Russian business etiquette

For western businessmen, unlocking the great potential of Russia can be quite a challenge. Foreign companies, planning to do business in Russia, will have to study the local mentality and take into consideration the Russian character in order to understand the Russian people.

Overall, the best way to do business in Russia is to understand, and accept, that things happen differently. Therefore you have to adapt and evolve your own mindset accordingly in order to fully exploit the market. The benefits of understanding Russian business etiquette cannot be underestimated.

It also important to remember that, not so long ago there was the largest country in the world, the USSR. It consisted of 15 republics that all worked together under one system and towards one common goal. The whole economics of the USSR was build upon dependency of one republic upon another. A manufacturer of military aircraft in Uzbekistan was getting many components from factories in Armenia, different spare parts from manufacturers in Belarus, equipment from Ukraine, etc... This was the way everything was functioning and working. Despite its break-up, connections between former Soviet Republics are still strong.

Developing the Russian market for your business will give you an easy access to the markets of other newly independent republics of the former USSR. This can bring fresh and significant outlets for your goods or services. The fact that Russian business etiquette and business practices are very similar to those countries can be of great help. You can benefit from it tremendously. The use of this knowledge on the specific Russian market will allow you to be ahead of other western companies, and therefore ahead of your direct competition.

It should be remembered that Russia and the other former Soviet Republics are now in times of deep economic and social transformation which are not, by any means, finalised.

The intention of our business is to help companies and individuals with practical advice on how to use the knowledge of cultural differences in the Russian market. This information is based on our own experience of living and working in both cultural and business environment of Russia, other countries of the former Soviet Union as well as in the United Kingdom.

The full details about Russian business etiquette are far too complex to list on one page. Also, your own specific business may bring unique situations requiring a tailored solution. Therefore, please feel free to contact us if you are considering a business proposal that takes you into the Russian market. By helping you to understand the way things work we can hopefully steer you clear of the costly pitfalls that so many western companies have had to deal with.

You can gain a further insight into the political and business life of Russian speaking countries by looking through our archive of Russian news. This resource has been incorporated into our site to offer a glimpse of everyday matters from a Russian perspective.

Please contact us to discuss your specific needs in greater detail, we are here to help.