Monthly Archives: January 2014

The race for video game innovation

Derided for years by older generations as an industry purely aimed at children, the video games industry has grown to such a level that it is now among the most dominant – and most profitable – of all the entertainment industries. Worth around $80bn, the global video game industry has exploded in popularity over the…

The call of corporate consolidation

It’s highly unlikely that the average American consumer had heard of a company calledShuanghui International until the middle of this year – but they certainly will over the next few years. The Hong Kong-based but mainly China mainland-owned company is a producer of meat products that only got going 30 years ago. As for its…

Trapped on a sinking island

Like politicians everywhere, Puerto Rico’s legislators never like to be reminded of failure – not least (in their case) the island’s dubious distinction of sliding into recession in 2006 when much of the West was still in the throes of an economic boom. After eventually becoming a self-governing US territory (a new constitution was approved…

China’s economic growth slows

Even though it has propelled the global economy for much of the last decade, recent figures have shown China’s economy is slowing down to its lowest rate in 14 years. Official figures released today reveal that GDP growth for 2013 was 7.7 percent, down 0.01 percent on the previous year’s number. Despite this slump, growth was higher…

China: IMF must empower emerging markets

China has entreated member nations of the IMF to give more power to emerging markets. The request was brought about after US lawmakers blocked the IMF’s move to reorganise power structures in favour of emerging markets. The change would give countries such as China, Brazil and India more weight in relation to the emergency lender’s…

How To Buy A Hotel In Costa Rica

If you are considering running your own hotel or B&B in Costa Rica, there are many reasons to consider purchasing an existing property rather than building your own from scratch. Perhaps one of the most important reasons to consider doing so is that you can purchase a property with an established name and branding. This…

How To Buy Pre-Construction Properties In Costa Rica

In Costa Rica, it is very common to find pre-construction or pre-sale projects. Such units are sold before construction has actually begun. In most instances, developers sell units in advance of construction in order to raise the capital necessary to complete the project. Pre-sales also serve as a critical tool for demonstrating viability to lenders…