based in other countries.
On July 6 the Swedish pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai welcomed its one-millionth visitor. The huge interest in our exhibition – with the theme innovation by Sweden – is just one example of the curiosity about Swedish ideas, solutions and culture that I have met here at home and around the world during the last years.
Or is there something odd in our attitude towards the economy?
I get that the financial situation is tough, but for some reason we keep referring to the economy as if it was a person. A human in its own right – and, may I say, not a very stable one.
Before starting school in England, I found myself trawling through the shops of my nearest town in an apprehensive daze, as I tried to gather the garments needed for my school uniform. If anyone reads this who is in fact English, you may frown in bewilderment at this thought, but as no one had exactly explained to me what the official rules of a school uniform were, I genuinely found the whole thing to be a mystery.
In such tough economic times, the task of starting up your own business or considering expanding your business to the UK appears more challenging than ever. However, The Economist* recently ranked the UK as having the 11th best business environment worldwide, placing it ahead of many other European countries, so for those companies with strong balance sheets and those individuals with sufficient start-up capital, setting up in the UK may still make business sense.
IS IT JUST ME... Who is slightly bewildered by the concept of strip clubs? Hot women endlessly and deliberately excite and arouse men, but the men do not get to be with them? Isn’t that like paying to watch someone play with food when you’re really hungry? “You see this burger? Doesn’t it look GREAT! Imagine how fantastic it must taste. Oh, here’s the fun part… you can’t have it.”
Many of us have memories of sitting in a field on a summer’s day eating crusty French bread and sharing a kilo of creamy brie. In fact, some of us would like to spend most of our days doing just that, if it was not for the eventual need to then be moved around by a pick-up truck.
For a relatively small country, Sweden offers big opportunities. The number of educational programs varies as much as the geography. Regardless of where your interest lies, be it in science, film, medicine or philosophy, Sweden can provide world-class programs in a number of fields.
is it just me... Who has noted the huge change in our collective approach to crazes? It used to be that fads were strictly reserved for youngsters. From Elvis, over disco, to 80s MTV, new trends were solely directed at adolescents, considered the only ones hip and happening enough to go along with a new craze any responsible adult would dismiss as silly. That has changed significantly. In today’s world we’re all teenagers.
It happens every year: the cold winter months take you by surprise and you need extra fuel to keep you warm. Then the festive season comes around and, suddenly, you have a whole spare tyre around your waist that not only keeps you cosy and warm but also wobbles in a funny way when you walk. Before you know it, people are calling you “lardy boy” (even to your face) and you know it is time to bring out the dreaded scales.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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