Doing business in Poland

The UK is one of the largest foreign investors in Poland. The country has a population of 40 million and it is an important economy in Europe. The Polish market has a great deal of potential when it comes to exporting products and services, but many business people regard Polish as a huge barrier, which is understandable, because it is a difficult language. The Polish realise, however, that speaking German or English is very important and many Poles speak at least one of these languages nowadays. For official documents, however, a translation into Polish is essential. For more tips about doing business in Poland, see the article below.

Hierarchical structure

Polish companies are very hierarchical and most managers do not have the authority to make decisions. Their task is usually to just pass on precise instructions to their employees. Decisions are only taken after a great many meetings and only after the matter has reached senior management. It is, however, inadvisable to go above your contact person. If you take the time to go through this process, you will discover that you have a reliable business partner.

Formal attitude

Business is done very formally in Poland. You can get away with a joke prior to a business meeting, but during the meeting itself, it should be to the point and a formal attitude is expected. It is also important to be on time. You will also be expected to have prepared for the person you are speaking to and their company. They, on the other hand, will have conducted some research into you and your company. It is also important to keep your team intact. You will undoubtedly invest a lot of time in building up your relationship and new team members provoke suspicion, which will only be to the disadvantage of your deal.