Brainstorming:

After this session we had to do some brainstorming to think about what we were good at and how it could be turned into a business idea. I found it hard to think of ideas for turning my talents into something unique and saleable: everything seems to have been thought of already. It is also difficult to find a partner or partners you can trust and work with, but as the deadline was short (ten days), I decided to join a group as there was not enough time to do all the research and preparation needed on my own with all my other work, even though I might have been happier working solo.

People Issues
1. with co-workers – you may not always be happy with the way things are being done but you have to let the boss make the final decision
2. with suppliers – need a contract to specify quantities, timing of deliveries etc to avoid any misunderstandings and
3 with customers/clients –need to ensure customers are satisfied (within reason) so that you get repeat business and recommendations



Every culture has its own way of doing business.  There can be all kinds of problems when doing business abroad because of cultural differences, even between countries that speak the same language, like the UK and the USA, or countries in the same economic/geographic block like Greece and Germany. By educating yourself in cultural diversity, you can avoid potential problems and improve your chances of getting more customers.
 
Some cultures prefer to communicate in a direct and explicit way and their main aim is to close a deal and get a contract (USA): others prefer a more indirect form of communication (Japan) and are more concerned about building relationships.  Such differences extend through a whole range of things: in the Middle East giving gifts is expected while in the west, gift giving can be seen as attempted bribery.  Even something as apparently simple as a business card requires care; not only should it be in both your language and your clients’ language but for example in China, it should be printed in gold (an auspicious colour) and presented with ceremony while in Europe cards are exchanged without any formal ritual.  While most business meetings are conducted in a fairly formal manner, the degree of formality varies from country to country and humour (which usually does not translate) should be avoided for a more serious and professional approach.  There is also a great deal of variety in the way meetings and negotiations are conducted and decisions made.
 
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-japan.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-china.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-germany.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-uk.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-usa.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/etiquette/doing-business-greece.html
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/saudi-arabia-country-profile.html