Free from it’s past turmoils, Colombia is now quite the paradise, full of friendly people, beautiful scenery, and economic viability. Full of almost 50 million people, Colombia has started to raise the bar as the country to see in Latin America; the economy is rising steadily after a rough recession in 2009, tourism is flourishing and due to the abundance of natural resources and renewable energy sources so are businesses.

So you’re thinking of jumping on board the Colombia bandwagon and getting your business up and running in South America, good on you! I feel it’s my duty to make you aware of some customs and tips for your venture, to help you better prepare yourself, here we go:

First it’s a good idea to make sure there’s a market for what you’d like to do, while an obvious step, one that you don’t want to forget. Colombia has a lot of potential but like everywhere else, there are good opportunities and not so good ones.

Make contacts, meet people and get your name out there. People are friendly and you shouldn’t have trouble with this. When you meet people it’s common to shake hands and maintain eye-contact, then engage in small talk for a while longer than you might expect — It’s a good idea not to jump straight to business related matters. When you’ve gotten to know these people a little better the handshake will become an ‘abrazo,’ a hug.

Take your business cards, they’ll prove invaluable when you first start out. Have one side in English and the other in Spanish.

Colombians take notice of body language, so try to avoid yawning or tapping your fingers on the table; avoid the ‘OK’ gesture, it has a different meaning there. Keep a smile on your face, back straight and be confident and friendly.

When you’re booking meetings, try to book at least one week in advance, and call to confirm not long before. Be punctual, on time and dressed nicely, a suit and tie is by no means over the top and often expected; but if you’re going more for casual then keep it tidy, appropriate closed footwear is essential, and clean well-fitting clothes — you get the picture.

During these meetings the same rules apply as when you first greet someone — Eye contact is important, and Colombians will want to know you on a personal level, so small talk will be the first subject tackled, then business — It’s best to wait for them to bring it up.

These tips are only a scratch on the surface of all the things you’re going to experience, but should give you enough of a leg up to get yourself going. As one last note, Spanish will be essential, it’s the official language and there’s no getting around the fact you will need it, so consider taking some classes, in the mean time, send an inquire for any information.