Cultural tips for business
How many languages are spoken in Indonesia? Indonesia has 252 million inhabitants who speak over 742 different languages. The fact that Indonesian’s speak so many languages might look like a...
With October coming to an end, adults and kids of all ages are gearing up for the annual fright-fest that is Halloween. This spooky event is marked not only in...
The eyes of the world are soon to turn upon Brazil, as Rio hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games. While there has been much controversy during the long build-up, once...
Japan is a nation of contrasts that at first seem at odds with each other. Imperial palaces, shrines and gardens with beautiful cherry blossoms contrast with the neon skyscrapers that...
Vietnam is tipped by economists to be one of the top ten fastest growing economies in 2016, with growth expected to stay strong through 2018. When you take a look...
Indonesia, home to approximately 243 million people, is a diverse and vibrant country scattered over thousands of volcanic islands. Jakarta is its sprawling capital city. A country with a colourful...
Brands beware! Don’t put your brand on the line. Using the wrong Spanish flag in your communications could cost you your reputation. The Spanish flag With its red and yellow...
Despite its recent setbacks, the French economy is growing at a faster rate than it has done for the last four years. 2015 say an overall growth of 1.1% and...
During 2015 the Italian economy fared better than many analysts had expected, with GDP growing by 0.8%, and there are indications that it will grow by 1.5% during 2016. The...
The nine commandments. To begin to understand the general tenets of the Norwegian (Skandinavian) attitude, you must read Jante’s Law, as set in stone by Aksel Sandemose, a Dano-Norwegian poet:...
OK. Is not OK! As one of the MINT countries, Turkey is expected to experience serious economic growth in the future, and like Mexico, Indonesia and Nigeria is seen as...
Switch on the news, pick up a business publication or skim the internet and you’ll see in no uncertain terms that Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is enjoying an upturn. It’s...
Valentine’s Day is not global. For marketers, Valentine’s Day is a big opportunity to create some relevant, engaging and humorous campaigns. However, for those launching new products and/or posting social...
Research takes time, so here, in brief, are 25 vital things about Russian business etiquette that you will find useful. Indeed, some of this information may just swing it for...
In Japan the business card is paramount. Unlike in Britain where we exchange business cards as a simple contact medium, the exchanging of business cards in Japan, or with a...
For those of you who need good information quickly and concisely, here is a list of 15 essential Japanese business tips that you need to know before that vital meeting...
Japan is a nation of readers. A major cultural difference you should be aware of is that the Japanese love reading. Japanese consumers, corporate or individual are much more detail...
Russia has finally made it into the WTO. It took about 19 years of negotiation. Quite how Putin will fare under the jurisdictive eyes of this global trade body we...
The gift culture in business to business China is virtually ritualistic. Presenting a modest gift to your business contact is a good idea just be mindful as the gift should...
It’s well documented: China is big for business, undisputedly the world’s fastest growing economy. But your road to success depends on good guanxi. Get good guanxi Guanxi (gwan-shee). Guanxi. Remember...
