Quick Guide To Business Travel

Bridging language--and cutural--gaps when a business trip goes global

You're planning a trip to Poland. Quick: What's their currency and national air carrier?

If you answered the Zloty and Lot, you're a big winner. Now, for extra credit, what do the natives call their money? Answer: Forsa, pronounced Four-saw.

If you didn't do too well, relax. Now there's a series of laminated "periodic tables" that instantly clue you in on a country's money, language, culture and airline.

Minneapolis-based publisher John Freivalds calls his periodic tables "Guerrilla Linguistics" and describes it as "the ability to speak a client's culture, not just their language." For more information, call (612) 525-0731.

Insider tip: Freivalds' next project is the "Periodic Table of Toasts," which he says will help travelers "drink and toast themselves into stupor in 40 countries using the local poison." What some folks won't do for their businesses . . .

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This article was originally published in the April 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Quick Guide To Business Travel.