SocGen & how to do business with the French
by Matthew Rock - Wednesday, 30th January 2008
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.
Tags:
societe generale,
international business,
french business culture,
socgen,
jerome kerviel,
Dragons' Den: "The pitch was a doddle"
By Kate Pritchard - August 27, 2008 9:53am GMT
When Neil Westwood and his wife Laura appeared on Dragons’ Den with their pitch for the Magic Whiteboard, four out of the five dragons wanted to invest. “You spend three months preparing for the show. I don’t understand how you could possibly cock it up,” he says.
Flexible working seduces senior staff
By Catherine Woods - August 26, 2008 4:40pm GMT
RadioWorks chairman Stan Park joined the entrepreneur-led radio advertising specialist based on the strength of the business model but also because of its flexible working policies.
University spin-out gets a crash course in branding
By Rebecca Burn-Callander - August 26, 2008 3:08pm GMT
When Axon Automotive wanted to attract first round investment, founder Steve Cousins took a few lessons from Designing Demand, the “business transformation” scheme from the Design Council.
How to meet the business partner of your dreams
By Anthony Patterson* - August 26, 2008 2:18pm GMT
Speed-dating enthusiasts claim that three minutes is all it takes to meet the man or woman of your dreams. Can the same be true in business?
Keeping your best salespeople during a recession
By John Fedden* - August 22, 2008 4:47pm GMT
Businesses need to be using the best salespeople they can find to win orders during tough economic times when competition often increases for a more-limited number of sales opportunities.
Ashoka and the art of social entrepreneurship
By Matthew Rock - August 27, 2008 11:36am GMT
We strongly recommend this interview with Bill Drayton, founder of the Ashoka organisation that brings together the world's finest social enterprises.
Dragons’ Den: Where are they now?
By Rebecca Burn-Callander - August 21, 2008 5:02pm GMT
If you (like us) were wondering whatever happened to all those businesses that faced the Dragons’ wrath in the Den over the past six series, look no further.
How do you fund your growth?
By Zarrin Lilani - August 20, 2008 4:09pm GMT
As the economic situation worsens in the UK, we’re hearing reports that smaller businesses aren't managing their finances in the best way.
