Monday, March 12, 2007

European Headquarters in Sofia?

Reid Hoffman: What is the best city and country to locate a European headquarters? What are the key issues in making a decision (such as employment law, cost, available talent, etc.) that are specific to Europe?

John Pfeiffer: To add some variety to the mix consider Sofia, Bulgaria. I've lived their 3+ yrs: they've just entered the EU, have a cheap educated work force, cheap land (don't just lease, invest), the airport gives you a plane hop to western europe, the Black Sea is 4 hrs away and the night life is quite nice (quality of life!). There is the foreign language and bureaucracy but it's just a small cost balanced against your low labor and cheap land savings.
Source: LinkedIn

Bloomberg: Jet-Setting for the Masses

"Drewek, who turns 50 in April, is counting on the Ryanair price bump to help his latest venture, Bulgarian Country Cottages BG EOOD. The company is building homes near a ski resort and national park in Razlog in Bulgaria, one of the EU’s newest members. 'It’s part of the pitch,' he says of the expectation that low-cost carriers will fly into remote airfields. 'It will be a second wave of property increase.' "
Source: Bloomberg