Rueben Marley

If you want  to find out more information about Rueben,  you can use the link to his profile at the LinkedIn network:

http://cn.linkedin.com/in/ruebenmarley

or just Google his name, “Rueben Marley”!

1 Tell in a few sentences about your company. Who are your clients, what is your mission, what problem do you resolve?

My company’s goal is to provide practical solutions for others who want to market their services or venues to the expatriate community in China, particularly in the culinary industry.

My clients are generally luxury hotels, restaurants, and other businesses in the hospitality / culinary industry. I also work with the print and broadcast media, as well as local government offices in China.

I help solve two problems:
1)Generating creative marketing that speaks clearly to a western audience, which is a constant challenge in China.
2)Developing internal processes that help my clients live up to the standards they’ve set for themselves through those initial statements.

2 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?

The potential to create business in any environment is real, but in China there’s a distinct need for people who can adapt to changes quickly, without losing focus. Since this creates an often uncomfortable and stressful situation for most people, it allows great opportunities for those who can cope with the somewhat chaotic nature of business in China. I spent almost 10 years in the culinary industry while living in the USA, so I guess I’ve always enjoyed an element of high-pressure in the workplace… but I also enjoy the rewards!

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

It isn’t necessarily special, it’s just disorganized and difficult to adapt to. To be honest, I keep my work focused upon the domestic market as much as possible, because I don’t feel compelled to involve myself with the challenges of export or import. In my line of work, I find maintaining consistency to be the biggest challenge, above all others.

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

The future looks good, as long as we keep our goals clear and attainable! There are always going to be outside factors that present new challenges and obstacles, but that’s why I came here in the first place…

5 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?

The incredibly poor reputation for “Made-in-China” goods and services is, quite ironically, the reason why so many businesses like mine will continue to succeed. In time, this will change as Chinese processes evolve and become more accepting of investing in global standards. Until then, it’s going to be necessary for businesses like mine to help out with things. I know my customers agree, since they are profiting from my services.

6 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?

I can’t stress the importance of having actual practical hands-on experience in China, because there really is no substitute for it. However, it would be great to have training that effectively prepares teams and managers for the challenges of life in China, before sending them over. I would have benefited greatly from something like this myself, and it would have saved me a year or two in ramping-up my own business. Training should be task-oriented, rather than general.

7 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?

In an environment like this, there is nothing more important than personal relationships… and without adequate rule of law, there are no mechanisms guaranteeing fair play, or even justice. Having a strong internal network to support you is the only way to truly succeed in China.

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

There is almost nothing that will minimize risk, except choosing to do business elsewhere! Even the mighty search giant Google has demonstrated what happens to businesses who don’t follow the Chinese play book. It’s often a matter of “lead, follow, or get out of the way” for anyone who wants to do business with Chinese companies… but you need to accept the fact that you will never be the one doing the leading, as long as you are inside China.

9 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?

Only a trusted third party with language and practical expertise will provide effective and predictable results, in most cases.

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

China can seem like an immediate threat at times, and a promised land at others. My advice is to remember that at the end of the day, all of us want pretty much the same things in life, whether you’re from China or elsewhere. By patiently keeping your focus fixed upon the goals you’ve set for yourself, and not giving in to the temptation of making easy money, you’ll overcome most obstacles, and provide a model for others to learn by.