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Marketing a Business in Cyprus

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Marketing a Business in Cyprus

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  1. starting a business

    hi can anyone tell me who are the best people to approach for information on starting a business up in cyprus. e.g. solicitor, estate agent. ect. i run a business here but want to start one from scratch in cyprus, in the leisure side of things. thanks charlie

    Total Posts: 6 Last post by aladjihassan

  2. Wholesale/Distribution to Private retailers, a question on "culture" of how business is conducted between them

    I am looking to distribute my own brand of Womenswear from Spain where I reside to carefully selected Boutiques & Clothing Shops in Cyprus. How is business conducted at a distributor/wholesale level to privately owned retail shops as far as finance & agreements are concerned? I will be visiting Cyprus early next year after making key appointments before my visit and would like information on t

    Total Posts: 1 Last post by mistry

Marketing a Business in Cyprus

The international transition of a business is more than just costs and procedures. It's more cultural acclimatisation than calculatory acumen. It's making sure your product or service fits the inclinations and idiosyncrasies of a nation; finding a way to culturalise your business in Cyprus in order to reap the same results your business has achieved domestically. This is accomplished through one simple step: effective marketing.

Marketing your business on indigenous soil is an art-form in itself; attempting to do it in Cyprus is nigh-on miraculous. Countries may be becoming more heterogeneous, but the foundations of a culture rarely budge for anything: their sensitivities, traditions, humour, discourses, protocols are essentially unchanging and stubbornly unaccommodating. Therefore, the identity of your product or service needs to seamlessly fashion itself upon a nation, not the other way around, shoehorned in, hoping for the best.


Advertising and Sales promotions in Cyprus

When starting up a business in Cyprus you may considering several different routes to adverting your new business. There are several newspapers that you may consider. The English language newspapers are the Cyprus News (daily) and the Cyprus News (weekly Fridays) and Financial Mirror (weekly Wednesdays). Some of the larger Greek newspapers are available on the island and are Phileleftheros, Politis, Haravghi, Simerini, Alithia (all daily) and Neos Typos, Xpress Economiki (electronic), Marketing, Kerdoefkeries (all weekly economic papers).

To help you set up a business in Cyprus, you may consider advertising in a periodical and these include To Periodiko, Omicron, Cyprus Sun, Nea Epochi and Synthesis.

To help you start a business in Cyprus you may wish to advertise through television or radio. The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) is State owned and consists of three radio stations and two TV channels. In recent years there have been an increase in different radio stations and privately owned TV stations, although these may be limited to the main towns and districts. There are some local radio stations that broadcast on the FM band and there is also wide coverage of the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).

To promote your business in Cyprus you may consider sales literature. Although Greek and Turkish are the official languages (Turkish mainly spoken only in the Turkish Cypriot area), English is used throughout and used in commercial circles. It is considered to be courteous to add a translation to your English sales literature.


Cultural Sensitivity

Cultural sensitivity and understanding of protocol is paramount to effective marketing in Cyprus. The intricacies of a nation its beliefs, even its superstitions can make or break your business. Know the market; immerse yourself in it. Never assume your marketing strategy will be transplantable to a foreign country. There is only a slim chance language will translate well. Anglophonic countries may be susceptible, but if your product or service plays on a quintessentially British characteristic or joke the chances are, it will not be well received.

As for other countries, don't bank on using the same strap-lines or gimmicks. Unless they are perfectly transitional, your product or service could suffer especially if it relies on humour.

Unless you are certain your product or service can sell itself on indigenous merits, it is probably wise to revise its selling-points for a foreign market. As always, however, only your own fastidious research can conclude this.

Cypriots hold their families in high regard and respect their elders and believe strongly in a Hierarchical Society. Religion can play a big part in life in Cyprus, although less so in cities and among educated people. Although predominantly Christian and Muslim, freedom of religion is safeguarded in the Cyprus constitution. The majority of Greek Cypriots belong to the Greek Orthodox Church, while the majority of Turkish Cypriots are Muslims.

During the holy month of Ramadan all Muslims must fast from dawn to dusk and are only permitted to work six hours per day. Fasting includes no eating, drinking, cigarette smoking, or gum chewing. Expatriates are not required to fast; however, they must not eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum in public.

Be respectful of a persons chosen religion and remember something may be different from our own beliefs, such as a very religious Muslin may not shake hands with a female.

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