26) Allowed or Not allowed

As we all know the Chinese government allows and it doesn't allow certain things in China. Among those things, certain websites.

Since this is not a political blog, it is not up to me to criticize whether it's correct or not. However, certain programs, websites and online tools definitely make business life easier.

Facebook: The world largest popular social network is not allowed in China. Ok. I can live without facebook (believe it or not!). Despite the daily exchange of personal information that sometimes drives everybody crazy, and it's effectiveness for advertising, getting new customers, company's updating info, etc., it is not allowed for some reason.

Dropbox: it is not allowed and this is a really disappointment, since it's a very easy program used to exchange information without having to send e-mails with large attachments, or having to stay online in messenger until the whole file is sent to the destination. The folder is in your computer connected to internet and you can share whatever you want and with whoever you want. Check it out, click on “Dropbox”

Blogspot: Not allowed, it's a pretty weird thing to have the most popular blog site banned, but there is nothing to do about it.

The use of msn messenger is allowed, and mostly for business purposes. The use of QQ is mostly for friendship. Gmail chat is also popular for business.

I would like to share a whole list of useful webpages that don't work in China, unfortunately I'm slowly discovering what is available and not in China.

Please share in this section what kind of sites, useful for businesses, are blocked in China since the list might be huge.

A rainy week is coming.

Smile :)

25) Hello : 你好

Most of the manufacturers are always willing to work with your business. Since, your business is their business as well, and the business relationship that you will built up with your manufacturers is vital for the creation and life of your company. However, most of the manufacturers are, relatively, large manufacturers or depending on your national scale, larger than many companies, at least much larger than mine.

In the beginning I tried to be “picky” and “choose” the manufacturers I sort of “liked”. All the contact was done by e-mail and different types of messengers. The results were confusing:

1) Many of those manufacturers didn't reply me

2) Some of them replied me a couple of months later

3) Some of them were more concerned in “model, quantity, NOW!”

4) The manufacturers that replied me immediately and finally

5) The “optimal manufacturers”.

The ones who never replied me back: I have No idea, but in my opinion their web page had something to do. Old web pages, not updated, perhaps not really taken in consideration as a part of the business, as a whole, and who knows, maybe fake companies, or companies that went bankruptcy, etc. Maybe they have already too much work so they are not accepting new clients or maybe they are not interested in small companies. Who knows!

The companies that replied me very late: It seems that Internet might not be a vital part of their business, also the lack of people who can replied in a foreign language, maybe too many clients, or too much production. It is in deed hard to know exactly the reasons of such late replies. However, we exchanged some information regarding services, sampling, prices, costs, etc. I really got to know different people working in different fields, some had very little to do with my business or some had nothing to do with my project, but nevertheless a good experience in terms of business language and inter cultural communication.

The companies interested in business NOW: Yes, they are probably very hard working people and indeed all the stories about multicultural communication were sort of useless, since basically everything was “what?”, “how much?”, “how many?”, “when?”, “where?”. Life is simple. Unfortunately, for low budget companies, it's a bit difficult to fit in that schema, they are willing to do business with you but they won't be waiting for you forever and it is expected some seriousness, something I interpreted like “come back with us when you have the money”. Real world, Real businesses :D

The manufacturers who replied me immediately: Many manufacturers and many different way of exchanging information about the products, services, prices, costs, pros and cons, and in general, very valuable information. It is definitely a whole blog to write about interacting with manufacturers. Not all of those manufacturers could work or fit in my project, nevertheless the experienced I gained while getting to know their companies, their values, their services and products was, and still is, extremely priceless. I reached no further than the sales department, but the professionalism and willingness to work are unspeakable.

The optimal manufacturers: How do you know who is your optimal manufacturer if all the negotiations have been through Internet? It is hard to say the precisely formula. A mixture between knowledge, theory, experience, service, general information and specific information and “instinct” are some of the key factors.

You choose the people and organisation you are going to work so a good feeling (instinct) is a must. Obviously you will gather as much information, by all means, as possible before making a decision. Consult with your friends, relatives, religious leader, google, wikipedia, chats, facebook, etc. I'll certainly keep posting more information of the manufacturers as my relationship with them is starting.

Advices: Be polite, be open, be helpful (you never know what kind of pressure is having the other person on the other side of the screen), be nice, and if you have the time, waist a bit of it in going further to other things even if they are not related to your business. You'll learn, a lot.

I found a lot a hard working people on the other side of the screen, they were all very respectful, helpful and nice and I tried to be as nice as possible with all of them. It paid me back in great friendships not only businesses.

Do thing as in their time, even if it means starting your day at 3.00 am. If you happens to work in their evenings, be EXTREMELY nice and ZERO pressures from your side. Think that you just want to get out of your work at 18.00 and you have no option but to be there plus having someone asking you for detailed information, it's basically playing the needle and balloon game.

I can't really advice “contact as many manufacturers as possible”, since it's a good experience and exchange of information, but stick to a geographical area. If all the manufacturers are far away from each other, even if the business relation is great, it just won't work.

Dealing with large manufacturers implies large MOQ (Minimum Order Quantities) so be aware that this will be, as a small company, the biggest challenge. Manufacturers can make exceptions, but then accept the compromise that they are helping you = you have to pay back the favour.

Smile... smile...

24) Xièxiè

I've been in contact before with different manufacturers of different backgrounds. Working with Chinese, it's been a very interesting and exciting experience. I have had many good Chinese friends but, unfortunately, I lost contact with them, specially now when I need them most.

There are tons of books about how to make business with Chinese, a lot of multicultural rules to follow, a lot of research available and there is a lot of on going research, but specially a great fascination for the far east.

It is not a secret how the whole world has turned to sell and “manufacture” in China, but to turn hypocrisy into a smile, either honest or false it is a really argument to write more books. I've read a couple of books about doing business with Chinese, about customs and traditions, Guanxhi, etc, but to really deal with a human person who is willing to make business with you with a “limited budget base” is different, way too different.

I certainly don't think I'm expected to remember the meaning of all the colors in the Chinese culture, nor to know how to greet, even less to behave in a proper way, but so far I've learned that I'm expected to learn and try to remember their national days, greet in a nice way, be flexible and be kind. I've learned, in exchange perhaps without having a need to do it, they will try to remember your important dates. Either national or private. Private are important for me, since they emphasize the real business relation that I am establishing with all the people I've been working to. Nice honest and hard working people (vs the corrupted and criminals that are here and there).

A lot of businesses starts nowadays by messenger, msn messenger is most for business, but Chinese use more QQ messenger, the most popular software in China for chatting perhaps in a friendship-private way, and despite the direct and simple business communication it is handled by QQ or MSN messenger (now you can't forget about remembering with which hand you greet and with which one you give a present) I can't stop thinking that I didn't find in any Chinese inter-cultural book the sentence “Hi, how are you? I meant it, I really want to know how you are doing”, “If there is anything I can help you, please let me know”, “Oh are you too stressed now? It's ok, we can continue later, I'll send you an e-mail”, “You know what? I think it's time for you to go home, we can continue tomorrow, I hope you have a nice dinner”, “Yes it is urgent and I need it now, but I know you can't do anything cause it's out of your hands, so let's hope things will solve soon”, and so on.

I guess, I still need to read much more to find such books, and if you happens to know any with such life advices, please let me know.

Don't be too narrow minded to close yourself to meet great people in a different way, nor to over estimate or under estimate what people on the other side of the computer can and can not do, be “nice”. We all live in stress.

23) A logo story

It took me 5 bloody months to have a ”workable” logo. I was going crazy, depressed and lost the previous last weeks. I have to thank a lot to my good friend Ville who gave me a big help with my business.

I'm not 100% happy with the logo, but at least is possible for me to work with it since a lot of my marketing will be related to the logo.

The triangle Name – Logo – Patent/Trademark is now going to the big arena, one country per one country, it will be registered. If my research was well done, then it is a matter of just waiting for the Patent/trademark to go through the whole patent/trademark process then to the opposition period and then finally (and hopefully) get a paper that says I own the rights over a trademark, my trademark.

Let's remember that this is not for free and I must pay, either to a trademark (lawyer) buffet or directly to the authorities:

a) Through a legal representative: It has a lot of positive advantages, but of course you will have to pay more. In some countries, because of local regulations you can't registered a trademark by yourself. Advices? Read a lot... do a lot of research and consider what is the best option.

b) Directly to the local trademark authorities: It's cheaper, much cheaper. Specially if you are working with a very tight budget. Nevertheless you have to do all the possible researches that you must do. Read a lot before contacting the trademark authorities, otherwise they might just tell you “get accustomed to our website by reading it”, which is true :)

I can not recommend what is best for everybody except for this: Even if you are hiring someone to do this job, any job, for you, you must read and prepare yourself as much as possible. Depending the scale of the business you will know what option suits you.

Here is the link of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

http://www.wipo.int/directory/en/urls.jsp

It contains a list of all the intellectual property organizations in every single country.

There is a lot to read, but in some point the information becomes similar and it's interesting to detect the legal differences among the countries trademark laws.

Google a lot, read a lot and make the decisions that need to be made upon all the information you have found and received.

Good luck! :)


p.s. No sauna this time, but some swimming :)