Counter Markets

Financial Newsletter for Free Marketeers and Libertarian Entrepreneurs

Simon Black

It Costs $22,648 And Requires 11 Agencies To Start A Restaurant In San Francisco

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man In a report called Barriers to Business, the Institute for Justice (IJ) analyzed 20 US cities for how easy it is to open five different types of businesses. To cover a range, those businesses included a restaurant, a retail bookstore, a food truck, a barbershop, and a home-based tutoring business. Entrepreneurs who want to start a restaurant, … [Read more...] about It Costs $22,648 And Requires 11 Agencies To Start A Restaurant In San Francisco

The Best And Worst States For Homeschool Freedom

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man Pennsylvania is among the most restrictive states when it comes to the freedom to homeschool your children. The state requires that parents teach their children state-mandated subjects for 180 days per year, for at least 900 hours. Tests must be administered, and the district must assess the child at the end of each school year. Immunizations … [Read more...] about The Best And Worst States For Homeschool Freedom

Digital Nomads Will Want to Know About These Two Countries

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man British Petroleum announced this week that ALL 6,500 employees in its London office will be working from home within the next two years. BP is even going to shut down the office entirely and sell the building. They’re not the only ones. Right now, in fact, only 13% of London office workers are back at the office. And as we’ve been saying, … [Read more...] about Digital Nomads Will Want to Know About These Two Countries

4 Countries Welcoming Digital Nomads During Covid

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man Life has taken an eerie turn for digital nomads as their favorite cities emptied of tourists and foreigners working remotely. Tasha Prados arrived in Vietnam in late February, a few weeks before the country closed its borders. On March 12, she received word that she had 10 days to request an evacuation to the US through her travel … [Read more...] about 4 Countries Welcoming Digital Nomads During Covid

One Weird Sign of Trouble in the Banking Sector

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man It was only a few generations ago that most people spent their entire lives within a few miles of where they were born. They grew up, lived, worked, and retired, all in the same place. And that was normal. Travel and relocation didn’t really become commonplace until after World War II. But even then, the most common reason people moved was … [Read more...] about One Weird Sign of Trouble in the Banking Sector

Governments are Offering Covid Discounts … on Citizenship

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man If 2020 has taught us anything so far, it’s that anything is possible… even things that we previously believed to be unthinkable. Angry Twitter mobs can take over the country. Private property rights can be suspended. The entire economy can be shut down. And it can all happen in an instant. One day everything is normal. The next, … [Read more...] about Governments are Offering Covid Discounts … on Citizenship

Just When You Think You Own Your Own Private Property…

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man The year was 1967. Ronald Reagan had just become governor of California. Aretha Franklin was belting out R-E-S-P-E-C-T on the radio. Marxist revolutionary leader Che Guevara was captured and executed in Bolivia. And a restaurant chain called The White Spot opened its newest location in Denver, Colorado. It was a popular diner; the White … [Read more...] about Just When You Think You Own Your Own Private Property…

Here’s a Lesson From the 108,000 Millionaires Who Left Their Home Countries Last Year

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By Simon Black, Sovereign Man According to a recent report from Bloomberg, more than 108,000 millionaires left their home countries last year in search of greener pastures. Most emigrated from countries like China and Russia… no surprise there. India also saw a large outflow of millionaires as tax authorities tightened their grip. And Turkey continues to see an exodus, … [Read more...] about Here’s a Lesson From the 108,000 Millionaires Who Left Their Home Countries Last Year