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| Image credit: Stuart Miles |
China is certainly a mouth-watering prospect to the SME business. The
engine house of the world with a population of 1.3 billion, China seems
to offer an opportunity for everyone and a market for everything.
Within publishing this is especially true, as the Chinese publishing
industry is growing into one of largest in the world and certainly has
the fastest growth rate. Five years ago, Publishing Technology started
to set its sights on servicing the Chinese publishing industry and last
year the vision finally became a reality. So as
Beijing Book Fair,
China’s biggest trade publishing event, gets underway out in China I
will detail some of the tips and insights we have learnt along the way.
1. Do your homework
As I said, I’d considered establishing a Chinese presence for the
company for a few years, but hadn’t moved beyond the developmental
stages. In such an expanse of possibility, I realised, a secure,
financially viable opportunity must be identified to justify the
investment and guarantee success in this complex market.
During these years we attended conferences, spoke to publishers and
consultants, quizzed my Chinese contacts, and probed my most trusted
colleagues and advisors – all to confirm there was a marketplace and a
gap in the market that we could fill. I immersed myself in the minutiae:
I took nothing at face value, delving deep into the mechanics of the
publishing market in detail, studying competitors, locations, logistics,
revenue forecasts and potential clients in order to ensure I had a
proper understanding of what our Chinese business would look like. Even
so, the last year has thrown up many new aspects I had not seen and many
surprises, mostly positive.
While it seemed like slow progress, it is clear now that these years
of research, contact building and time invested in the Chinese market
were an indispensable part of creating the right conditions for success.
2. Find the right partner
Something else I learned during this time was that on-the-ground
knowledge, contacts and understanding is vital for success. While I have
a very international background, I quickly realised that my knowledge
did not extend to being able to master business in China. I knew we had
to find the right local business partner. We were very fortunate to meet
Helen Sun, a Chinese academic and publishing professional with deep
knowledge of the national and international publishing community,
unrivalled contacts and knowledge of publishing in China and an
understanding of the technological side of publishing. She, like all
successful partners, brought a combination of local contacts, knowledge
and enthusiasm, which we as outsiders couldn’t bring to the table.
3. Appreciate Cultural sensitivities
China has a different business psychology to the familiar Western
models. No CEO can immediately be aware of all the cultural intricacies
inherent in a country’s way of doing business, but one must go in with
an open mind and an understanding of one’s own vulnerability, a
consciousness of difference – or a business will stumble before it has
even started.
For example, in contrast to the strict contractual obligations that
govern US and UK business cultures, the Chinese have a more liberal
attitude. Tactical alliances and gestures of partnership are statements
of goodwill, and do not necessarily become defined strategic movements
until your business actually starts. It’s a different mind-set, and one
that Western CEOs must orient their thinking towards, and another reason
why having a local business partner who knows the lay of the land is
invaluable.
Another key aspect to remember, and this is especially true in the
publishing world, is that in dealing with the Chinese, you are
essentially dealing by proxy with the Chinese government. Taking
on-board government sensitivities is intrinsic to making any venture
work and why no venture can realistically work there without a Chinese
business partner to guide you through the process.
Read the whole article, please go to
Publishing Technology.
