Many entrepreneurs strive to build business relationships with big brands in Poland. But is it really as sweet and profitable as it seems? We will tell you what challenges you may encounter when working with “big companies.”
When working with clients like T-Mobile, Orange, or state organizations like Urząd Miasta, you need to be aware of the specifics—different rules come into play. High level means higher demand, and you’re not the only candidate under consideration; often, a tender system is involved.
If you want a piece of the pie, we will share our experience and offer a few things you should think about in advance.
We’ve prepared a video and article for your convenience.
What to Expect When Working with Big Brands in Poland
2-3 months of negotiations and formalities. When it comes to signing various documents, contracts with such companies don’t look like the usual ones, at least in the early stages. The counterparty will send a 10-page form in Polish or English outlining the rules of cooperation, and if you disagree, they won’t even engage or consider your proposal.
Read more about Polish business specifics in our previous articles.
Rules for Doing Business with Big Brands in Poland
-
Post-payment will come 2-3 months after the work is completed. You’ve completed the work, issued the invoice, and it has been accepted. You send these documents to the client, and only after the company physically receives them, the payment for your goods or services will be processed.
-
Non-disclosure agreement. Working with a large company would be a great addition to your company’s portfolio, but big brands may include a clause in the contract prohibiting the disclosure of your cooperation with them.
-
Regarding cooperation and idea proposals for big brands. It’s important to understand that this process takes a long time, and there’s a specific system for each step. If the procedure is not outlined in the agreement and changes are needed, all papers must go through the company’s lawyers. This can add extra weeks of waiting.
-
Contractors go through a security check. You may be asked to provide a ZUS extract showing no wage debts to your employees, a tax office certificate, a document from your bank confirming no loan debts and that your bank account is in order. You may also need to provide information on who will handle customer data on your side.
-
Penalties are another possible item in the contract. If your employee discloses any information, there could be a fine of 50,000 PLN or more. There may also be a penalty for violating delivery deadlines, etc.
You may often be asked to send a proposal with cooperation terms, broken down into several parts:
- Payment terms: agreeing to post-payment of 60/90 days.
- A description of previous experience in solving similar tasks and projects, with company references. A story of how you did it and what results were achieved. Similar to a resume but on the company level.
- A detailed breakdown of how you plan to achieve the result for the current project.
- Consent to collect financial information about you. Permission for a large company to contact government agencies, banks, and verify whether you have any debts. They might also contact former clients to check if you actually provided those services.
What Else Is Needed:
- Understanding of international contracts in several languages.
- Knowledge of international VAT laws (here it’s called VAT).
We don’t want to scare you. Business with big brands in Poland can be smooth. But when you face difficulties, you’ll be prepared.
We’ve worked with Business Links (a large Polish coworking network), and working with this client was easy. But there are large brands in Poland where it goes through the security service, and you’ll need to have patience—that’s a normal procedure. Decide how much you need this client. If you do, it’s worth fighting for. A stable contract with a large company has a lot of advantages. For corporations, the payments to contractors are small, but they are usually always paid. If you manage to get approval to speak about your cooperation with such a client, it’s a big plus.
When we applied for a residence card based on our business, we simply listed the work we had done for large clients, and it became clear—we are really working, not just pretending to be busy.
If you have any questions about working with big brands in Poland, feel free to write to us. We’ll gladly consult and assist you in your situation.
