How does an Australian business find clients and partners in Hungary?
Through someone in Hungary who will put their name behind you. Hungary sits inside the European Union, so a partner in Budapest can open a door to a much larger market. But Hungarian business still leans heavily on personal trust, and an Australian name nobody has heard of is easy to set aside. A referral from someone both sides know is the fastest way in.
Doesn't the Hungarian community in Australia already connect the two?
It helps. Australia has a large, long-settled Hungarian community, especially in Melbourne and Sydney, and many families still have close ties to Hungary. But a cousin in Budapest is not the same as an introduction to the right buyer, investor or manufacturer. Turning those ties into business usually needs someone who knows both markets and both sets of people.
How hard is the distance?
Less hard than it looks. Melbourne is eight to ten hours ahead of Budapest, depending on the season, so an early evening call in Melbourne meets a Budapest morning. Most of the early work happens online anyway. What the distance does make harder is trust: it is easy to ignore a cold message from the other side of the world.
What do Hungarian partners look for?
Reliability and a relationship. Hungarian businesspeople tend to want to know who they are dealing with before they talk numbers, and a recommendation from someone they respect carries real weight. Patience matters too. A first meeting is often about the people, and the business follows.
And Hungarian firms looking at Australia?
They find a stable, English speaking market with strong demand for good products and expertise, and a lot of local competition. A Hungarian firm that arrives through a trusted Australian contact skips months of trying to be noticed.
Is there a referral network between Australia and Hungary?
Yes. Members of the Bridge ask for a referral to a particular kind of client, supplier or partner on the other side, and one of the hosts thinks about who they really know. What comes back is one short personal introduction, written to both people, saying why they should talk. Nobody chases referral numbers, and an introduction that would not help both sides is simply not made.
Why hemp keeps coming up
Hungary grew and processed hemp, kender, for centuries, and both hosts of this Bridge work on bringing the industry back, from Australian processing machinery to the Hungarian market for hemp fibre. It is one example of where the two countries fit together, and the Bridge welcomes every other kind of business too.
The Australia-Hungary Business Bridge
The Australia-Hungary Business Bridge exists to make those introductions. It is part of My Most Trusted, a network where every new contact comes through someone who already knows both people.
Charles Kovess holds the Australian end from Melbourne. He has been President of the Australia Hungary Chamber of Commerce and Industry for 36 years, and is President of the Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance. Jozsef Szente holds the Hungarian end from Budapest, an entrepreneur with decades in business development and project management. They have done business together for 25 years.
If Hungary is in your plans, or Australia is, start by naming the one company you would most like to work with there, and then ask who might already know someone inside it.
The Australia-Hungary Business Bridge
Hungarian for hemp, a crop Hungary grew and spun for centuries, and one both sides of this Bridge are working to bring back.
Take a tour of the Australia-Hungary Bridge