Evidence is presented in this report indicating that companies operating internationally are producing better financial results than their domestic counterparts in the current economic environment.

The latest global business survey from Regus reveals that companies across the world are almost evenly split between those that do have a disaster recovery plan in place for IT systems or workspace and those that do not.

Contemporary technology enables people to work in a wide variety of places apart from traditional offices. People now undertake work activity in a variety of venues such as trains, planes, coffee shops, hotels and at home.

Positive business employment intentions are focusing on flexible working practices, as firms across the world seek to boost growth. Slow global economic progress and market volatility have somewhat curbed the positive surge reported in April by the twice-yearly Regus Business Confidence Index that finds business optimism has undergone a modest contraction. In line with this dampened confidence, businesses’ expectations for the full momentum of recovery have been pushed back to the second half of 2012.

Social networking rapidly and pervasively has become a part of our personal lives. With Facebook declaring more than 500 million active users, more than 2.5 million websites linked to the renowned social network, and even had a Hollywood film made about its founder, it is undeniable that the social networking phenomena has taken a hold.

This report identifies the three Vs: Virtual, adVantage and Value that will define the benefits of agile working as it emerges over the next decade. As the concept of ‘virtuality’ gains ground, monetising agility and creating a robust business case for changing the way we work will become essential. Winning strategies at work is all about success. And this success is for both employer and employee as the concept of VWork delivers dividends in a number of areas.

This research explores the relationship between the perceived maturity and capability of Corporate Real Estate (CRE) practices and the economic performance of business enterprises. It focuses on Fortune 500-sized organisations.

Global business optimism, having undergone a slight decline in 2010, has now surged ahead, according to the latest half-yearly Regus Business Confidence Index.

This latest global business survey from Regus clearly shows that flexible working practices are now mainstream across the world. Offering employees flexible working conditions (defined as being able to choose when and where to work), reduces costs, contributes to business performance, improves motivation and productivity, helps access a wider talent pool, and helps retain employees through an improved work-life balance.

In a worrying development for equal opportunities across the globe, this latest research report from Regus has shown that the proportion of firms intending to hire more working mothers has slumped by one fifth since the same time last year. Compared to a year ago, when 44% of companies planned to hire working mothers, only 36% expect to do so in 20111. These findings will be of particular concern to women’s groups as overall employment prospects brighten with the accelerating global economy in the New Year. The new study also reveals a residual proportion of businesses who continue to harbour concerns about employing working mothers, along with some detail as to what those concerns are.