- Europe and the UK are the most attractive markets for expansion over the coming years
- Businesses expect expansions to take 18 months before they become profitable
- 82% of respondents believe that they are now reaping the benefits of the decisions they made relating to their expansion plans during the pandemic
Appetite for international expansion is high as businesses looking to resume their expansion plans following years of disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research[1] by Auxadi, a leading provider of accounting, tax and payroll services to private equity, real estate, and multinationals.
The research, which explored the expansion plans of 100 global businesses already operating in more than one jurisdiction, found that 97% of respondents were planning on expanding into new markets by the end of 2023. The most attractive markets are Continental Europe, selected as attractive by 72% of respondents, and the UK (70%), followed by North America and Asia Pacific (both 58%), Latin America (56%) and the Middle East (54%).
This appetite for expansion is fuelled by a belief among respondents that their actions during the pandemic were ultimately beneficial for their business. Overall, 82% of respondents believe that the changes they made to their expansion plans over the past two years have left them in a situation now where they are reaping the benefits, either through having made significant changes (38%), slight changes (34%) or even doing nothing at all (10%). Less than a fifth (18%) of respondents, meanwhile, felt that they were now having to make up ground following the pandemic.
Overall expansion optimism is high among businesses, with two fifths (40%) of those expanding believing that their investments will become profitable within a year and the overall average anticipated timeframe for profitability standing at 18 months. The UK, at one year and two months, is viewed as the market that will yield returns the fastest, ahead of North America (one year and three months) and Europe and Central America (both one year and four months).
When asked about the key drivers that impact a firm’s choice of jurisdiction to expand into, the top factors were listed as the potential for growth and capturing market share (53%), demand for similar products (50%), market conditions – either economic or political (43%) and the ease of setting up a business (41%). Interestingly, despite a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases globally, a country’s track record in dealing with the virus was rated as the least important driver, with just 4% of respondents citing this as a key factor.
Raimundo Diaz, Global Head of International Corporations at Auxadi said: “Since the start of the pandemic expansion plans have had to be re-evaluated and revised, which has led to a pent-up demand for growth. It’s promising to see that so many businesses have been able to adapt to market conditions and use this flexibility to their benefit, exemplified by the fact that four fifths of businesses feel that they navigated the pandemic with the right business strategy to put them in a strong position to profit in 2022.
“This research seems to suggest that businesses will be embarking on bold and expansive international growth plans this year, with a slight preference for established markets, something understandable after a crisis but also strong demand for emerging economies as well. 2022 promises to be an exciting time for business growth as they look to put the difficulties of the past few years behind them.”
To view a copy of Auxadi’s ‘Taking the bull by the horns: International Expansion trends for 2022’ report, please visit: LINK.
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Notes to editors
1 Research conducted by Pure Profile among a panel of 100 senior-level employees working at multi-jurisdictional corporations in November 2021. Respondents were split evenly between location and by headcount.
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Founded in 1979, Auxadi is a family-owned business working for multinational corporations, private equity funds and real estate funds. It’s the leading firm in international accounting, tax compliance and payroll services management connecting Europe and the Americas with the rest of the world, offering services in 50 countries. Its client list includes many of the top 100 PERE companies. Headquartered in Madrid, with offices in US and further 22 international subsidiaries, Auxadi serves 1,500+ SPVs across 50 jurisdictions.
All information contained in this publication is up to date on 2021. This content has been prepared for general guidance on matters of interest only, and does not constitute professional advice. You should not act upon the information contained in this chart without obtaining specific professional advice.No representation or warranty (express or implied) is given as to the accuracy or completeness of the information contained in this content, and, to the extent permitted by law, AUXADI does not accept or assume any liability, responsibility or duty of care for any consequences of you or anyone else acting, or refraining to act, in reliance on the information contained in this chart or for any decision based on it.