10 of the world’s oldest companies that are still open for business

The average life span of a company is just 10 years according to a study from the Santa Fe Institute in the US, but some firms have managed to thrive for centuries and even millennia. In it for the long haul, these businesses have got serious staying power. From Australia's first major enterprise to England's most ancient pub, take a look at 10 of the world's oldest companies that are still operating today.