Doing business in Sweden?

It's Saturday afternoon. We've continued our reorganization of the house, hoping to finish tomorrow.

But I'm taking a little break, drinking my diet coke and reading a magazine - I got the latest issue of Pink Magazine yesterday.

And find a little notice on doing business in Sweden... (page 26)

If you plan to do business in Sweden, you may want to consider toning down the voice and wardrobe. "The general prejudice about Americans is that you are quite loud and not too familiar with European customs and foreign languages", says Charlotte Blum, general manager of the Radisson SAS Strand Hotel in Stockholm. "we are consensus-oriented and work in team".

The Swedish dress code is classic. Black is a very common color because it fits most occaions. "I work in the hotel industry, where we always dress in suits", says Karin Staffes, a physical therapist in Sigtuna. "We don't like to be flashy". Don't be surprised if you find yourself doing business over the famous smorgasbord. Blum says this is typical Swedish fare, not just a tourist attraction. Smorgasbords usually consist of a fish serving, a meat, salads and dessert. Fill you plate with one selection at a time and let the server clear your plate between courses.

So there you go!