Made it in China
China is the issue for business in the 21st century. Since the country initiated its market reforms at the end of the 1970s it has made huge strides and now virtually every business around the world, whatever its size and wherever its location, has to include the "China factor" in its business planning.
For businesses outside the country, China appears to present three key opportunities:
- A new market to sell goods (especially consumer goods). China represents over 20% of the world's population: the world population is rising, China's percentage of the world population is rising, and personal wealth in China is increasing, making China a true growth market in every sense and by any measure.
- A low-cost manufacturing base. Chinese manufacturing has become emblematic of the rise in low-cost offshore manufacturing. From clothes to iPods, over the last few years consumers have come to expect falling prices (and for technology products, falling prices coupled with increased functionality). For many companies there is now only one way to compete in this new marketplace: manufacture in China.
- A new place to do business. The booming economy and the rise of the manufacturing industry in China have led to many people leaving the land and moving to the cities. This huge and unprecedented change in the largest society in the world has created an extraordinary new place to do business (particularly for those helping to build China's infrastructure).
The vast majority of businesses that go to China fail, and fail for reasons that they don't ever get to comprehend. It is a brutal market for those who do not understand it and there have been many major global organizations that have had their fingers burned due to their incomplete grasp of the country and its culture.
China is different and proud to be different. For businesses without experience of the country, there are a whole range of new cultural, political, legal, and economic challenges to be faced. There are also many myths that need to be addressed, for instance, the availability of cheap labor: while there is a vast supply of cheap labor, there is a high demand for skilled employees meaning that employees in China can often cost more than in the West.
Who Are the Featured Entrepreneurs?
Click here to read more about the background of the nine entrepreneurs featured in Made it in China.
What's In the Book?
Take a look at the table of contents:
Introduction
Welcome to China: Understanding China
Chapter 1
Manufacturing in China
Paul Stepanek, founder of USActive
Chapter 2
Selling to the Chinese Market: Building a Chinese Sales Army
JC Lim, chairman of AMC China
Chapter 3
Start-Ups in China: Get In, Raise Money, Do Business, Get Out
Richard Robinson, CEO of Kooky Panda
Chapter 4
Negotiating in China: the Great Conjuring Trick
Graham Jeal, CEO of Euro-China Consulting group of companies
Chapter 5
Everybody's Number One Problem: Human Resources
Bob Boyce, Founder & CEO of the Blue Horizon Hospitality Group
Chapter 6
Creativity and Innovation in China
Monte Singman, founder and CEO of Radiance Digital Entertainment
Chapter 7
Chinese Style Risk Management: the Need to Diversify
Scott Barrack developed and now runs SPACE Development
Chapter 8
Updating Chinese Tradition for the 21st Century
Grace Liu, co-founder of Asianera
Chapter 9
Resilience and Persistence
Henry Winter, founder and CEO/Chairman of SmartClub Loyalty Management
Appendix
Made it in China: the Featured Entrepreneurs
Who Should Read This Book?
If you're in business—or are interested in business—you should read this book irrespective of where you are doing business. However, the book will be of particular interest to business people and students whose interest is:
- Manufacturing.
- Infrastructure. This would include businesses that work in infrastructure (for instance construction and communications businesses), suppliers (such as telephone cable companies), and associated service businesses (such as engineers, architects, and surveyors).
- Addressing the "China issue". For some companies there are many strong arguments not to manufacture in China. This book looks at both sides of the issues and is an excellent primer for anyone looking for a defensive strategy.
Beyond manufacturing and hi-tech, there is a lot to be learned from the Chinese way of doing business (for instance, their human resource policies). Made it in China looks at many of the most up-to-date business practices and thinking, and considers how these techniques can be applied throughout the rest of the world.
Where to get the book
Follow these links to purchase Made it in China through Amazon:
Amazon.com |
Amazon.co.uk |
Amazon.ca |
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