Houston Economy

American business people tend to be more informal than their European counterparts and are likely to use first names on initial contact. Business attire for both men and women is usually a suit, especially in the large corporations. Some of the smaller companies have adopted a more relaxed approach to dress and allow employees to wear smart-casual clothes, although usually not jeans. The use of business cards is commonplace. Appointments for meetings should be made in advance and punctuality is expected. It is quite common for meetings to be held over lunch but these tend to be alcohol free and strictly business. Business dinners usually take place in restaurants rather than at homes and exchanging of gifts is not common. After-work drinking is commonplace as many bars have happy hours until 1900. Business hours are officially Monday to Friday 0900 to 1730, although these are often much longer.