User talk:Leger2

Introduction:

Norway is a beautiful country full of immaculate mountains, incredible waterways, all the scenery and history you could ever want and makes a great place for anyone looking, to visit just for a nice quiet relaxing vacation. However there is much more to Norway than what the eye could ever tell you.

Economically speaking Norway is one of the world’s most developed nations. Being home to one of the most advanced economies in the world I there probably aren’t many economies now compatible with them. In 2005 Norway ranked second in the world in GDP PPP per capita at $42,000. Norway’s GDP growth rate is 2.1, their inflation 2.3%, and labor force 2.42 million and with stats like this you can’t help but want to do business with them. Norway also has a $62.7 billion in profit after expenses showing them to be a country that is ever rising and not simply falling deeper and deeper into debt, which better than we can say for most country’s.

Now we will get into government and legal system. I believe there are several things that have huge factors in trade business between two countries and I believe that if these factor into the scene, it would be extremely difficult for those country’s to trade with one another. First of all when a country hates you; that’s a definite problem. With countries like Iran, Afghanistan, several Middle East countries and other countries as well, have an extreme dislike for another country, it makes business hard. I’m not saying it can’t happen between them, but it makes a rough road in the short and long run. Sue countries do it everyday but it’s just not good for business. As long as America is looked upon as “the country who wants to take over everything” we aren’t going to have good standing with them, and having good standing is what makes business so good. All you hear in sales and marketing departments is how you need to build relationship with your customers and clients in order to keep a good trusting relationship with those people. So how could one country hating another be good for business? It can’t. It can work, but it’s not healthy. The other thing putting a dent in good business workings is lack of intelligence of underdeveloped nations. In America you come in and we have all our customs policy’s, trade laws, trade taxes, and all that keeps everything in order and accountable. Without these organized efforts to produce smooth and consistent business transactions, the place could go haywire. So I believe you have to have at least some intelligence to keep everything in order, however again, it can work without it, but it just helps everything to go well with it. So I’ve said all that to say this: Norway being, as I said before, one of the most economically developed nations in the world doesn’t have nay problem whatsoever in dealing with the United States, and being that their government and ours are mirror reflections, most of the trade laws go hand in hand. In some countries you find such an opposite of the United States you have no idea what to think when going into a business deal with them, but thankfully in Norway this is not, in any way the case. Also in terms of hatred, we are okay as well. There are, as far as I can tell, absolutely no hatreds from Norway to the United States, or vice versa, and being that we all have a good relationship with each other, there should be no problems, in relation to government system, with Norway dealing with the United States.

Next we will talk about culture and buying habits. While Norway in past tense was known as Reindeer herders and farmers, they are now knows as economic super-giants, and while they still keep with them their beliefs and traditions, they are in no way in danger of getting in the way of business. Norwegians are mostly Sami and are also all mostly Christian. Norway is a very straight forward nation which I think is a great trait to have because it keeps everyone from having to guess all the time. If they want $10 million for something, they will simply tell you that, instead of beating around the bush, and I think this keeps them and other countries as well from stepping on any toes. Norway is also very concerned with honesty and trust. The best way to loose a Norwegian client is by performing shady actions around them pulling them further and further away. I again don’t see any reason why anything having to do with culture and buying habits could keep Norway and the United States from doing business together.

Is transportation or telecommunication an issue? I think not. On the transportation side Norway has over thirty-six major ports along its island coast, and apart from that they are equipped with several airports; however Oslo Airport Gardermoen, Sandefjord, and Stavanger are the largest. So weather you want to reach Norway by air, or water, you have both options open. What about reaching them? Well you guess it. Of course Norway has and amazing telecommunications network being one of the most advanced one in Europe. They have separate domestic and international telecommunication avenues and are able to handle anything thrown at them and more.

Do Norway’s business customs mix well with the US? Of course I’m going with yes on this one too. All in all I have become a big fan of Norway and haven’t really been able to find anything that would keep them from being compatible with the US in business, but on a business level I think we have many of the same qualities with just a few exceptions, but nothing that would make a huge conflict. Norway is probably a little more straight forward than what the US is used to which I believe will just make the transactions go quicker. Norway is very strong on environmental safety, putting a little more pressure on the US to clean up their programs before going to Norway for business. Norway tends to do more business with countries that have relatively alike beliefs as they do. So again nothing major but these things might be something to keep in consideration when attempting business with Norway.

Exporting:

In exporting goods to Norway I believe that the process would be very similar to that of exporting something into the United States. While Norway is generally a great country to work with, probably why their ratings are all so high in every aspect of economics, they have set up a very stable and strict import border. When importing something into Norway you will have to follow these laws exactly lest you won’t be doing any business with them anymore. I also believe that because Norway is such an environmentalist friendly Nation that you would have to be very cautious on anything you import to them making sure that it is environmentally safe and positive. For instance, I am a paper salesman for a world renowned corporation called Paper-safe. We are known as the cheapest paper company and have decided to do a big hit on European and surrounding nations. If I go to Norway to push our paper I am not going to have an easy route as I have in other countries who just care about price. Norway is going to be very concerned about the actual quality of paper and the resources used. Norway is not as concerned with the price as they are with having a good quality product that will last, do the work they need done, and probably one that is environment friendly. While I may have a good argument of price, I would be willing to bet that that company that walks in with more expensive but recycled paper I am probably going to loose my deal. Knowing they are going to request quality and something that works great with the environment I shouldn’t even have taken the trip to see them. They obviously aren’t going to buy my product unless I can make some serious ramifications. Until I can do that, I might as well stop trying with Norway. However if I can maybe find some information on how our company the way we make our paper to be so cheap is because we actually use thinner sheets than that of most other company’s, and because of that we use 40% less trees than that of other company’s because we care that much about the environment that if it makes our product not worth as much as everyone else’s then that’s something we will have to live we because we care to much about the environment to just blow down as many trees as it takes to make a thicker paper. If you could find or come up with some type of argument like that then you might have a chance, but you would have to be ready. They don’t want to ask you a question and you get back to them with an answer three weeks later, they want it right then. They want to know that you know your product well, and first signs of incompetence and you might loose them altogether.

Bibliography

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