Country risk explains the things that can go wrong when business is conducted across borders. It's not just multinational companies, with factories worldwide and complex operations, that need to understand sudden changes in business conditions. These can affect any small firm that may be looking to expand sales abroad or work with a foreign supplier. The 2008-09 global financial crisis and the Arab Spring showed us how quickly, and dramatically, business conditions in any country can worsen and spread. But a thorough understanding and careful management of country risk will help a company survive a crisis, and even open up new opportunities.