The second of the Two Most Important Cities In China That You May Have Never Heard Of is Yiwu, Zhejiang. Yiwu has about two million people, most involved in some way or another in the world famous commodities market located there. It has been, for 6 years now, the top commodities wholesale market in China. The UN even claims that Yiwu has the “largest market of petty commodity wholesales in the world…”
This is a great book—a great introduction into Chinese Culture. The goal of the book is to introduce Chinese management practices to the foreign audience, and it does that quite well. What I like most is that he is not sharing “secrets” to Chinese business but rather reflecting some culture patterns that affect the business environment. And, this is a book written by Chinese specifically for Westerners.
Too many new-to-China buyers have the easy access to China yet don’t have the experience to make it a success. For example, 10 years ago when I moved to Asia and served as a sourcing advisor, most of the clients had manufacturing backgrounds. They understand ISO and how a proper QC system is run. This makes a huge difference when it comes putting together a china sourcing program.
The single most important factor in determining the success or failure of your sourcing program will be finding the right supplier. It sounds obvious, but making apples‐to‐apples comparisons of vendors at a national level can be daunting. The following article is a behind the scenes look at a how PassageMaker assists its clients find vendors in China.
“Pay now or pay more later” – this should be your mantra.
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