Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

Animal Airways, the first global pet-flight management provider has announced the launch of its flight management service for families relocating internationally with their pets.

The company has developed a service that promises to simplify pet travel for the millions of families with pets who relocate internationally.

Families traveling with pets can now fly with the peace of mind that all the paperwork and preparations have been professionally managed.

Animal Airways provides service to families worldwide, in cities across the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Moscow and Madrid.

For more information visit Animal Airways.

Jo Parfitt, author, speaker and portable career specialist explains how to avoid trip ups on your business trips.

The HSBC television advertisements say it all. You don’t have to have been to China to feel for that poor British business-man in the restaurant, who forces himself to finish the food on his plate. With each unappetising eel he eats, he feels more like a fish out of water. In China, a clean plate is a sign that you are still hungry.

Faux pas are frighteningly easy to commit when you are on a business trip abroad. Most of us remember to bow when we are introduced to the Japanese and pore eagerly over their business cards. Yet for every social more we know about, there are many more out there waiting to trip us up.

Simple etiquette can be a minefield. And a topic such as punctuality, which is close to the heart of the Brit, can be a perilous area. You can expect your German colleagues to arrive early for a meeting, while the Spanish are likely to be late and the Indians will think they’ve done well if they arrive on the right day.

It is important that you prepare yourself properly for your business trips and fortunately there are some great books out there to help.

Mind Your Manners by John Mole, will take you on a trip around the world, explaining the customs, values and timekeeping habits of 29 cultures. If you want more detail, then the Doing Business in . . . and Culture Smart! series, from Kuperard, are invaluable. It is important that you learn how to communicate effectively and without offending.

Alain Verstandig is the Managing Director of a careers consulting company called NetExpat, which has offices all over Europe. He endorses the theory that preparation is key.
“It’s not just the icebergs and the bad weather that you need to look out for,” says Verstandig. “But what is going on below the waterline.”

Anne-Marie Boels of Coutts Consulting has edited a book called Working in Europe and has worked extensively overseas.
“Learn the language,” she says. “If you want to integrate well and be accepted, learn the language.”

Indeed learning a few words can work wonders. Find out how to say things such as ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. It never fails to impress your hosts. Politicians do it all the time.

Be aware that women can be viewed differently in other countries too. In Asia it is normal for women to wear the business trousers, for example, and respect for them is vital.

Tracey Wilen works for Cisco in the US and has written International Business: A Basic Guide for Women, which is equally relevant for male travellers. Not only does she explain how to dress and pack appropriately but she also recommends that you show an interest in the host culture.
“Remind yourself that you are travelling for a purpose and that you’ll be going home when your job is done . . . if you are travelling to a country for the first time, let the hosts know and ask them for some advice . . . you might find that they will spend more time with you if they know you are there for the first time . . . most hosts will appreciate your interest in their country and culture and this will help enhance your relationship.”

If you are on a business trip, then the objective of your trip is to do business. Doing business well is dependent on getting on well with your hosts. Next time you plan to visit an unfamiliar country, do yourself, and your hosts, a favour, and find out what to expect before you find yourself in a Chinese restaurant, staring balefully at your third bowlful of unwanted eel.

Tips for your Trip
Learn a few words of the language
Learn how to behave in meetings and restaurants
Find out what you may do or say that could offend your hosts
Show an interest in the host country and culture
Read a few relevant books before you arrive

Recommended reading
Working in Europe, Anne-Marie Boels, www.benefactum.co.uk
Culture Smart! series from www.kuperard.co.uk
Mind Your Manners by John Mole from Nicholas Brealey Publishing
Figuring Foreigners Out by Craig Storti from Nicholas Brealey Publishing
When Cultures Collide by Richard D Lewis from Nicholas Brealey Publishing
International Business: A Basic Guide for Women by Tracey Wilen from www.xlibris.com

Jo Parfitt is the author of A Career in Your Suitcase, Expat Entrepreneurs, Find Your Passion and Release the Book Within, all published by Lean Marketing Press and available on Amazon worldwide. She has lived and worked in five countries since she moved to Dubai in 1987 and is currently based in The Netherlands. To find out more about Jo please go to her website www.joparfitt.com