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Operating an international business means it is vital to be prepared with regard to both utilising foreign languages and getting to grips with different cultures. It is an established fact that businesses who speak their customers' language are more successful and understanding different business cultures is also vital in good customer relations, and exploiting new opportunities. Different countries have their own business customs and expectations. If you are not aware of these you may lose the chance to make the best impression, and could even inadvertently cause offence. Did you know for example that: - If your Brazilian counterparts are reluctant to conduct business in English don't use Spanish. This may be the language of much of South America but in Brazil it is Portuguese. - An airline had problems when it started flights from Hong Kong. The company had decided to hand out white carnations - without realising that to many Asians these flowers represent death and bad luck - needless to say they soon switched to red ones. - If a visitor brings a gift of food or drink to an Arab household, the hosts may be offended because these gifts imply that they cannot afford such items or are distrusted. The Universities of South West England offer an extensive depth and variety of business focussed foreign language and cultural expertise through both training and business support activities. Universities across South West England can offer businesses a considerable range of services including training in language and culture, translation and interpreting and access to language students for projects or recruitment. By utilising this expertise you can improve your organisation's international communications and avoid any costly cultural mishaps! To support the development of successful businesses with a global reach, the Universities of South West England have developed a brochure which signposts the language and cultural support services offered by the Universities. This brochure provides an excellent guide to the services available to businesses wanting to develop their share of the global market. This brochure has been developed by HERDA-SW, the association of Universities and Higher Education Colleges in South West England, in partnership with the Regional Language Network South West and UK Trade & Investment. To find out more click here to download a copy of the brochure. Contact Steve Schofield T: 01392 454100 E: info@herda-sw.ac.uk