Introduction:

As the top oil producer in the world, Russia consistently ranks among the top ten international business leaders and an important market for US goods. Russian is also still widely spoken in many of the post-Soviet states, which provides access to fresh and up-in-coming business potential.

• Why Do Business with Russia?

Every country presents a unique opportunity for business, and Russia is definitely no exception.

1. Size: Russia is a big country with a large population—over 145 million! Plus, we cannot forget other countries and territories that speak Russian since they were part of the former Soviet Union. These include countries such as Latvia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus and so on!
2. Growing Economy: Russia is one of the world’s top oil producers, and with the growing energy and oil prices, its economy is growing as well! This means that this country presents opportunities for investment.
3. Rising Income: Current President Vladimir Putin has achieved stable employment in Russia with a growing income for its residents. This has created a large potential group of new customers that have the funds to shop for your products or services.
4. Location: Russia is situated in a perfect location for business—it provides access to seas, roads and rail routes, and has major airports that fly to multiple international locations.

• Sources to Help You Learn Business Russian:

When starting to do business in or with Russia, learning Russian is imperative. However, if you need to brush up on your Russian skills fast, learning Russian slang or conversational Russian may not be the best choice of action for your purposes. Instead, it would make more sense to find specific resources that focus on business Russian, teaching you the vocabulary particular to your needs!

• Blog and Audio Lessons: Everyday Russian

Although this website teaches Russian for all intents and purposes, there is a handy section that focuses on business Russian. You can access free audio lessons that cover many areas of doing business that you can draw examples from. The lessons cover topics such as writing a thank you letter, calling an office or creating a business proposal.

• Book: “Learn Russian to Work with Russians”

Learn Russian to work with Russians: The Easy Way To Speak RussianThis book is conveniently offered as a paperback or a Kindle version on Amazon. It is designed to provide a wealth of information to help you start speaking in Russian for professional purposes in no time.

• Learning Program: FluentU

FluentU is designed to help you learn Russian independently at your own pace.

FluentU takes real-world videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news, and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

• Video: Ru-Land Club

This is a YouTube video that uses 20 minutes to help you perfect your telephone etiquette for doing business in or with Russia. Intended for intermediate to advanced students, you can learn how to make an outbound call, the proper way to answer business-related calls as well as common phrases related to this topic. The creators of the video thought of everything, including how to say that you have a bad connection for those pesky international calls.

• Podcast: UCLA Business Russian

This resource offers seven podcasts that cover business-related terminology, as well as business topics and cultural aspects of doing business in Russia.

The topics include:

Company structure

Personnel

Corporate finance

Taxes

Supply and demand

Company representations

The great thing about these podcasts is that you can actually learn a thing or two about doing business while learning a foreign language!

• Online Course: Business Russian IC

This is an online course that will teach you the Russian skills to do business in Russia. Over an eight-week period, you will go through an intensive training and learn how to:

Arrange meetings

Discuss the terms and conditions of a business deal

Negotiate prices

Make a business agreement

Throughout the eight weeks, you will receive new homework assignments every Saturday and access to a closed Facebook group where you can meet other students, discuss the work and even make business connections!

• Personalized Course: Communicaid

Communicaid is recommended for those who need to truly immerse themselves in learning Russian for business purposes in a flash. They offer training in one of their Communicaid offices, but the coolest thing about them is that they can fly out to your very own office in many places around the world!

• Conclusion:

The above-mentioned sources provide a wealth of information through articles, exercises, videos, and podcasts. You can learn business Russian to speak like a native and open up a world of opportunity for your business needs!