Business etiquette is essentially about building relationships with colleagues, clients or customers.

In the business world, it is these people that can influence your success or failure.

When doing business abroad it is important to understand the local culture.

Culture includes areas such as a country's norms, values, behaviours, food, architecture, fashion and art.

Would you drink fermented mare’s milk with your new potential Mongolian business partners to seal a deal?

Or would you politely decline?

Russians have a reputation for being loud and rowdy tourists when they travel abroad.

However, this might soon be a thing of the past as an Italian hotel owner has created an etiquette guide for Russians who are visiting Italy this summer to try and temper their 'uncouth' ways.

Based on my experiences of organising business meetings in Ghana, I am going to elaborate on business etiquette in general, with the hope to give a few more insights, explanations and tips for doing business in Ghana.

I have to specify that the insights which will be given below were collected from Ghanaians currently living and working in Ghana, as opposed to Ghanaians from the diaspora who have recently come back to open up businesses back home.

“There’s no food for lazy man” is a common saying displayed all over Accra, and one I happened to hear today on my first day in Ghana.

Many of these proverbs beautifully illustrate the values of Ghanain people. 

After decades of spitting, burping and littering, China seems to be ready for an Etiquette Revolution!

And how are they overthrowing behaviours that might be considered 'bad manners' elsewhere? With a touch of good ole fashioned British courtesies.

The Middle East is an area that carries many stereotypes and myths.

Before doing business in the Middle East it is imperative to learn about areas such as business culture, business etiquette, meeting protocol and negotiation techniques.