By Frank Mulligan

The push to get out of high-cost offices, factories and warehouses in city center locations, continues at a pace in China. A combination of rising real-estate prices for Grade A buildings, 18% average salary increases year-on-year, and a push for a cost-down corporate strategy, ensures that there are few other choices. The China Plus 1 strategy takes you only so far because the strategy always includes at least one location in China.The cost of renting a new office or factory in a suburban location in any city in China is generally lower, but the cost of staff attrition has to be factored in to any move. Staff losses can be very high, but when you consider that the move may be inevitable, the cost of these losses has to be accepted as part of the normal cost of doing business.
Read the rest of “Moving To the Suburbs I” or post a comment

It is clear that Western companies are doing their utmost to market themselves to Chinese businesses.  Over half of all companies included in our study state that they have been targeted by ‘20 or more’ Western businesses within the last year alone.  41% of companies maintain that they are targeted by Western companies at least as frequently as they are by Chinese companies.  Whatever the views we arrive at in terms of the execution of Western marketing and sales campaigns in China, the…

Read the rest of “Marketing and Selling to Chinese Businesses - Part 3″ or post a comment >>

In CMR’s latest thought leader position for Forbes, we show that e-commerce is actually booming in China, driven by changing demographic demands, especially from Chinese youth.  It is critical that companies begin to look at how to use the internet to drive sales.

1) Not only should companies utilize the internet for marketing purposes, but they should look at it as a critical sales channel to Chinese youth who are…

Read the rest of “In China, Online Shopping Soars” or post a comment>>

The subject of what can and cannot be researched in China is a contentious one, and – as with data collection methods – there is a tendency for the ‘uniqueness’ of China to be exaggerated in this respect.

In terms of subject matter, the truth is that there is very little difference between what can be researched in China and what can be researched in Western countries. Culturally, there is no great reticence in terms of providing information

Read the rest of “Business to Business Market Research in China - Part III” or post a comment >>

Every day, more organizations are eagerly embracing the concept of offshore outsourcing to lower costs, increase efficiency and productivity, and enable employees to focus on the innovative, core endeavors that drive business forward.

IT departments have been early adaptors of outsourcing projects and services. Now manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEM), original design manufacturers…

Read the rest of “The Hidden Costs of Outsourcing: Beware and Be Wise”or post a comment >>