DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA: Out for the Holidays

Doing Business In China with Dan Paulson

In the US, we may take it for granted that the holidays we celebrate are also celebrated elsewhere. In China this is not so and if you’re not careful, you may find yourself in a pinch.

With the holiday season upon us, I am reminded how different cultures can be when it comes to celebrating. Seasoned travelers understand that what we celebrate here often isn’t celebrated somewhere else or vice versa. You can imagine how things change around the holidays in the US. During this time of year, retailers are in full swing. There’s a reason why Black Friday is such an important day for this industry as most of the profits earned by retailers starts just after Thanksgiving. In some industries, trying to do business this time of year is virtually impossible as business-to-business transactions come to a screeching halt.

In China, the holidays there are considerably different than they are here. The Chinese have seven holidays (see table) that are recognized nationally. During these celebrations, work in China comes almost to a complete standstill. With the exception of New Year’s, no other holiday aligns with ours here in the states. If you are doing business with China, it will be important for you to remember these dates and understand their significance.

Festival	Date	Legal Holidays	Holidays of 2010	Holidays of 2011
New Year’s Day	Jan. 1	1 day	Jan. 1-3	Jan1-3
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)	Based on Lunar calendar	3 days	Feb. 13-19	Feb. 2-8
Qingming Festival	Apr. 4 or 5	1 day	Apr. 3-5	April 3-5
May Day	May 1	1 day	May 1-3	May 1-3
Dragon Boat Festival	The fifth day of the fifth lunar month	1 day	June 14-16	June 4-6
Mid-Autumn Day	August 15 according to the lunar calendar	1 day	Sep. 22-24	Sep 10-12
National Day	October 1	3 days	Oct 1-7	Oct 1-7

In addition to the seven legal holidays, there are four other national festivals where workers may get time off, plus there could be numerous recognized local and regional events that could impact workflow.

Recently we were working with a company in the states that wanted to purchase products from China. This company is very client centered and deadline driven. While they were used to working with these tight deadlines, they had not done much business with China.

We were asked to assist them with finding a suitable manufacturer and making the contact for them. We began our process in early fall and shortly after starting work, were asked to place an order that had to be in the United States by early October. At the time the order was placed, it was approximately two weeks before National Day which is the equivalent of our Independence Day. Keep in mind the products had to be made, passed through customs, shipped, pass through customs in the U.S.A. and delivered in this time. What transpired in the coming weeks was enough to give anyone gray hair and I earned my share as different unexpected challenges popped up.

The shortened version of the story is the products, though they were made in time were tied up in shipping and customs, and ended up arriving late. Even our best efforts couldn’t control all the variables from what would be a normal workweek in China. The problems compounded themselves with the holidays. Here we have been spoiled in recent years. There was a time in our not too distant past when nothing would happen on a national holiday. You spent time with friends and family. If you needed to go to the store or get something done, too bad. In China, it is still much like that. Everybody stops to celebrate, and while early October might not be a big deal to us, it is very important to that culture.

So here’s wishing you a happy holiday season. If you are looking at expanding internationally, be sure to know that nation’s culture and what they celebrate as well. It could lead to profitable relationships for years to come!

For more information, please visit Dan's TNNWC Bio.

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DOING BUSINESS IN CHINA: Out for the Holidays

A NOTE FROM THE CHAIRMAN: Giving Thanks

Here in the U.S. this week we will be celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday and last week I gave thanks to our TNNW Buzzworks Team, who specializes in creating buzz about TNNW (and is most likely the reason you're reading this at the moment).

This week however, I wanted to thank you...our loyal TNNW reader. We know that there are plenty of other information sources out there to choose from, and through it all you continue to read us. And as we know our readers like the quality articles of our various authors, we also know that you have come to increasingly expect more from us.

With that said, what would Thanksgiving be without the "GIVING"? After all this holiday ushers in the entire Holiday Season where we give gifts to those we care most about - this year Douglas and I, and the rest of the TNNW crew are being incredibly proactive. That's right...we're giving you the gift of 8 new columns by 8 new authors. Who are they? What will they be writing about?

It's a surprise! You're just going to have to wait until December...and to add intrigue to anticipation, our first December issue won't be out until December 6th! This also gives you plenty of time to tell your friends about TNNW...feel free to give them the gift of TNNW as well (it makes a great stocking-stuffer).

Now, I know what you're saying...December 6th...that's 2 weeks away! Aren't you a weekly publication? Yes and no...as always, TNNW comes out four times a month. When we have a 5th Sunday of the month, us hardworking folks at TNNW (and Douglas Castle, who shall remain nameless) will be taking the week off and enjoying a much-needed rest (after, of course, the next BLUE TUESDAY REPORT).

In the meantime, please try not to be too sad...you always have our daily RSS/Email feed and The National Newspicker to keep you company.

All my best,

Adam





Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free For Your TNNW Newsletter and THE BLUE MONDAY REPORT! - Click HERE.
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A NOTE FROM THE CHAIRMAN: Giving Thanks

TNNW, December, 2008, Week 3: "'Tis the Season"

By Adam J. Kovitz
CEO, Founder & Publisher

OK...we know it's been a challenging year economically and things have seemed to be gloomy and dark, yet we are now knee-deep into "Holiday Season". This time of year, despite the "darkness" around us, we find ways to create light wherever possible, hence the various "festivals of light" all over the globe. This is the time of year where we do our best to think of others. If you work in a more corporate setting, you might be delighted to find people behaving a bit more civil despite month-end/year-end pressures. You may find holiday parties and folks bringing in cookies, cakes and other "goodies". In a smaller, more non-corporate setting, you might be getting deluged with holiday cards from friends, family and business acquaintances.

This is the time of year when people turn to giving to those in their networks. It's a great way to show appreciation and continue to build relationship capital amongst those most important to us. So as the festivities begin I wanted to personally wish all our subscribers, our writers and everyone else reading this a wonderful, joyous Holiday Season!

Moving on...

To reiterate last week's note to you, TNNW is undergoing some significant and exciting changes for 2009...

Membership

TNNW is available and will continue to be absolutely no-charge. Starting in 2009, however, TNNW will be offering a yearly membership, which will be a nominal yearly fee - $18/year for an individual membership and $30/year for corporate members. While membership is optional, you will want to join right away (call it our "offer you can't refuse"), as it will include access to members-only services which you won't find anywhere else, including:

1.) Press release, publicity and public relations services - imagine sending up to three of your own press releases to over 20 premium newswire services with an aggregate of over 25,000 national and international publications (online and traditional) all for less than $100/month.

2.) Webinar and broadcast programs - produce your own fee-based webinars!

3.) Custom text messaging programs

4.) Trade and non-bank financing for growing businesses

5.) Post up to one event per week on the TNNW calendar at no additional charge

Plus many more to follow...

We have spent the past several years building a network like no other...membership in TNNW will grant to access to this network and open a whole new door of possibilities to you and/or your business!

Stay tuned for more.

Surveys and Polls

Yes...you've been making your voice known to us! Now you can do it even better with our new site devoted to letting us know what's on your mind. We will also be making your collective opinions be known. Click here to find out more.

New Delivery Options

You mean I can get TNNW articles emailed to me? I can listen to them on the web? I can put all the TNNW articles (and then some) up on to my own website or blog? Click here to find out how!

TNNW Calendar

We have a new calendar and it's open to you! To post your event, send it to info@thenationalnetworker.com (being certain to write "TNNW Calendar" in the subject line of yourmessage). The one-time service fee for posting an event is $5.00, but Members may post one event per week at no charge.

As always, I look forward to networking with you!

- Adam
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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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TNNW, December, 2008, Week 3: "'Tis the Season"

TNNW, November, 2008, Week 2: "New Writers at TNNW"

By Adam J. Kovitz
CEO, Founder & Publisher

I've always considered November to be one of those transition months, bridging the gap between Autumn and Winter. We start off with the sugar-high of Halloween (and the subsequent crash that follows), turning our clocks backwards and then moving towards the Holiday Season (anyone else seeing ads on TV and hearing carols yet?) as we approach Thanksgiving (one of the major holidays in the U.S. that truly unifies the country as it knows no religion or ethnicity). By the end, everyone is thinking about getting together with the family by the fireplace and "hunkering down" for the winter as the days get shorter.

Well it's transition time for us at TNNW as well. This week we introduce two new writers as we transition our humble publication into something more. More information to follow on that...

In the meantime as the weather gets colder and the nights get longer, we are proud to bring back the warmth and the sunshine of America's Southeast with our newest Bureau Chief, Larry Block. When he's not bringing you the best in networking from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, Larry serves as the President of Mobile Marketing Technologies, a firm dedicated to wireless marketing out of the greater Atlanta-metro area. WELCOME LARRY!!!

We are also proud to bring back Douglas Castle this month. Douglas was gracious enough to fill in for me on my featured column last month - the first time in nearly four years that I took a month off. Douglas, aside from being a good friend serves as the Product and Program Development Director for TNNW, helping us to develop new features for you, our readers. Douglas is also a prolific writer, and as such, has agreed to become TNNW's new Political Editor. WELCOME BACK DOUGLAS!!!

Still more to come this month...stay tuned!

As always, I look forward to Networking with you...

- Adam
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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. To subscribe for your free newletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free RSS feed, go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.
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TNNW, November, 2008, Week 2: "New Writers at TNNW"