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Bulgarians like to do business with people, face-to-face, therefore visiting the country to meet and work with local partners and customers is vital. You will need to be prepared to visit Bulgaria regularly to maintain the relationship with your partner and customers. Simply sending emails or faxes, or relying on distance selling techniques will not work.
Finding the suitable local business partner(s) is the most important factor for export success. Managing already established business relationships will require more time than in other countries, and regular visits to the market are vital.
Business
etiquette
The
usual
office
hours of
business
in
Bulgaria
are
9.00am-5.00pm,
Monday
to
Friday.
Words
of
advise
about
the ways
Bulgarian
people
do
business:
-
Appointments
can take
some
time to
arrange,
depending
on the
seniority
of the
person
you wish
to meet.
It is
recommended
to seek
appointments
in
advance
of a
visit.
-
Allow
sufficient
time for
business
meetings,
which
can be
quite
protracted
– always
allow
more
time
than you
expect.
-
It is
expected
that
visitors
arrive
on time
for an
appointment.
If
unexpected
circumstances
arise to
cause a
delay of
more
than
10-15
minutes,
call to
notify
the
person
of the
delay.
- In the
public
sector,
Bulgarians
have at
least
two to
four
weeks
holiday
per
year.
The
annual
vacation
period
is
usually
in July
and
August
and it
is
advisable
not to
arrange
appointments
during
this
period
or
Christmas/New
Year.
- At
formal
meetings
surnames
are
used. As
relationships
gradually
build up
it would
be
natural
to
address
your
counterpart
in given
(first)
names.
Business
cards
are
normally
exchanged
at the
beginning
of a
meeting.
- Decision-making
is
usually
made on
a
consensus
basis
and it
is
recommendable
to
include
all
possible
decision-makers.
- A
business
lunch or
dinner
usually
follows
negotiations.
Bulgarians
are
very hospitable,
and
enjoy
Bulgarian
food and
drink.
Occasionally
some of
these
lunches
and
dinners
may take
longer
than
usual.
Lunch
normally
starts
between
12.30pm-1.00pm,
while
dinner
starts
around
7.00pm-8.00pm.
English
is
spoken
in most
of the
big
restaurants,
especially
in the
capital,
Sofia.
- There is
a
Bulgarian
habit of
toasting
by
clinking
glasses
with a 'rakia',
a strong
grape or
plum
brandy
that
comes
together
with a
salad.
The
toast in
Bulgarian
is 'nazdrave'
which
means
'to your
health'.
- Smoking
is not
an issue
in
Bulgaria,
and
Bulgarians
can
light up
a
cigarette
in the
middle
of their
salad.
Nevertheless,
it would
be
polite
to ask
whether
it is
accepted
to smoke
when
visiting
someone's
office
or home.
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