Hao Li

George Soros does not have a favorable view of how Germany is handling the Eurozone debt crisis.

Conventional wisdom says the main reason why gold prices are rising is the loose monetary policy out of the developed world and a loss of faith in fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar.

U.S. businesspeople have more and more reasons for doing business in Mexico. To be successful, however, they need to keep in mind the culture differences between the two countries.

Expansionary monetary policy globally could spark a repeat of the inflation run-up seen in 2011, said Spyros Andreopoulos, an economist with Morgan Stanley in a Global Economic Forum commentary.

The U.S. economy is growing at a respectable 2.8 percent annual rate, the U.S. jobs market has added 243,000 nonfarm payrolls in January and the S&P 500 Index is up eight percent year-to-date. Nouriel Roubini's economic prediction for 2012, however, is still decidedly bearish.

The stock market prediction for 2012 from most analysts is something along the lines of it will improve, but not by a lot.

For Western businesses, doing business in China requires careful navigation of the cultural differences between China and the West.

The U.S. economy is growing modestly at best, yields on bonds are low and the economic outlook outside the U.S. is uncertain. For the year 2012 and beyond, one fitting investment idea could be real estate investment trusts (REITs), according to PNC Investment and Wealth Management.

Early in January 2012, DoubleLine Capital's Jeffrey Gundlach sounded bearish on the U.S. stock market.

Governments in developed countries provide a wealth of information on international business. This is especially true for U.S. businesses looking for help from the U.S. government.

International business opportunities and trends depend on several broad factors: the economic growth of these countries, the ease of doing business there and the friendliness of their trade policies.

Attending international trade shows in 2012 can be a great way to market one’s products and services to an international audience, especially for U.S. and Western businesses.

Like many other sectors, the U.S. IT jobs market has been threatened by armies of smart, skilled and English-speaking professionals from emerging market countries like India, Pakistan and Russia.

Brazil is a booming, resource-rich emerging market economy. Exporting to Brazil from the U.S. has become an increasingly lucrative activity for U.S. business.

U.S. exports to Turkey total about $10 billion a year in 2010, up about 40 percent from 2009, according to U.S. government data.

Exporting to Mexico could potentially present great opportunities for U.S businesses.

Saudi Arabia is the biggest oil exporter in the world. Ironically, there is also ample opportunity for U.S. exports to Saudi Arabia’s energy sector.

Doing business in Saudi Arabia can be a highly-lucrative venture for Western businesspeople if they can handle the culture differences.

In this day and age, starting a small business has arguably never been easier: ideas and a few thousand dollars (or a credit card!) is all you need.

Small businesses are often forced to find marketing strategies that work for tight budgets.

Small business ideas for women at home are driven by two realities.

Many analysts remain bullish on gold and expect it to continue to rally in 2012.

To succeed, small businesses need to build a winning culture. Although it may not seem as immediate as considerations like sales and cash flow, small businesses cannot afford to neglect it.

As April 17, 2012 approaches, many Americans are faced with the deadline of filing their 2011 income tax returns.

From day one, small businesses should get their accounting act together and apply crucial tips and tricks, said tax expert Eva Rosenberg, owner of TaxMama and author of “Small Business Taxes Made Easy.”

A big part of successfully managing a small business is inspiring loyalty and getting the most out of employees.

Small businesses are often strapped for cash. Fortunately, there are many helpful services for the cheap.

Throughout the Great Recession and in the years after it, one customer that actually increased its spending is the U.S. government.

Small business survival is about evolving to match the business with changing realities, said Karl Baehr, Director of Business & Entrepreneurial Studies at Emerson College.