What do we envy about the Finns?

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Why did we move to Finland?

Probably in the shortest terms - because of the piling up. A flurry of contacts and opportunities. We had already been in talks with potential clients from Finland for some time. One of our colleagues also has a long-time friend there. The dot over the "i" became last year's cruise in the Finnish Archipelago,where we also met great people from there. Their invitations, coupled with previous contacts, cemented our decision that Finland was a destination we should put on our business maps. And since we had already made that decision, we also contacted a few interesting companies with whom we had no previous relationship, and these also turned out to be interested in a meeting.

And so, after some prior arrangements, intense exchanges of emails and content on LinkedIn, we headed north.

Time for business

We held 11 meetings in two days. Now, in retrospect, it seems almost impossible. Yes, we combined some of them with lunch or dinner, but nevertheless it was really rough. On top of that, we circulated between Turku and Tampere, a distance of about two hours by car. Why these cities? Both were hosting meetings of the networking organization BNI, of which we are a member. Our Finnish colleagues were happy to arrange some meetings for us there. One of the BNI meetings was held on a golf course in a tournament convention.

During these two intensive days, we met with, among others, companies that support sales automation, build solutions for Smart City and broker business connectivity. We also met people supporting startups and high-tech companies, especially those working with Artificial Intelligence.

Several of the business contacts there have already resulted in further meetings and, we have high hopes, will soon culminate in first orders.

All of our interlocutors were curious not only about our solutions, but also about the functioning of the Polish market. They were particularly impressed by the fact that our company is located in Wroclaw. As they said, "Wroclaw is such a challenger in the technological world. It's a city with huge technological potential." We were bursting with pride!

Time for the spirit

With difficulty and at the expense of leisure, but we managed to find a few hours for a field trip. It may not have been very difficult, because there the so-called "green areas" are everywhere. We drove around the area of Turek, visited several islets, went for a forest walk on one of them.

We also had great meetings with two Polish women who have lived in Finland for years. They told us about how to live and work in this amazing country. They helped us a lot, and at the same time gave us a lot of inspiration. Thanks to them, we better understood how Finns think. We learned, for example, that one approaches another person here with great trust. At the same time, once someone has damaged this trust, it is very hard to regain it. We also learned the ins and outs of the rivalry between Turku (older and able to distinguish itself by its great influence on Finnish culture) and Tampere (larger and much more important in terms of industrial development).

It was incredibly valuable to meet the person with whom our adventure began. A man with whom one of our team members has been friends for more than 10 years and who urged us to come to Finland. He helped us sort out our experiences, gave us many tips on how to continue new friendships and develop their business potential.

In the evening, the day before departure, our weary bodies quickly regained energy in the most traditional way - in the home sauna, which we were fortunate to have in our apartment.

What would we move to Poland?

Although it's been a few weeks, we are still impressed by the country. Finland is one of the most technologically advanced and innovative countries in Europe, and at the same time it is a country of peace and nature. In Poland we are always in a hurry, there is no rush or traffic jams there. People smile, are trusting and open. Maybe it's a matter of great spaces and beautiful nature that surrounds them and to which they have close proximity from everywhere?

We were also very captivated by the laid-back manner of the daily routine. More often than suits, we encountered polo shirts and even tracksuits. No one there makes life difficult by cramming themselves into uncomfortable jackets.

We also liked many of the little details, such as leaving an uncrushed can somewhere on the sidewalk after drinking, so that poorer people can bring it back to the store and get their deposit money.

On the other hand, our cuisine is probably better, and we wouldn't change that (We didn't get the courage to try reindeer meat). Speaking of cuisine, the availability of beer or other alcohol is also better in our country. In Finland, it is sold only by specialized stores, there are few of them, and they are open for a short time.

It was a short and extremely intense time. We came back full of inspiration, with folders filled with materials and notes. We also brought back a lot of Moomine goodies, as this nice fairy tale character often appeared on our roads - whether at the airport or in store displays.

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