Doing Business with Ireland

Practical telephone numbers (emergency services, police, firemen, information lines, etc.)

• Emergency call 999 or 112.
• Phone information 11850.

Important web links and contacts

Information for immigrants:

• Basic information www.citizensinformation.ie
• Consumer Protection www.consumerconnect.ie

Tourist information about Ireland:

In general:

• Fáilte Ireland www.failteireland.ie
• Tourism Ireland www.tourismireland.com
• Dublin and Surroundings www.visitdublin.ie
• Northern Ireland www.discovernorthernireland.com

Transport:

• Irish Ferries www.irishferries.ie
• Irish Rail www.irishrail.ie
• Bus Eireann www.buseireann.ie
• Dublin Bus www.dublinbus.ie
• Aer Lingus www.aerlingus.com
• Ryanair www.ryanair.com

Accommodation in Ireland:

• Long term rentals www.daft.ie and www.myhome.ie
• Hotels www.hotel-ireland.com
• Bed and Breakfast www.townandcountry.ie
• Hostels www.hostellingireland.com
• Camping www.camping-ireland.ie

Irish media:

• RTE Television and Radio www.rte.ie
• The Irish Times www.irishtimes.com
• Irish Independent www.independent.ie
• The Examiner www.irishexaminer.ie
• Sunday Business Post www.businesspost.ie

Government Institutions:

• Irish Government, Departments www.gov.ie

Cultural institutions:

• Arts Council, links to cultural institutions www.artscouncil.ie
• The National Gallery www.nationalgallery.ie
• The National Concert Hall www.nch.ie
• The National Library of Ireland www.nli.ie
• Irish Museum of Modern Art www.modernart.ie
• The Chester Beatty Library www.cbl.ie
• Program of cultural events www.art.ie

Economy and Trade:

• Official Government website www.irlgov.ie
• Central Bank of Ireland www.centralbank.ie
• Statistics Office www.cso.ie
• National Development Plan www.ndp.ie
• State Budget www.budget.gov.ie
• Business registration www.cro.ie
• Business information www.basis.ie

Addresses of other important institutions:

• Office of the Prime Minister www.taoiseach.ie (contains links to individual departments and other government institutions)
• Enterprise Ireland (support of Irish companies and business, similar to PaulSourcing) www.enterprise-ireland.com
• Central Statistics Office www.cso.ie
• Central Bank www.centralbank.ie
• Investment and Development Agency www.idaireland.com

The Ten Commandments for Doing Business with Ireland

The PaulSourcing agency has prepared ten recommendations for doing business with Ireland for Czech entrepreneurs interested in business relations with Ireland.

1. Islands demand a vision .Your communication and marketing strategy must reflect your clear vision. This can also include the projection of an excel table of expected profits or directly a part of the business plan.
2. Invest in marketing .Your website should be clear, graphically interesting and simple. It is ideal to create sites specific only to the island market with a.com or.ie ending. Promotional materials and social networks – materials can be playful and inventive, but at the same time they should appear understated. Definitely avoid, for example, scantily clad models or titillating images, even if they are related to the product.
3. Your wardrobe also works .In Britain, it is a matter of course to come to a meeting dressed formally and elegantly, do not underestimate the choice of shoes, which must always be clean and classic styles. Gentlemen – a quality and well-fitting suit with a nice tie, ladies – a decent dress or business suit. In a number of industries, such as IT, the start-up scene or brewing, even “smart jeans” are sufficient, however, in sectors such as finance in particular, always stick to a suit.
4. Don’t underestimate meeting preparation .Time is very precious on the islands. Therefore, when an Irish entity finds it on you, it means that they are interested. Therefore, go to meetings perfectly prepared, both in terms of business and technology. In particular, the larger Irish companies come to the meeting mostly accompanied by a technical worker. Don’t forget that you won’t have a second chance to introduce yourself – the Irish will always invite you only when they sense a business opportunity. There are no exploratory meetings.
5. Act in the island spirit .Always come to the meeting a little early and start the meeting informally with a few light-hearted and funny sentences, for example about the way to the place, traffic or the weather. Avoid politics, minority issues and partnerships. After the meeting, definitely write a quick follow-up e-mail with thanks, a summary of the agreed steps and their subsequent fulfillment.
6. Negotiation itself – time is money .The discussion is very specific and direct. First, introduce the product/service, its unique features (USP – Unique selling point), references, and then the vision of cooperation in the given market, what you want to achieve and what benefits it should bring to the partner. Be open-minded and in no case inflate the margins above the usual level. UK decision making partners usually have a very good overview of cost items in different regions and your credibility may be lost.
7. Be polite .ask questions, show that you are listening, do not interrupt the other party, do not lead long monologues. Bypass the imperative with more polite turns, learn a few phrases that soften unpleasant messages.
8. Beware of Irish confusion .Different procedural customs and bureaucratic delays can sometimes surprise you. The Irish market is very competitive, but even so there are many bureaucratic difficulties and the Irish themselves are sometimes a bit confusing, unlike the British.
9. Ireland vs United Kingdom .The United Kingdom is a union of the English, Scots, Welsh and Irish (Northern Ireland), however Ireland (Republic of Ireland) has been independent since 1922, so always find out your partner’s nationality in advance and address them accordingly. The Irish generally do not like the English because of the long period of English rule over the Irish, so avoid showing too much affection for the English. On the contrary, it is appropriate to mention how you like it in Ireland – the Irish are a very proud nation.
10. ” Ice breaking” versus “brick dropping” .To break the ice, use topics such as weather or travel. Other popular topics – the beauty of Ireland, Prague, culture, sport, travel, holidays or the national drink – Guinness beer.; you can talk about your family, but never ask the other party about it. Don’t bring up topics that touch on politics, history, religion or immigration. In particular, then avoid any mention of the issue of Northern Ireland, the IRA and everything related to this issue.