Walking through the markets of Florence, it is not unusual to hear in casual conversation five or six different languages. Street vendors communicate with each other in one, perhaps two languages, and with tourists in a variety of others. One thing is certain: communication is key, and the more contact vendors have with people, the better.

In the market, business is not solely about making a sale, but about making an impression.

The Old Market Square, which was once the center of the city and the common meeting place of Florence, was demolished in the late 1800s and replaced by the Piazza della Repubblica. Now, the 'mercato centrale,' or Central Market, is a two-story building that houses vendors and shops selling fresh meat, bread and produce.

The surrounding streets accommodate vendors of all nationalities selling Italian-made and internationally sourced goods. Tourists can stop near the Central Market to bargain with street vendors for something new or to pick up some fresh food. But recently the market that spreads from Via dell' Ariento south toward the Santa Maria del Fiore and neighboring streets has offered opportunities to the vendors as well.

It's not just about Italian products

When tourists stop to buy an authentic Italian cashmere or pashmina scarf from Hugo Mellado, he sees it as a chance to promote his self-produced CD, which features a blend of blues, Mexican and Italian music. If he has the time, he'll sometimes ask customers if they'd like to get coffee and then talk their ear off about his music.

"I don't work for the sense of making money," Mellado said. "Maybe I can promote my own product when I strike up a conversation with people."

Mellado, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, has lived in Florence for two years. He studies music at Il Trillo and works on Via del Canto de' Nelli, one of the many market streets. Prior to studying in Florence, he studied in Texas and in Paris. In 2002, he produced his own CD in Mexico and is working on another. He hopes to cultivate a unique sound while in Florence and in December, when he moves back to Mexico, he'll create another CD (You can check him out on YouTube).

Mellado said he understands an important truth of Florence.

"Italy is one of the most important countries. It has a big history," he said. "Florence is not like my city. The years never pass here. The kings and queens have passed through here. It's an old city with modern people."

Modern people, to Mellado, bring new opportunities and ideas. That is why, he said, he stayed in Florence.

Mixed fortunes

For other vendors, like Jordan native Sammy Radi, the allure of new opportunities is what brought him and his family to Florence. He has lived and worked in the market for seven years, after studying languages in school. He now speaks four: Arabic, Italian, Spanish and English. Being able to speak the language of his fellow vendors and customers has been important, he said. However, the weak dollar, he said, has caused him to think about his options around and outside of Florence.

T-shirts are one of the cheaper souvenirs you can buy on the streets.

Radi rents his space and tent set-up from an Italian; he said it is expensive. Without giving specific numbers, Radi said that over the last year, he's seen profits fall considerably. He estimated that running a stand in the market is more expensive than having a shop in a building around the market. He has also sold less high-end leather to Americans.

"They [Americans] come around," Radi said, "but they just don't spend as much. They used to want good leather, made in Italy. Now they just want the cheapest price."

Poor sales aside, Radi said he has had plenty of sales opportunities in Florence, and that communication is key to his job. He said he could move to a different sales job somewhere in Florence, but said he and another vendor are considering creating a Web site and selling products online to increase sales. However, he said, he's not confident in the market and is using other contacts he has made to look into other opportunities.

It's not hard to see why Radi has so many contacts in Florence. He seemed to smile and joke with almost everyone who walked by.

It's all in a day's work

If working in the market seven days a week wasn't exciting enough, Romania native Julia Cojocaru is also a second-year law student. And, she still finds time to stop and chat.

Cojocaru, who has been in Florence for three years, operates an Italian paraphernalia stand on Via Panicale. She said she likes her job because she gets to talk with and meet new people every day.

"If you don't like to be open to speak, to joke, you're not good," Cojocaru said. "[Working] seven days a week, you have to be able to like other people."

After working at a leather stand, she saved enough money to rent her own stand, where she works day after day, with no real desire to move up in the market world. She is concentrating on completing her law degree in Romania, which she works on through an online program. Twice a year, she flies to Romania to take an exam. The rest of her time, she supports herself by working in the market.

"A lot of doors open here," she said. "Maybe somebody sees you and they say 'Whoa, you're good. Come and sell cars in Texas.' But I am working and going to school and that's it."

For vendors looking to simply make a sale and tourists looking for a hot buy, the market has its ups and downs. But for those looking for something less tangible, they'll find plenty of networking opportunities in Florence.