Comparing business sentiment around the world

The Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) is a major annual survey of the attitudes and expectations of medium-sized privately held businesses, considering business trends and topical business issues, including Corporate Social Responsibility, international markets and staff retention. Experian is responsible for the analysis, reporting and project management of the survey, and participates heavily in the design phase of the research.

Grant Thornton International is one of the world's leading organisations of independently owned and managed accounting and consulting firms. The research project, first conducted in 1992 as the European Business Survey (EBS), was widened in 2003 to an international perspective covering medium-sized businesses and renamed the International Business Owners Survey (IBOS).

Now in its third incarnation, the IBR is the most extensive survey of independent business owners, covering over 7,200 companies in 31 countries worldwide. The survey draws upon 15 years of trend data for original EBS participants and five years for original IBOS countries. Fifteen-year trend data is available for France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK, while five year trend data is available for Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa and the US.

The results of the survey are used by companies to benchmark their results against other respondents on topics including economic prospects, business constraints, energy and environmental issues and emerging markets. Companies can also compare results by size of business, geographical location and industry type.

To find out more about IBR and to obtain details of IBR reports and results please visit www.internationalbusinessreport.com.

For more information about this project or Experian’s business research capabilities in general, please contact Sachin Dodhia on 0207 746 8252 or email sachin.dodhia@uk.experian.com

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