Conformity Magazine - March 2009 - (Page 12) Developing Business in China, Bu Bu Gao Step-by-Step © Michael Brow | Dreamstime.com Brown by Mike Violette, Washington Laboratories he paralysis starts in the knees. After flying ten or twelve hours, stasis sets in and you wonder if you’re going to be able to stand when the plane lands. The guy in the middle seat smells like stale corn chips and, by the third time ‘round watching Hollywood’s box office busts, you’re close to tears. Any distraction will do. Most of the international flights have a little airplane icon that “flies” above the globe. You mark each increment towards the international date line, which shoots you ahead a day another 50 miles closer. Sitting in coach is for the birds. But, if you’re starting a business in China on a shoestring, it’s the only way to fly. Landing is a blessed relief and the adrenaline starts pumping flexibility into stiff joints. “Going international” means more than picking a spot on the compass and heading in that direction. It requires a curiosity about the country, its culture and customs. Recognizing that entire volumes have been written about doing business in China, this article bears witness to some of our experiences, examining some of the rationale and allure of developing business in China. It outlines the four basic steps that we took to get our modest entity up and running. Steps five through one thousand are still to be taken. The cool thing about Asia in general and China in particular is that the rules aren’t exactly all written yet, so it’s like a jigsaw puzzle, but with a lot of the pieces still blank. Sure, business in the European Union is more transparent and ordered (not to say that it isn’t a challenge), but for some it breeds a certain ennui; it’s all been done before. Compared to the highly ordered and stable business in the West, the chaos and confusion of China and the developing nations of Southeast Asia is a thrill-a-minute. Consider a trip to Disneyland versus a visit to a local traveling carnival. If you 12 Conformity marCh 2009 T make your way to the front of the line for Space Mountain at Disneyland, you’ll get the expected experience, buckled up and designed to excite but not scare. But you never know if the itinerant “carneys” who put the “Tilt-a-Whirl” together might have missed tightening a few critical bolts. But you hop on anyway This article also discusses some of the steps (skipping the missteps) taken to pull together enough critical mass to get a sustainable activity going in China. We’ve encountered all the classic issues, such as language, culture, business expectations, low margins, financial, currency and regulatory issues. It’s been a bit of a moving target, which makes it interesting. There are many paths to China, of course; this is just one of a million. Our story, however, shares a commonality of experience with many U.S. businesses doing business with the most populous and fastest-growing country in the world. Getting to Know China, Step 1 Airplane Rides First, plan on loads of plane time, and the first necessary (and if seemingly self-evident) step is simply getting on the plane and go…lots of times. Great for the frequent flyer account, but tough on the knees. And be prepared to host and be hosted plenty of times at banquets and dinners. It’s a palate-expanding exercise, one might say: “What do you call that?” “Hmm, a creature that cannot fly? Yeah, I’ll try some.” “Please pass the sea cucumber salad.” “No. No turtle for me. Thank you.” Going it alone is probably the most challenging aspect of traveling, especially in the big cities. Although there is a fair http://www.Dreamstime.com
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