Quick guide to avoid UK/French cultural confusion in your business 

If you are a UK person working or planning to work with French people, or a French person unfamiliar with UK office culture, here are a few key pointers to help you navigate some of the more frequently encountered cultural differences.

In the UK, you’re likely to assume a business meeting is about exchanging ideas, making decisions and agreeing a way forward. If the meeting comprises mixed cultures, this assumption could be a mistake and can cause a potentially damaging misunderstanding, particularly between UK and French partners! If you are French, you’ll leave a meeting having explored alternative ideas and possible outcomes, but you won’t think you’ve made a decision or agreed to anything binding.

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When did the first Tour De France take place?
The first Tour de France took place in 1903. The winner was Maurice Garin who won the race almost sixty five hours ahead of his nearest rival, with an average speed of 25.68km/h!

Why is the Yellow Jersey yellow?
The yellow jersey was first introduced in 1919. Yellow symbolised the newsprint and branding of the sporting newspaper l’Auto, who organised the Tour de France.

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A good idea? Proposed compulsory foreign languages in schools from age 7… mais oui!

It’s no secret that England isn’t really a nation of linguists. We probably shouldn’t be surprised. For many years, relatively little has been done so far across the English educational system to enhance the nation’s foreign languages skills. All too often the “We’re English, the world speaks English” (and American!) message has prevailed, potentially costing the economy millions of pounds in missed export opportunities.

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Growing your business through export may just be what you need to increase your sales. However it isn’t just the case of “going for it”. Whilst many businesses get away developing their business locally without a marketing plan, it’s critical to get your business export ready by creating an international sales and marketing plan. Any SME can potentially increase sales, compete in diverse markets and reach a global audience providing they follow the right steps… Or it could end up costing you your business.

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