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What is there to know about the Slovenian entrepreneurial environment?Before proceeding to specific examples of entrepreneurial environment and climate in Slovenia, here is a tip for those of you who are planning to hold a meeting in Slovenia with Slovenian businessmen. The usual European social conventions apply. Smart dress is advised for business meetings.
Appointments are usual and visitors should be punctual. Shaking hands is the normal form of greeting. Business cards are essential. Executives will generally have good knowledge of English or German, in some regions Italian as well.
Gifts are welcome but not obligatory, unless you are invited to their homes. An invitation to a Slovenian home is a sure sign the ice has firmly been broken. Since Slovenians like good wines, in these occasions the gift I would recommend is a bottle of good wine.
For more information check out www.poslovniportal.si
Since we are all well aware of the fact that science and technology mean progress, I cannot but continue with a more detailed presentation of high-tech companies ‘made in Slovenia’.
Slovenia’s high-tech industry cannot be compared with the one in the US, Germany or UK, for Slovenia is a rather young state that started to push towards a more scientifically and technologically based industry in the last decade. Nevertheless, there are some pretty successful companies on international scale that come from Slovenia.
Let me start with the so called ‘giants’ of Slovenia’s high-tech. United by a similar field of production and one of Slovenia’s specialist area – industrial design, Pipistrel, Seaway, Riko and Akrapovič are very often put forward as examples of how should a business be ran. Founders and directors of each of these companies turned their hobby into their work. Ivo Boscarol (Pipistrel) loved to fly, brothers Jakopin (Seaway) loved to sail, Igor Akrapovič (Akrapovič) loved fast motorbikes, and Janez Škrabec (Riko hiše) simply loved Russia, the biggest export market for his low-energy houses. They all managed to become internationally recognized for the products they produce.
Is it not outstanding that a small country like Slovenia, with only 2 million inhabitants, managed to be represented on the world scale?
Don't miss next week's final part of this article-blog. We will disclose the most prominent Slovenian start-ups who are very likely to become "the next big thing"!
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