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Doing business & staying in touch

Businesspeople are generally expected to dress smartly. Western business courtesies should be observed, although Americans tend to be less formal than Europeans. Appointments and punctuality are expected procedure and business cards are widely used. Dates in America are written month-day-year.
 

Working lunches are more common than working breakfasts - anything from a sandwich to a short restaurant meal. Meeting for drinks or dinner after work on a Friday is a popular end to the working week, although Americans drink in moderation (and rarely at lunchtime at all). If you receive an invitation to someone's home, a bottle of wine or flowers are appropriate gifts. Offer to share the bill at restaurants. E-mail is the preferred means of communication.

Office hours: 

Mon-Fri 0830-1730.

Economy: 

Telephone: 

For emergency police, fire or medical services in major cities, dial 911. The following codes denote toll free (freephone) numbers: 800, 855, 866, 877 and 888.

Mobile phone: 

Foreign mobile telephones only work if they are tri-band or quad-band; charges are high. Visitors can also hire a mobile telephone. Pre-pay cell phones can be purchased from a variety of retail outlets, including drug stores.

Internet: 

There are Internet cafés in most urban areas, and an increasing number of Wi-Fi hotspots. Many coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi. Many of the international airports offer Internet access too.

Media: 

Freedom of expression in the US is guaranteed by the constitution. The USA has the most highly developed mass media in the world. Public broadcasting is partly government-funded, but also supported by private grants.

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