globalEDGE International Business Blog

Each country has different ways of doing business. Sometimes it may be confusing for foreigners visiting the country for the first time. What follows is tips on doing business successfully in some of the most advanced countries in Europe:

The Netherlands:

Germany:
The country is known for engineering precision. Therefore, it is not surprising to learn that businesses there are oriented towards precision. It is important to not complain about product prices there as Germans are proud to say that they provide excellent quality and quality comes at a price. When negotiating things with German companies, you should present your point in a well planned, well structured, and meticulously laid out way.

Italy:
Italians are proud to say they live in one of the oldest countries in Europe. Therefore, when doing business there it will be helpful to understand the country culture. Italians prove to be good partners, however you need to be very resilient and show understanding of the industry you want to do business in.

England:
The fact that you are not used to driving in the opposite lane is not an excuse to be late for a meeting. The cab system in England is gread since cab drivers go through a two year training program. If you are not comfortable driving there, take a cab. Also, be aware of the current currency exchange rates as England still uses the pound.

France:
France can be the perfect place to start when entering the continental European market. When doing business with the French remember that they are more laid back when it comes to how many hours to work per week.

The countries section of the globalEDGE website provides even more information on doing business abroad.

It’s hard to deny that the business climate for women is changing. Fifteen Fortune 500 companies are currently run by women, up from twelve last year.  Twenty-eight companies have women doing the top job in the Fortune 1000. Yet challenges still exist for women, namely in the international business world. Recently, Mrs. Evelyn Mungai of Nairobi, Kenya, an international business entrepreneur, visited Indianapolis to speak to the National Association of Women Business Owners about these challenges and how to overcome them. She is currently the owner of Evelyn’s School of Design, an internationally-acclaimed business that has been going strong for 33 years.

Researchers from the IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland ranked the competitiveness of 57 of the leading economies in the world based on 329 criteria. These criteria come from 2/3 hard statistical data and 1/3 from surveys that are put into four factor categories: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. Here are the top ten:

Jamal Qureshi never imagined the success he would have when he immigrated to the United States a few years ago from his native city of Bhopal, India. Now he is doing business in the same city he grew up in, just from the opposite end of the world. Qureshi is the CEO of JQ American in Hayward, California, an exporter of products and services in the energy, medical, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. The unique part of JQ American is that they sell to a whopping 16 countries, while most small and medium sized U.S. firms only export to one international market. So how was all this possible?

It isn’t a secret that many aspects of developing countries are unappealing to the global businessperson. Decrepit urban and rural areas, lawlessness, and violence often cause companies to avoid these areas either out of fear for employee safety, logistics, or simply because they can’t find a way to make doing business there profitable. However, the fact still stands that these areas have hundreds of millions of potential customers lacking many goods and services. Additionally, there have been numerous pioneering companies which have had to modify their business strategies in order to adapt to the economic climate of these regions, and have subsequently thrived there. Here are a few of the issues that have arisen in these areas, and tips from successful companies on how they’ve handled them:

PowerPoint presentations have been used in the Western world for the past 25 years and all of us have seen a plethora of them. Now, many developing countries are starting to rely more and more on PowerPoint to present information as well. As the world becomes more and more technology and service based it is only natural that we will see an increase in the use of PowerPoint. However, not many of the presentations are enthusiastic. Chances are that the majority you've seen were boring. Good PowerPoint presentations can be the key to bringing improvements in a company. This is because they are easy to create and provide a convenient way to present information. Furthermore, they can be used to educate employees, to present ideas, to point out errors, or map out new ways to achieve goals. These are important things to companies. However, for the presentation to be successful, one should beware of a few things.

As mobile technology improves, many of the cell phones people are using are becoming outdated at an increasingly-faster rate. This is especially the case in Japan, where the latest cell phone can be usurped by another within a few weeks. In fact, the Japanese are so far advanced in cell phone technology that they've had a difficult time taking their cell phones global. So, what does one do with a bunch of outdated phones that nobody wants? Recycle them for their precious metals!

The internet is becoming a bigger part of marketing and advertising strategies for many companies. However, engaging customers online can be challenging. The following video gives advice and examples of how to achieve this.

The names we use to refer to places in the world can be a touchy subject. The island off the coast of mainland China that many know as Formosa became the Republic of China after World War II. Many today refer to it as Taiwan, but international recognition of the island as an independent nation-state is not universal.