Years ago as I took over the responsibility for the Asia Pacific markets with a big international firm, my colleagues started filling me in on various anecdotes.  I have since forgotten most of them.  The following, however, is one of those few that have stuck in my mind.

Once our company was hosting a delegation from China, our long-time valued customer.  The host presented gifts to each delegate: a T-shirt and a matching green hat.  Our guests accepted the gifts, but no one put the hat on.  When asked, our guests smiled awkwardly.  Eventually someone in the team broke the silence and shared the story: in the Chinese culture, if a man is wearing a green hat, that means his wife is unfaithful -  “his wife has put a green hat on him” is what you would expect to hear.  “Wearing a green hat”, therefore, is a symbol of a cuckold.

The Chinese have a saying: jia chou bu ke wai yang (domestic shame should not be published), the equivalent for “do not wash your dirty linen in public”.  In a culture where face is of utmost importance, one would try his best to save face.  Therefore no Chinese man in the right mind would put a green hat on even if his wife is disloyal.

The lesson from this episode?  Today, more and more, business is cross-cultural.  If we are not culturally intelligent, we can embarrass ourselves and others, and cause discomfort for others.  Lack of cultural intelligence, or a low CQ, can be very costly.  Multinationals like Ford and Disney know all too well from their own experiences what it can bring about: loss of contracts in global business negotiations and loss of profit in global business ventures.

While big corporations may have deeper pockets and can afford the time and money to turn things around, small companies may not be so lucky.  A New York-based research company, with an office in Asia, surveyed small and medium-sized companies doing business in China.  Over 2,000 firms participated.  The study revealed that, as of mid 2005, eight out of every ten surveyed companies had not made any profit.  A significant factor in the failure was identified in the report: many companies do not understand the culture in which their businesses were operating.

Getting things done right in the first instance is important for companies engaging in global business, more so for small companies due to limited financial resources. Several things can be done to help achieve this:

Research.  Do some homework.  You may get some idea about your target culture online or from a book.
Use available internal resources.  The green hat blunder could have been avoided had communications people, sales people or anyone preparing the gifts bothered to run this through internal staff of Chinese background or someone who is knowledgeable of the culture.
Get trained.  Have anyone involved in international business (those in sales, marketing and communications, their assistants and even secretaries) attend courses.  Accumulate global knowledge and develop cultural awareness.
Seek expert help from professional consultant.  This is absolutely necessary in the absence of internal resources.  Even with intelligent people on staff, it is still a good idea to get a second opinion.  This serves one of two purposes: either a confirmation of staff advice (double assurance that a feux pas is not to occur), or a rectification should a suggestion is not quite right.

Companies serious in developing global business should make the time and investment to improve the CQ of their staff right from the start.  Doing so will save a lot of grief down the road, earn respect and business, and ultimately increase the ROI of their global ventures.

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About the Author:
Jacqueline Wu is the managing director of Olive Kan Global. Her firm is dedicated to helping companies increase the return on investment of their global ventures.  in particular, China and other Asia Pacific ventures. Jacqueline has over 20 years’ experience in global marketing, corporate training and university teaching. She has been invited to present at many international conferences. To find out more about Jacqueline and her firm, please visit http://www.olivekanglobal.com.
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In 2007, the town completed a total of 980 million yuan of GDP, fiscal revenue 36.04 million yuan, rural per capita net income of 4766 yuan, respectively, year on year increase of 21%, 29% and 11%.

The town has been registered trademark of 151, in which a famous trademark in Shandong, there have been 15 enterprises through ISO9001: 2000 international quality system certification, 11 companies have self-export right.

Economic development

Dian Linyi City, Shandong Province, Shandong Provincial Government Center, named after the town of the industrial-oriented, industrial and agricultural well-developed infrastructure will improve the investment environment is superior. Private Industrial Park, the town has a provincial level, more than 700 private enterprises and build the abrasives, bubble alkali, printing and packaging, black pottery manufacturing industry system.

Among them, abrasive products are exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States more than 20 countries and regions, known as “China Abrasives first town” reputation; town 70% of the arable land in the steep bank, Shuhe River alluvial plain, the land is fertile , irrigation facilities, is the Southeastern Shandong region’s key commodity grain production base, rich in rice, wheat. The town of West Plains as a pollution-free strawberry, mixed fruit, flower planting base.

One strawberry fruit cultivation area of two thousand acres of townships in the province ranks first in the “first town in Shandong strawberry,” said; the investment environment is very favorable, the town party committee and government to optimize hardware and software environment, from land planning, project feasibility studies, funding support and so suitable for investors to create a liberal environment for development, so that the major stores to become fertile ground for investment in domestic and foreign businessmen, entrepreneurs of the treasure, life’s paradise.

Private Economy

Big Dian “Three Ones” batch growth of the private economy.

First, cultivate a number of pillar industries. The town to improve the capability of independent innovation of private enterprises as the core, continuously consolidate and develop traditional industries, fostering the development of new industries. At present, the town has formed in the county has formed abrasives, bubble-oriented base, refractory materials, and black pottery manufacturing pillar industries. Among them, the initial advantages of abrasives industry cluster formation, the town abrasives and supporting more than 700 processing enterprises has reached an annual production of all kinds of abrasives ability 10 million tons.

Second, strengthen a number of backbone enterprises. Accordance with the “nurturing leader with groups, big groups, and promote leading” the work of thinking, large-scale production, efficiency, and develop the stamina to carry out focused enough to support the enterprise. The town support the role of backbone enterprises markedly enhanced sublimation has emerged Abrasives Co., Ltd., Shun Fat Abrasives Co., Ltd., New Asia New Abrasives Co., Ltd., the revitalization of alkali such as a large number of bubbles produced large scale scientific and technological content group of companies with high technology private enterprise. New town above-scale enterprises 7, a total of 18 to complete the tasks assigned 117% county.

Third, cultivate a number of well-known brands. The town actively guide private enterprises to continuously strengthen the “science and technology enterprises, build brand,” the guiding ideology, to further improve corporate quality assurance system, and guide enterprises to create famous brand, devising a brand strategy and enhance the competitiveness of products in the market.

At present, the town has been registered trademark of 151, in which a famous trademark in Shandong, there have been 15 enterprises through ISO9001: 2000 international quality system certification, 11 companies have the right to export the products are exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East 20 a number of countries and regions.

Pillar

Abrasives are industrial raw materials, known as “industrial teeth,” is widely used in machinery, electronics, light industry, chemical industry, building materials, metallurgy, ceramics, aerospace and other fields. Abrasive production in large Dian more than 30 years of history, after 30 years of development and growth, the town has become a dominant pillar industries.

Abrasives are industrial raw materials, known as “industrial teeth,” is widely used in machinery, electronics, light industry, chemical industry, building materials, metallurgy, ceramics, aerospace and other areas, the market demand for large, bright prospects. The rise in the nineteenth century, the seventies Junan abrasives industry clusters, from the initial one a little practiced on a cottage, after 30 years of development and expansion, completed a small workshops to large clusters of transition, has become the county’s economy the development of a dominant and pillar industry.

As of the end of 2006, the town has a abrasive manufacturing enterprises 236, 11 above-scale enterprises with export rights and to 11, through the ISO9001 international quality system certification of enterprises 15, employing 15000 people. Main products are silicon carbide, alumina two types of abrasives and ceramics, resin, diamond three categories of more than 2000 varieties of abrasives, are exported to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Germany, Denmark, more than 20 countries and regions, produced by abrasive Abrasives accounted for more than 40% of domestic market share, the abrasives in the gross domestic production more than 40% market share. Emerged out of the letter hair, sublimation, jade, and a new sub-companies, a large number of new abrasive leading backbone enterprises and the “sublimation”, “Monsanto”, “Huaguo” and 146 trademarks, including “sublimation” brand abrasive was named “Shandong famous trademark.” Great Dian is the biggest production base of abrasives, known as “China Abrasives first town”

Featured Industry

Great Dian strawberry cultivation began in the 20th century, the early 80s, after 20 years of development and growth, cultivation area has reached 2 million mu, of which 1.6 million mu of protected cultivation, there is “Shandong strawberry first town” in the world. Cultivars for “Xiang Feng”, “All-Star,” “Japan on the 1st”, “Larsson VI”, “US-13″, etc. Among them, “All-Star” Strawberry has been registered as a National Industry and Commerce Authority, ” Big Star “brand, by the National Center for Green Food certified as” green food “signs, sold more than 40 cities nationwide, and through the processing of a large number of exports to Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia countries and regions.

Black pottery manufacturing large Dian black pottery manufacture began in the Spring and Autumn period of 2300 years have elapsed since the production process of history, capable of producing more than 400 different types of black, blue, and painted pottery handicraft.

Old in order to burn cylinder, urns, cans, pots and other black pottery, blue pottery mainly from the 20th century, 80, began firing terra-cotta, the main production of flower pots, food utensils and ornaments.

In recent years, as people’s living standards and life safety awareness, to blue, terra-cotta drinking with, ornamental containers made mainly of folk crafts came into being, especially in blue ceramic drink cans and blue ceramic vase handicraft production was in the ascendant trend.
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About the Author:
I am a professional editor from China Product, and my work is to promote a free online trade platform.
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With the advent of present internet technology most of the people are having ideas of opening their own retails online business.Most of the people are thinking about the whole sale slump shippers as a best online business for their needs.And now a question might be raised in your mind that how and where we can locate dependable and also affordable whole sale transporters. At this point, most of the people are interested to ask this question to friends, family members, and relatives to gain some information on these drop carriers. The internet is best resources to get essential information about the transporters and also some of the online databases are having the information about the list of companies that have been verified and also best rated.After studying all necessary details, customer feed backs, now you are able to make the decision very easily.As a business owner, you know the importance of the shopping on time.If you got one bad feedback that leads to another and everything goes straight downhill from there on.

However, there are so many advantages with this whole sale slump shipper. In simple terms, these whole sale dive shippers give retail business owners the very best opportunities that can be available in the present market. One of the greatest advantages with the drop shipping business is you need not have a place to store any of the supplies they have for purchase.And also there is no need to display anything and no need to have any additional workers, and you can do this business from your comfortable home also.If you are doing this business from your comfortable home, the retailer does not have any extra or additional bills to cater for such as electrical or phone bills and any other utilities required for running a business. When in comparisons with other works, this wholesale drop shippers life has to become much easier and relaxed.Every time the Drop shipper simply accepts these orders from the online customers, and he will forward the order info to the transporter, and they will deliver the items ordered to the customer location.

Finally, there are some well established and experienced organizations are doing this drop shipping service to their customers.For more information and details, please visit their valuable web site.

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About the Author:
iwebshop have put together a Dropshippers list covering a wide range of wholesale dropshippers, which is continually updated.Search more Wholesale info at our website.
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