Customer Reviews

China Streetsmart: What You MUST Know to be Effective and Profitable in China

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We've been a family business for many generations and realize, like Thomas Friedman says, The World is Flat" (another great book) and we need to start expanding our business abroad. Our family business finally made the plunge and invested in a factory in China. During our negotiations with the Chinese a small issue came up about who controlled the chop or business stamp. At first we didn't think much about this, but after reading China Streetsmart and following the case study in the book we began to realize this little chop means a heck of a lot more to the Chinese and their government than we first realized. After asking around with other companies setting up in China as well, we now realize that the situations explained in this book are real life issues and we now insist we control the chop.

I've read many other books about China and none go into the detail China Streetsmart does in how to set up a company properly. It has been our guidebook along the way. Most just give you vague examples. So far the case that has been presented in this book is been pretty similar to our own experiences. The one little pointer about the chop alone was well worth the price of the book. This book saved us a lot of headaches. I like the common sense approach the author takes towards China and it amazes me at the basic blunders other companies have made. Hopefully we won't be one of them!

I am a cross-cultural professional with over 20 years in the field. I've just returned from a trip to China and am now in the process of expanding my practice into the China field given my clients needs to also expand there. I've since read a lot of China books, including Chinese Business Etiquette & One Billion Customers and China Streetsmart is by far the best book I've read which accurately highlights the cultural challenges business executives go through when entering a new market.

I especially like the point the author makes about the importance of integrating the family in an overseas move since a businessperson's success can be strongly influenced by the home environment. Most business books tend to stress the transaction forgeting that often its the process on how its derived which will determine the long term success.

The author's no nonsense approach to China has helped demystify many of the confusing stories I heard about what it takes to succeed in China. Now that I've been there I understand even more clearly and have now started to recommend this book to all my clients.

I read John Chan's title after finishing a 9 year expat assignment in China. I was reading numerous publications on the subject to see how other's experiences compared with my own. Other books covered the typical topics with stories to illustrate the points, but I found many of them dated to the China of today, and too generalized. China is on a rapid pace of change and the practices & customs vary significantly by local area. "China Streetsmart" was current, accurately portrayed the regional dynamics of the China business environment, and offered widely applicable & fundamental guidelines to be successful. The recounting of real life experiences were so true to my own, it was uncanny. I only wish I had John's book 9 years ago. If your company or yourself are going to China, then make this book a prerequisite. There's not a single book out there that will prepare you for every situation, but if you read just one, I highly recommend "China Streetsmart" by John Chan. Take it from someone who has been there, the better you're prepared, the better your results.

RJC - Philadelphia, PA

After reading China Streetsmart I now have a stronger sense of how to take my North American business to China. It's important to me that the author not give me theory rather something that I can really use. John's unique combination of western background coupled with years of experience on the "front lines" of doing business in China make him an unparalleled authority on how to truly be effective and profitable for anyone that is looking to do business in China. John has taken his personal experiences and to that added stories, both successful and unsuccessful, from other high-level executives to truly give the reader a realistic view of what works and what doesn't work in China and more importantly, why. I really liked the color charts and statistics throughout. I believe this is a must-have resource for anyone looking to start a business in China or enhance an existing China-based business!

I've been doing business with China now for over 8 years but recently I was asked to bring a small group of fellow business associates to China, since I was considered the "Expert". While I know my business well I certainly would not call myself an expert so I went and ask some other friends for a recommendation for a good book that we all could easily understand. A friend that lives and works in China, recommended China Streetsmart and since reading the book I can definitely say its a great guide and has even given me new ideas how to improve my own business with China.

Other China books I've come across have been too superficial. I can easily recommend others to read this book. Its easy to understand yet very helpful in helping me apply my know how in a "Chinese" way. Kudos to the author!

Dear John,

China will always remain a very complex market for any new investors or anyone daring to put forth their two legs into it without any form of guidance. I've read your China Streetsmart and I must say you have indeed offered a very balanced view of the potential pitfalls as well as the potential gains of this huge market (which has become a number one magnet for the Corporate world with FDI likely to be nearer to USD100B within the next five years). Your six China Streetsmart Action steps recommended are indeed very practical (common-sense like you say) and they would help anyone to learn, re-learn or unlearn what have gone wrong in their business investments. In fact, those principles are also very useful to any business engagements outside China and great guidelines to be used in management of human relationship. I like the actual case study example you have used effectively to describe or bring about a very systematic approach for any JV business engagement in China. From the first step of understanding the market, getting a feel of China's patent law rights, IP and trademark protection, sizing up the local mindset which varies significantly from one region to another (not to take the whole China as one common market, but rather treat it like Europe) and being patience to run or feel the ground yourself with own market research besides just relying on professional research services. China Streetsmart has succeeded in providing a good case study example in which the successful company did the right thing by being optimistic towards China, but conservative in their approach. Doing the right thing at the beginning, focus and stick to the bottom line and putting the right team in place right from the beginning are very good broad guidelines for any big Corporate and small players. I've heard or read of many business failures in China but I'm convinced that there are many out there who are highly successful but may choose not to stay in the limelight of the media or press. Perhaps, they may have already been practicing China Streetsmart in their own version after feeling the grounds and getting the right approach. To be big may not necessarily be a guarantee for success in today's business world. Being small, yet versatile enough to react to a fast and unpredictable changes in a highly globalised economic, social and geo-political environment in this new world order would offer a better chance to tap into any growing opportunities and challenges. India is one country that is already catching the attention of many. You are correct to advise one to watch for the macro indicators for investing in China and your book has offered a good portion of it including a coverage on China's WTO entry. This book is highly recommended even for a first time reader who is interested to know a little more about China.

Good job, John.

Dear John,
Congratulations for your book.

China StreetSmart is a must read for anyone wishing to explore the China market and the enormous posibilities that it offers. It brings the readers to a ground level reality with regards to doing business in China. It presents valuable guidance for managing the local staff, marketing the products & services and the legal issues related to employment and tax structures.

In all, this book is a valuable indispensable resource for anyone wishing to start a business or improve an existing business In China.

Must read for Indian businessmen wanting to go China for business.

To be sure, this book contains a lot of useful information about the China business environment. And the author usefully discusses how to do business in China through analysis and examples.

But the fatal problem of this book is that it lacks a central theme. Nowhere can this be more clearly seen than in the following concluding statement from the Introduction:

"The biggest secret of doing business in China is - there is no secret; it is just plain common sense."

If this were true, why bother about reading this book or even writing it?

If you are looking for the best guide to doing business in China, I recommend Dr Wei Wang's The China Executive: Marrying Western and Chinese Strengths to Generate Profitability from Your Investment in China.

I can tell you that The China Executive is guiding our company to turn around some of the poorly-performed investments in China.

My company is expanding operations in Mainland China and I've been asked to oversee the expansion. I was keen to start reading up as much as I could on China. I've read a lot before and had even been to China a few times in the past as a backpacker 15 years ago. Much has changed about China from when I first went there and I can appreciate how hard it is to keep up with all the changes.

I asked a friend of mine who is an executive already living and working in China for many years and he recommended I read China Streetsmart as a good primer for what I was about to encounter. I love this book! It's small enough I can carry it around with me and easy enough to read I don't need to read it cover to cover rather I've ear marked the sections that are most relevant to my situation and keep going back to review it as a good guide.

What I like best about this book is its not trying to tell me I need to become Chinese rather I simply need to learn how to apply what I already know which is how to be a shrewd businessman and keep focusing on the bottom line of why my company chose to go to China in the first place - to make money.

So far everything the author has written about I've experienced as well so its easy to relate and give this a thumbs up recommendation!

For those of you who are interested in doing business in China or investing there this is a MUST READ! As a small, private investor, "China Streetsmart" provided a much better piture of what it takes to be successful businessman and investor in China. And I am here to tell you...as the author strongly states..it takes more than good "guanxi". If one follows the "China Streetsmart" guidelines, you will have an overwhelming advantage (versus other investors and businessmen) in achieving great success in the world's next great growth economy.