Writing a manual for ‘Business in China’

What should be included in the manual on doing Business in China? I am writing a manual for our company’s sourcing division.

If you want a comprehensive list of items to be covered, then you may find the table of contents from The Essential Reference Guide To China Sourcing of interest.

Dedications
Author’s Acknowledgments
About the Author
Introduction to Book
 What the reader can expect to gain & Why I decided to write this book
 How the book is organized
 Assumptions about the reader & terminology
 What this book isn’t
 Disclaimer
 Keeping Current

Preface by Global Sources COO Peter Zapf

I. China Sourcing Overview
 Brief History of China Sourcing
 Looking Forward

II. Managing Expectations
 Language & Culture
 Business Culture
 How Buying back home differs from Buying in China

III. Step One: Sourcing Feasibility
 Is your product a good match for China sourcing?
 Confirming Availability
 Door-to-Door Cost Modeling

IV. Step Two: Finding the right supplier
 Geographic overview
 Types of Suppliers
 Foreign Trade Rights
 Avoiding Middlemen- what most China sourcing agents, trading companies and brokers don’t want you to know!

V. Step Three: Organizing an efficient Request for Quotation (RFQ)
 Defining the ideal type of supplier for your particular project
 Engaging potential suppliers
 Evaluating Quotations
 Picking a winner
 Options if you need help picking a winner

VI. Step Four: Face to Face
 Negotiation Tips
 “Socializing with your Chinese Supplier in China”

VII. Step Five: Placing the PO (purchase order)
 The Illusion of Communication
 Setting the road map to success in the form of a well written PO package

VIII. Step Six: Vendor Management/ Order Fulfillment & Project management tools

IX: Intellectual Property Protection

X: Quality Control (QC)
 Why so many QC problems in China?
 Understanding QC Basics
 Buyer’s Quality Assurance Tool Box

XI. Addition Templates and Check Lists

 Email Protocol
 Document Revision Management
 International Travel Check List
 Local Travel Check List
 Petty Cash
 Effective Conference Calls
 Handling Business Cards
 Taxi Cabs
 Factory Visit Logistics
 Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

XII. What to do when things go wrong

XIII. 3rd Party Support
 Quality Assurance Specialists (3PQC)
 Testing Labs
 Freight Forwarders (3PL)
 Sourcing/Purchasing Agents
 Engineering
 Tool & Die Shops/ Tooling Stewards
 Business Intelligence, Surveillance and Investigations
 Lawyers
 Business Formation
 On-Line Resources

XIV. Conclusion

Appendix One: Short Articles of Interest

1. What is VAT and why should I worry about it? By Mike Bellamy
2. Global Sources’ Interview with Mike Bellamy about Audits and Inspections
3. Paul Hornikx’s interview with Mike Bellamy about options for 3rd Party Engineering