Information

Accurate, complete and timely Information is the foundation of any business decisions. They can be fundamental information like the information on market, companies, products, and related government policies and regulations. Or they can be higher level information like current status of licenses or approvals. They can even be essential information like thoughts, opinions and altitudes of key decision makers toward specific matters.

Most fundamental information can be obtained through public channels. The public information service, especially government information, is becoming more and more accessible and transparent today in China . Higher level and essential information are more likely obtained via private channels.

Obtaining useful information is not easy. Verifying them is even more challenging. The most effective and dependable China business information still comes from private and personal channels. The information from different sources on the same subject often conflicts from each other, making business decisions very hard to make. In such a situation, a common political and business sense helps a lot to judge whether information is correct. Former government officials and business leaders are good sources of judging on correctness of information.

The importance of relationship (“Guanxi”) in China business is well known and accepted. The problem is how to effectively establish relationships with target parties. The secret is that a good relationship is developed through right channels or a group of people who has great influence over the party you wish to meet.

Everyone has a social network: family members, friends, business associates, schoolmates, club buddies, and so on. The question is who can take you to the destination. A wrong channel leads to a failure of relationship building. Instead of strengthening the relationship, a wrong channel worsens it and even causes the door to a healthy relationship closed for ages.

Channel selection is an art. It requires a thorough understanding of the political systems, cultural and social behaviors, organizational structure, and personality of parties. A broad business and social network is the cornerstone of all channels. With above knowledge and resources on hand, you will be able to tell if a channel is correct to lead you to the final destination.

To those who are new to China , the feeling of being foreign to the country worries them from doing immediate and serious business. Delay of flights, change of meetings, language barriers, and challenges of reading people correctly are only few headaches during the trips. Would it be nice if there is someone in China making every business and travel arrangement for you before and during the trip? You will not feel foreign any more with such a “business cane” on hand.

Security investigation is usually requested by clients who want to know in-depth information about the related parties. The information may affect the clients' business decisions dramatically and is essential to business success or risk controls.