フィルHantman著

私達が工場を私達の専有物を作り出させ始めることにした2005の終わりに小学校のための教育資源を設計した。 私はそれ困難があることを知っていた-懸命にあることができるいかにか。

それはすべて私達のシンセンは私達の自身設計されていた教育プロダクトの製造業者を基づかせていたときに、約5時間香港のボーダーからより安い場所に移られて始まった。

質および生産は文字通り夜通し死んだ。

1年間のそれらから適当な在庫を得るように試み、ほとんどプロセスの私の顧客を失うこと後に、決定は試み、独力でやるためになされた。 私の英国の代理人および彼の中国の妻はシンセンで私のための前提を見つけた。 工場を経営する移動が、募集された後前の製造業者のために働き、去った香港を基盤とするエンジニア。

従って何がうまくいかないことができるか。

すべて!

初めにビジネス登録をセットアップするために-組み立てを得たときにそれはそれ間違っていた永久に取り。 私達は輸出許可を得てなかった。

2番目に、ビジネス登録文書なしでは私達は銀行口座を開けることができなかった。 そうお金は中国に装置を買うか、または賃金を支払うために移すことができなかった。 4か賃金および建設作業員に支払うために月間現金はHKからのボーダーを渡って等運ばれていた。

Thirdly - when the account was finally opened we were allocated a bank to deposit our capital injection - a legal requirement for start up companies in China. Problem was - once in the account it is very difficult to get it out again. The funds were effectively locked until we approach the bank with a wealth of documentation, including the business registration, company chops and invoices for capital assets.

Fourthly - Just as we had everything in place to transfer our trapped funds out of the allocated capital account into a working account - so we could get on with our business, disaster fell. Our factory manager was travelling to the bank to complete the transfer of the funds. He arrives at the bank as they are closing for lunch. So leaving all of the company’s important documents and original information, on the front seat of his car, he goes for a Big Mac! As you would expect, the car gets broken into and it gets all gets pinched. We end up being held to ransom by some gang of thieves who contact my agent by phone that evening wanting the equivalent of $4000 for the return of the items.

The police were informed and a sophisticated sting operation was set up for the exchange of the items for cash at a deposit box in a supermarket. A policeman posed as the factory manager to collect the first drop - a sample document to show that they actually had the goods.

Maybe it was the fact that the Policeman just looked like a policeman - even in plain clothes, that alerted the thieves. Or maybe it was the fact that he climbed out of his patrol car when he walked to the supermarket - who knows. But our thieves and the documents were never seen or heard from again.

So how can a few documents be so important?

We are talking about the company registration document and the company chops. In China the banking system relies on company chops or stamps to sign all cheques and to make all transactions from the bank.

Signatures are not required. So obviously they are not something you want a thief to get hold of! We had to inform the bank urgently to put a stop on the Chop being used and place a display advert in the local papers declaring that this chop was no longer legal tender.

It then took another three months to replace the stamps and documents so we could eventually start trading and release the funds from the bank. Almost eight months after the company was supposed to have started trading.

So - plain sailing from now on then? Unfortunately not!

The last thing a new factory needs, after such a difficult start, is a go-slow followed by a walk out of 1/3rd of the work force!!!!!

Needless to say 2006 was not a great year for us!

However, after a senior management change the turnaround in the last six months has been remarkable. Now I see production and quality at an extremely high level and I am extremely proud of what has been achieved.

I can finally say that it has been worth it.

Phil Hantman, director of Edtech