Why Many Facilitators Fail With a Crude Oil Business

Facilitators are present in most of the trading businesses and also have proven their worth for centuries. Facilitators perform certain important functions in a trade cycle so that it functions smoothly. Often they are aware of the best deals in the market and can help someone new in the business to survive and consolidate. However facilitator requirements for crude oil trading business are more advanced and unique. Crude Oil business has high stakes, involved both in terms of monetary requirements and incidental losses due to non compliance of sale deed. This nature of business requires more mature approach on part of the Facilitators of agents involved in this business. We will further study a few important reasons why facilitators involved in this business are not able to do well.

Lack of Experience and knowledge: Many people are attracted into this business because of kind of money one can earn on account of successful deals. Many agents fail to understand that requirements to succeed in this business are very demanding. Only those who have years of hands on experience and through knowledge of the industry can strive to do well as middle-men. Anyone thinking of making quick bucks getting involved with crude oil business may not do that well.

Many middlemen getting involved: Often it is observed number of middlemen get involved in a single deal and all of them have their own interest to protect. Often main focus of their business is changed from ensuring a smooth deal to protecting their own share of fee or commission. Also as the saying goes "too many cooks spoil the broth", too many middle men getting involved in the deal often creates confusion and focus is lost.

Working without a legal Mandate: It is very important in order to succeed as an agent in oil trading business one must have clear mandate from either a genuine buyer or genuine seller. This mandate may be non-exclusive in nature but still having a mandate will mean that you have at least one strong end. Your efforts will be better rewarded only in the where you will have this mandate otherwise your jobs becomes very difficult and changes of success very dim.

Clarity with Buying and Selling Procedures: The agents must be well aware of all the procedures involved in sale of crude. Lack of knowledge or clarity in these procedures can create serious problems and can cause a deal in making to fizzle out.

The Author has more than 10 years of International Market Development and Advisory experience, focused on new deals, company image and productive partnerships. Track record of contributing in start-up business units and divisions with developing accounts and organizing sales and marketing campaigns in different global markets. Click to know more about Crude Oil and Crude Oil Trading

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R_Ambardar

Possible Directions of Interest for Chinese Investors

What is interesting for Chinese investors? First of all, these are directions, which have connections with growth of customer economy of China. At present, this is their main strategic policy. Analysis of such directions could allow you to get ideas about possible business projects with China.

One of the perspective directions is automobile market. In contemporary world, China became both the largest producer and consumer of cars. In such a way, any technologies and products, which are connected with motor industry, are interesting for Chinese investors.

The other attractive direction is pharmaceutics. This branch requires high development of chemistry, biology and skilled personnel. Therefore, there are situated a big number of pharmaceutical research centres of the biggest medicine companies in China nowadays. That means, that there will be concentrated the largest medicine production companies in future. It is important, that managers understand, that establishment of own research centres in China could allow to get not only investment, but also perspective business.

The data about not financial investment of China confirm the fact, that Chinese are interested in development of such directions as infrastructure, construction, innovations, medical care. About 40% of total investment in China is given to listed above areas in 2008.

Education is not less interesting direction for Chinese businessmen. China government makes an accent on this area, especially, on system of education. They are interested, that the number of well-educated people increases in China from year to year to gain new level of development. In such a way, educational projects, for example, distance education projects could be very attractive for Chinese investors.

Last years, China is alarmed about ecological state of environment. At present time, Chinese invest big sums of money to improve ecological situation. Therefore, any ecological product and technologies projects could have success.

As for innovations, the Chinese ready to give investment to companies, which are specialized on genetic engineering, alternative power engineering. In such way, they try to avoid any dependence on energetic resources. According to quotation of an American journalist-economist Thomas L. Friedman, "if China fulfills own expectancies, which it plans to realize, soon the USA will not be buying toys, furniture and cars, but energy": electric cars, solar panel, batteries, and energy-efficient software. According to this information, any project connected with alternative sources of energy will be attractive.

To conclude, there are a number of interesting directions, which could be interesting for Chinese investors and on the base of which it is possible to build successful business projects. The main of them are automobile market, pharmaceutics and opening of research centres, infrastructure, construction, innovations, distance education, genetic engineering and alternative power engineering. Of course, there is a range of other possible attractive directions, but all of them should suppose the benefit and development of Chinese economy.

Mattel's Barbie - A Great Case for Doing Business in China the Right Way

What could go wrong? You've got an enormous growing consumer sector, the world's largest economy and the world's best known doll. Well as it turns out everything can go wrong. Mattel is another high flying victim of failing to understand China before jumping in and assuming they'd make enormous amounts of money easily.

They've just announced the closure of their flagship Shanghai store a six storey heaven (or hell) of pinkness. A Barbie bar and a staircase embedded with over 875 of the dolls themselves couldn't save the brand here.

So what went wrong?

Mattel's biggest mistake was assuming that because the brand is well known in the West it would automatically be well known in China. In fact by and large Chinese people don't know much about Western brands at all, excluding clothing and cars that is. So given a wealth of locally made much cheaper equivalent products, the Chinese voted with their wallets.

The country's little girls simply didn't care about Barbie and why would they? Barbie's blond hair and blue eyes may reflect the archetypal American teen but it's not really a reflection of China's realities is it?

To compound their error the company decided to launch in Shanghai, one of the country's Tier 1 cities, a mistake that no Chinese retailer would make. It's well known that local companies don't test market in the highest visibility locations for a reason. Firstly they're expensive and secondly failure in these positions would be seen as a drastic "loss of face".

Smart retailers test market in Tier 2 cities, and not usually regional capitals but those cities that fall in the grey area around them. It's much lower cost strategy because rents are cheap and there are decent incentives to open businesses in these cities. They also have their fair share of high and low income families, who can give feedback (with their wallets) on a new range before making a high profile song and dance about it.

The keys to doing successful business in China

Market Research - it seems astonishing at how little research major retailers are putting into their market entry strategies. Without engaging with the Chinese consumer how can Western companies even hope to be successful? Consumer spending habits are very different as is brand recognition. The culture of the country is such that the "big bang" style launch may well be perceived as "boasting" rather than the intended "here we are" too.

Test Markets - There's way too much focus on Beijing and Shanghai and not enough understanding that there's an enormous number of other cities that are far less visible to gauge the market. No major Chinese brand starts off in these cities, they head to the more obscure Tier 2 cities make sure they have their formula right and then move up. There's a huge wave of Chinese brands making their way up through these easier to access markets now, and soon they'll be competing head to head with Western brands in Tier 1 cities on equal terms.

Mattel will be back in China, there's no doubt that the pull of the biggest consumer market in the world is too much to resist. Let's hope they do their groundwork properly this time.

Website Translation Services Make Reaching Out to Foreign-Speaking Markets a Viable Option

People buy products online from businesses every minute of the day. What is intriguing is that many people don't realise until the purchased goods turn up on their doorstep that the business they've purchased them from are based overseas.

In today's fast paced world, more often than not it doesn't matter where you buy your products online. Unlike 20 years ago when it took around a month to have something sent from New Zealand to the UK, today's delivery expectations are much higher. If you've purchased a pair of shoes and they're in stock and take longer than 7 days to arrive, there must be a good explanation for it (i.e. sent to the wrong address, or never left at all).

The beauty of this efficient international freight is that you can buy something online and as long as the website appears to be trustworthy and credible, you often don't hesitate to confirm your purchase in the checkout area.

Website translation services have made reaching out to the international market almost effortless. If you are in the shoe selling industry, then you'll want to be able to target foreign-speaking countries as well. By having your website content translated into their language, you have the opportunity of capturing online users of that language, increasing your income potential.

It is important to realise that it's not just translating an English language website into that of the foreign-speaking one. The content needs to take into account the exact environment of that particular market and the entire site needs to be in touch with that market area's culture, society and linguistics.

If you do decide to invest in website translation services, you need to ensure that a professional company is taking care of it for you. Some of the best service providers have experts dedicated to each language, plus they also have excellent knowledge of all countries that speak that language. A professional company will generally demonstrate 100% confidentiality when dealing with your website.

For some New Zealand companies it makes sense to target the likes of China and Japan, especially if your products aren't readily available in those countries. In sales, it's all about numbers. The population of countries like these throws up millions of numbers in terms of sales opportunities. Through website translation services, you can punch into a market that you once thought was too difficult or impossible.

Blue South Australia - Translation for Business. Wherever the market, whatever the business, leading companies trust Blue South to deliver the translations they need; on time; on budget; professionally. Our operation is focused on delivering the best quality translations for business.

Contact us today to discuss your website translation needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Hayden_Barrett

5 Important Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Buying Agent

Hiring a buying agency is critical to the success of your project, whether it is about only a few pieces of customized furniture for your house, a large-scale project involving the furnishing of a whole resort or continuous restocking of shop supplies.

This checklist should help you evaluate export agencies from Indonesia and other countries:

1. What services does the agent offer?

You should expect more from an agent than just working as an intermediary between you and the producer. Demand at least the following services: Quality control done by agent and regular updates about the production process. Free warehouse service to consolidate multiple orders. Consultation about the trade-off between price and quality, explanation of various material and finishing options. Packaging and export preparation.

2. Does the sourcing agency have a minimum order?

Many agents have a minimum order quantity of a 20ft container (in other words, min: $5k - $15.000, or several hundred pieces of goods). Most clients are just interested in some few pieces. Even customers with bigger orders in mind would like to first order samples to access the workmanship. Further, after the main order, the client might want to order some few more products as completion. This also includes customized products. Sample orders possible. Thorough consultation, quality control and shipping services even for small orders.

3. Do they have experience with your kind of order?

There are fundamental differences between products for commercial and for private use. Products in public areas are used by many people. They must not only comply with local regulations, but also need to be more robust (material, joinery, finishing) than, let's say, private garden furniture. A good agent must understand this and act accordingly. Further, many private clients might order for the first time overseas and need concise information on the whole process.

4. Which product range and materials do they offer?

First, many agents focus only on specific products (building materials, textiles etc.) and therefore might be not the right choice for your request. However, picking an agent whose expertise is only your kind of products is also not recommended, as for future orders, of different products, you will have to find another agent. Also, an agent with a broader expertise might suggest you solutions where it is required "to think outside the box". An agent should have experience in a broad range of products: building materials, furniture, textiles, deco items etc. Also, an agent should be able to suggest alternative materials and finishings.

5. Are customized designs possible?

Customized designs must be possible. These can be based on pictures, drawings or just a description. Of course, customized products should have no minimum order. Finally, do not pay more for customized products than for regular products from the catalog. A "design fee" is just not acceptable.

How to Sell Overseas

It is very difficult to start a business. There are always going to be some problems that you do not expect to encounter, but these small problems are often the icing in the cake. Once the problems have been taken care of, everything should be smooth sailing, right? Not quite.

Even if your start was impeccable, no business would run without a problem here and there. Some problems would be as simple as paperwork, or just minor emergencies with inventory. Sometimes it can be even more complicated. One of the biggest problems a business owner may encounter is running out of customers to sell to. Stagnation is also a problem for every business.

Running out of customers can be a problem because every business needs customers to make money. If a business does not make money, it does not have legs to stand on. For some, they could try to sell more of their products to the same customer but how many more can you sell of the same product. Other entrepreneurs would even try to sell new products to their customers but this could sometimes backfire and turn off your loyal customers.

Exporting products is a good way to increase exposure and expand a business, but you need to know how to sell it first.

Selling overseas is not as easy as it may seem because you are dealing with a new and unfamiliar market. Every market has their own quirks on how they want businesses to sell stuff to them. What may be effective in your region may seem rude or clingy overseas and vice versa.

To figure these seemingly mundane differences, you can hire a consultant to teach you the difference between selling in your country and overseas but that could prove to be expensive. A cheaper alternative would be to observe other stores in action. Look at how the sales staff talks to the customer and the demeanor that they exude. Is it confident and strong or is it submissive and servicing?

Selling a product is important but what product can you sell when it doesn't arrive at the store. Some entrepreneurs choose to build their products where they sell it. It makes sense because you can minimize shipping costs and price your product based on local resources.

There are some products, however, that can only be made in one specific area. When that happens you are left with no option but build your product in one location and ship it to its point of sale.

Aside from getting the product to the consumer, the other half of the transaction is important, too. And, that other half is making sure that the money gets to you.

Nowadays, there are so many ways you can have money transferred to you. If you are selling through a local store overseas, you can have the money deposited and the sale transaction slips faxed every day. For this kind of option, you must have someone you trust on the other side.

If you are selling online, there are a myriad of electronic ways to get payment. You can open an escrow broker to hold on to the good, only to be released when the payment has been received. This can eat up the profits however, hence only applicable to high ticket items. You can also receive payment via credit card or PayPal.

These are just some of the things you need to know regarding overseas selling. To learn more contact your local importation and exportation broker.

Get To Know All About Setting Up A Business In Dubai

Many of my friends, family, feel that this is a confusing topic. I'm sure you too have one or 2 questions or you would not be going through this discussion.

My concept is to provide a bird's eye view of the present economic scenario of Dubai that leads to the questions WHAT, WHY, and HOW; this is due to the fact that by asking the questions WHAT and WHY, the big question of HOW will be answered.

By the time you're done reading this I hope to have addressed your query of "how to set up a business in Dubai". I would feel happy if 1 or 2 points which you did not know before is adopted by you regarding starting an organization in Dubai.

This observation commences with the reason behind the desirability quotient of individuals to start doing business in Dubai. There is not one single reason for this but rather a mixture of many.

Freehold Zones

Foreigners are allowed to make investments in property in freehold zones, due to the fact that these areas are designated by the Dubai government (typically you are not permitted to own property in Dubai).

These are also areas where businesses aren't taxed on corporate income. Payroll taxes also do not apply.

The economic miracle of Dubai has been built on free trade and relaxed tariff laws, and the designation of freehold zones have encouraged MNCs to set up a presence in Dubai.

The rules and regulations for the small businesses are no different from the other businesses.

In my estimation, the foremost advantage the freehold zone concept provides you is the exemption from having a local business partner who has the ownership of no less than 51% of your business (keep reading below).

Labor Arbitrage

As of early 2008, there aren't any minimum wage laws in Dubai. Labor is really cost effective in Dubai since workers from nearby nations such as India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan usually head to Dubai to seek work and a better life-style for their families. These workers do not get paid much. The arrival of these persons is facilitated, more often than not, by the recruiting branch of the numerous corporations in Dubai.

Excellent Geographical Location

Due to the distinctive geographical location of Dubai on the Arabian peninsula, the port city of Dubai attracted a lot of merchants, entrepreneurs, and daily wage laborers establishing Dubai as a hub of finance and commerce. The petroleum sector is responsible for less than 7% of the annual GDP of Dubai. Rather, its central geographical location near water has made it a premier destination for trade.

In order to conduct business, several merchants from the continents of Europe and Asia arrive and convene at the numerous ports in Dubai. Foreign merchants find trading in Dubai even more attractive due to the relaxed trade and tariff laws of the emirate of Dubai. All the people involved in this emerge victorious.

Due to these benefits Dubai is a really good place to start a business for many entrepreneurs and even international companies. Being a multi-national, you want your corporation to be near your vendors and customers. If everyone is establishing a presence in Dubai, it becomes difficult for you not to. You may just lose your position in the industry you play in.

You want to be close to people and businesses which you frequently deal with. You want to be at the forefront so that you're always ready to wholeheartedly welcome any opportunity which knocks the door.

And perhaps the most underestimated reason is that local businesses and individuals prefer to work with companies that are established locally. Building personal relationships is really important in such cultures, and that involves the sense of sight and touch. You should be there for that to happen!

Business Licenses

Any person requires an operating license for the business activity done by their company in order to own a business concern in Dubai. The three general types of business licenses you could apply for are as follows:

* Professional License - for organizations engaging in professional services

* Commercial License - for corporations engaging in import/export trading

* Industrial License - for companies looking to establish manufacturing operations

The economic department of Dubai, an institution founded for the lone objective of managing, governing and monitoring economic activity, offers these business licenses. The general application process is similar for each; however each license application has its own nuances.

For instance, the department may require that you obtain a guarantee from a local bank in Dubai, if your company is involved in trading or certain services. For any kind of business to be established in Dubai, the Chamber of Commerce should recognize it and provide registration. Similarly, there are several other significant things to understand to be able to successfully set up a business in Dubai.

The 7 types of business entities you can form in Dubai:

* Public Company (Traded in the Stock Exchange)

* Private Company (Not required to disclose publicly)

* Joint Venture Company (JV)

* Limited liability Company (LLC)

* General Partnership

* Partnership-en-commendams

* Share Partnership Company

LLC has always been my personal favorite. I have multiple LLC registered at the time I'm writing this discussion. I find them to be the most flexible. At the same time I get the liability protection from separation of business from personal assets.

My suggestion is that even you select to go for an LLC. You will not be alone if you decide to found a limited liability company in Dubai. Many successful companies in Dubai which have been in existence for a while are LLCs. It's the number one choice of business entity.

If you're used to the western business laws, there are a few crucial things you must know regarding an LLC in Dubai. A minimum of two individual shareholders are required for your LLC. You can have as many as 50 (somewhat similar to an S Corporation in the United States).

In order to establish an LLC, there is even a minimum capitalization requirement. As of 2008 this number is about 300,000 Dirham or just around $80,000 USD. You can have this in either cash or capital assets.

The Dubai Information Site is a website on Dubai City put together from a practical and first-hand perspective. The site covers information about Business in Dubai, sightseeing, jobs, sports, flights, hotels, weather, visa information, tourism, holidays, history and more. Dubai-Information-Site.com is your guide to fresh, practical and first-hand information about Dubai City.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kish_S

DGFT India - Important Functions Of The Board

Director General of Foreign Trade or DGFT is the governing board that provides a set of guidelines and framework for importers and exporters trading in India. Framing rules and policies and implementing the formulated rules for regulating the flow of Foreign Trade is the major task of this board. Following are some of the major functions that are of great relevance for traders:

Notifications and Circulars

DGFT India issues Notifications, Public Notices, Circular and Notices, which are of prime importance for import export traders. These notifications are actually the announcements made by the board for introducing changes made in the existing policies. It is the first and foremost concern of every trader to know about the interim trade policies that are very crucial for the business. For example - suppose an exporter has been exporting Leather Garments to Nigeria. One of the latest Notifications issued by DGFT reads that all export import activities commencing to or from Nigeria are banned. The Leather Garments exporter must cease all his deals with the country as soon as the announcement is made. Therefore, the traders must keep a tab on all the latest announcements of this board to save huge losses.

IEC or Importers Exporters Code Number

IEC Code issued by DGFT India is the prime requirement for starting an import export business. In other words, it is the permit given by this board to any bonafide person/ company for starting a venture of import export trade. This code is like an identification ID issued to every importer exporter of the country. Without ICE code, nobody can pursue a foreign trade transaction in India.

EXIM Policy

Export Import Trade Policy of EXIM Policy is the set of guidelines formulated by the board for free flow of foreign trade. These guidelines have been implemented to improve the intensity of Import Export trading. Prime objectives of the EXIM Policy includes Special Focus on Initiatives, General Provisions Regarding Import and Export, Promotional Measures, Duty Exemption / Remission Schemes, Export Promotion Capital Goods Scheme, Export Oriented Units (EOUs), Special Economic Zones, Free Trade and Warehousing Zones, and Deemed Exports. The board issues several policy updates that are important for the traders so that they can plan profitable and successful trading strategies.

DEPB Rates

DEPB Rates are the Export Incentives granted by Indian Government, for saving Customs Duty when Importing several Goods. The objective of this incentive is to neutralize the customs duty applicable on import content of the export product. This incentive is usually granted to the exporter under several circumstances mentioned under DEPB General Instructions. The specified DEPB rates and General Instructions are also set, and updated by DGFT India.

All these functions of DGFT are of great importance for every trader. Therefore, foreign traders are always on the lookout for the latest announcement made by DGFT Delhi and other zonal headquarters. DGFT Delhi located at IP Bhawan New Delhi, issues several announcements in an year. These announcements can also be obtained form the website of Infodrive India, a leading online import export database company.

International ACH

The Automated Clearing House (ACH) is an electronic funds transfer network that enables financial institutions, who participate in the ACH Network, and their customers to send electronic payments. The ACH originated in the United States and, today, there is one single clearing system for the entire nation. This clearing system allows every bank and financial institution to be connected to each other so that transactions and payments can be made quickly and inexpensively.

Not all countries have an ACH-like system and those that do use banking and payment formats that differ from what is used in the U.S. Recently, an International ACH Network was put in place to help businesses around the world connect with each other without overspending on oversea transactions. Before the International ACH was created, all international payments originating in the U.S. were sent to businesses in other countries as wire transfers or checks. Most of the time, businesses needed a foreign bank account to deal with foreign businesses. However, with an International ACH system, financial institutions in the U.S. can send ACH transactions without having to have a foreign bank account.

The biggest benefit of an International ACH Network is that any company who does business internationally will be able to save a ton of money on making transactions. Money is normally wasted on wire transfer fees and waiting for checks to be delivered. Companies who conduct foreign business may need to make International ACH transactions to customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders. The ability to make these transactions electronically are why an International ACH system makes conducting business with foreign entity's much easier and cost-effective.

Some other benefits of an ACH Network that extends overseas are:

1. Can improve the negotiation of terms with vendors and customers.
2. Can provide better cash flow options for businesses.
3. Can remove the many specific formats that must be used in order to deal with specific countries.
4. Can combine payment categories into a single payment file.

While there are many benefits of the international system that has been put in place, some areas still need to be worked out. Currently, there is no standard International ACH format. To deal with this, some domestic banks require a company to program a bank-specific format on their systems, while others accept a proprietary format from the company's ERP system.

Also, the file transmission requirements tend to vary for each country. The typical file transmissions currently in place in the International ACH system are: Secure File Transport (conducted over the internet), direct transmission (conducted over the internet or modem dial-up), treasury workstation, or through a banking system. Some countries cannot relay, through the electronic network, the necessary information that let's domestic businesses know the invoices were paid. So, in order to relay the information, alternative methods, such as mail, e-mail and fax are used. International ACH tracking is also available to offset any event in which a payment is not received.

The International ACH system is, currently, not a perfect system. It will take some time to develop. However, eventually and probably in a quicker amount of time than can be expected, the International ACH Network will become as prevalent and proficient as is the ACH Network in the United States. When that happens, the entire world will be financially connected and the history of the human race will forever be altered.

New Energy Industry - A Big Winner in China's 5 Year Plan

China has just announced its next 5 year plan (its 12th) and one of the industries that will be a clear winner of the policies is New Energy. Now that the country has become the world's biggest producer and consumer of power, it's become a political imperative to develop clean and renewable sources of energy.

The plan is still in draft form so there is room for change but the headline figure is that by 2015 the country will develop 235 million Kilowatts of clean energy production. All renewable sectors have been singled out for specific developments in the plan too.

Hydropower

It may not be a favourite of environmentalists and the country may pay a high ecological price later on down the road, but there's no denying that hydropower is the most effective renewable energy source available today. 120 million Kilowatts is expected to be found from 3 major new hydro-electric projects on the Jinsha, Yalong and Dadu rivers.

Wind Farms

There will be a total of 8 new major wind projects, 6 on land and 2 to be built offshore in coastal areas. These projects are expected to enable another 70 million Kilowatts of power.

Solar

Solar is still an emerging technology and with typically poor returns compared to the energy collected and difficulty in storing that power for long-term use it's not surprising that it's the smallest part of the plan at the moment. In the future we'd expect a major increase in solar as it becomes more efficient and storage technologies improve. For the moment 5 million Kilowatts is expected to be produced by new solar farms in Tibet, Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningshia, and XinXiang.

It's not all good news though; there will still be a ramp up in gas and oil consumption and the plan also allows for nearly 150,000 kilometres of pipelines mainly to Asian republic states from the old Soviet Union to allow more efficient transportation and delivery.

With China already emerging as the world's biggest investor in New Energy it's not surprising that there is strong political will to begin implementing some of the world's largest investments in practical projects. For investors in the country this is a major opportunity to field these technologies and prove their effectiveness while gaining return on those investments to further research and development in the area. The best of the New Energy companies are looking at a very prosperous 5 years indeed.

Portuguese Legal Translation

Legal translation, like medical translation requires very specialist knowledge. Law writing has its very own language, often using words and phrases derived from Latin and other foreign languages. In the semantic field of law, words and phrases have a very exact meaning and can have no ambiguity. If a legal document is translated wrongly it can have disastrous effects and can cause confusion and frustration. Confusion over legal documentation can cause undue delay and this ultimately means higher costs for the person involved. Get it right the first time and save yourself money in the long-run by hiring a professional translation service and get the accurate results you want.

If only for your peace of mind, you should always use a professional translation service. Whether you need a translation of a contract, summons, complaint or the transcription of an evidentiary tape then Axis Translation can help. Perhaps you are a Barrister or an Attorney and you need translation of evidence or papers or perhaps you are in the process of buying a house in Portugal and need the deeds translating then Axis Translation will set you on the right path.

It cannot be emphasised enough how important it is that legal translation is accurate. In order to get good results the translators need to be fully clued up on legal terminology but they also need to know the ins and outs of common law and civil law legal systems that are used throughout the world. Laws are different all over the world and legislations can even change depending on where you are in a specific country. At Axis Translations our translators not only have excellent linguistic skills but they are also skilled in different fields. In regards to legal documentation, a lot of our translators have a background in law so you can be sure that they are fully clued up on legal terminology and well as how the legal systems operate in different countries.

Over the years the growth in international trade has meant that the demand for legal translations has increased by a large amount. Of course with legal documentation it is extremely important that confidentiality is respected. Axis Translations can guarantee that all documents will be handled under strict privacy guidelines.

Portuguese is the eighth most spoken language and the third most spoken European language in the world (after English and Spanish). It is estimated that over 210 million people speak Portuguese all over the world and most of these people live outside of Europe. In fact, non European speakers of the language outnumber European speakers by over 20 to 1! Surprisingly, there are more Portuguese speaking people in South America than those that speak Spanish.

Portugal is very popular holiday destination and if in the event that you injured on holiday then you may need the services of a translator to explain the legal documentation. There are lots of reasons why you might need the services of a translator so for all your translation needs contact Axis Translations.

Building a Business Overseas

Sometimes you need to go elsewhere to find that breakthrough in your business. This is more common when your business has come to a point where you have sold your product to every possible prospect. These prospects in an area eventually dry up some time.

When the well dries up, the only option is to look for other sources. The next thing you might need to do is start a business in a different area. Other geographical reason may be as close as the next block but sometimes to really diversify you customer base and take advantage of a new prospect stream, you need to go across seas.

Although it is hard work, starting a business overseas has certain advantages to it. For one thing, it adds prestige to your company because you can now accurately call your company a multinational company. Some of the benefits of having a multinational company include getting the best talent to work for you. Having a company that operates in more than one country gives your employee the chance to visit other countries. As such, more people would like to work for you.

The fact that your company is working overseas also gives you continuous income even if there is a catastrophe. Your business will still have sales even if there is an economic collapse in the country. You can still continue to sell overseas despite having no customers in your home location.

Then, of course there is the obvious benefit of getting more customers. Selling overseas is all about the customers. Just like any business, someone needs to buy your goods, whether actual products or services. Building a business overseas is always about selling more of your product to more people.

You have several options when you want to start a business in another region or country. One of the simplest ways is to buy an existing business there. Doing so eliminates the need for introduction of the product as well as time consuming paperwork.

The downside to buying a business overseas is that it is very expensive. Furthermore, the businesses that you buy already have a system of their own in place which might not cater to your needs as an entrepreneur on the go.

The next option is to start a new one from the ground up. If you think buying an existing business was expensive, you will be astounded as to how much more this will cost. However, you do have free reign to do whatever you want and implement what you need. Freedom like that usually cost a great deal of money.

If you are on a budget, there are cheaper ways to build a business. You can start selling your goods through other more established companies via consignment. They would just then need to agree on the commissions the seller gets. Another way to sell through another company is by renting out shelf space. Renting out shelf space lets you keep all the profits but it increases your overhead on top of the shipping costs.

Another cheap alternative for building a business overseas is to sell your goods online. You can keep better track of your inventory because you can just ship out products when you have a sale. Furthermore, it is a good way to sell because you get to control your costs. The only problem with this is whether your product will move well in an online setting.

Expatriate Spotlight on Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a semi-autonomous, special administrative region of China, with a population of over 7 million people. The climate is extremely diverse; tropical in the south to subarctic in the north. The terrain is mostly mountainous, with high plateaus, and deserts in west; changing to plains, deltas, and hills in east.

The official languages are Chinese (mainly Cantonese) and English. The most prominent religions are Buddhism and Taoism.

The economy is characterized by the principle of one country, two systems, whereby Hong Kong runs on economic and political systems different from those of mainland China. It is one of the world's leading international financial centers, with a major capitalist service economy characterized by low taxation, free trade and minimum government intervention under the ethos of positive non-interventionism. Inflation is generally low.

Hong Kong's excellent communications network, favorable strategic geographical location, well developed infrastructure, low taxation, stable currency and free port status has helped attract significant investment. It is increasingly doing business with the Chinese mainland, therefore expats who are fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, have an advantage when it comes to employment.

The expatriate communities in Hong Kong are extremely diverse. British and American expatriates, mainly in the financial sector, tend to socialize in the highly westernized districts of Lan Kwai Fong and Wan Chai, the two major entertainment areas on its' Island. There is a significant Japanese community, many of whom choose the expensive hotel bars and discotheques as their meeting places. A number of large multinationals choose Hong Kong as the base for their Asian headquarters. As a result there are many affluent expatriates living in the expensive mid-levels area above Central district.

Living here is safe and it is a well organized city. The shopping is not as cheap as it used to be, but electrical/electronic goods are usually of good value. Shops are usually open from 10am to 7pm daily and office hours are generally from 9am to either 5.30pm or 6pm on weekdays. Local attractions include tasting the stinky bean curd and shredded jellyfish, experiencing the city center horse racing and the dawn Tai Chi. Everything you could want can be found here, from cinemas to theme parks, with numerous restaurants serving food from all over the World.

After remaining stable or even falling in 2009, housing costs for expatriates rose significantly in 2010, and are rising again. The city saw rents for upscale accommodation surge 22% in 2010. The shortage of land is a major factor in the high property prices, particularly on Hong Kong Island. Healthcare is also very expensive.

Public transport is reliable and extensive. Many people prefer not to have a car and prefer to rely on the public transport network. The best way to keep costs down is to live as the locals do. They know where and how to find a bargain and avoid the tourist areas.

Below is a comparison of Hong Kong and New York based on a professional expatriate lifestyle:

Basket Group Cost of Living in China, Hong Kong

Alcohol & Tobacco -11.46%: Cheaper

Clothing 3.93%: More expensive

Communication -3.29%: Cheaper

Education -61.76%: Cheaper

Furniture & Appliances -28.16%: Cheaper

Groceries 13.76%: More expensive

Healthcare 55.86%: More expensive

Household 110.74%: More expensive

Miscellaneous -14.27%: Cheaper

Personal Care -34.84%: Cheaper

Recreation & Culture -17.54%: Cheaper

Restaurants Meals Out and Hotels -24.85%: Cheaper

Transport -6.27%: Cheaper

The overall weighted cost of living difference puts Hong Kong at 29% more expensive than New York, primarily due to the heavier weight attached to household accommodation, groceries and healthcare. However, many of the baskets are in fact significantly cheaper compared to New York.

Hardship is the relative difference in quality of living/lifestyle a person and their family are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, when moving between different locations. Hardship measures the relative quality of living conditions between locations, and assesses the level of difficulty that will be experienced in adapting to a new location.

New York is ranked as a "minimal hardship" location with a hardship premium of 10% while Hong Kong is ranked as a "some hardship" location with a hardship premium of 20%. The relative difference in hardship therefore puts Hong Kong 10% higher than New York.

Based on all the above factors, a person would require a salary of 1,084,084 Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) in Hong Kong to have the same standard of living as currently enjoyed in New York on a salary of 100,000 US Dollars (USD). This salary compensates for the overall cost of living difference of 29%, the hardship difference of 10%, and the exchange rate.

Steven is Chief Instigator at http://www.xpatulator.com/ a website that provides cost of living index information and calculates what you need to earn in a different location to compensate for cost of living, hardship, and exchange rate differences. The complete cost of living rank for all 300 locations for all 13 baskets is available here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Coleman

Stop Overpaying for Delivery: Use Freight Quotes Sites

If you are a business owner or a top manager you might have experience with freight services. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is expensive! Indeed, freight services can be somewhat expensive, especially for small parcels and international shipments. Besides, there are so many companies offering freight services that it is really easy to get lost. They offer the same services and the same prices. How to find out whether or not you are going to use services of a respectable company? At the same time, we always want to save money. What is a solution here? Perhaps, the best way to save money and find the best freight companies is to look for freight quotes online.

You have perhaps heard of quote comparison web sites. These are web sites that collect information on prices from the best companies in certain industry and offer this info to potential customers who are looking for particular services and products. It is very convenient and saves money and time. Such services first concerned insurance quotes but now it is possible to find quotes on anything from air tickets to freight prices.

Customers can save time since there is no need to visit every web site of every freight carriers and request a quote in order to compare prices. Quote comparison site do this job for you. Thus, within a short period of time a customer get the best prices from dozens of companies providing delivery services. So, instead of wasting 3 or 4 hours online, it is necessary to spend 10 minutes at freight brokerage site.

As to cost savings, quote comparison web sites make it possible to choose the best rates according to own needs, requirements and specifications of cargo and products. You are free to choose any company. Usually, customers choose freight providers that offer the best rates.

In order to get freight quotes from a web site, customers usually need to share information on shipment, such as weight, dimensions, origin and destination, other details etc. Sometimes it is necessary to share personal info. In such a case security of information is a primary concern. Reputable companies always protect customer personal information.

If compared to conventional method of getting quotes (surfing the Internet, making call etc) use of quote comparison web sites is beneficial in many ways. For example, many companies would love to take care of paperwork or provide you with temporary warehouse space while your cargo waits for a ship or airplane. If you are worried about safety of shipment it is possible to insure it. By the way, the best freight carriers will offer customers bargains on shipment insurance.

Finally, you can get freight quotes without leaving comfort of your home!

Why Chinese Factories Are Number One?

Chinese factories are the world's major manufacturing source and the companies who use made in China products enjoy great profits. A recent study reveals that the world is using just a fraction of the China's capabilities. Companies around the world need to broaden their exposure to Chinese products in order to successfully utilize the opportunities that Chinese manufacturers offer. The advantage of made in China products are many. Manufacturers there are producing everything from clothing to footwear to pharmaceuticals to agriculture chemicals. And these products are in no way inferior to products manufactured in any other part of the globe. Quality with quantity is the characteristic of Chinese manufacturers.

With an estimated more than 100 million workers, China can deliver quality products at cost effective prices. Global companies also find Chinese factories suitable because of timely and hassle free shipping and customized product development facilities. These factories produce textile and apparel, cement, electronic parts, computers, cell phones, MP3 players, toys, automobile parts, telecommunication equipment and petroleum products. This wide range of products is quite large and is constantly changing and growing to suit the requirements of the world. Right now these factories have everything world companies are looking for in a reliable source of products.

Chinese manufacturers have access to latest technology and probably this is the reason why Chinese factories remain number one in producing world class goods whether it is a television set or mobile phone handset. Tremendous purchasing power and immense import of raw material provides China a considerable cost advantage. This gives Chinese plants a lead in terms of perception of low cost goods. No doubt these cheap but quality products are making markets around the world more competitive and providing customers best in the class. Today China enjoys the position of globe's manufacturer.

Far from being a threat to world companies, the industrial revolution in China is a fabulous opportunity that can't be overlooked. Chinese factories are assisting world companies by producing cost effective quality goods. Those who outsource their production to China can focus and can be rest assured that their goods will be delivered well before time. There are companies which specialize in supplying Chinese products. These suppliers take the responsibility of delivering the products directly from factories in China to your doorstep. They have all the means to import made in China goods. This is like China at your doorstep. Just place your order in advance, rest is the job of the supplier.

John Buerkle is an expert who provides users with the information on those companies that import procuring products directly from China for US companies. The author also writes on those techniques that help businessmen reduce the cost of businesses. For More Information Please Visit, Chinese factories.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Buerkle

Why You Should Set Up A Corporation Abroad

It would be very advantageous to open a Singapore corporation for your business. Singapore's government is very accommodating when it comes to business. They offer plenty of facilities so as to encourage good businessmen to open and cultivate their business in Singapore. This way, it helps their country's economy as well. You'll want to take a closer look though at all that things to go into starting a corporation in Singapore so that you do everything right.

The government of Singapore will give you great tax benefits if you incorporate your Singapore Corporation. These various benefits are what make people want to invest in the first place.

You will be able to choose all of your Directors. You only have to have one citizen as aDirector to be legal. And that one needs to have a permanent residence in Singapore, hold a Work Pass for Singapore, or be a citizen of the country. What sets it apart from many others is that this shareholder only has to have a minimum of 1 and a max of 50.

The easiest part of the process is setting up the Singapore Corporation. There are the basic documents that they require like a company profile and their goals of what they want to do and accomplish, who the shareholders and Directors will be, as well as the company's secretary. All of the people need to present their passport or photo ID, proof of address, Articles of Association for the Company, and Memorandum. It only takes two easy steps to complete the registration too. You just need to get the name approved, which really only takes a few hours, and then turn in the documents mentioned above after the name has been approved.

A few hours is all the registration should take, if all of the necessary documents turned in are complete. You will be contracted through email if the incorporation is completed. However, if you use another external agency, then it may take up to 2 weeks to complete registration.

What's great about Singapore's liberal government is that there are no restrictions on what type of business someone opens and there's one hundred percent ownership of the foreign individuals.

They will even let the Directors of the Singapore Corporation do business from their own country while visiting on occasion with a Work Visa. If they do this though, they will need to hire a Resident Director to run things. The Director decides if they want to give this Resident Director any ownership in the company.

Another advantage to opening a Singapore Corporation is that there doesn't have to be an office physically in Singapore. This is a great bonus if there is a budget to meet. A local address will be needed to make the necessary correspondences though.

Singapore's Government is very welcoming for businesses that relocate to Singapore. They will gladly provide you with a Work Visa. You will need one of two kinds of Work Visa. One is called the Singapore Employment Pass. It is for businessmen who have been educated at a University. The other is called a Singapore Entrepreneur Pass. These are for those who do not have the educational background, but are still experienced businessmen.

With all of the benefits and advantages that Singapore has to offer, it's no wonder why many businesses are setting up a Singapore Corporation.

Representatives for Negotiations in China - Main Requirements

When you are planning to visit Chinese businessmen, it is important to know not only what you will present and how, but also who will be representative of the project and your company. The face of company should be obligatory a person with high status and career position, for example, vice-president or assistant of general director. In such way, it should seem, that you are serious in your intentions and have serious attitude to negotiations with Chinese managers.

From the beginning, the main goal for representatives should be not only successful signing of the contract and turn home, but also creation of networking, friendly relationships according to Guanxi and readiness for the next stage of negotiations or meeting with Chinese. It is possible to compare whole negotiation process with preparing of yeast dough for baking bread. We can not make something with dough, while yeast will not grow. That's why before representatives will achieve results, the main task should be collection of information and Guanxi.

The other important moment is constant membership of the team of representatives. It is not recommended to change representatives, because relationships, which were already built, should be created again. Changing of representative will lead to result, that his or her good will be lost. Moreover, the relationships with Chinese party could become worse or better depend on the representative status. They will be negative if the representative quits his job, and relationships will improve, if the representative gets promotion. Thus, it is recommended to choose only reliable people for such role as this may influence on your business with China.

The person, who directly participates in business talks, should be as competent as a manager, who coordinates realization of the project. Their minds and actions should be the same, otherwise the company will loose trust of Chinese managers. In addition, representative should present project in such way, that expectations of Chinese were a little lower than possible result. This is necessary for the confidence, that if something is wrong Chinese will not mention, but if project is better, this will be plus and impression about project of Chinese will be high.

As Chinese consider that everything in a man should be harmonic, they often transfer opinion about a person from the personal life to business. That's why representative should have both good personal characteristics and business skills. Preferably, that representative will be competent and decent, aware about cultural values and possible tricks and seriousness checks of Chinese people.

Thus, experienced manager, choosing representatives for delegation to China, should be confident, that they are reliable, their minds and actions are the coordinated, integrated and they are competent. The main task, which should be given to them not only to sign contract, but also to built basic relationships according Guanxi conception and to collect as much information as possible.

Live Export of Australian Cattle To Egypt

With over 80 million people to feed, and little arable land to grow crops or raise livestock, Egypt is a major importer of food and agricultural products.

Both chilled meat products and live animal exports are required to meet Egypt's need for red meat protein, and Australia is one of many countries supplying both boxed product and live animals to the Egyptian market.

Once banned due to poor animal welfare standards in Egyptian abattoirs, the Australian live cattle export trade resumed in 2010 following the opening of a state-of-the-art facility that guarantees the well-being and humane treatment of Australian cattle.

All Australian live export cattle now arrive at the Port of Sokhna and enter into a closed system - an integrated port, feedlot and abattoir.

The closed system reaches all the way to the ship - via an 800 metre purpose-built walkway.

The feedlot holds 25,000 cattle. Each pen is 50 per cent shaded and the shade is aligned so that every part of the floor gets sun at some time during the day to keep it dry.

Cattle have constant access to cool, fresh water and are fed high quality feed twice per day.

Each animal exported from Australia is tracked through the feedlot and abattoir system through the
National Livestock Identification System, NLIS. All Australian cattle in Australia wear a unique tag in their ear and when they arrive at the feedlot in Sokhna the tags are scanned so they can be tracked through the system.

All the cattle are scanned onto the live export vessel, scanned into the feedlot on arrival, then scanned into the abattoir so that the Australian live export industry has a record that assures that the cattle are not going elsewhere and remain in the closed system at Sokhna.

When it's time for processing, the cattle are walked to the abattoir, where the equipment and practices are as good as those in Australia. The abattoir was built to qualify for EU accreditation.

In 2010 56,441 Australian cattle were exported to Egypt following the market recommencing, valued at A$48 million.

Indonesia was the largest market for Australian live export cattle in 2010, taking 520,987 head.

Turkey was also an important livestock export market for Australian cattle in 2010, taking over 45,000 cattle as well as 140,000 sheep. Prior to this new live export market opening, the Australian live export trade visited Turkey to inspect facilities that would be receiving, transporting, housing and processing live animals from Australia.

Animal welfare specialists were also present in Turkey for the arrival of the first shipments of live sheep exports and live cattle exports from Australia. The cattle going to this market have been sourced from southern Western Australia as the Turkish market prefers Bos Taurus cattle.

Demand for live export cattle from other Middle Eastern markets was also strong, with Israel taking 43,346 head, Jordan taking 19,257 head, Saudi Arabia 16,501 head and Qatar 2,561 head.

Western Australia exported the most cattle in 2010, with 369,961 valued at $A252 million, followed by the Northern Territory with 292,305 cattle exported valued at $A183 million.

China's Latest 5 Year Plan - Opportunities and Threats for Business in the Region

The key to the latest (12th) 5 year plan is the reduction in the target for economic growth for China. It's been reined in again to 7% underlying government concerns that runaway growth is causing damage to the stability of Chinese society. Optimists have already noted that this long-term reduction of targets hasn't actually prevented the country from exceeding those targets anyway.

However while this may be true in the short-term there are some serious warning signs on the horizon.

The World's Manufacturer

China may have succeeded in becoming the factory and production base for the world, but this success has impacted on local wages. In fact Chinese workers have benefited from massive wage inflation over the last few years, and while this may not seem substantial to their counterparts in the west, locals are now among the best paid in the region.

Which is not good news for the low-end "pile it high, sell it cheap" producers. It's likely that over the next 5 years China will start to lose this business, as it becomes cheaper to use other countries in the region for unskilled labour and other emerging states like Bangladesh.

Food and Housing Costs

There's also going to be some serious inflation of the cost of basic resources, with China facing its worst drought in 60 years it's very likely that basic staple foods are going to increase dramatically in price. This means that the internal economy which is already fragile compared to developed nations may be at risk as more of a worker's budget goes on necessities than ever before.

To make matters worse rents and costs of ownership in China for housing are also spiralling upwards, with an unending pressure for rural workers to be able to migrate to cities this isn't likely to slow down any time soon. And again this takes money away from the internal economy.

So where are the opportunities?

China is now faced with similar problems to Japan in the 70's. And similar solutions may enable China to make the final move to world economic giant.

Quality Industries and High Tech

Japan pulled itself out of economic stagnation by moving the economic focus from cheap mass produced products to high quality production. China must now have its own "Kaizen" or "TQM" style revolution by building on what is now a semi-skilled production base and enabling it to become highly skilled. This will justify the increased wages and ensure greater profit margins in the future, and make the economy better positioned for the inevitable exodus of low end manufacturing.

While Japan completed its quality revolution before moving on to become a high technology provider, China will almost certainly have to undergo this in parallel. With enormous investment earmarked for new and existing technologies that are perceived as high value. The challenges will include turning the "new energy" sector into a viable, reliable and cost-efficient alternative to existing fuels. Ensuring that China's automotive sector becomes an efficient exporter to match the successes it has had within its own borders. And making better use of fossil fuels which are an essential part of continuing growth until such a time as new energy can take up the slack, particularly in terms of implementing low power technologies such as LED in new city developments.

The Internal Economy

The other massive opportunity in China comes from enabling the Chinese to spend more at home. This is hugely problematic at the moment; locals tend to save much more than their Western equivalents despite much lower wages. They do this because there is no safety net built in their system, no health care, no state support or pensions for the elderly, etc.

But there is also a focus on buying cheap non-sustainable products with no service and support. This is an area that offers huge growth potential in transforming purchasing habits to high quality and high service products. It's not without risk as Best Buy discovered recently but it is a key to bringing cash flow to the economy.

There's much more to the 5 year plan than a headline rate for growth, but even that simple figure offers enormous opportunity to those willing to seize the day and work with China to bring sustained success.

Interview With Sebastian Guerrini, Owner of Guerrini Design Island, About China Business

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sebastian Guerrini; who were gracious enough to provide readers of the China Business Connect (China Business Connect it is effective trainings, step-by-step guides, reports, case studies about business with China). Sebastian owner of Guerrini Design Island, which is a communication and design studio that uses an effective and personal approach to create brands worldwide, achieving this added value by bringing new areas of knowledge to the act of design.

His specialties: Brand design, image and identity, political campaign, advertising, image advisor, visual communication, logo design, propaganda design, NGO branding, Institutional branding and communications

China Business Connect: Why does the business partnership with China is of interest to you (your company)? Is this interest to work with the Chinese business potential or real?

It is real because I love Chinese culture and traditions. However I found difficult to consider China as the center of my activity. That is because my marketing strategy is based on having clients which accept my budgets, and my experience with China is that most of Chinese companies are rejecting to pay what I consider my work deserve. In that sense, it is profitable for me to work with companies from Germany or Italy rather than from China.

About the particularity of Chinese culture, I didn't find problem to approach it. Then, my doubts are just related to my fees.

CBC: How special, according to your point of view, is the business with China (shipment of goods, logistics, quality control of the production etc)?

According to my activity of brand, logo, web and all sort of graphic and digital design, I have no problem or limitation because files are sent by Internet. On the other hand, for me, the understanding of the identity, aims and commercial strategies of Chinese companies is not different than other ones. That is because I developed methodologies that help me so much to face these circumstances

CBC: What prospects of the business with China do you see in whole for your company?

In fact, all related to China can be connected to my business: not only the internationalization of the image and identity of their companies, but also the development of their products communication, design of web-pages based on international criteria's, etc.. In addition, I believe China requires the improvement of the institutional communication of their cities, towns and state, especially if they are willing to encourage their image for getting visitors and for improving their political perception abroad.

CBC: How do you assess the current state of being in the know and the level of knowledge according to the different aspects of vision of business with China? How important and necessary is it for your and for your company? What do you think would your customers say on this question? What do your customers think about the "made-in-China" goods?

China is now in the focus of the world, then I don't think the gap between reality and perception is so wide. Nevertheless, it is not so simple to get in touch with managers or owner of their companies because there is not an accessible business center or forum, where to be personally in contact with them.

CBC: Business education, variable seminars, courses and trainings are extremely popular nowadays. To what extent the specificity of doing business with China should be studied by the managers?

They are all valid alternatives. My experience is that the best way to learn is to be within the market. That's mean to talk, travel, share and understand their logic. Even tough I have a PhD (so I am respectful about academic studies); I strongly believe that the best way to understand each part is to start to talk.

CBC: Does the staff factor inside the company important when building the relations with China? Is it enough to manage with the only representative or intermediary which specialization is making business with China?

I think it can be a problem. I work with issues of identities, and therefore I am always looking to be in touch with the one who publically represents this identity. It can be the owner of the company or the Mayor of a city, because in many cases marketing responsible or managers have no really power to know and to introduce any change. In the Chinese case, my experience is that in many cases, the translator seems to be converted in a mediator between the CEO and me and that can be a problem. The ideal case is when the responsible of the company and you, can both speak in the same language.

CBC: What do you think will help to minimize the various risks arising when doing business with the Chinese companies?

All depends on the activity. About mine, I found that is good to talk and to see the client face to face, by using a system as Skype. That is because prejudices are diminished if you see and decodes all related information of your client. Thus, suddenly you are now not talking with a Chinese, but with a person who is willing to do business with you. A person that has pressures and fears like you and that is looking certainty to concrete the business, such as like you. We have to remember that if we have no concrete information about the other person we are dealing with, the myth about Chinese people will talk in the name of him/her, something not proper in good human interpersonal relationships.

CBC: The CEO of the company and the majority of the managers do not possess the required amount of the special knowledge on this problem. How can they solve the problem of communication with the Chinese business?

The same than with the CEO of other country: just talking. The solution is based on the understanding of the problems.

CBC: And the last question. What would you like to tell to our audience?

Nothing more than what I tried to express: we are all human being, nationalities and cultures are human creations that have to be interpreted to do business and to be a better person.

International Passive Income - Methods of Generation

By Rich Riley Rich Riley
Level: Platinum

Rich Riley is a retired residential home builder who realized that his retirement income was considerably less than necessary. He discovered online marketing and after ...

It comes as no surprise that the internet has a major role to play in generating international passive income. Irrespective of the numerous benefits and the innumerable opportunities that the internet presents, adequate research and due diligence are the prerequisites of going about the process of choosing the right income opportunities. There are scores of lucrative, reliable and profitable sources of passive income today. Statistics indicate that nearly 95% of these business opportunities, and other high paying schemes and programs, are available online. However, it is important that you do the required research before signing up for these programs as you may actually end up losing money if you are not careful.

The world today is a well-connected hub where there are potential clients and business partners across the globe. Attracting the right people and establishing good business contacts go a long way toward making the most of this income stream. For people who seek online income streams, they need to stay in sync with a global business provider of services and products. There are scores of online buyers who are on the constant lookout for people who have the required skill sets to work on specific projects. Potential contractors can always try working from home by applying for relevant jobs posted online. The internet provides such a huge platform that matching one's talents with a viable outsourcing need proves to be a relatively simple task.

Other international passive income streams are comprised of taking paid surveys that are created by small companies as well as big brands prior to the process of launching their products and services in the market. Another way of earning a passive income is through the purchase of international mutual funds that can be acquired either by country or region. If you have sufficient expertise in the realm of finance, you can select the best performing mutual funds yourself, or have a qualified broker handle the selection process for you. Diversifying your investment portfolio by investing in the foreign markets can yield higher returns and can reduce your financial risk. Reverse pension plans that involve mortgaging a pension insurance contract, and trading programs are the other options available. One problem with reverse pension plans is that the process requires a funding source that has a large financial base, and partnerships with the major mortgaging agencies, and other independent insurance companies, to generate the international passive income you are looking for.

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Article Submitted On: March 03, 2011

Business Project - Four of Its Important Aspects for Chinese Investors

In order to be ready to present own project or communicate with Chinese investors, a foreign manager should to identify those objects and directions, which could be interesting for Chinese. It is important to know such directions not only to build successful communication with Chinese businessmen and attract their attention, but also to correct projects and accents of the projects during presentation.

One of such directions is that things, what have one Chinese, another one should also have. That means, that something, that is interesting for a Chinese, will be also interesting for other Chinese. This principle is about not only things, but also about ideology of business. For instance, if we look on Chinese business, we can mention, that there are similar directions in different areas, such as product realization, business negotiations, advertising and promotion.

The same principle is applied to investors. For example, that, what is interesting for big investors, will be interesting for small investment companies. Knowledge about this principle could help foreign manager to build mirror strategy according strategy of Chinese investor and, thus, to propose own project as interesting. There are four key aspects, which are important for Chinese businessmen.

The first aspect is that, Chinese develop accurate international strategy, when they build own investment policy. Therefore a foreign manager should present his project as potentially international. Moreover, he needs to appoint on the size of the project, otherwise Chinese manager will evaluate it himself and will offer an amount of money according his vision and attitude.

The second aspect is preparation of resources for goal achievement. During presentation, it is possible to note, what kind of resources own company has, for example, administration, commercial, technical resources. In addition, it should be shown, what share of them the general manager is ready to use. It is also necessary to give Chinese investors to understand, that the main activities referring to the project were fulfilled and resources are activated. Some recommendation and reference letters could be provided as a prove of readiness to the next steps and that serious work has been done. Furthermore, if company received such recommendations from other Chinese firm, this will become a way to built correctly "Guanxi", net of business connections.

The third aspect is research of target markets. It is understandable, that Chinese don't know all narrow moments of market and specifics of foreign business. Therefore foreign manager should demonstrate results of made research of customer segments, instead of short information, that promotion and trades will be realized at the growing market.

The forth aspect is control and project management. As the majority of Chinese businessmen are educated in European or American Universities, it is obligatory to make accents on systems of project management and quality control. They pay attention to such points. Chinese also want to see financial and efficiency indexes. It is recommended to include them to business project presentation.

To conclude, the main principle, which could be used by a foreign manager is principle of imitation, as Chinese find interesting, those things, which are interesting for other Chinese. Therefore experienced manager should take into consideration four aspects during project presentations, which will do his project similar to Chinese projects. Such mirror strategy could be accepted as a way, how to become interesting and attract attention of Chinese investors.

Freight Services in Finland - Adapting to the Post-Recession World

The Finland freight services industry is adjusting to a new set of circumstances as the country begins to look beyond the global economic slowdown and plan its future activity.

In a speech in 2010, the governor of the Bank of Finland, Erkki Liikanen, said that slowdown in GDP in the Finnish economy had stopped contracting, but that GDP growth will be much slower in the immediate years ahead than it was before the financial crisis. He predicted that Finnish exports would lag behind developments in the export markets and that private consumption would also be sluggish. This will have a direct impact on the freight company and the shipping company, as they can expect to see lower volumes of freight forwarding in the forthcoming years.

In recent years, exports have accounted for over one third of total GDP in Finland. The slowdown in international trade affected Finland very badly in 2009, with the country experiencing one of the deepest contractions in the Euro zone. Finland excels in high technology exports such as mobile phones and this market has been hit by the recession. Another important export is forestry products and demand for these has been affected by the decline in construction worldwide as well as a decline in demand for paper due to the rise of the digital economy. These trends were experienced directly by the freight services industry in Finland, which saw significant declines in international freight orders related to these sectors.

Metals and engineering (including electronics) and timber (including pulp and paper) are Finland's main exports. The United States is Finland's most important trading partner outside Europe and Finland supplies around 2 billion US dollars of international freight exports each year. This makes the United States the third most important market for Finland exports after Germany and the UK. Finland has thus been badly affected by the decline in demand from the United States and the United Kingdom in particular.

In the period 2008-2009, industrial output in Finland declined rapidly and it is expected that the structural realignment of Finnish output combined with an ageing population will inhibit the pace of productivity growth. The decline in manufacturing output will push the current account into deficit in 2011- 2012 and as a result the net foreign debt position of Finland will begin to deteriorate.

It will be a difficult task to get the public finances in Finland back on a sustainable footing and there are likely to be substantial spending cuts and tax increases.

In this economic environment, the freight transport sector expects to see cuts in spending in construction and transport projects in Finland and this is likely to impact on the improvement and maintenance of the Finnish transport and logistics infrastructure on which the freight services industry relies.

However, despite the negative impact of the world economic slowdown, there are also encouraging areas of growth for freight forwarders and freight companies as Finland adapts to changing circumstances..

One of the most important aspects affecting freight forwarders and freight transport options in Finland is the steady growth in international trade between Finland and Russia.The current global economic slowdown has had only limited negative impact on trade between these two nations. This is mainly due to Finland's strategic location at the juncture of the Nordic nations and Russia and partly due to a long history of international trade between the two neighbouring countries. The market for freight transport to Russia has been less notably affected by the worldwide crisis due to social and economic changes specific to that country.

Finland is ideally positioned as the leading EU based port which is well placed to handle freight transport from Europe to Russia. Kotka is the main container port which services freight between Finland and Russia and growth has been seen here in recent years,as well as at Hamina, which is the closes Finnish port to the Russian border.

So one of the impacts of the global recession has been for shipping companies and freight forwarders in Finland to focus afresh on the opportunities presented for increasing international freight to and from Finland's large neighbour to the east.

In considering freight transport between Finland and Russia, it is to be noted that freight in these northerly climes will be subjected to some very low temperatures, especially in the long winters, and freight forwarders and shipping companies pay attention to the special needs of any cargo that may be damaged by exposure to low temperatures, recommending specific procedures that help ensure that all international freight arrives at its destination in peak condition.

So although Finland is facing a period of adjusting to a new economic order, and an increasingly competitive worldwide market affecting many of its key export markets, it is expected that emerging opportunities will help counter the losses and that the freight transport industry will continue to adapt and flourish in the changed economic circumstances of the post recession world.

Cultural Codes for Doing Business in China

One cultural value that is always strongly linked to Chinese people is the concept of 'face' (lian), which is associated with numerous courtesy conducts, aiming not to undermine one's honor, one's face. Respecting the wise and the elder, not exposing one's questionable deeds in front of others, showing respect and giving compliments to the person you are dealing with - Are all manners stressed by Chinese culture and its Confucianist origins. Perhaps one should be aware of several customs which represent saving or losing face (diulian), but this doesn't mean that this concept isn't present also when western business people deal on with each other.

Since I've mentioned Confucianism, roots of this doctrine can be noticed during business meetings and negotiations, apart from the 'face' issue, in the importance of inter-personal harmony and avoiding conflicts. High pitched arguments and curse words can perhaps be less casually forgotten by Chinese colleagues, compared to people of certain other cultures, but as long as you repress such impolite tendencies things should be OK.

Some codes are important, such as accepting every document, check or envelope by holding it with both hands and treating business cards given to you with maximum respect, inserting them to your wallet rather than in the back pocket of your pants (I have heard of a big business deal which blew up, because one of the European directors was amusing himself during the meeting by using a business card he had just received as a toothpick).

Still, the excessive thoughts and fears as if you are entering a complete new sphere, in which no culture norms could be understood without a wise guide, could be a problem by itself, leading to awkward interactions and treating one's counterparts as aliens. On of the most alienating fact is the language barrier, a problem that can be overcome only by an interpreter or dealing with Chinese who speak a language you are familiar with. Apart from this obstacle, most misunderstandings and inconveniences can be avoided be maintaining a formal attitude and showing respect to the other side in any given moment.

There is never any harm in taking (good) advice from the wise and the experienced, just remember that sometimes common sense would also do. After all, some experts use the exotic mist of our lack of familiarity with China as opportunities to make some money.

Web Site Translation Service: A Necessary Tool For Your Business

Today's world depends a lot on relations with other countries. We need each other in every field and today's world is constantly learning from their correlations. Who can deny the importance of business relations when it comes to communication? Businesspersons all around the world need to convey their ideas efficiently to their clients, and to do so they rely on website translation services. The websites are a great help to translate business documents into international markets within the required standards. These translations reveal the same standards as the authentic. They are quite helpful to capture the attention of the future customers.

The website translation service has proficient employees who are skilled with all sorts of tools needed for this job. The market needs to clearly understand your demands and these skillful workers help to convey the exact picture you need to portray to the market and for that they need to be equipped with all sorts of information they need and a good command over the area under discussion. The website translation service must make sure that the information conveyed is hundred percent according to the global market standards. These workers have to keep into consideration that they do not only deal with single-handedly done business but also multinational trading organization. The more efficient they are to translate the message the better they are in business.

Let us look at how the website translating services work. Suppose an Indian business needs to capture the Chinese market, they will need to advertise their concepts in the Chinese language on their web sites so they convey they message clearly. These are no ordinary web translating services because they not only need to give be flawless work but also of high standards. It should be presented immaculately to create a center of attention for the clients and it is important that the message conveyed should be in hundred percent correct English and with essential units of dimensions and not only this they must have other proper tools needed to attract patrons.

The website translation services have a variety of methods to make their presentations more appealing. Some of them depend on graphics, which is quite an efficient way to give the information. Others depend on audio visual aids, which is a great help to give a positive message, they not only try these strategies but some of them also use aural devices to give accurate information with correct accent of the required language the company can immediately come into the lime light. Not only have the web translators helped to flourish your business but also to correspond with partners in an efficient way.

The website translation services help you to gain confidence with your clients because they have their field experts who are native language speakers of both the employees as well as the clients. They are your bridge to capture unknown areas successfully. The only thing that matters us the proficiency in language and correct presentation that reflect clears image of your goals and aims. It is not an easy job as a lousy unattractive translation can lead your business into disaster.

China Trading - How You Can Become a China Trading Partner

China trading is arguably one of the most critical business relationships in the worldwide market place today. Worldwide trading with China is one of the secrets which fuels financial growth within many nations.

The domestic prosperity of numerous nations is specifically tied to their capability to fulfill buyer demand for not only local goods, supplies and services, but foreign ones also. We see that China trading is ready to keep up with this demand.

In truth, during the twenty-first century, we observe the relevance of China trading with everyone else world. China's warehouses are teeming with commerce. They are striving to constantly manufacture their products with ample abundance to meet production quotas. They are striving to consistently fulfill the orders they acquire from merchants overseas.

China's commitment in its indigenous manufacturing businesses, no doubt, has come a long way to help conquer a number of self-imposed limitations. It has the infrastructure in place to broker investing in between purchasers and sellers. This has contributed to China's astonishing rise to a leadership role in the importing and exporting business.

The planet has become increasingly dependent upon China. In reality, it could be mentioned that the high quality way of life prevalent across many of the nations in the modernized world is due to the direct impact of China trading associations.

Many from among the luxurious goods which are taken for granted in the modern day world had been created in China. Every thing from your silverware, to your toys, to your electronics, to your materials and textiles, to furniture, and nearly any item made of plastics, has its origins in the factories and workshops of China.

China trading associations are what make it achievable for us to benefit from the standard of living that we have today. We're living during a time when the circumstances of the global financial system, even more than before, need firms to proactively embrace globalization, as opposed to resolving to run away from it.

If China trading were to suddenly end, the entire planet would suffer. Thankfully, in spite of the current financial recession that we're going through these days, there is no shortage of new contracts getting negotiated every day among wholesale merchants. Yet, although it could be mentioned that people are investing much less money these days, there isn't any decline in the trend of consumers needing to buy common everyday household commodities.

So right now is as excellent opportunity as any to jump in on a sliver of the action. There's cash to be made within the international import / export business. China trading is expanding, and so there's plenty of room for novice entrepreneurs who wish to get into the game and bring in respectable income.

Changes in China - New Manufacturing Hub Offers New Opportunities

As China's economy continues to grow at an unprecedented rate, there is still a lack of opportunity for many people in the country. With over 250 million people still living in absolute poverty, that's below the threshold of $1.25 (US) a day defined by the United Nations, the country is still seeking further improvement.

One of the key challenges facing the Chinese government is that the vast amount of the economy is focused on the East of China. In the short-term this has led to massive increases in prosperity as cities in the Pearl River Delta and the established ports of Qingdao and Dalian have benefited enormously. In the long-term it's a significant cause of stress as tens of millions of people leave their homes and their families for a year at a time to seek work in these regions.

The centre of the country lags massively behind these prosperous areas and there is a significant need for change before the country becomes further unbalanced between "haves" and "have nots". In fact China now has the most unequal economy in the world with the greatest gap between rich and poor of any nation.

The new 5 year plan announced this week aims to address this, but it cannot operate in isolation. Regional and provincial governments are expected to play their part in levelling the playing field. With this in mind Chengdu and Chongqing the two strongest tier 2 cities in the central region have announced the formation of a new "special economic zone" with a focus on 8 key industries including automotive parts, manufacturing, IT and electronic information, and aviation.

These "special economic zones" are usually designed to facilitate large and rapid investment with massive subsidies available to Chinese companies that participate in the early stages. This means that foreign investors looking to benefit from these arrangements will need to form strategic joint ventures that enable access to the funds.

The initial big winners from this move, which will cover 200,000 square kilometres and impact on 15 cities in Sichuan and 31 districts (or counties), will be the big players in the infrastructure market. In particular these will be listed Chinese corporations with a track record of success in other similar projects.

With the initial phase of development expected to be complete by 2015, it seems that the ideal time to start exploring opportunities for international co-operation in Sichuan is now.

What to Know When It Comes To International Deliveries

Many people will have sent a letter or even a parcel before; with services such as eBay prompting many people to send items they have sold the process of sending a parcel is becoming more and more familiar to the majority of people in the UK. The thing is that there are plenty of people who have never had to send a parcel and so the process may still be a bit daunting for these people; will their parcel arrive on time? Will it be given the best care and careful handling? These are all questions people will have and when it comes to sending parcels overseas these doubts can rise significantly.

The delivery process changes when you are sending to another country and in some cases may require more paperwork and effort on the sender's part to make sure that the delivery goes ahead as planned. The first thing to consider is where you are sending items to, many people in the UK will send items to Europe as it is closer to the UK and could be the way to make sure your postage costs are kept low during your first attempt to branch out into overseas deliveries.

When sending items within the European Union (EU) you shouldn't have to fill out any other documentation but when sending to other destinations such as the USA or Australia - places many people will have friends or family members living there - then you will normally have to fill out a customs declaration form, this states what the parcel's contents are to the import/export authorities in the country you are sending to. If this is filled out incorrectly or not included then you may find that your parcel won't be accepted or returned to you.

Most delivery services will help to fill out these forms if you are not sure how to complete them correctly, in some cases this is done through the ordering process when arranging a collection. The parcel will then be clear to travel overseas and arrive safely and on time.

Obviously when you are sending a parcel overseas you will need to make sure that you send it ahead of time to make sure that your delivery doesn't arrive late because of the extended amount of time a delivery will take to the country you are shipping to. There are some services and websites that will be able to tell you how long a typical delivery to most countries will take and from these you should be able to see when you should send your parcel if you have a deadline to meet for a business related delivery or even for an occasion such as a friend or family's birthday.

Send your parcels confidently by using some of the leading delivery services available and your international delivery will go ahead without a hitch!

Freight Transport in the Czech Republic

Europe currently accounts for 36% of world trade and within Europe it is the emerging countries such as the Czech Republic that are seeing the most significant growth. In the last ten years, the share of world trade represented by the Czech Rep has gone up a staggering 111%. This growth has resulted in a boom in freight forwarding to and from Czech and growth in the number of freight companies serving the country.

The Czech Republic, largely because of its geographical position right in the centre of Europe, is highly trade dependent and international freight is growing. Some 80% of its GDP is accounted for by trade, and 90% of this is accounted for by its trade with the European Union. Since 1998 the Czech government has put a great deal of effort into stimulating inward investment into the country through tax incentives and a low corporation tax at just 19%. This has stimulated total inward investments (FDI) amounting to some Euro 84bn up to the end of the second quarter of 2009.This too has helped buoy the freight services industry and attract the interest of shipping companies based overseas.

Some would argue that the global financial crisis has in fact helped the Czech economy even though it did certainly affect demand for trade finance. Although trade with the European Union has fallen, exports to the CIS have remained stable while exports to Asia and to the European Free Trade area (particularly Norway) have grown. Freight companies have reported strong trade with these countries. Overall trade has doubled in the last two years and with the upturn in manufacturing output that the Czech Republic economy is now seeing, there is every chance that the Czech economy will indeed achieve its current forecasts for strong continued growth. This will be good news for the freight companies and shipping companies that have recently invested in the Czech Republic.

Most exports from the Czech Republic go to Germany, Slovakia and France. Germany accounts for freight forwarding worth 9923 million US Dollars in the last quarter of 2009, Slovakia accounted for 2615 million US Dolars and France 1778 US Dollars. This quick summary of the leading export markets shows that the Czech Republic is now looking firmly to the West.

With the separation of Czechoslovakia, the new Czech Republic has swiftly replaced its former Eastern European trading partners with Western ones (primarily Germany and the rest of the EU). This has been a relatively rapid shift in the pattern of trade and one that has been very significant for freight forwarders. This fundamental shift in the direction of freight forwarding of goods into and out of the Czech Republic has overloaded the current infrastructure of roads, airports, and railroads. At present in the Czech Republic, most freight transport goods are shipped by truck. Currently, underdeveloped railroads and waterways often can not accommodate intermodal transport.

In 1993, the government in the Czech Republic set itself several goals to develop the transportation infrastructure in the country, with a view to streamlining and improving freight forwarding. This included the development of better connections between Prague and Vienna, Berlin, Warsaw, Nuremberg, Munich, and Linz; the construction of 264 km (164 mi) of new highways over the next 8-10 years for improved freight transport links by truck; expansion of the Prague Ruzyne airport; and connection to Western Europe's high-speed rail system, as well as the purchase of better rolling stock. A multi billion dollar project is underway to modernize the rail system. The delivery of these ambitious and progressive plans are eagerly awaited by every freight company and shipping company operating in the Czech Republic.

At present, There are some 9,444 km (5,866 mi) of railroads in the Czech Republic, connecting Prague with Plzen, Kutn? Hora, and Brno. Paved roads cover 55,432 km (34,445 mi), including 499 km (310 mi) of expressways in 2002. With no land abutting the sea, the Czech Republic relies on coastal outlets in Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, and Germany for international freight by sea. Shipping companies make good use of the 303 km (188 mi) of waterways. The principal river ports are Prague on the Vltava, and Decin on the Elbe.

In 2001 there were 121 airports, of which 44 had paved runways. These are a vital lifeline for international freight. The main airports include Turany at Brno, Mosnov at Ostrava, and Ruzyne at Prague. Ruzyne is the country's main commercial airlink. In all, Czech airports in 2001 performed 26 million freight ton-km (8.9 million freight ton-mi) of service.

As the Czech Republic economy continues to grow, it can be predicted that the freight transport industry in the country will grow in tandem and that the improvements being made to the transport network will be a further catalyst for growth in international freight.