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Florida: Doing business & staying in touch
Doing business in Florida
Florida's close proximity to Latin America makes it a fascinating place to do business. A large number of companies from the Caribbean, Central and South America have set up offices in the region. As a result, the workforce has become more multilingual and more culturally diverse.
Businesspeople should be prepared to conduct business the American way: quickly, efficiently and frankly. Inside the boardroom, Americans typically address each other with Mr, Mrs, Ms or Miss followed by the person’s last name. Outside the boardroom, Americans tend to be informal and use first names with one another.
Standard business etiquette behaviour includes smiling and offering a firm handshake upon meeting someone, being punctual, using please and thank you when appropriate and maintaining eye contact during conversation.
When public holidays occur on a weekday or weekend, they tend to be celebrated on the nearest Friday or Monday, thereby creating a three-day weekend. Meetings tend to take place midway through the day and often occur in social situations.
The date format used in the US is month/day/year.
Office hours are generally Mon-Fri 0900 to 1700, although these can vary slightly from one organisation to the next.
Florida’s main exports include gold, citrus fruit and juice and civilian aircraft, engines and parts.
Keeping in Touch in Florida
If you are in the need of emergency services (e.g. police, fire brigade, ambulance), dial 911. The call is free. However, for less urgent matters, use the local telephone numbers for each service.
Visitors can either hire or purchase a prepaid cell phone. These phones can be found at a variety of retail outlets, including drugstores.
In urban areas, particularly, free Wi-Fi can be found at coffee shops, restaurants, as well as retail stores. Most international airports also offer free Wi-Fi.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) provides national and international mail services. The location of post offices can be located via the website (www.usps.com).
Most post offices are open Mon-Fri, 0830 to 1700, and Saturday from 0900 to 1300. In major cities, there is usually one main post office with extended and/or Sunday hours.
The US Constitution guarantees its citizens freedom of expression. Therefore, it is not illegal for citizens to publically express their opinions on the government or other such institutions. With that said, the US is one of the most highly developed nations in the world in mass media. Public broadcasting, for example, is partly government-funded, but also supported by private grants. Some of the major television networks include the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), CBS, and the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). All networks have a local affiliate in Florida's major cities.
In Florida, the major newspapers include the Miami Herald (www.miamiherald.com), the Orlando Sentinel (www.orlandosentinel.com), the Tampa Bay Times (www.tampabay.com), and the Palm Beach Post (www.palmbeachpost.com). The Miami New Times (www.miaminewtimes.com), specifically, is a weekly alternative newspaper published in Miami for the people in the Miami area.
Various radio stations and music are representated across the state.
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