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Extras to Budget For When Doing Business in Italy

Italy’s public and health sectors dish out some very lucrative contacts to businesses, but only if lovely gifts are given first.

So to win business in Italy from national, local government, or the public health sector, you really should budget for a few little extras to help sweeten that big deal.

Here are a few suggestions on what your organisation will need to budget for:

  • A few Rolex watches for minor decision makers.  Around Christmas time, go for gifts from Gucci.
  • A couple of all-expenses paid luxury holidays for those who hold the purse strings.
  • A Ferrari for the president, or, for less profitable contacts, a BMW X5, or two, will probably do.
  • Raw, hard to trace, cash is always greatly appreciated.  A few, Gucci, suitcases full of used bank notes will be more than welcome.  Or simply pop the loot in an offshore bank account prior to that final meeting to obtain the desired lubricating effect.
  • For those really big and profitable deals, a palatial villa, with pool and extensive grounds will go down ever so well with the decision takers.  Villa locations such as Sardinia or Sicily are enormously appealling.

The value of the gifts should amount to around 10% of the total value of the deal in question.

Try a subtle approach – drop a Ferrari brochure on the bigwig’s desk, commenting that you are sure they’d love to be seen in such a great car.  Or if you happen to be wearing a Rolex, check the time, and casually mention, rather loudly, that they are awfully good watches which make excellent presents.

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Mentioning the availability of the little extras will greatly improve your chances of winning that contract in Italy, just ask one or two of Italy’s politicians who are currently under investigation for corruption.  They simply cannot resist expensive gifts.

Generosity Obtains Permits at the Speed of Light

If you are brave enough to consider opening a branch in Italy, or are mad enough to think about building a factory, then a few “gifts” may well help your business obtain building permits and other official documents much more speedily.  Without sweeteners, permits can take years to obtain in Italy.

In Italy, foreign direct presents take precedence over foreign direct investment.

PS You will not find this exclusive, practical, advice in any “How to do business in Italy” guides 😉

 

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