Our advice to any Irish business owner embarking on a business visit to China for the
first time is to prepare diligently.
We will always advise that, prior to departure, the orders bilingual business cards and commission professionally produced marketing materials. Pre-arranged one-to-one business meetings are a feature of most business trade fairs in China and you’ll simply stack the odds in your favour by presenting your business and its requirements in a manner which anticipates cultural differences. There are a number of Irish businesses specializing in the provision of the translation services and the return is well worth the investment made.
The majority of Irish businesses travelling on our trade missions will not have previously visited China and it’s been our practice to invite them to a briefing session to advise them on how to get the most out of the trip. Professional consultants will present on Chinese business culture and etiquette, developing relationships with Chinese businesses and maintaining momentum on your return. The activity also provides the group with the chance to network with their Irish counterparts before leaving.
We are quick to point out to the small business owner that it would unrealistic to expect much in the way of progress on their first visit. For an Irish business to engage successfully with Chinese counterparts, they must be patient, take advice on the best way of creating a market foothold and talk to those who have already walked the ground. Many of the businesses who travelled with us for their first trip two to three years ago have told us that they had to make a succession of return trips before their efforts began to bear fruit.
We believe that business owners should try to think big from the outset. The reality is that we have a relatively small home market and for growth ambitions to be realized, the exploration of overseas opportunities is a necessity. Clearly, participation in a trade visit to Asia will not foremost in the mind of most early-stage entrepreneurs. For those, however, who do feel ready to take the jump, we will be ready to help.
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