No, I do not mean that you should expect more holidays for yourself if your home business takes on a more international twist, but that you will need to keep in mind that other countries and cultures have different holidays than we do and they tend to take much more time off on the whole.
I have been working to get the initial planning stages of an international conference in Spain off the ground. The conference won’t be for a couple years, but it can take that long to pull off a successful event such as a conference. I was reminded of my own advice here when I didn’t hear back from anyone that I had been working with in a couple different major Spanish cities for nearly a month over the Christmas holidays. They simply all took off for a few weeks for the holidays.
I have also run into having to learn when major holidays are in various parts of the world. What seems like typical work time or an ordinary day or week for us here in the states, might very well be a national holiday some place else. Now, I haven’t committed all of these various holidays to memory, but I am getting increasingly aware that it can be a factor. Additionally, many people who work in European and Scandinavian countries have MANY more vacation days and holidays during the year than we do here. It is not uncommon for individuals to get several weeks of vacation, as well as paid family leave and other perks. Unlike me who seems to find herself at her desk almost every single day of the year (which is quite typical for the average working American I think)—those who work in other countries don’t subscribe to the same culture. So, if you are finding yourself working with vendors, suppliers, customers, or others on an international basis, remember that their “work week” may not be the same as yours.
Also: Mastering the International Fax