14. Finland
2009 rank: #14
2008 rank: #13
2008 rank: #13
Finland boasts some of the lowest costs for importing and exporting goods, at under $600 per container. It also ranks among the top 10 economies for the time it takes to obtain a construction permit, at only take 38 days, although the cost is high.
Recent reforms in Finland have streamlined court-supervised reorganization and made reorganization more accessible to troubled companies. Bankruptcy proceedings can be completed in less than a year, at a relatively low cost.
Areas in which Finland didn't perform so well in the "Doing Business" report include employing workers - rigid laws make it hard to hire and fire employees - and paying taxes, which takes 269 paperwork hours a year.
NEXT: 15. Georgia
Source: All data comes from "Doing Business 2009," a publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. Detailed methodological information is available at www.doingbusiness.org.
LAST UPDATE: Sep 11 2008 | 1:18 PM ET
| Sponsored by |
Singapore is tops in the World Bank's survey of the friendliest regulatory environments for startups and small companies. More 
These 10 countries filled out the bottom of World Bank's list, presenting major obstacles to fledgling new ventures. More 
Fortune Small Business's picks of the best places in the U.S. to start a company. More Sponsors
