I've been talking to some friends online from various parts of the world, and I've been told by a lot of them that we're really lucky in the UK to have so many business advice agencies. Is it really that bad in other parts of the world?

I've always seen, say, the USA as being a haven for people wanting to start businesses - with venture capital, grants, and loans being available to people with a good business plan.

In the UK, there is a lot of support available, and many small grants or flexible low interest loans, but if you need anything above £1000 (around $2000) then you will find its hard to get started.

What is it like in other countries? Can you get good business advice and access to funding, or are we really that lucky?