Business and Growth

Creating long-term value with limited resources is a huge challenge for entrepreneurs, but it's hardly a novel one.

There are many ways to guide a business through a period of expansion.

Far too many companies fail to achieve their growth targets in revenue and profitability. However, the probability of achieving profitable growth is heightened whenever an organization has a clear growth strategy and strong execution infrastructure. One without the other impairs the probability of success. This author describes why and prescribes strategies.

For those of you who have survived startup and built successful businesses, you may be wondering how to take the next step and grow your business beyond its current status. There are numerous possibilities, 10 of which we'll outline here.

Beset by heavy taxes and regulation and by the competitive bullying of corporations, America's small businesses can't catch a break.

Washington's intrusion in business is polarizing-but most Americans agree that the economy can't recover without innovative jobs policy

It was a close race for the top spot as America's most business-friendly city, and any of these metro areas could have easily won.

There is an increasing hue and cry in Washington against "crony capitalism" and "industrial policy"-the notion that the federal government unfairly supports certain large corporations and industries. But what we really should be concerned about is America's "size- based" industrial policy, which actually favors small businesses to the detriment of the economy as a whole.

On paper, U.S. corporations pay 35 percent tax rates, but the effective rate -- what companies actually pay -- is much lower

Key Findings The United States has the third highest general top marginal corporate income tax rate in the world at 39.1 percent, exceeded only by Chad and the United Arab Emirates. The worldwide average top corporate income tax rate is 22.6 percent (30.6 percent weighted by GDP). By region, Europe has the lowest average corporate tax rate at 18.6 percent (26.3 percent weighted by GDP); Africa has the highest average tax rate at 29.1 percent.

Some studies that report U.S. multinationals are facing higher corporate tax burdens than foreign multinationals exaggerate the difference.

A visual guide to business, taxes and the economy

America's economic growth and international competitiveness depend on our ability to innovate.

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