China Entrepreneur: Voices of Experience from 40 International Business Pioneers
About this ebook
Preparing to manage a small business in China, the world's largest, most dynamic consumer market? Hundreds of thousands of other international businesspeople are too, but only a small percentage of them will succeed in bringing their start-up dreams to life in the Middle Kingdom.
Give yourself a huge head-start by learning directly from experienced China pioneers. CHINA ENTREPRENEURS delivers street-tested advice on launching, growing, and operating your own business in China. Authors Juan Antonio Fernandez, professor of Management at the China Europe International Business School, and Laurie Underwood, accomplished journalist and Director of External Communications at CEIBS, use their combined 26 years of China experience to interview 40 successful international entrepreneurs who have launched and built businesses in China.
These entrepreneurs share their first-hand advice, anecdotes and best practices in tackling the key challenges of winning in the China market, from negotiating with government and winning necessary start-up approvals, to hiring and keeping the right staff, to collecting payments and to safeguarding intellectual property. In addition, the experiences of the entrepreneurs will be juxtaposed against insights from experienced China consultants who assist start-ups in operating in China. Thus the book will balance extensive, on-the-ground business advice against the insights of consultants who have risen to prominence in the China business environment by advising SME business operators on succeeding in China.
About the author
Laurie Underwood has worked as a business journalist, editor, and writer in greater China since 1990. She spent 11 years covering business, news, politics, and social issues in Taiwan for media groups including Economist Intelligence Unit, AsiaWeek, and ICRT radio station. In 2001, she relocated to Shanghai following a wave of business interest in China’s fastest developing commercial center. After receiving her Masters in Business Administration from the China Europe Business School (CEIBS) in Shanghai in 2003 (now ranked 11th worldwide for its MBA Programme by the Financial Times), she became Communications Director for the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, which is the largest AmCham in the world. In 2006, she authored China CEO, Voices of Experience from 20 International Business Leaders, published by John Wiley & Sons. Since the release of China CEO, she has given numerous talks on doing business in China to business associations, TV and print media in her native US as well as in China and Southeast Asia. Laurie now works as Director of External Communications & Development for CEIBS. When not working, she spends her free time distance running or studying languages (now learning Nepali) and Latin dance.
