As a person who was born, grow and lived in the Belarus - I wouldn't recommend:
1) Tons of bureaucracy everywhere.
2) People in the government in Belarus = ONLY "big boss" (no one else has access to the power in the country, even minor decisions are taken only after his approve: there was a doesn't like businessman as a type of person at all. The complete absence of qualified personnel in politics as a phenomenon. All management is carried out by the "big boss" and local management is carried out by former "kolhoznikami" who are appointed by "big boss". Any initiative in politics is severely suppressed by criminal liability and beatings with truncheons. For all of those appointed "kolhoznikov" there is a compromat (evidence, materials compromising someone or something), so that in case of any initiative they are quickly closed in jail. One person can't rule in all the spheres in the country properly even if he is a genius.
3) Taxes raising from year to year. In 2020 taxes for individual entrepreneurs were 3-5%. Now taxes 16% (it's tax from the turnover). For LLC tax in 2020 was 18% - became 20%. It's a lie about low taxes. Dividend tax was 12% in 2020 - became 15% in 2023. So you need to pay 20% CIT + 15% dividend to get the money out from the LLC.
4) Promises are not hold: made a 9% income tax for employees of accredited IT companies and was told that it will be until 2049:
"Article 3. In order to take additional measures to consolidate budget revenues to combat COVID-19, establish that from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2023:
3. Income of individuals received during the calendar year under employment contracts from residents of the High-Tech Park, residents of the Chinese-Belarusian industrial park "Great Stone" and (or) a joint Belarusian-Chinese company for the development of the Chinese-Belarusian industrial park "Great Stone" are subject to personal income tax at the rate of thirteen (13) percent."
But after the 2020 elections, when many IT people came out to protest, benefits were removed and taxes became common - 13% for everyone. It was said that an additional 4% of taxes would be used to fight the coronavirus. The coronavirus is over, but this year no one has canceled the 4% tax.
Here is what the tax service released:
"Art. 5 p. 12
From January 1, 2023 to January 1, 2025:
12.3. income of individuals received during the calendar year under employment contracts from residents of the High-Tech Park, residents of the China-Belarus Industrial Park "Great Stone" and (or) a joint Belarusian-Chinese company for the development of the China-Belarus Industrial Park "Great Stone", are taxed personal income tax at a rate of 13%."
Without any "covid-fight" motivation anymore. As we say in our country: "King gave promise - the king has taken back the promise".
You can use translator to read it here -
ПВТ обещали вернуть льготный налог 9% в 2023. Но не вернут? the most popular media which write about IT businesses in Belarus.
5) Climate for an amateur. The only good time of the year is summer. Winter, spring, summer - dullness, slush, despondency.
6) Prices - where are they "low"? Food costs same money or even more than in Poland or any other European country. Yes, not big prices, but not small as well. You will need 3k$ monthly to leave comfortably alone. For same I spend in Dubai 4k$ in summer and 5-6k$ in season, but service is way higher and I spent far less time on useless things which I had spent in Belarus.
7) The country is boring itself - this is an ordinary village. No one has any ambitions there. It's considered to be "average" if you earn 500 USD monthly.
8) The country under sanctions. How you gonna do business there?
For B2B: IT companies are leaving the country because it's toxic to do business there, despite all the tax benefits for IT and cheap, qualified and trained labour. Because it's toxic to do business there, there are no banks which will simply transfer money to Belarus from EU&US, I suppose your clients will be from there.
For B2C: How you think what will be your acceptance rate in payment systems for transactions sent to Belarus?
You can use US LLCs or LLPs in UK but to make everything legal you have to pay taxes 20% CIT + 15% dividend tax from your turnover, not profit, to the state. Law in this field is bad structured and I know a lot of people who run business in such way don't even report about those entities - by now no questions from the tax office because the people working there are 50-60 years old ladies earning 500-600 USD monthly.
9) How to do business and live in the Belarus without knowing Russian - it's the most important question. English not used in Belarus at all. Try to find any media in English in Belarus firstly. People also don't know the language mostly.
10) Working on the Belarusian market or with Belarusian workers implies a completely different format of relationships: in the West, you like to do business with nice people.
In Belarus, the management model is a tough, demanding leader who can slam his fist on the table and drive the cattle into the corral.
Of course, none of these people will tell you that, but what do you think if these people live in such conditions for 30 years with "big boss" and before that lived for 100 years in the Soviet Union under other big bosses, what is their real behavior (not like as they would like)? Belarusians themselves are very indifferent and malleable people.
11) All the young and skilled belarusians think how to move out from the Belarus, you won't find any other country where people want to move out. It looks like a half of Belarusians have "Karta Polaka", may be due to some reason?
There are many other minuses and proofs I wouldn't consider Belarus for a living as a businessman despite being born, grown and lived in the country.
There are pluses such a lot of young and beautiful girls who will jump on you if you show you have even a little money (like 100k USD).
Often, Russians who lived in Belarus 2-3 weeks in summer telling same as people above: "the people in Belarus are nice, everything is cheap and beautiful, nothing bad will affect you if you not involved in the politics" - they simply never lived in the Belarus or did business there. In our country "KGB" (Committee for State Security) takes video evidence in printed framed screenshots. At the same time, in the field of pressure on the people, we like North Korea. A poor, developing country ruled by one person who does not allow anyone to any management. I can't imagine how an ambitious businessman could want to live in such conditions.
Don't think you have found a "hidden gem". You simply just got caught in a mousetrap.
If you want to do business in a good country in the region I would recommend Georgia / Kazakhstan for business purposes.
Of course, it's just another opinion.