In general, the Italian laid-back attitude to life does not extend to their working day, and their approach to business is fairly formal. Appointments for meetings should be made in advance and punctuality is respected. Business cards are commonly exchanged by way of introduction. Smart dress is always appropriate - in keeping with the city's stylish reputation, the Milanesi dress up at every occasion.

Most executives will speak English but appreciate a visitor who makes a formal effort to speak their language. Italian associates should always be addressed as Lei (the polite form of tu) unless otherwise indicated. Normal business hours are 0900-1700, but executives often put in much longer hours.

A world away from the languor and dust of southern Italy, Milan's pace is fast and more akin to London than Rome, and things like long, leisurely lunches are much less common. Invitations to the homes of Milanesi are rare, as many live a considerable distance from where they work, commuting into the centre from the suburbs.

In spite of the pressures at work, the Milanesi like to enjoy life and there is a lot of after-work unwinding in bars. If concluding a business deal, rather than long lunches or protracted meetings in the afternoons, discussions are likely to continue after working hours in the bars or gastronomic haunts of the city's top hotels. Business is indeed the raison d'être for the city, and the pace of the creative, thoroughly modern and well-informed Milanesi's working life may well surprise visitors.