Doing Business with China

Sinohydro, Dongfeng, ZNShine and Huawei – sound familiar?

If not, chances are you’ll be hearing about them soon enough. These are just some of a multitude of Chinese organisations looking to conquer the world over the next few years – and Europe is in their sights next.

In the UK, trading opportunities with China are rapidly on the increase, which can only be good news for British businesses.

The prime minister has already been playing his part to make sure we get the best deal, with David Cameron’s visit to China in the summer of 2014 resulting in more than £14 billion of trade agreements being signed – not bad for a day’s work!

So, what can you do to take advantage of the blossoming relationship between our two great nations?

If you have global ambitions of your own, then help is at hand.

How does China do business differently?

Of course, communication is the first hurdle you’ll have to leap over. If you have a talent for languages, you could attempt learning Chinese yourself. However, we realise this isn’t an ideal solution for everyone.

Neither is simply copying and pasting everything you want to say to your wannabe business associates into Google Translate – word for word translations are okay for a quick reference point, but that’s about it!

So translation services are probably your best bet on the written side of things. But what about the actual meeting and greeting of your new business buddies?

From what to do with your business card to what to avoid with your body language, making a good impression has never been more important – but making sure you don’t make a faux pas can be a minefield.

This is where our shiny new infographic comes in. ‘Business Etiquette And How It Can Help Your Company Grow’ does exactly what it says on the tin, providing vital information like why a black handkerchief is a terrible gift and why using your finger to point is an absolute no-no.

Learning Chinese business lingo

If there’s one way to make a good first impression on an overseas business partner, it’s by demonstrating that you’ve taken the time to learn a bit of their language.

Our infographic can also help here, with everything from simple phrases like ‘it’s nice to meet you’ to ‘can you give me a discount?’ (perfect when you finally get to the negotiating table!).

If you really want to show off, check out our Chinese idioms section. ‘Nine cows and one strand of cow hair’, anyone? If that doesn’t make sense to you now, it will after you’ve had a look through our graphics.

We live in an exciting time to trade abroad, with exports between the UK and China doubling since 2009. However, don’t expect this to happen to your business without putting in the investment and the work.

For more information on how we can help you grow your business overseas, call now on 020 3582 3760.