There is no business operation on the American landscape that sets your entrepreneurial heart thrumming and you have your sights set on joining the emerging global network of expat entrepreneurs. You are eying overseas markets trying to determine risk factors and project potential growth for you particular field of endeavor.

Forbes’ recent article offers some helpful observations in their 20 Emerging Markets To Watch.

“In general, you make money in countries [that] are currently not doing that well … but over the next five or 10 years, they’ll grow,” says Simeon Djankov, chief economist at the World Bank and co-author of the World Bank’s Doing Business series on business environments in emerging markets.

While the outsourcing trend has grabbed headlines in recent years, a small cadre of U.S. entrepreneurs is setting up shop abroad–mostly in the real estate, architecture, education, information technology and medical device fields, according to the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service.”

The obstacles can be daunting for those used to the alacrity with which most business in America can operate. In Brazil it takes over 100 days to start up a business compared to America’s anticipated 5 days. In some countries it is impossible to fire some employees, while in others, corruption makes doing business near impossible. Africa is a prime example where “corruption devours $148 billion per year–25% of Africa’s gross domestic product–and increases the cost of goods by as much as 20%”.

So where in the global network will an entrepreneur be best served investigating? Georgia, Lithuania, Estonia , Chile in Latin America and Singapore in the Far East, post-Soviet Armenia and Fiji, are some of the suggested countries to review.

“Clearly, adventure-seeking entrepreneurs shouldn’t make a move on a whim. First, get a feel for your country of choice by meeting with other entrepreneurs already doing business there. It’s also worth taking a few business trips overseas to find a local business partner. (In some countries, many in the Middle East, it’s a legal necessity.)”