Close X

Leave a comment


Name:
Email:
Comment:
  I have read and understand the terms and conditions
 

Please click the post button only once - your comment will not be published immediately

FEATURED CONTENT

Cisco Customer Kings Cisco Customer Kings

Real Business and Cisco are looking for entrepreneurial firms that provide the very best in customer engagement.
Click here to enter your firm.

  • hot
  • hot

SocGen & how to do business with the French

by Matthew Rock - Wednesday, 30th January 2008 -

It's a good time to remind ourselves about the secrets of dealing with Les Francais.

As SocGen goes into crisis talks over the Jerome Kerviel affair, it's useful to remember that our French cousins tend to look after their own interests when doing business. For example, Eurostar tickets are ten per cent more expensive for British buyers. If you book online, when it asks for your country of origin, click France. You’ll be charged £52.60 rather than £57 if you originate from Blighty. Even more inexplicably, if you claim you are American, Japanese or Australian the price falls to £45.80.

For a reminder about our "27 ways to do business with the French", take a trip down memory lane to this classic from our archive.

BUSINESS NEWS >>

"Sage is no match for Kashflow!"

By Rebecca Burn-Callander - December 01, 2008 10:46am GMT

The giant accounting firm has just launched a rival to Kashflow's web-based software. But founder Duane Jackson isn't breaking a sweat.

Theo to save Woolworths?

By Matthew Rock - December 01, 2008 8:26am GMT

Yeah, yeah, Dragons' Den, TV celebrity and all that. When it comes to retail, few match him. Could Paphitis be the man to save the runt of the high street?

Woolies: a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”

By Kate Pritchard - November 28, 2008 12:31pm GMT

The high profile collapse of Woolies and MFI comes as a stark warning to entrepreneurs who trade with big companies.

Growing Business Awards: 2008

By Catherine Woods - November 28, 2008 11:03am GMT

Thunderhead chief executive Glen Manchester, LK Bennett founder Linda Bennett and TrafficBroker boss Neil Hutchinson picked up the top individual gongs at the Real Business/CBI Growing Business Awards.

Mumbai attacks: "It will be a tough 2009 for our Indian counterparts."

By Catherine Woods - November 27, 2008 3:45pm GMT

Aftershock founder Hiro Harjani says 2009 is going to be tough for India in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and the ongoing liquidity crisis.

Brochures on Saving and investing

BUSINESS COMMENT >>

Don't be a twit. Be a Twitter

By Rebecca Burn-Callander - December 01, 2008 1:01pm GMT

So, you've cracked Facebook. You've got a Myspace page. Your LinkedIn recommendations are flooding in and you can't get enough of Second Life. But could you be missing a trick?

Laughter is the best medicine

By Rebecca Burn-Callander - November 28, 2008 3:00pm GMT

Get your weekly dose of health-giving giggles right here, every Friday afternoon.

Growing Business Awards: Entrepreneur of the Year

By Catherine Woods - November 27, 2008 10:59pm GMT

It’s time for the final award of the night: Entrepreneur of the Year!

Growing Business Awards: Company of the Year

By - November 27, 2008 10:52pm GMT

Time for Company of the Year. Go crazy for…

Growing Business Awards: Young Entrepreneur

By Catherine Woods - November 27, 2008 10:47pm GMT

Great speech from Theo Paphitis before he hands out this award; he recounts an event from a couple of weeks ago when he went to see a dear friend (and great entrepreneur) who was dying.

Business Comment 

Click here to sign up for the Real Business newsletter

In association with
Real Business Front Cover