Bath Business Tips

(Bath, North-East Somerset, England, UK)



Bath Business TipsThe main businesses in Bath are tourism, retail and hospitality. This is a busy city, with tourists arriving throughout the year. As a result, there are a large number of shops and restaurants in Bath city centre, providing an excellent choice. There are also numerous tourist attractions in and around Bath and these continue to thrive as the city expands. The hotel industry also reflects the high number of tourists and Bath is full of hotels and guest houses, with competitive prices.

The city has certainly grown as an important financial city in the area and on the outskirts of Bath are a number of large businesses, including software companies, engineers, law firms, publishers and many large office buildings. The pace of business life in the city tends to be fairly relaxed and less hectic than other cities in England.


Business Hours and General Etiquette

In both dress and manners, locals in Bath are fairly formal and normal business courtesies should still be observed. The degree of formality necessary depends upon the actual nature of the business, with financial and legal professions being more formal than computer and media organizations. Many men still wear suits and short sleeve shirts are acceptable in the summer months in Bath. Woman may also wear suits, but tend to be more casual in appearance.

Bath Business TipsBusiness hours are usually from Monday to Friday, between 09:00 to 17:30, although some Bath offices may close slightly later. Many shops are open longer and often throughout the weekends, and some supermarkets are open 24 hours. Banks in Bath generally open from 09:00 to 17:00 and larger branches may also open on Saturday mornings.

Working lunches are a popular way to do business in Bath and locals are quick to use first-name terms when appropriate. Some exclusive restaurants in the city have a strict dress code, although most are more informal and a relaxed dress code is acceptable. Drinks or dinner is a popular way to end the hard working week and there are many pubs and wine bars in central Bath that are popular with Bath businessmen and women.

Greeting Someone

A brief and friendly handshake is usually the customary greeting in Bath and generally throughout England. New acquaintances are often addressed on first name terms in Bath.

Smoking

Many restaurants in Bath have a strict 'no smoking' policy, although some do tend to cater for smokers in different areas. Most Bath offices and businesses are now 'non-smoking' and although the British have neither a positive nor a negative attitude to smoking, it is best to only smoke when in the company of like-minded people.