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