Many foreign entrepreneurs have no clear picture of Turkey and often think that it is a difficult country to do business with. This image is undeserved. Of old, the Turks are a people with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and the drive to be commercially successful. But like any strong culture, the Turkish business world has its own unwritten rules and ways of doing things.
In Turkey, investing in relationships is an absolute must. Business transactions and agreements will not come about before a good relationship has been established. In other countries it may be customary for business partners to have dinner together after a successful transaction, whereas in Turkey you would have had lunch or dinner with your potential business partner several times before coming to business at all.
Furthermore – and this may seem contradictory – the Turks are more decisive and flexible than for example the Dutch , who tend to plan too far ahead and want to arrange too many things in advance. A Turk will interpret this cautious attitude as a lack of confidence.
[hakeb]Personal contacts are indispensable. Without a good business and social network you will probably achieve little in Turkey. Formal networks are scarce. Instead, people use their own private networks.[/haken]
Foreign enterprises often make the mistake of blindly relying on their Turkish employees or intermediaries, who have often lived in their country for years and, therefore, are totally unaware with the current Turkish procedures in business. Some may promise to make the necessary arrangements with friends or relatives in Turkey while their Turkish language skills are not good enough to be taken seriously by Turkish enterprises and authorities.
To achieve your business goals in Turkey within the shortest time and with the best results possible, you need reliable advice, assistance and support from a party that:
- can help you map out the route to achieve your goals
- knows the Turkish business culture and knows how to operate in it
- speaks Turkish and other languages fluently
- has a large and relevant network
- is familiar with the current Turkish laws, rules and regulations and has access to all relevant institutions
- can quickly compile information on markets and key players that are relevant to you
- can establish contacts for you with relevant potential business partners
- has sufficient experience, knowledge and skills to think along with you, advise you on the implementation of your business plans and strategy and, where necessary, can conduct negotiations on your behalf
- can advise you on the type of business entity that is most suitable for your plans
- accompanies you throughout the entire process, including the steps that need to be taken after the first matchmaking, as these are decisive for success or failure
- can provide extended support after the start of your business, commercial operation, take-over or merger, for instance in post-acquisition integration or acting as interim manager in a situation where your own manager has not lived/resided in Turkey long enough to be permitted to manage/lead a business there
- and a lot more, as you can read on our website