Hello! It’s Carrie here with another take on business in Scandinavia vs America. While most of our business visits in Copenhagen were brief, the one that stands out as a shining example of the differences between running a business in America and Scandinavia is Skandinavisk, a candle company which strives to give consumers a taste of Scandinavia through scent.
The owner of the business himself stated that he grew up admiring America for its business approach and strove to emulate it in his own work. In fact, he worked for many years for an American company, Mcdonald’s. However, he also admires the sense of nature, community, and belonging he has found in Scandinavia. Much like Spotify, he attempts to blend the two with his candle line. However, he is often torn between wanting more and being content with the successful business he has.
Skandinavisk represents the best of both worlds – American capitalistic competition with Scandinavian sustainability and community. Through this approach, they have had much success, most notably in the UK, Scandinavia, and China; they have even had some sales and copycats in the United States. They balance the desire to grow with their needs as a small business and that is how they maintain their success sustainably.
Next stop – Gothenburg! Can’t wait to find out how Volvo operates in Scandinavia vs the United States.
Carrie
