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Home - City Guide - Amsterdam - Business | ||
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Business Business Profile: Amsterdam is not only the Dutch financial epicentre but an important European business centre. As a result, foreign companies are keen to have a presence in the city. Germany is the Netherlands' biggest trading partner (with 25% of import and export trade), while other major players include Belgium, Luxembourg, France and the UK. Foreign companies are attracted by Amsterdam's prime position within Europe, with excellent international connections from Schiphol airport and Amsterdam port, a strong infrastructure, a multilingual workforce, a stable political and economic climate and business-friendly policies. Amsterdam has historical links with international finance, reaching back as far as 1600 when the world's first public stock exchange founded in the city. The financial sector is now a major part of the local economy employing 8% of Amsterdam's workforce. After finance, fashion and flowers are key sectors. Of all Amsterdam's exports, tulips are probably the most famous. The Netherlands' flower business converges just outside Amsterdam at Aalsmeer Flower Auction, where 15 million cut flowers and 1.7 million potted plants are auctioned off each day. The Flower Auction is the world's largest, similarly the World Fashion Center is the largest fashion apparel mart in the world. More than 1200 fashion labels are represented and over f9 billion is generated in sales. Over the last 20 years Amsterdam has also emerged as a strong base in advanced technological industries, computing, telecommunications, biotechnology. Nearly 16% of the population are employed in 10,000 industrial organisations that make a wide variety of products, including Heineken beer. Heineken is the largest export brewery in the world, with sales to 150 countries, though in 1988 it closed its city centre brewery to relocate in a more practical locale. Other major companies located in Amsterdam include ABM Amro Bank, Phillips and Shell. Amsterdam depends for its efficiency on Schiphol airport and on Amsterdam Port, Europe's fifth largest port that is 80 kilometres (50 miles) from the world's largest seaport at Rotterdam. If, as many observers expect, future development of Heathrow is curtailed by environmental considerations, Schiphol looks set to expand both its European and trans-Atlantic role, funnelling more business through the city. The facilities provided for businesses in Amsterdam are extensive. The Amsterdam RAI International Exhibition & Congress Center is one of the world's leading convention centres, Europaplein 8, (tel: (020) 549 1212; fax: (020) 646 4469; e-mail: mail@rai.nl; website: www.rai.nl). Commercial information is available from the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (tel: (020) 531 4000; fax: (020) 531 4699; e-mail: post@amsterdam.kvk.nl; website: www.kvk.nl). Business Etiquette: Business hours are Monday to Friday 0900-1700. The Dutch pride themselves on their efficient use of time, so punctuality is important. Dutch business associates should be addressed by their full name and title, and not by their first name, unless they are much younger or they have indicated that it is all right to do so. Most Dutch executives speak English, so it is not essential to have business cards translated into Dutch. However, it is important to have promotional material and instruction manuals translated into Dutch. It is a good idea for businesspeople to put the date their company was founded (if it was a long time ago) and university degree details on their card, as the Dutch respect history and education. While the Dutch wear suits for business meetings, smart casual wear is worn on social occasions. Business lunches and appointments in the evening are rare; if invited to the home of an associate, guests should bring flowers. If given a present, it is customary to unwrap it immediately. |