Stockholm Business City Guide: doing business in Stockholm
Three things matter above all else when doing business in Sweden: punctuality, style and good manners. Be on time, dress sharp and watch your etiquette. Make polite small talk, show an interest in local affairs, dress for the occasion and be aware of your table manners. Mineral water is the norm at lunchtime, but expect the wine and champagne to flow at dinner. Entertaining at home is uncommon, but should you be invited bring a fine wine or fresh flowers. Virtually all Swedes speak English, as well as a third language.

Sweden has high trade union membership, with some 85% of blue-collar workers and 75% of white-collar workers unionised. By law, the work week is 40 hours. Overtime is limited to 48 hours in a four-week period.

Sweden is the world leader in gender equality. A variety of laws and ordinances guarantee equal rights and pay, and prohibit discrimination. Keep this in mind when doing business in Sweden. A thoughtless chauvinistic comment or unnecessary physical contact could land you in court!

For more information on doing business in the capital, visit the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (www.chamber.se). The Invest in Sweden Agency (ISA) is the government body responsible for attracting foreign capital (www.isa.se). IT Sweden is the most comprehensive guide to the country's IT and telecoms (www.itsweden.com).

Stockholm business facts

Indicative exchange rates
SEK/EUR: 9
SEK/USD: 7
SEK/GBP: 13

Sweden: key economic indicators
Population: 9 million
GDP per head: $28,000
GDP growth: 3.5%
Unemployment: 5.5%
Interest rate: 1.75%
Inflation: 1.3%
Stock market change: +6%
(from Dec 31 2004)

Stockholm money matters

Indicative prices of:
Cup of coffee: SEK25
Business lunch: SEK250
Business dinner: SEK500
1km taxi ride: SEK45
Local newspaper: SEK12

Average level of:
Sweden salaries: SEK22,000
Sweden house prices: SEK475,000
Stockholm office space: SEK4,000/m2/yr