Tuesday 19 May 2009

Sweden - The California of The North?

Sweden is my destination this week and it's an amazing country. Stockholm, for those who have never been, has to be one of the most picturesque capitals in the world, particularly if you like water. Lots of water.

As a country it is slightly larger than California in area with over 9 million people. Famous for their Scandinavian good looks, blond hair and almost incomprehensible language, they are some of the most literate people in the world and speak English widely and extremely well. As well as being well known as travellers historically, they are a nation with a strong entrepreneurial and cultural spirit. A kingdom whose empire once occupied a huge swathe across Europe, it could argue that while Elizabeth I was important to Britain and ultimately the US, their own King at the time was arguably far more important.

With a good growth rate through 2006 of 2.7%, low inflation at that point of 1.4% and a GDP of around $35obn it is also a country that has survived the recession and credit crunch well. One of the leading carmakers of Europe at one stage, Saab has taken a dive while Volvo went the Ford way a while back. Home to some of biggest names in retail, everyone knows IKEA and H&M, while in technology Sweden has been a hotbed of innovation with Ericsson one of the biggest names in the world but it was also the birthplace of Skype and many other clever technologies. Scandinavia, generally, is one of the foremost mobile phone innovators in the world. It far off on financial companies either with Scania one of the largest insurance companies in Europe and SEB one of the biggest banks.

Sweden arguably punches above it weight at everything, true to the Viking tradition of the Nordic countries. From a small population it has produced some of the best sportspeople and teams in the world (tennis has been a massive winner, golf, football, winter sports, athletics too) while it has also contributed some well know people in the world of the arts, not least acting and films (I need not remind you of the Bergmann dynasty). At home, Sweden has the highest percentage of broadband to the home in Europe making it one of the most internet savvy of all nations.

Alcohol is expensive, the food is great, everyone takes recreation and relaxation seriously, Everyone skis, everyone seems to have a second home by the lake, everyone takes August off, everyone likes to have at least two square meals a day or they get ratty - and the people are very, very nice.

Nice People To Do Business With

For many companies aspiring to take new technology products into Europe, the UK is usually the first port of call, mainly because of the ease of matching the language, although we do get uppity about spelling. Outside of the UK, 'English tolerant' countries like Netherlands are usually preferred but many miss the technologically hungry Swedes who love the latest gadgets and software and are so easy to please when it comes to English.

It is a fact often overlooked by many US technology companies because it is seen as a bit too far away and nobody seems to know them too well. But for those of us enchanted by the Swedish culture, people and way of life as well as their business acumen, Sweden is not just a land of opportunity, it is open for business.

Swedish people are courteous, available, professional and knowledgeable. They know their markets and they are quick to assess opportunities. Moreover, they are honest, open and always give it to you straight. Due to the logistics involved in the Scandic region generally, prices have a habit of remaining relatively high and so margins are often above average as Swedish people and businesses value quality, service and solving their problems, particularly when it comes to communicating.

It makes Sweden one of the best places in the world to sell your products.

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