This document summarizes three seminars on doing business in Germany and Berlin. The first seminar discusses intercultural competence models and how to effectively do business with Germans by being punctual, well-prepared, and able to handle direct feedback. The second seminar explains that Berlin is an entrepreneurial hotspot due to its talented workforce, infrastructure, networking opportunities, and access to capital. Successful startups in Berlin are profiled. The third seminar provides an overview of Berlin's politics, demographics, and economy, noting it is Germany's capital and center of its executive government and has a large service sector and thriving startup scene.

1.  By Jordy Verbeurgt

2. First seminar:
How to do business with Germans
“workshop on intercultural competence”
 By: Michael Bahles

3. Content
 Intercultural competence
 The Iceberg model
 High and Low context countries
 The Lewis Model
 Hofstede’s cultural dimensions
 Holistic approach
 Conclusion

4. Intercutural competence
 Openess
 Flexibility
 Self-reflection
 Empathy
 Tolerance for ambiguity
 Readiness for learning
 in reality everything is different than it seems
Knowledge
Skills Behaviour
Attitudes

5. The Iceberg model
High context culture
Less verbally explicit
More internationalize communication
Relations
Low context culture
Specific
Detailed
Precise
Explicit
High and low context cultures

6. The Lewis Model
 Blue: cool, factual
 Red: warm, emotional
 Yellow: courteous, amiable,
accomodating

7. Hofstede’s Cultural dimensions
 “Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory is a framework for cross-cultural
communication, developed by Geert Hofstede. It describes the effects of a society's
culture on the values of its members, and how these values relate to behaviour,
using a structure derived from factor analysis.”
 Germany
 PD: mid-high/high
 Individualistic: mid-low/low
 Masculinity: Masculin
 Structured: Very structured
 LT/ST: Vey long term-oriented

8. Holistic approach
 Metaphors to describe the country culture
 USA: American Footbal  Violent, strict rules
 Mexico: Fiesta  party, drinks, food
 Russia: Ballet  drama, serious, strictness, suffering
 Italy: Opera  drama, fun, women, positive, loud
 Germany: Symphony  detailed, serious
 Belgium: Lace  differences brought together

9. Conclusion: first seminar
how to do business with Germans
1. Be on Time! (or earlier)
2. Have only a short small talk
3. Deal with business seriously
4. Be thoroughly prepared
5. Present everything in a logical, structured way!
6. Be aware of direct questions and comments
7. Don’t take critique personal
8. Have a profound argumentation
9. Be frank and create trust (by facts)
10. Stay to your word

10. Second Seminar:
Entrepreneurial Hotspot BERLIN
 By: Prof. Dr. Andreas Braun

11. Objectives
 What is an entrepreneur?
 Why is Berlin a hotspot?
 What tools do entrepreneurs use?

12. Made in Berlin (examples)
 Theekampagne
 Established with students
 Squeezed the Supply Chain
Market
 Only one tea
 Most succesful importer of
tea
 E-Rockit (bankrupt)
 Product between bycicle
and motor (see video)
 Cost 20,000-30,000 euros
 Betahaus
 Bringing entrepreneurs together 
networking
 Drive Now
 Partnership with BMW
 Card, app, look for nearest car, go to the
car, open car with cars, park the car
 Each minute costs 29 cents
 Business model innovation

13. What is an etrepreneur?
 “An entrepreneur is someone who starts a venture not because she/he has to do,
but she/he sees an opportunity”

14. Why is Berlin a hotspot?
 “Berlin is poor, but sexy!” – Berlin’s former mayor Klaus Wowereit
 5 factors largely determin the success as a start-up hub
 Talents
 Infrastructure
 Network
 Public image
 Capital

15. What tools do entrepreneurs use?
 The Brain
 Business model canvas
 Business Plan
1. Executive summary
2. Business description
3. Products and services
4. Sales and marketing
5. Operations
6. Management team
7. Development
8. Financial summary
 Elevator pitch

16. Third seminar:
The German economy and politics
in a nutshell
 By: Dipl. Sos. Kristin Schilling
 Medical School Berlin
 Business School Berlin Potsdam

17. Berlin (Politics and demography)
 Captial of Germany
 3.5 million inhabitants (2nd most of Europe)
 Michael Müller is the mayor
 After WWII Berlin was divided in two parts (East and West)
 Divided by the Berlin Wall (1961-1989)
 Berlin is the seat of the German executive, housed in the Chancellery, the
Bundeskanzleramt ("White House" of Germany).

18. Berlin (Economy)
 Currency: Euro
 GDP: 109.2 million euros
 Service sector most dominant in Berlin’s economy (80%)
 Labour force: 1.85 million Unemployment: 10.0% (all-time low)
 Biggest start-up scene in Europe
 Biggest Company: Deutche Bahn: 21,260 employees
 Nicknames
 City of Design
 Hotspot