Honest About China
Yesterday, we wrote about an all-American manufacturer using the “China connection” to publish its most current marketing tool.
Today, we are asking shippers who plan on doing business in this vast region to consider a book published in the U.S: 42 Rules for sourcing and manufacturing in China.
Author, Rosemary Coates, is president of Blue Silk Consulting, a Silicon-Valley firm specializing in supply chain issues. Her book does more than explain the intricacies of shipping and sourcing however. One of her main chapters concentrates on good corporate citizenship, by bringing American “Green” values to off-shoring.
“Make capture, control, and reporting of environmental pollution a part of your contract,” she says.
Easier said than done, she allows, noting that “small steps” must be taken initially, and that shippers should expect to pay more if these rules are followed. Still, the payback this book delivers, is substantial. Every chapter provides transactional intelligence and reliable information on setting up a business and making the relationship function without exploiting workers or taking on too much risk.
Coates is a powerful public speaker, too. She tells a story that may be short on personal history but long on business candor and building Guanxi – a lasting relationship.