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Our local consultant can advise you on the best way to identify and approach potential clients with a customized proposal. He can act as your local respresentative.
Italy is one of the larger economies in Europe, but also a country with very different regions, ranging from rich to poor. Italy has a rich cultural heritage, with Rome being one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe. The country’s official language is Italian, but there are regions where German, French, and Slovene are primarily used.
As of 2024, Italy’s population is estimated at approximately 58.78 million. The country has been experiencing a population decline since its peak in 2017, with a negative growth rate due to a higher death rate than birth rate and negative net migration.
The major urban centers include Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, and Palermo. Italy is characterized by an uneven population density, with dense populations in the Po Valley and metropolitan areas of Naples and Rome.
Italy is known for its diverse industrial sectors, ranging from fashion and luxury goods to automotive and machinery. It’s a significant player in the European and global economy.
Italy has an economy which is divided into a developed industrial north, dominated by private companies, and a less-developed, agricultural south. The Italian economy is driven in large part by the manufacture of high-quality consumer goods produced by small and medium-sized enterprises, many of them family-owned.
Business opportunities can be found in for example:
Italians put a strong emphasis on building trusting relationships. This is especially important if you want to do your business in the South of Italy, where the people value close-knit ties, personal networks, and strong bonds. On the other hand, in North Italy, while the relationship is still an essential factor, it is not a must-have prerequisite during initial phases. The North manner is more business-focused and serious while the South is relaxed and personal.
Regardless where you are, a bella figura (beautiful posture) is of paramount importance. It means you need to have a proper conduct and uphold societal formalities. Being disrespectful towards your counterparts, their country, and family can seriously harm your business.
Italian people will expect you to keep to your oral contracts. However, do note that during discussions, there may be many interim agreements, which are different from the final ones.
With the tooling of our partner Instantly.ai you can define your target group, whether it’s 50 or 50.000 people. Send them a sequence of emails, directly in their inbox, for typically under 10 dollarcents per persoon.
Even if your business is really international, it may be wise to set up local website translations and check whether your text aligns with the culture.
With regards to content, my personal experience is that if you have a successful blog topic in one language, it is likely to do well also in other languages. Don’t reinvent the wheel, just make a proper translation.
WPML is a Wordpress plugin that helps you set up different translations of your web pages. This can be with automated translations, but you can also choose to have manual or adjusted translations or even specific content on the language pages.
First of all you may have to pay import duties or settle VAT. This can be complex if you don’t have your own legal entity in the country.
There may also be non-financial bariers, like certifications or approvals to be obtained. Especially for food, cosmetics or medicine this may be the case. Check this in advance, even before you invest in your marketing.
Getting your products imported and delivered in a specific country can be a challenge. I have good experience with Tecex, who can act as your importer of record and even physical distributor. If you leave your details, they will contact you.
First determine who can be the end-users for your product or service. From who do they purchase now? Interview a number of key players in the value chain how they perceive your offering and ask them who is your competition. Only then you can position your product or service and effectively approach potential buyers.
Yes, we can certainly do that, because we have experienced business developers in the country. Of course it is important that your product is good, well documented and you have discovered the best sales processes already in your home country.
