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 Read the rest of “Ask Colin Friedman for China Expert advice” or post a comment

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 Read the rest of “American Dream in China” or post a comment

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 Read the rest of “Go 2-Shanghai” or post a comment

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.” Read the rest of “Molding your business for China” or post a comment

By William Moss

Imagethief spends a lot of time working with interpreters, as you would expect. Interpretation is one of those things that it seems no one is ever entirely happy with. Someone always feels like some essential point or nuance didn’t make it through. This is occasionally true. But we work with some pretty skilled interpreters and most of the time the results are good.

A client recently asked me to provide some hints on working with interpreters. I had often put a paragraph or so on this into briefing books, especially for execs who hadn’t worked with interpreters before, but I never really thought systematically about it. This client spurred me to do just that. Considering how crucial interpretation is to our work, this was overdue. Read the rest of “How to work with interpreters” or post a comment