Stand Close & Be Patient in Chile

Post by Joey Long·

Chilean men usually shake hands and woman pat each other on the right forearm or on the shoulder.
· Dining etiquette is formal in Chile; one should pour wine with on their right hand, wait to be shown to their seat, seat the women before the men, and not hide hands while eating.
· While conducting business one should have a firm handshake and make eye contact, Chileans stand close while talking, some women may refuse to shake hands with men, always use surnames and titles.
· While in a business meeting it is important not to openly criticize anyone, be patient as meetings may take a while, it is common to interrupt people while they are speaking.
· Chile has many exports and imports including food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, minerals and fuels, and manufactured goods.
· The exchange rate for Chile is 461.88 pesos per dollar.
· Flashy colors are not appropriate.
· Men should wear a dark suit, light shirt, and conservative tie
· Women should wear a suit and heels.
· If invited to someone’s house bring chocolates or wine but do not bring yellow, purple, or black flowers.
· Chileans often do not communicate openly and one may need to find hidden meaning in words.

Business Down Under

Austrailia

by Jack Hedstrom

Clothing-
For men going to a meeting for the first time, a conservative business suit is a very common thing to wear. Many companies allow business casual dress, which is usually nice pants and a collared shirt with or without a jacket. For Women, dresses, pantsuits, or business suits are a good idea for a meeting for the first time. Limited accessories are fine, and you should not wear revealing clothing. Jeans and more casual attire are common in some companies.
Common Exports to America-
Ø Meat products
Ø Wine and related products
Ø Iron and steel mill products
Ø Nickel
Ø Medicine
Common Imports from America-
Ø Materials handling equipment
Ø Civilian aircraft
Ø Medicinal equipment
Ø Computer accessories
One US dollar is equivalent to .914 dollars in Australia
Business Etiquette-
In Australia, things are not very formal so greetings are casual and relaxed. A handshake and smile suffices. An Australian might say ‘G’day’ ‘mate’, a foreigner should just say hello and how are you. Appointments are very necessary and very easy to schedule.
Dining Customs-
When you are invited to an Australians house for dinner, it will likely be a ‘barbie’ BBQ. When you go to their house for the dinner, the guests typically bring a gift like wine or beer. You should always arrive on time, or no more than fifteen minutes late if you are invited to somebody’s house for dinner. And you should always be in contact with your host to see if you are in need to bring a dish.

ROMANIAMAGUCHI

Romania is a very good country to trade with and has top class etiquette. They don’t trade often and their business is reserved and formal, but they are very professional. They are a hierarchical culture and they build on respect and strong relationships with other countries first. Age and position are well respected, as well as older people who are viewed as wise. For dining you are expected to show up in office clothes, and user proper table manners. The relationship they have with the U.S. is building rapidly. Over the last three years, their top exports have been fertilizers, industrial machinery, automotive machinery, and household goods. Their top imports are coal, telecommunications, and drilling and oil field equipment. Until recently, Romania’s people have been denied high quality products. Now consumers are getting higher quality products from countries like the U.S., and people are really happy. The new companies forming in Romania today often have some link with foreign participation. 1 Romanian leu = 0.3466 US dollars

If I was to do business in Romania, and I was meeting with a business partner, I would start off very formally. Romanians expect meetings scheduled two to three weeks in advance, usually by letter. Romania has a very strict culture based society, so I would make sure I am very proper in my language and attitude. For the business matter, I might have to wait awhile just to negotiate a simple deal. They also appreciate honesty and strive to build trust relationships. When I am negotiating I will need to be as clear as possible, because Romanians want to be able to understand deals directly. When showing them my business card, I would make sure I have the back side translated into Romanian. If I have been in business for awhile I would include how long, because they like to see stability in companies. I wouldn’t take it too fast, because Romanian business people are pretty reserved and quiet. It is important to give it time and get a strong foundation going. Another thing I would keep in mind is eye contact. Romanians are very particular on eye contact, and might be displeased if you look away or glance off during a conversation.

Bonjour de Belgique: Business in Belgium

Bonjour de Belgique!

Par Mathieu Stein

1. They do business in a bureaucratic method. Many speak English so speaking French or Flemish is not necessary. Business is done logically with reason and usually has critical discussions.

2. Business is done with subtlety because it shows directness, so don’t always make eye-contact. Don’t be confrontational because that is viewed as rude.

3. Imports: Chemicals, Equipment, Food,Transportation Equipment, Oil Products, Machinery, Raw Diamonds, and pharmaceuticals.

Exports: Foods, Chemicals, Diamonds, Metal and their products, Machinery, and Equipment.

4. The Belgian Natural Resources are silica, carbonates, and construction materials.

5. The Euro (In European Union)

6. They eat at restaurants and homes, the latter for more secluded personal friends. If food is left on your plate, it is considered rude. They follow the Continental table manners. Arriving on time and dressing formally are the usual expectations for guests. If you praise their food, it delights them greatly so.

7. When eating, keep your hands off the table. A formal handshake before business gives respect. Dress neatly because otherwise it is rude.

8. Handshakes are given and when meeting a woman a kiss on both cheeks, with man and man, just a handshake.

9. How you dress is a very important part of Belgium. They take pride in being neat and is considered a way of showing national pride. They try to dress well for good first impressions.

10. Anthem: The Brabanconne

Flag:

Business In Spain

· Every country has its own unique etiquette protocol and it is important to understand a countries customs. When doing business in Spain handshakes are standard as in the US. It is important to be formal during first time interactions but as a relationship continues you can become more casual. In Spain the people are extremely nice and friendly. Relationships are very important in Spain and people work hard to please their business partners.
· Spain has very little energy resources and therefore is dependent on other countries. They have no large oil fields and few coal mines and natural gas sources. In 2006 Spain received 99% of its oil from other countries. Basic metals, vegetables, minerals and textiles are Spain’s largest exports. Nuts, medical equipment and industrial engines are their main imports.
· Spain has many natural resources such as: coal, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gypsum and many others.
· Spain’s currency is the Euro however in older generations and certain places they still use the old currency.
· In Spain dinning customs are very important. When invited to some ones house it is common to bring chocolate, flowers, cake or wine. It is also common to bring gifts for the children. When eating it is important to keep your hands visible at all times and a guest commonly holds a toast to their host.

STARK-CHINA

Everyday people around the world have to do business with China. There are many things to consider when doing business with China. When greeting someone, a formal handshake is necessary and you have to greet the oldest person first, and by their last name. Another important part, is being able to laugh at yourself as this shows a better relationship according to Chinese customs.
China does not like doing business with companies they do not know. So to meet someone it is good to have sometime introduce you to them. You also have to bring your own interpreter and be on time or early. When eating at a Chinese home, consider this a honor. Always finish everything on your plate, even if you do not like it. Not doing so, is considered rude towards the host. Also, when going into a Chinese home, be sure to bring a small gift for the host or hostess.
In China they use the currency Yen. One US dollar is worth 81.31 yen. China exports toys, office products, tea, silk, telecommunications, apparel, clothing, etc.
When doing business with China, you really have to make an effort to go the extra mile in terms of knowing their culture and etiquette. This is important because they take little things very offensively, things here that would not be considered rude at all.

TAIWAN

In Taiwan Good Afternoon is "Wu An", when you close the deal you can say Thank you very much "Fei Chang Hsieh Hsieh Ni". Taiwanese people are very formal and usually nod their head when greeting their business partner. You should assure your customer a parking spot and give them a creative business card. Also, business cards are very colorful and creative in Asia. It is polite to give your business partner a gift after closing a deal. These gifts can be an expensive alcoholic beverage such as champagne or a bottle of wine. It is very rude to point at things with your feet, or touch anyone on their head or shoulders, this is considered very disrespectsable.Believe it or not Taiwan will be coming out with some of the newest products for hand-tools, U.S.A. is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner. Taiwan exports more items to the United States of America than imports. Taiwan exports lots of fish since it is an island and there is very good fishing around the shores. Since 55% of Taiwan’s population is younger than 30 years old, and since people in Taiwan are very disciplined, there will be a lot of smart businessman. Overall, Taiwan is a very fast-growing country and has many natural resources that can be sold to other countries.

Somalia's interesting business protocol

A normal Somaliland business week is Saturday through Wednesday with Thursday and Friday the weekend days. NOT MANY PEOPLE work on Friday but depending on occupations some people work on Thursday. Business hours are usually 7 am to 7 pm. Every Friday is a holiday. Meetings are laid back and start within 30 minutes of schedule time, and most meetings are not on Fridays.
Exports are Livstock, Bananas, Hides, Fish, and Charcoal. Imports are manufactures, petroleum products, foodstuffs, construction materials, qat (don’t know what this is). Currency is Somalia Shillings.1, 416.6 Somali shillings for a dollar, although the black market rate is 23,000 shillings for a dollar.
Natural resources from Somali are uranium and largely unexploited reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper, salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves.
Flag of Somalia was adopted October 19th 1954 created by a scholar called Mohammed. The blue color was adopted from the UN flag. Also similar to the flag of Florida and Vietnam
Many poor Somali have to resort to piracy and they forcibly capture large transport ships from other countries in which they then hold hostage and will return for large sums of money. This process of piracy is a newer type of ‘business’.

South Africa

South Africa is one of the most multicultural countries in the world; there are many different ethnic groups in the urban areas. This makes it more difficult to follow proper protocol and etiquette for people have different values and cultural ideas. For example, due to colonization and immigration there are many Europeans, Indians, Indo-Malays, Chinese and as well as the indigenous tribes. As a result, how one should conduct their selves depends on their audience. For example, people from Johannesburg have materialistic values and are more interested in your possessions than you yourself. People from Cape Town are proud of their city and feel superior. They also value family and relationships.
While there are different values and customs even within the country, it is important to give a handshake and maintain eye contact. However, women don’t shake hands, only nodding their head. However, it is important to realize that greetings are leisurely and allow for social discussion. When staying with someone, it is proper to bring flower, good chocolates and a bottle of good South African wine. If you decide to wrap your gift, it is important that it is done well. If it is done nicely, it shows extra effort.
If you are dining with someone, it is good to arrive on time (as expected). One should also contact the hostess to see if he or she should bring a dish. You can expect to wear casual clothes, but you should check with the hostess beforehand. However, different parts of the country have different dress styles. For example, Johannesburg dresses more fancy. Do not wear jeans or shorts unless you have spoken to the hosts.

Switzerland

Business Etiquette:

When meeting with people it is recommend that you shake hands with all of the people present. The Swiss are very formal and tend to address each other by their surnames. Switzerland has four official languages- German, French, Italian, and Romansch. The Swiss people are very private. When trading with them it is best to avoid asking questions. In the beginning of the trading relationship it is best to avoid jokes and be serious until the relationship is strengthened. The Swiss are known as getting the best possible deal in negotiations. They are known to analyze all of the facts before making a decision.

Exports and Imports

Some of Switzerland top exports include medicine, jewelry, scientific products, medical products, household goods, machinery, electric parts, machine tools, measuring, testing, and control instruments, and collectibles. Some of Switzerland’s top imports are gold, jewelry, collectibles, diamonds, household goods, other precious metals, organic chemicals, and aircraft parts.

Currency Exchange

The Swiss use a currency called the Swiss Franc. Currently one Swiss franc is equal to 1.1340 American dollars.

Natural Resources

Switzerland has a very small amount of natural resources. However the few that they have are timber and salt. Switzerland also has a high potential for creating hydropower.

Business in Russia- David Stacke

Doing Business in Russia is very similar to doing business in the United States. Russia is a very modern nation, they have high technology and operate around a modern stock market that is similar to the United States’. Russia trades using the ruble, which has the exchange rate of 27 rubles to 1 American dollar. Russia has a very high literacy rate, almost 100% of the population can read and write. As far as business etiquette, Russians shake hands and commonly have a drink. They also require people to be on time, and if you are not, the proposed deal is off. Russian Business people dress very similarly to Americans, they dress formally, in suits during the workweek. Aside from the workdays, Russians dress casually.

Canada

When you look at Canada from a business standpoint, there are a couple of key business protocols and things that are necessary to know in order to be a successful business associate of Canada. The first thing you need to know is that the primary languages spoken in Canada are English and French. It is important to know this because of the possible communication problems. The most common greeting is the handshake. It should be a firm handshake and accompanied by direct eye contact and a sincere smile. You should wait until invited before using someone's first name although Canadians tend to move to a first-name basis rapidly. A business card should also be created in order to give at the first meeting. Canada’s largest export is in the processed food industry, more specifically the fast food market. The largest imports were drinks to Canada. Canada is rich with natural resources, which helps stimulate the economy. Also, the exchange rate=.9709 American Dollars/1.0000 Canadian Dollars and the inverse of that for the reverse operation. Table manners are relatively relaxed in Canada, but it is important to wait for the hostess to take the first bite. A suit is formidable for any business encounter.

The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is a great place to do business as long as you can follow some very specific rules.
Arrive on time, which is very important.
You also should remember that business meetings are structured and aren’t very formal, but they usually end with a bit of small talk with your fellow businessmen.
Remember that the English pride themselves on well dressed and very well groomed.

For men the dress is dark or medium colored suits with a tie that usually avoids stripes.

Women usually wear a classic suit, dresses and blouses and accessories are usually worn.

Casual attire is usually not worn but this may vary dependent on the business.
Business decisions tend to be made moving from the top to the bottom and usually take time to make when there is negotiating involved.
When English people negotiate they usually use humor in their tactics.
They avoid direct conflict or confrontation.
Titles are important and you should usually address people by Mr., Mrs., or Miss followed by their last name. People should always avoid calling others by their first name unless they are invited to do so.
Business cards are very essential and should always be exchanged when business is done.

Brazil ALLIE HARRIS

Brazilians prefer face-to-face meetings over written communication. However, when it comes to business agreements, Brazilians insist on drawing up detailed legal contracts. It is important not to do anything that would embarrass a Brazilian. Communication is informal most of the time and doesn’t rely on strict rules of protocol. Anyone who has an opinion will generally say something. It is acceptable to interrupt someone who is speaking. Brazilians pride themselves on dressing well. Men should wear conservative, dark colored business suits. Three-piece suits typically indicate that someone is an executive. Women should wear suits or dresses that are elegant and feminine with good quality accessories and manicures are expected. Business appointments are required and can often be scheduled on short notice, but it is best to make them 2 to 3 weeks in advance. Always confirm the meeting in writing because it common for appointments to be cancelled or changed at the last minute. Avoid confrontations and never appear frustrated with your Brazilian colleagues. Business cards are exchanged during introductions with everyone at a meeting. Brazilians negotiate with people, not companies so do not change your negotiating team or you may have to start over from the beginning. Dining Etiquette is as follows: If you are invited to a Brazilian’s house: arrive at least 30 minutes late for the invitation if it’s for dinner, arrive up to an hour late for a party or large gathering, Brazilians dress with a flair and judge others on their appearance; casual dress is more formal than in many other countries, and always dress elegantly and lean towards the side of over dressing rather than under-dressing. Men shake hands when greeting one another, while maintaining steady eye contact. Women generally kiss each other, starting with the left and alternating cheeks. Hugging and backslapping are common greetings among Brazilian friends. If a woman wishes to shake hands with a man, she should extend her hand first. Avoid giving anything purple or black to a Brazilian for a gift, for those are the colors associated with death. The currency of Brazil is known as the Real (BRL).

Mr. Bollweg is my hero

mexico

In Mexico, most of the relationships of business come from personal relationships between people and not companies. Many businesses are family controlled instead of owned by a big group of businessmen. Usually the first impression cannot be changed so if you give your businessman a bad impression most likely he will not like you. It is important to arrive to meeting on time. All written material in Mexico business meeting has to be in Spanish and English. During work, everyone dresses like what Europeans dress, which is men wear conservative, dark colored suits, and women wear business suits or conservative dresses. Mexico imports and exports many goods between countries especially the United States of America. They export Crude oil, car parts and accessories, video equipment, other parts of car, electrical apparatus and parts, telecommunications equipment, engines, computers, and other household good. Imports to United States tobacco, electrical apparatus, vehicle parts, plastics, computer accessories, petroleum products, finished metal shapes, telecommunication equipment, industrial supplies and machines. Mexico is the second largest country to trade with United States with oil. The oil is one – third of Mexico’s revenue. Mexico has a different currency then the United States in Mexico they use the Peso.

France

International Business Entry Blog
Corey Winestock

French business behavior emphasizes courtesy and a degree of formality. .Mutual trust and respect is required to get things done. . Trust is earned through proper behavior.
French business emphasizes courtesy and a fair degree of formality. . Wait to be told where to sit. . Maintain direct eye contact while speaking.
imports: Civilian aircraft engines exports: Medicinal, dental and pharmaceutical preparations
France has some coal, iron ores, bauxite, and uranium; but the coal veins are deep and difficult to work and are unsuitable for use in the manufacture of steel
Euros
If you are invited to a French house for dinner:. Arrive on time. Under no circumstances should you arrive more than 10 minutes later than invited without telephoning to explain you have been detained. . The further south you go in the country, the more flexible time is. . If invited to a large dinner party, especially in Paris, send flowers the morning of the occasion so that they may be displayed that evening. . Dress well. The French are fashion conscious and their version of casual is not as relaxed as in many western countries
All countries have peculiar social customs and France is no exception. As a foreigner you will probably be excused if you accidentally insult your hosts, but it’s better to be aware of accepted taboos and courtesies, especially as the French are much more formal than most foreigners (especially Americans and Britons) imagine.
When you’re introduced to a French person, you should say ‘good day, Sir/Madam and shake hands a single pump is used only among close friends and young people. When saying goodbye, it’s a formal custom to shake hands again. In an office, everyone shakes hands with everyone else on arrival at work and when they depart. I have never been to France but I understand that the customs and body language and gestures are much different than the United States

Tradin with Taiwan

tAIWAN is located in Eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of ChinaCapital: Taipei. iwan's exports have risen by 38.5% since July 2009, more than had been expected, according to the country's ministry of finance.The country saw a huge surge in orders towards the start of the year, but since then the pace of export growth has eased. Did you know Taiwan exports Computers, bicycles, tooling instruments, and agricultural products? It also exports hogs, cattle, and rabbits. Some other exports are plastic and plastic products.One Taiwanese Dollar is equivalent to three American cents
multiparty democracy

Slovakia (Former USSR) Slovakians like to do business with many people. They are open to long term commitment with other countries. Marian Hossa is an example. He left Slovakia, and came to the US to do business with the NHL. He agreed to a 12 year deal which shows that Slovakians are committed to their business and like long term deals. They are an open and free market economy. It’s one of the top 20 countries to start or do business with in Europe. They use the Euro. They speak Slovak, so it is important to learn this language before going there. They export private cars, bodies for automobiles, television equipment and hockey players. They are a great country to do business with because Slovakia is growing at a steady pace. Slovakia has the 7th highest number of hockey players in the league. Slovakians enjoy their national anthem, which is based off of a folk song with patriotic meaning. Their national flag is blue red and white, and their coat of arms in the middle. Slovakia is cold, so you better bring a jacket and a winter hat if you plan on doing business there. Overall, Slovakia is good.

Scotland

The Scottish national anthem is "Flower of Scotland" and their flag is blue with a white X through it. For business, men tend to wear suits or just dress shirts and trousers. They could but dont have to wear a tie. Women usually wear trousers and a blouse or sweater, they could also wear a skirt or dress.
Scots don’t touch, hug and shake hands as much as Americans do so it is a good thing to introduce yourself and when they are talking lean forward to show you are interested in what they are saying or they could get offended.
Dining customs in Scotland are different than America. You should never eat with your hands. It is also rude to slurp your drink, burp or wipe your nose at the table. If you pour yourself a drink, you should offer to pour drinks for everyone. When passing food to someone, pass it down the table, not directly to them. Always keep both hands above the table, it is a sign of respect. Their currency is pounds sterling and 1.00 Us Dollars = 0.57 Pounds Sterling
Scotland has fertile land and lots of agriculture along with oil and gas. They also produce coal zinc and oil shale. They import and export a lot of their natural resources.

Switzerland Business

Megan Moran
May 18, 2011
Switzerland Business

U.S. exports in goods to Switzerland, in 2010, valued at about USD 20 billion (U.S.) Like in the United States to be successful in the business world you need to be highly educated, reliable, and flexible work force. In Switzerland, manufacturing sectors are highly automated and efficient. Switzerland welcomes foreign investment, with factors that include economic and political stability, a transparent legal system, reliable and extensive infrastructure, efficient capital markets and excellent quality of life in general. Many U.S. firms base their European or regional headquarters in Switzerland, drawn to the country's low corporate tax rates, exceptional infrastructure, and productive and multilingual work force. Switzerland was ranked as the world's most competitive economy according to the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report in 2010.
Dress attire has a wide range in Switzerland, in upper management, corporate finance and private banks, dark suits are the rule as in many countries. In most other industries, you will encounter countless types of attire. Lower-ranking employees often wear casual clothes and jeans are quite common.
Capital of Switzerland is Bern. Official languages are German 63.7%, French 19.2%, and Italian 7.6%. Currency is the Swiss franc. Imports: US$71 billion, Exports: US$72 billion.

Business in Italy

Business protocol in Italy includes rules that are established based on relationships and communications with other countries. The countries with the best trust and friendship according to Italy will be the ones that Italy will trade with. To achieve a relationship with Italy and perhaps even a business deal, people must meet with the person they are doing business with face-to-face contact, because it helps build trust and a relationship. Also people must also know or learn how to make a good first impression. Businessmen in Italy always judge people based on their appearance and attitude when they first meet them. This goes for the first rule, always do whatever it takes to ensure a healthy relationship with your business partner. Italians are intuitive and try to be their friend in a way. Lastly, try to understand how Italian businessmen express their ideas or themselves. They will often use hand gestures, vocabulary you may or may not understand, demonstrations, and emotions to prove their points.
When it comes to proper Italian business etiquette, there are some requirements you must know. Like America, business meetings are the most powerful contact when it comes to doing business. In Italy, these are mandatory, but they must be written or spoken in the Italian language. Phone calls, letters, fax, and other forms of communication should all be in the language of the home country, which in this case is Italy. Also note that most Italian companies and businesses close in August, so meetings should not be planned during that time period.
Your products will be imported and exported to and from Italy. The most common are food items, mechanical components, transportation units, and other miscellaneous items that are essential in a the life of an individual. To make these, you and your business will have to rely on the natural resources of Italy that you are allowed to use. They have most of the things that we have like oil, natural gas, food suppliers, etc. With these it will be almost like working in the US. Of course all this will cost money and Italy being a different country with different currency, US bills will not be accepted. American dollars can be converted into Euros, the European and Italian currency by exchanging. Note that one American dollar is equal to .70 in Euros. It would be best to exchange and start out with a decent amount of money.
Customs in the US are different from that of Italy. To gain the trust and approval of your co-workers in Italy it would be best to follow the customs correctly. Dinning and eating customs in Italy have a series of regulations. Like in America, do your best not to be late when attending a dinning, always dress in your best formal clothes, keep your hands in your lap, and no elbows on the table. Also bring gift-wrapped chocolates to the host, no matter the event. When sitting at the table, certain foods or rather all can be picked up only with a fork. The host is the only one who can give the first toast and every Italian mealtime has a toast given. Social customs in Italy include greetings, good-byes, etc. In Europe the traditional greeting is a kiss on each cheek starting with the left one. When meeting someone new a formal handshake is acceptable. Again, Italians use gestures most of the time to communicate and express ideas. Find the time to learn what each on means. The dress code would be formal clothing on important days, like meeting a new business partner or a company meeting. Repeating, Italians judge people base on their first impressions, so make a good one. Certain clothing will often appear to people as a social level symbol. Since your workplace is now Italy, respect for the country is extremely important to show that you are a caring co-working and friend to others. The flag is saluted to every time there is an honor ceremony. The National Anthem of Italy is in the home language of the country and can be sung in any language as long as it it’s the correct words and done respectfully. Now that the basics are covered, you now know all of them and can now take businesses to Italy.

The Netherlands -Charlie Parry

Historically, the Netherlands has had a very strong economy that has played a serious roll in its success as a country. The farming industry employs 4% of their population, making dairy products and crops a big contributor to their GDP. In 2009, the Netherlands exported $387.8 B worth of machinery, chemicals, processed food/tobacco, and agricultural products. The Netherlands imported $345.6 B worth of crude petroleum, mineral fuels, consumer goods, and foodstuffs. That’s a $44.2 B profit on just imports and exports.
Due to a low level of inflation in the western European countries, a single Euro(the Netherlands currency) is trading at $1.4244 US dollars. This is good for the Netherlands because it is makes them a stronger trading power, but bad for countries such as the United States because people get a lot more for their money(one of the major reasons for the 2008 economic crash). In the end, the Netherlands are a very easy country to do business with and are very loyal to the other countries that trade with them.

Blumenthal-Israel

Heidi Blumenthal
A Guide to the Business World of Israel

Israelis have their own rules to do everything in life, this concept is also present in their business protocol. Israelis believe that a successful business deal can only happen with connections and communication, and often include negotiations. Also a good trick to completing a deal with an Israeli is to sit and present yourself in a formal meeting, using brochures, business cards, and making your deal firm and final (Israelis like people who show initiative and control). The best etiquette for conducting a business deal with Israel is to have a meeting at the normal daily mealtime, serve traditional Israeli foods, toast, and go to a social location.
Although Israel is only about the size of New Jersey, Israel exports and imports many things. Israel exports farm products, such as olive oil, wine, and grains. Also Israel imports raw materials such as tin, lead, silver, copper, iron, gold, and timber. Also some of Israel’s natural resources include timber, potash, copper ore, natural gas, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide, clays, and sand.
The currency in Israel is in Sheqels and its about 3.388826 sheqels per American dollar. Also in order to create a good impression on the Israeli people, you should know their dining customs, such as eating later, and the best time to have a meeting over a meal is lunch time. Additionally, it is helpful to know that the Israeli people are a social group of people but are also very stubborn and fixed on their ways. Israelis normally have a short temper and want to close deals as soon as possible.
Also here is a list of helpful Israeli body language which will assist you in closing a deal. A hand out in a pinched formation means hold on a second, I am busy, or shut up, and both hands in front pinched means I am saying something very important so pay attention. Lastly, a hand to the side of the head followed by a twist of the hand means you are wrong.
Lastly, the Israeli national anthem is the Hatikva and their flag is blue and white with two blue stripes and a Jewish star in the middle.

Sierra Leone

Wear a lightweight suit for business meetings. Make appointments well in advance and confirm nearer the time. Be punctual yourself but don't expect punctuality. Business cards are essential and it's good to include relevant titles. A personal relationship is key to doing business here so make sure you take time to develop this.

Some common exports of Sierra Leone are coffee, cocoa, ginger, palm kernels, palm oil, cassava and bananas. Diamonds, titanium ore (rutile), bauxite, gold, iron ore are among the natural resources of Sierra Leone.The currency rate of one us dollar to the leone is 4320 leones to the dollar.

If you visit a contact or friend in Sierra Leone, he or she will almost certainly invite you to stay and eat. Men and boys generally eat separately from women and girls. Water is brought round for you to wash your hands and then people gather round a central dish of food. Eat from the area in front of you, making sure you only use your right hand and don't reach over. People often don't talk while eating so don't be embarrassed if there is silence.

The Mendes are known for the culture of secret societies, locally called Bondo, which have considerable background influence over the way things are done. Should you attend a secret society celebration in a rural area you will see men dressed as ‘devils' dancing round the village. They are held in respect by the locals.

The colors of the Sierra Leone flag are green light blue and white.