Three-and-a-half thousand miles of water never seems to put off those who want to go on holiday, whichever side of the Atlantic they live. But when it comes to doing business, there are some that see those miles as an insuperable barrier – as if they still have to strike across an uncharted ocean like fifteenth-century mariners.
Estonia may be a small country - but it has a great deal to offer the inward investor or international businessperson. Located at the heart of the Baltic Sea Region - Europe's fastest-growing market, with 90 million people - Estonia itself has been one of the fastest-growing economies in the region.
The Wall Street Journal recently published its annual "Index for Economic Freedom", an economic ranking of nations. Lithuania, which was among top scorers, was heralded for having"the most improved economy in the history of the index."
Michael Schumacher, the German world Formula 1 champion, has lived for several years in Switzerland. He is about to put roots down even deeper in the soil of the Confederation, moving with his wife and two children into a property recently acquired near Wolfhalden in the "Heidiland" of Appenzell.
There can be few areas of business activity where the Internet provides more immediate practical benefit than employee relocation.