The Price is Right?

Today I established a few more business contacts with what I am trying to do over here. I have learned time and time again to not go with the first price they ask for. Example; if I want to buy a pair of shoes that cost 50 dollars. I can talk the seller down to 20 dollars depending on a good day.

Oviously they see that I am a foreigner so the first thing to come to most people minds are to overcharge me. So everything I have to buy over here I must work the price down to a reasonable degree. So that being said, no matter where you go take your time in doing business and never go with the first price. Whether it takes a hundred settings to get a fixed discount price for you, it all pays off in the long run. Because the simple math of " one hundred thousand, one dollar bills equals to one hundred thousand dollars."

No Burger King, No Hardees, No Chick Fillet, No etc...

Today is Saturday, and I have that watering taste for some Crispy Creme Doughnuts. Unfortunately, there is none here in China. There are doughnuts but they are not the same. I can not longer continue to eat Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and KFC anymore. I want to make some pancakes but I have been everywhere and couldn't find any syrup. I also wanted to grill some hot dogs and hamburgers. Well I have the hamburgers and hot dogs, but no grill. Most of the restaurants I go to, serves water, but with no ice. I can drink hot water but I would much prefer it being cold a little. I really don't mind eating my breakfast with chopsticks at all. And drinking soup as a beverage is something else I am not use to. Most of us are use to having a meal along with a beverage. But some of the places here serves a meal along with a soup. that is correct, the soup is your beverage.

I can say that I am still happy with the absolute vodka along with Jack Daniels whiskey. But my body has yet to adapt to the diet of the Chinese lifestyle. If you are trying to gain muscle in China. It will be quite a challenge because of the lack of protein. It is something that I am getting more and more use to by the day. However, a Chili Cheese Dog, with French Fries from Sonics sure does sound good right now.

One Mistake Not to Make While Doing Business In China

Doing business in China is a lot different than doing business anywhere else in the world. For one you need to be aware of the cultural aspects. Also you should be very careful of what you say to people and how you joke about things. Establishing a relationship and networking in China to most people is very important for good business. Chinese people are patient people doing business and it may take a few dinners, and get togethers before you close a deal. But this is what you will want in the long run, establishing a relationship established and gain trust in the individual.
One mistake you shouldn’t make doing business here from the start is ask them how their brothers and sisters are doing. It is not a big deal if they have brothers and sisters but many Chinese people are the only child. For that matter it was outlawed that if a family has two or more children they must pay government taxes for each child they have. It may seem a little weird to you but China has over 1.3 billion people.
A long time ago the Chinese families wanted only sons. That reason was that they felt daughters could not take care of the family. Males were born because they have the ablility to do harder work, and establish a better lifestyle for their family. When daughters were born, families would try to produce sons, and if daughters were again born. Then they would try to produce a son once more. It was getting more crowed and in 1979 Deng Xiaoping the Chinese president at the time, first introduced the One-Child Policy to his nation. China's population had more than tripled since 1900 and the government was feeling constant pressure to bring down the numbers. Because of the Chinese tradition involving giving birth to at least one male child, female infants were often killed, aborted, or left to die so that the family would only have the one child being a male, because families must have a male, thus creating a large surplus of males in China.
So when you go out to eat with the person you are doing business with in China. Don’t ask about their family until they ask about yours. And from experience, asking them how their brother or sister is doing, may affect your business deal.

Why Choose China vs. US?

Why did I choose to do business in China vs. the US? In recent studies China has grown dramatically in doing worldwide business in manufacturing and exporting goods and products. China and India together are the number one countries now that have grown in such business. As I walk down the streets in Chongqing, China I can’t help but realize how many entrepreneurs and small businesses I come across here. Every street corner, almost every home development has a store underneath the house where small businesses are conducted. It is a big difference in comparing Americans to the Chinese. Of course in the US, we come across larger businesses such as McDonald’s, and KFC. Rarely anymore do you see Dan’s Auto parts, or Joe’s Cookout & Grill. What has happened? Most of the small businesses now are owned by foreigners. The small restaurants and the shops most are not owned by us anymore. In the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina where I grew up at has changed dramatically. Growing up in the 90’s was a lot different than what it is now.

Also the cost of living is a lot cheaper than the States. I am currently residing in a high rise for only 200 dollars a month. And utilities are not more than 50 dollars a month including water, air conditioning and electric bills. There are more and more foreigners coming to China that have great ideas and are coming to expand their business with their country into China.

The Do's and Don'ts While Living In China

I ate at the McDonald's for lunch today. It was crowded as usual around the lunch time frame. While I was waiting in line a woman seemed to work her way in front of me. Without saying sorry or anything. Soon it became more crowed and the people behind me starting getting close and touching. You may consider this being rude, but in China this is quite normal.
So don't get get offended when someone jumps in front of you in line. It may be no manners to you but to the Chinese this is quite average and their mindset is if you are not close enough to the front of the line you are subject to someone getting in front of you. Don't get upset and to fit in with the rest just work your way more towards the front. I remember when I first got here and that happened I was ready to fight. Later realizing the customs and culture aspects of China, I started to understand and adapt to the environment.

It is very important when you are doing business in China, you are not jumping right into the action and closing the deal. For them it is a friendship basis that you will need, because no matter who you do business with, there needs to be some type of trust involved. So that being said please be polite while doing business with people in China, and if they offer you something like tea, please accept and take the time to talk with them on a friendship term. I will definitely pay off in the long run. The person to whom you do business with may offer you discounts on the products you are buying or may offer other deals with you to close.

Communication in China

Right now it's one o' clock. Today I want to talk about communication because it is one of the hardest thing to do here in China. For one the way you talk to people here in China is very different than in the States. Business is done more on a relationship term that is. For us Americans, well for some of us at least we like to get straight to the point, and get straight down to business. Of course we may joke a lot but for most parts we like to hear good news and like to dig a little bit before we jump right into things.

Over here in China, it is almost completely the opposite. That is why sometimes I get a little confused on how things are done. For one, you have to be very careful of the way you talk to people here. A common joke to you can be a great insult to them. And there it goes, and you lose your business with that person because of that. Most chinese that do business with foreigners are accustomed to the way we do things. But a typical business meeting with them is dinner or lunch, or sharing tea.

Most things are kept traditional. Most of the business I have done over here, we talked more about our families and we're concerned more about the meals that we were eating rather than straight business. I remember one meeting I went to, we didn't start talking about business until we were done eating.

Things are done rather at a slow rate over here. Of course in the city of Chongqing, where I currently reside, not too many foreigners are here. I honestly can say that if today is Friday, the last time I have seen another foreigner was about a week ago.

Of course all business done must be slowly, carefully planned and well written. But for over here, it is best to triple your thought process and slow down ten fold of how to do things. For one, what you do here, may not be the same as what you can do back in the States, or what ever country your from.