A Polish Business In London: 5 Differences You Need To Be Aware Of

If you have recently moved from Poland and are preparing to actually set up a business in the UK, there are certain differences that you need to be aware of.

This is especially true if you are preparing to work in London. The city of London is widely regarded as an international business hub, a place that attracts a number of investors and harbours small, talented businesses that have the ambition to make an impact.

But in order to take advantage of investors and set yourself up on the London web, you need to be as prepared as possible. With this in mind, here are five differences between London and Poland that you need to know in order to thrive:

Picture 1 of A Polish Business In London: 5 Differences You Need To Be Aware Of

New Marketing Potential

The first thing to know is that, with a new city, there will be new marketing potential. In Poland, for instance, the most popular form of marketing is through television, both for pushing consumer goods and developing the image of a company and its resources.

In London – and the rest of the UK, for that matter – social media has become the number one marketing tactic. It is especially important to know this if you are planning to run a B2B company. For the most part, your B2B marketing channels are going to be a critical factor when it comes to gaining and maintaining a solid base of customers.

Different Energies

Perhaps some Polish people won't like to admit this, but there is a definite air of negativity that often plagues workplaces. This isn't always a bad thing, of course. It's important to know when a company is going wrong, but it's also important to weigh negative comments with positive ones.

In Poland, if someone is asked to express an opinion, they will typically start by listing the issues they have and how they can be corrected. in London, however, this can lead to poor employee engagement and disassociation. You should, therefore, always work to highlight what is right as well as what is wrong to keep employee morale high and the business functioning positively.

An End Of Traditionalism

By and large, Poland is quite a traditional country with solid ideas of how people and businesses should behave and operate. In London, however, traditionalism should be thrown out of the window. In order for a business to survive, it's essential that it ventures into new areas and is progressive.

Always opt for new, new, new. This way, you are showing that your business is pushing boundaries and working in the world of 2023 rather than a world that existed 20 years ago.

Prepare For The Best, Expect The Worst

One of the more amusing differences between Poland and London is expectation. By that, we mean, in Poland, having a huge vision for a company can be seen as 'wishful thinking'. In London, it is not exactly seen as wishful thinking, but there is a considerable belief that the full ambition may never be achieved.

It's important, however, to get accustomed to the thought of succeeding. Placing your bar a bit lower might be more realistic, but it doesn't necessarily give your employees or partners something exciting to strive towards. You don't need to necessarily expect to be the best but always prepare and work towards that ideal all the same.

Good Conditions, Bad Climate

Two of the most important differences to be aware of are the conditions and climate of business in London. There are a number of brilliant cities to start a business in Poland, and the country itself is on the rise when it comes to business potential. London – although one of the best cities in the world for business – is faltering.

The financial, business and political climate – at the present time -- has seen a difficult last few years in the UK, and it will undoubtedly change how you approach certain aspects of the business. Make sure you remain aware of this climate and work hard to keep the confidence in your business high. That way, you are ensuring that, while the UK climate and economic trajectory are not as good as Poland, you are taking advantage of London as a city and the strides you can make to succeed.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 18 May 2023