This is a question we often receive here at DABGO after having sent an invitation, out of the blue, to a fellow Dane to join our rapidly growing network. We will get comments like “How did you find me? I have been here for 3 years and not run into anyone”.

Well, it certainly does not have to be that way. There are plenty of opportunities to strengthening you hopefully already great local network with an equally strong global Danish business network for the more effective combination.

Let us start with Linkedin. Your Linkedin network consists of your direct contacts, two degrees away and three degrees away. When you look for others, you should not just consider you direct contacts but certainly also 2nd and 3rd links.
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The DABGO Connection
When we learned about DABGO we were truly excited and joined immediately to meet fellow Danes here in Southern California and all over the region. Now we have learned that DAGBO has more than 1300 North American members - so we thought we could share our story about entrepreneurship and success in the US which many of the members probably can relate to.

A little about us
The reason we moved to the US 6½ years ago, was that Lars was accepted into Harvard Business School in their full time MBA program. And after graduation we moved to Chicago where Lars was busy setting up a subsidiary of Gumlink and Helle was busy having and dealing with twin daughters. 2½ years later we were ready to start our own business and made the big move to California.

While in Boston and Chicago we had numerous times experienced that our American friends loved the Danish design we have in our home and a simple mission was born:

“Let’s bring some of that great Danish designs to the Americans”.
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Invitation from DABGO member Christina Fuglsbjerg

A network dedicated exclusively to Danish experts specializing in mobility topics: expatriation, relocation, transition and repatriation of key employees and accompanying families.

This group is formed with the intention to connect and share research, best practices, expertise and experiences within the field of mobility and across industries. The aim is to bring together HR professionals, executive decision-makers such as CEO, CFO or VP’s with mobility specialists, consultants, educators, trainers and service providers. (more…)

Message from DABGO member Murugasan Claes Nielsen :

- Ways to make your approach in your business more convincing and persuasive

How often have you wondered if you have truly convinced your audience? Or maybe your well thought through arguments, aren’t so clear and logical to the recipient as they are to you. Or maybe your employees try to tell you something, but they have a difficulty in telling you the real message.

Logical structures are time-saving, simply because it allows you to organize your thoughts and materials quickly into a persuasive argument. Though this is very clear to all of us, we still see power point presentation or sales pitch and think “what is the actual message”. (more…)

“Informality, disputation and disrespect for authority are core Danish traits. But there are limits, and Danes seem to know in their bones just how far they can push them. The result is an economy that looks like something out of an enlightened management textbook. There are a few clear goals and lots of leeway to achieve them. In one fascinating study, two American sociologists found that Danish line workers have nearly as much job autonomy as supervisors do in the U.S., while supervisors in Denmark have about as much autonomy as upper managers in the U.S.”

The above was taken from the article printed in the “Time” with the title “Why Denmark Loves Globalization“. A very interesting article that I received from DABGO member Christian Boserup. Read the complere article here…

Member offer from KaDonk Inc., Anders Heie.

What do you do when you need to view a project file but don’t have Microsoft Project? Worse, what do you do if you have a team of 300 and you need to share your Project plans?

LiveProject is a free project viewer that solves these very problems. Without an annoying expiration date or other limitations, LiveProject is the answer. With prices ranging from $500 to $1,000 for one MS Project license, LiveProject, on the other hand, is free.

Anders Heie, CEO of KaDonk Inc., creator of LiveProject, explains:

“Offering our project viewer free is a strategy similar to that employed by Adobe for its Acrobat Reader. Our goal is to get everyone to use LiveProject as a project viewer. It’s free, powerful and easy to use. There are no restrictions. When we say free, we mean it. Any company will benefit by using our basic LiveProject product because it makes Project plans more accessible. A company that has invested in MS Project does not need any additional investment in MS Project to get wider range of use from their plans. Once our free viewer is used, people will realize that LiveProject can do so much more.”

Anders, originally from Denmark, moved to San Diego from Copenhagen in 1998 to work for Nokia’s CDMA Business unit. He founded KaDonk in 2005 with two other former Nokia software engineers. While most startups hope to secure large investments through venture funds and angels, KaDonk decided to take the bootstrapping route. They quit their full-time jobs and invested their own time and money into KaDonk. After two years of late nights and no weekends, KaDonk released LiveProject Version 2.0 in September 2007. Immediately, LiveProject 2.0 saw significant traction in the market, with downloads soaring 700% in the first month alone.

You can get your FREE Project Viewer here: www.kadonk.com.

When doing business with Americans it is a priceless resource to be aware of the key characteristics of US business culture. Knowledge of the way Americans relate to time, what they expect of colleagues in the work place or what values are rated high in decision making will ease the collaboration with American colleagues and co-workers and enrich the overall experience of doing business the “American Way”. Read this interesting and informative article written by Line Mørkbak, Intercultural Consultant & Cross- Cultural Trainer at cultureCrossing.dk

The United States is one of the world’s most attractive destinations for expatriates. It is, however, also one of the countries that represent the biggest challenges to both expats and administrators worldwide.

The owners of relocationUSA, Pia Munck and Christina Fuglsbjerg assist companies, their employees and accompanying families when relocating to the United States. Guidelines and expert counseling have a tremendous impact on the outcome of the assignment and makes all the difference for the people involved. In short, it is the answer to success and a win-win proposition guarantee.

Their advice to Scandinavian employees relocating to the US is:

● Work together on an Assignment Contract with your employer.
● Involve your family and especially your spouse.
● Organize and plan your move – together.
● Get connected – start networking immediately.
● Be prepared - seek information on your destination.
● Make a pre-view and orientation trip.
● Be aware of the cultural differences and how to minimize them.
● Make the most of your stay – in an enjoyable way!
● Going back “home” – repatriation
● Before any of the above, seek expert counseling from professionals

Find out more here . . .

“Danes shouldn’t underestimate their potential to do business in the United States” International business consultant Allyson Stewart-Allen

But bridging gaps in American and European business behaviors is not necessarily easy, Stewart-Allen said. There are key differences. For example, in Europe – particularly the United Kingdom – business failure is a disgrace; less so in the U.S., a more mobile society with less traditional hierarchies and deep local ties. In the U.S., “you are defined by what you do;” in Europe’s older cultures, it is more about “who you are” and social ranking, according to Stewart-Allen.

Top Ten Tips
Working with Americans

1. The Clock is King. Be on time for meetings.
2. Packaging is important. Neatness and attention to details are key.
3. Don’t be insulted when an American business colleague suggests a get together but doesn’t follow up.
4. Don’t be surprised if lawyers or consultants are included in meetings.
5. Be Prepared. Americans expect you to quickly provide specifics about products and prices.
6. Have your market entry, training, or revenue plans ready.
7. Do business first, schmooze second.
8. Treat everyone at your American counterpart’s organization equally.
9. Expect Americans to make decisions quickly and worry about consequences later.
10. Recognize your American counterparts’ opinions and involve them in decisions.

Read the complete article on AmCham Denmark’s website or check the book out at here Working With Americans: How to Build Profitable Business Relationships

Have you ever Googled your own name?
Search engines are becoming a more common tool to find information about people. Someone could be searching for you right now. It could be a potential employer, your current employer, an old friend, an old classmate, a date or a journalist. What will they find? Here are some tips and tricks to take control of what they will find.

Read the article here…