Snuggies exportation in belgium

|Country Overview |
|Belgium is said to be one of Europe’s cultural melting pots. Among the cultures that have left a mark in the nation are: Celtic, Roman, |
|Germanic, French, Dutch, Spanish and Austrian. This is mainly attributes to its location, “in the heart ofEurope”. Belgium is |
|geographically and culturally a crossroad in Europe. Belgium is located in Western Europe, it borders the North Sea and it is between the |
|Netherlands and France. The country has a total area of 12,566 sq. mi. (about the size of Maryland) (sate.gov). The total population is |
|about 10.5 million (U.S. Department of State). The main languages spoken in Belgiumare French, German and Dutch. English is also spoken |
|but not as much as the ones mentioned previously. There are a variety of religions in Belgium; however, the majority (75% of the |
|population) is Roman Catholic. The government type is parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch. The territory is mainly flat;|
|however, there are areas where mountains and rollinghills can be found. Finally, Belgium’s climate is cool, temperate and rainy. |
|Cultural Overview |
|Belgium is centrally located in the most productive region of the European market. “Within a radius of 300 miles, 140 million consumers of |
|the European Union can bereached (almost 50% of the United States population), representing 60% of Europe’s purchasing power.”(buyusa.gov)|
|Belgium has the second highest population density in Europe totaling just fewer than eleven million. Belgium is seen as a test market in |
|Europe because of its location, population density, and varied industries. Their distinct cultures reflect the overall European economyand|
|consumer. Their educational system is highly oriented in foreign languages and this result is a highly efficient country for foreign direct|
|investment (FDI). There are currently three different regions in Belgium: consisting of the Flemish Region, the Walloon Region and Brussels|
|the capital region. The Flemish region is in the northern part of Belgium consisting of five provinces withtheir official language being |
|Dutch. The Walloon region is in the southern part of Belgium, it has five provinces as well and its official language is French. Finally, |
|Brussels the capital region is the smallest of the three, contains the city Brussels which is the capital of Belgium and their official |
|languages are both French and Dutch.|
|Business Protocol and Common Procedures |
|Although the Belgians are very specialized in their start-up procedures, they are also very bureaucratic people and thrive in making very |
|little mistakes. This means that there are very manyprocedures and much paperwork involved in the start-up process. It is quite common for|
|the Belgians to review and reflect many times before coming to an ultimate decision. They think every alternative through so everything is |
|accounted for. |
|The people of Belgiumare also very prudent in that they take a great deal of time before they trust someone, especially a foreigner. |
|However, as mentioned earlier, their educational system is geared towards foreign language development and because of that, many Belgian |
|business men/women are sufficiently fluent in English and may wish to conduct the meeting in that language. Whatever the case, it is...