The Holy Grail of Risk Taking Entrepreneurs: Brits Get Rich in China Part 2 of 3

Risk taking continues in part two of this three part posting of the “Brits Get Rich in China” documentary series. If you haven’t yet seen our first posting on Brits Get Rich in China, Part 1 of 3 be sure to have a look before continuing on to part 2. Part 1 introduces you to the players and their individual goals and challenges.

We start off by getting to go with Peter Williams as he pitches his product to several parties in Hong Kong as a one man company. He is not successful but keeps to his belief and notes that “one has one’s setbacks but it’s like anyone in business will tell you..you either go on and overcome them or you give up…some of us weren’t made to give up.”

Back to Tony Caldera who stakes a large investment at a Shanghai trade fair to secure major orders. He brings his portfolio of cushions with an abundance of new designs. Concerned about people stealing / copying his products, he mentions the camera phone strategy used by competitors taking pictures of his products at the fair. Since it is so easy to copy (he shows how pictures are being taken by camera phones) it is difficult to protect new designs. Gets a big order at a trade fair and stress is the least of his problems now that he has an order and getting the factory up is now mandatory.

The skyline of Shanghai and back with Vance Miller as he takes us on a trip to the borders of China and North Korea as he describes how he is able to take advantage of the changing face of England’s decline and China’s rise in manufacturing capabilities and resources. How you might question? “Snapping up the carcasses” of English businesses laid to waste by China’s dominance in manufacturing is what Vance does as he buys multi-million dollar machinery in England for literally pennies on the dollar from bankrupt factories and ships them back to his factories in China.

As we have a drink with Peter in a suburb of Shanghai, we are told of his new business partner who has a track record of having access to power and more importantly relationships. As this new business partner, named Sessel Pih, talks of China as the “Wild Wild West” and how it’s life and death, he explains and this is a pivotal piece for those not acquainted with both the opportunity and the potential for absolute loss in China. A fascinating and very insightful strategy session is revealed in the exchange between Peter and Sessel – a must for all our readers even if you don’t plan on doing business in China for you are given an education that is very elemental about doing business in China but that is lost so quickly, if not overlooked. While you’re viewing this video, definitely replay Sessel’s explanation of the Four “C’s” that are “must haves” in China to be successful along with how to close the deal which will shed some humorous light on the realities of China today and those of America in the past.

Sessel’s Four “C’s” are”

Connections
Clout
Cash
Culture

Back to Vance and the intro of his son as well as something we at SourceJuice hold to be true – China is a capitalist country like no other. China is hungry, China is dynamic, and China is fast. As Vance describes “move over China is coming through big time”. Vance takes us on a ride to visit a supplier and what you may gleam off this visit is some fascinating dynamics of how “control” is both a necessity in managing your money as well as managing your supplier. Don’t forget to look at the “pen”.

Last 5 posts by The SourceJuice Team

China VAT Changes List for December 2008 - November 19th, 2008
Expect More VAT Rebates with the new Economic Stimulus from China - November 15th, 2008
China VAT Changes for 2008 and 2009 -- Rebates and More - October 23rd, 2008
Paying your Chinese Supplier Know your payment terms and options in advance - October 5th, 2008
One Man's Challenge is Another Man's Treasure - Home Building Materials, part 4 - August 25th, 2008

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2 Responses to “The Holy Grail of Risk Taking Entrepreneurs: Brits Get Rich in China Part 2 of 3”

The Holy Grail of Risk Taking Entrepreneurs: Brits Get Rich in China Part 1 of 3 : SourceJuice on March 15th, 2008 9:13 am

[…] on to The Holy Grail of Risk Taking Entrepreneurs: Brits Get Rich in China Part 2 of 3. Email This Post &nbsp &nbsp Print This […]
The Holy Grail of Risk Taking Entrepreneurs: Brits Get Rich in China Part 3 of 3 : SourceJuice on March 25th, 2008 7:38 pm

[…] to get some background on the players and their individual goals and challenges and then go to part two since each of these videos are a must see. Sit back and relax as we get into the final episodes of […]

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