Moving to China is a big challenge. Who is going to advise you on whether to rent or buy a house, how to build a network, and where to find the chamber of commerce? Colin Friedman has been in China since 1998 and knows all about these things. For two and a half years now, he has been running his own company – China Expert International Ltd – in what he calls ‘getting people started’: helping you utilize your expertise to the best in China.

Know the Market
Informing yourself before moving to a different country seems logical. However Colin Friedman has met many expats and companies that have failed in their preparation. Especially in the sectors where technology is involved: “They are bringing their high-quality products to a society that is prepared to accept ‘good enough’, rather than state-of-the-art. A country in which the average income is so low that people simply do not have a disposable income. Of course, in time they will be (more…)

Last week we saw a great documentary on doing business in China, called ‘Brits Get Rich In China.’ The documentary features three British entrepreneurs; Tony Caldeira, Peter Williams and Vance Miller.

Tony Caldeira had a successful cushion business in Liverpool, but his company lost the battle against cheap Chinese imports. In order to save his company he decided to go to China and set up his own cushion factory. He invested millions of his own dollars to achieve this goal. (more…)

Sam Flemming’s first experience with China is with a sino-American software company, where he trains Chinese employees for a life in the United States. A few years later Flemming, totally at ease in public relations and corporate communication, starts his own company: Internet Research for American companies. His source of inspiration? The unprecedented publicity that companies and their products enjoy on Internet forums and blogs. “This is a big thing. It’s not just thousands of messages, it’s tens of millions. Written by real people, sharing real experiences about real brands, products and services.” Together with his Chinese co-founder and a team of what he prefers to call ‘Internet Word of Mouth Analysts’, Flemming now runs CIC, a company specialized in providing research and consulting based on consumer talk on BBSs and blogs. We’re eager to ask for his experiences.

“Of course, being a pioneer is always a challenge. There are no manuals, no models, nothing about this industry. We can only rely on our experience and knowledge. The government here in Shanghai is always very supportive though towards new initiatives, towards anyone who creates new jobs. We’ve had nothing but good experiences. And there’s also a great advantage in pioneering: the fact that we’re developing by every step we take, means that we are (more…)

You are young, ambitious and up for a new challenge. Looking for a dazzling internship in an ultramodern city in the country with the fastest growing economy in the world, there’s just no getting around Shanghai. But where to start? How to get in contact with reliable companies? Since January 2007 the answer to all of your questions is called: 2-Shanghai!

Lonneke de Greef and Michael Douglas decided to leave the Netherlands to start a company in China. “We saw many requests on the Internet from students who would like to go to China. At the moment China really is one of the most favourite countries for aspiring interns, and in particular Shanghai is very popular. China has a great demand for them too. Reason enough for us to establish ourselves in Shanghai to launch (more…)

For many, China appears to be enormously far away. With a totally different culture and many practical problems and unknown, sometimes impossible, regulations. Not for Marco de Bruin though. Long before any other molding producer even considered it, his company was using the opportunities China is offering. Today, while the competition is experiencing a difficult time, Quodo Mould Systems is trying to control its remarkable growth.

The company first set foot in China in 2002. “Enthusiastic by what we saw, we immediately ordered the first moulds. That turned out not to be so simple. To have an assignment executed correctly, it is essential to communicate extensively. Not by means of a laptop, conveniently operated from another country, but directly on the work-floor.” (more…)

It is an important part of your corporate identity; it is the face of the company and it is the connection between business and client. In many ways a brand name can help make your business, or it can effectively destroy you before you even get started. No wonder formulating an effective brand strategy and finding a proper name for your brand can be a lot like walking a tightrope, especially in a country where literally every syllable seems to have a deeper meaning. So how does Vladimir Djurovic, the founder of Labbrand Consulting, Ltd. – a Shanghai based Brand Strategy, Chinese Brand Naming, Trends & Prospective company – manage to be so successful? “It’s a creative job, it’s about selling a style.”

It was not a gold rush that brought Vladimir Djurovic to China. “I was highly interested in the Chinese culture and the linguistic aspect of it. After mastering several other languages, I found a great challenge in learning Chinese. When I took my first course, my teacher wrote one single sentence on the blackboard. It consisted of five characters and we spent an hour and a half to figure them out. From that moment on, I was passionate about Chinese. From that moment on, I was passionate about Chinese. And by now of course it has become more than a means of communicating in the Chinese environment: it is a necessity to do my job. Mandarin is my key instrument.” (more…)