"Well, I Told 'Em To..."

The comment, "Well, I told them to…" never ceases to amaze me.  Usually someone says this, when some problem or issue arises.  

1st Time

“Contact us to discuss your inquiry and we’ll analyze the case to make sure you’re a customer worth handling”.

Confessions of an Open Networker

I like LinkedIn.  In fact, probably too much and had let my network get out of control.  The thrill of connecting.  All the exotic foreign countries.  The multitude of careers, positions, names, faces.  I was caught up in the moment.

Bustling

China is bustling.  There’s no two ways about it, good or bad, the place is rowdy.   It’s a developing nation, it’s changing faster than any nation has changed in modern times and currently it’s a mess.

Assumptions

Assumptions:  we all make them.  Many of them good, many of them bad.  I safely assumed when I woke up this morning I would have running water and electricity in my apartment.  That is a fairly safe, daily assumption.

The Chinese Language “To study or to work???”

Monday's guest blogger is my colleague and friend, Mr. Shakiri Murrain.  See his LinkedIn profile here.

(Photo Credit: GR Sipe)

Since arriving in China in November 2006, I have met many many foreigners coming for a multitude of different reasons.  Some come for study abroad trips, some for business & some just to see the anomaly we call China.  The common denominator is that we all came with huge ambition and not a lot of knowledge of what China actually is like (In my opinion, print/online media give such a limited view).   So no matter how you look at it, there is a lot to learn.

Don’t Despise Small Beginnings

Small beginning but this guy will grow
(photo credit: GR Sipe)

Small beginnings:  many times they are what lead to the “Big Middle” or “Successful End” (although there never really is “an end” only milestones we reach).  Many of us in business didn’t start out where we are now.  Especially if we own our own business, many of us started from humble beginnings, some beginnings more humble than others. 

Keep Your Cool_Part II

(see Part I here)

People make the low cost goods that you use.  The goods are not made by machines, although machines are involved, but by people.  Many overseas buyers are surprised when they come for factory visits in China and learn how much of the processes are actually done by hand. 

Humble Beginnings (China Expat)

Friday's guest blogger is my colleague and friend, Mr. Shakiri Murrain.  See his previous post here, see his LinkedIn profile here. 

I first came to China in 2006 to advance my professional career and for the personal growth that comes with living abroad.  When I decided to move, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I did not have any Chinese friends, didn’t understand the culture and most of all couldn’t even say hello in Chinese.  But from what I could see on TV and newspapers, it seemed that the entire world was beginning to focus on this place.  (The Chinese Mainland is correctly nicknamed “大路” or Big Street)

Staffing in China

One of the largest obstacles dealt with in running a business in China is staffing.  I think any expat entrepreneur , multinational company and even Chinese business owners will agree that finding quality, long-term employees is a mountain to climb.  I know, I know, it’s hard everywhere, right?  But….since I lean towards China being the center-of-the-universe and based on my loose experience and memory of dealing with my home country, I’d wager that it’s even more of a pain in the gluteus maximus here in China.

Handling Issues in China_Part II (Spills into Production)

Unity: If supplier / buyer relationship is off balance,
you're building business on a "shaky" foundation

“Jacob, I read Part I. So things are a bit “weird” in problem solving:  big deal?  Can’t you simply adapt to it and learn to love it?”

That’s what I’m saying:  you must adapt to and at least accept it or you’ll lose your mind…and possibly your money.  In this blog will discuss how solving issues in China can overflow into the manufacturing realm and affect your offshore production.

Handling Issues in China_Part I

In the Chinese culture, there is no right way and wrong way to do things. In China, there exists an impersonal force of “right” and an equally impersonal force of “wrong” and by chance, by time, by multiple attempts you may….eventually….arrive close to one of those perceived notions.

Going Cold on Offshore Projects

Avoid going cold on your projects.  Whether it’s a downtime in communication with your supplier, a delay from your brand in approval or whatever the reason, do what you can to avoid it.   

Worker at Material Dying Kiln: This guy is probably not too concerned
with your brand/client and if they had proper time to sign-off on the next campaign. 

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating;  if you don’t seem concerned and motivated over your project, guess who else is not going to be highly motivated? That’s right, the overseas (China specifically) factory and supplier…. 

Smaller Volumes a Must? A Few Key Pts….

Is the order large enough for the factory to
stop, check, care, implement, fix, etc..?

This is a continuation from the last post on shying away from doing small quantities offshore. 

One point to add: trade companies will actively promote the ability to offer smaller quantity runs.  This is a tactic to rope in buyers, because they’ve heard the overseas customers beg for small quantities.  Their idea is “give the public what they want”.

Communication Decreases Quality Issues

Your supplier may be helping you "in letter"
but dangerous when not "in spirit"

Working in China with a team that is daily handling factories, it is hard for me to fathom how companies, in different time zones, in a different language, do it from abroad.

JLmade is made up of mostly Chinese teammates. 

Factory Communication 101: Read, Analyze, Feedback

If pics from factory not presentable to your customer (like this one):
instruct factory on what you need to see

I noticed a key cause to a lot of production problems.  It may not be a root cause, but a cause nonetheless.  An avoidable cause at that. 

Bridge Building: Establishing Long-term Relationships with your Supplier

(This was a very popular post this month - do me a favor and visit at the new house:  http://jacobyount.com - hope to see you there!)

There's Folks Working Hard on Your Behalf:
Allow Them to Become a Valuable Partner to your Business

Everybody is a supplier to somebody and everybody is a buyer to another.  Seldom does a supplier never purchase something (whether components, machinery, material) and most buyers buy because they then resell. 

Use your communication with your supplier to establish strong bonds. 

Inspiration and Motivation is the Key…More so in China?

This morning, Leeds (wife and head honcho at JLmade) took a boot that had a buckle to pop off, to the shoe-repair shop.  When she first took it inside and presented it to the “Master” 师傅, he told her they couldn’t fix it. 

With such a large labor force in China, you interact
with many more people on a daily basis .

 She then explained to him that it only requires a small such-and-such type tool and if he’ll just look at it, then perhaps he can see what the job takes.  The guy then looked at it, spent about 5 to 7 minutes repairing it, now it’s as good as new.  Not only did he fix it, but when she went to pay, she only had 100 bank notes, so he waived the fee and graciously said “next time”. 

Dealing with 1st-Time Factories

Remain professional: regardless of what
unforeseen obstacle arises.

Chinese factories are busy.  They have times that are slower than others, but for the most part, their production lines are full year-around.  Next to never are the production lines empty and the workers sitting around hoping to get an order to extinguish the boredom.

On the contrary it has gotten to where it takes substantial effort from the buyers’ side to get a factory to treat them serious.  Unless you have an established working relationship with the factory or unless you’re a very big name, the factory is going to first “feel you out”.   But, in this post-Economic Crisis day and age, even if you are a big name, the factory is still going to work in such a way to determine if you are going to be a valuable customer for them.

Nobody is Willing to Quote?

Factories include real people, doing a real job.
You send an inquiry, you're connected to every worker in there.

Quoting, purchasing and importing from overseas can be tricky business.   There are many factors involved in closing an order and making that sale.  Some of the contributing factors of success or failure can be on the production-side but just as many can be on the purchasing-side.  In this day and age of globalization and offshore production, it’s imperative that any importer maintains solid contacts with his overseas suppliers and potential suppliers.