International business

The next step

01/01/2017 Consulting International business

As my consulting business in China became busier and projects for both the PRC central government and local government offices increased, a number of people pointed out that some of my blog posts could be taken as somewhat anti-Chinese. As a result, I decided to take a break from posting for a while. Fast forward four years . . . I originally established a consulting company in China in order to accomplish the following. Study the Chinese language Establish and run a company in China Better understand the lifestyle and customs in China Learn about the differences between the tax laws and normal business practices in Japan and China Experience …

JIMTOF is international?

12/30/2010 Cheap translations International business Japan

While my company translates a broad range of fields, a lot of my own translation work involves machine tools, machining centers, and related technology. So, when the “Japan International Machine Tool Fair” is held, I try to attend. Not only is it a good way to meet up with a dozen or so clients in one day, but I also get to see the latest developments and technology. This year I flew out from China (just two nights) to Tokyo for the event. It seemed a lot to do for an exhibition, but it is only held once every two years. The usual players were there and, unfortunately, many of …

Alcohol and business dinners

05/18/2010 China International business

If you think that alcohol and business don’t go together, perhaps you’d better stay away from China. They don’t only go together; I’d go so far as to say, “no alcohol, no business”. While the concept of discussing business or just getting to know people during dinner and a drink may be commonplace in many countries, China takes it a step further. My first visits to China were as a member of a group of businessmen from Japan invited to see various cities in China, and be encouraged to “invest” in their cities, which each had their attractions and carefully-named “development zones”. Typically, our group would consist of half a …

Bribes in China

05/08/2010 China International business

Whenever the subject of doing business in China is mentioned, so are bribes. There is no denying that “bribes” are still a part of daily life in many aspects of doing business in China. It is so common that it is rarely even thought of as being wrong. Paying bribes is common sense in today’s China, and trying to do things “the right way” is often just seen as going against common sense and displaying your ignorance of how things get done when you are trying to get something done. It might be better to think of the bribes more as just “the expense of doing business” or a “fee” …

People who speak your language

03/03/2010 China Chinese myths International business

Probably the most common factor in the mistakes I’ve seen people make in China is them trusting the first person they met that happened to speak their language. This is more common with Japanese who go to China and meet somebody who speaks Japanese and then goes on to be their best friend introducing them to people who can do anything and solve all their problems. Hah! Imagine you are in a room of 100 people, all equally qualified to do a certain task, or to introduce you to other people, but only one of the 100 speaks your language. Who are you more likely to end up speaking with, …

1 2 »

MENU