Liz H
Every person involved in a small to medium-sized business (SMB) which is considering or which has already taken the first steps into selling in China, needs to read this book. No exceptions!
As China is rapidly developing into a World trade leader, there are huge opportunities now available for SMBs. But there is a price to pay.
As Stanley Chao says: “You don’t know what you don’t know”.
Stanley Chao was brought up as a Chinese American, so he has one foot firmly in both the East and West. He has business degrees from prestigious American Universities and over 20 years experience working in China. With this impeccable degree, he is competent to describe and evaluates some of the cultural differences you will meet in setting up your own business in China. He also tells you how to avoid the major pitfalls these can lead to. His voice is worth paying attention to.
Fortunately, he makes this easy. His writing style is easy to read and the many personal anecdotes lend credibility and interest to the narrative. Above all, the way the book is organised and laid out, logically and clearly, perhaps reflects the way his own business mind works. Although mentioned in the introduction, perhaps a brief paragraph near the end about the great opportunities which are becoming available would round things off?
If you read the index alone, you could save yourself grief and dollars. There is a summary at the end of each chapter, so retrieving the information is made easy for the reader and the final chapter is a summary of the thirteen key rules you need to follow when doing business in China. Within the chapters are tables summarising the results of his experience – and there is some self-depreciating humour to lighten the tone.
Surprisingly, the readership is wider than just the intended audience. I have no interest in selling to China – yet I was captivated by the insights into Chinese culture and behaviour. This is not just a boring business manual, nor just a brilliant guide for MSBs selling to China – it is a book to delight and interest anyone with some curiosity about what makes China tick today. But if you intend to set up business as an SMB, then I believe this book will save you a great deal of time, money and hassle.
Buy this book or read more reviews of it in the UK.
Buy this book or read more reviews of it in the USA.
