Archive for March, 2010
Having talked about doing business internationally in previous posts the opportunity to do business in China is too alluring to pass up. Sure I came to visit my great friend but in the back of my mind I also wanted to figure a way to have our company offer its marketing expertise to Chinese companies looking to market their products and services into the United States.
Before you roll your eyes on why someone would WANT to turn a holiday into a business trip keep in mind that I have been in Asia for a week already and have had an amazing and inspiring trip. But I woke up yesterday (Monday) morning and had the itch to engage and connect with the business world of Hong Kong and China. I had already scheduled to attend the Rotary club luncheon in Wanchai at the Grand Hyatt in HK. I’ve been a Rotarian for nearly ten years now (contrary to the belief of some there is no secret handshake – check it out if you have minute or two – www.rotary.org and our club www.wiltonrotaryclub.org) Rotary is the only service organization to have a permanent seat at the United Nations and it’s tenets under the ‘Four Way Test’ http://bit.ly/5Wfzse are simple and can be appreciated by anyone regardless of their religious or other affiliation. ‘Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
I had never attended a Rotary club meeting outside of our club in Wilton. At yesterday’s lunch I met a remarkable group of professionals – all highly accomplished, all highly motivated to help others and all interested in what I was doing and what was going on at our club. I received advice on how I might go about setting up our company to do business in Hong Kong and China from several people. I also met a Rotarian who owns a business that is to market Chinese-made products into the U.S. – and we are going to discuss ways in which we might work together.
Another suggestion I received was to join the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong – one of the largest American COC’s in the world outside the United States. I am a member of our local Chamber of Commerce in Wilton but rarely attend any events as the focus is mostly local to Wilton and we do little if any business locally. So today I am going to attend another lunch (the lunch yesterday at the Grand Hyatt was a full Chinese 7 course deal and was truly excellent) and will aim to meet more people to learn about what they are doing and how we might work together. My biggest issue – I did not bring enough business cards (very important in Asia)! After all this was supposed to be a holiday. But I am way past that now.
First rule – if you want to do business in Asia (or anyplace else) – you have to go there and look around and put yourself into what some people might consider uncomfortable situations. I don’t consider meeting new people in new places uncomfortable in any way. It drives me and makes work seem like play. I cannot wait to come back to Asia.
I’ll next post from the other side of the planet. What a world we live in.
Operating out of Hong Kong offers many places to visit rather easily in Asia. Since funds were not unlimited we decided upon Hanoi since it was a less than 2 hour flight and were able to work a deal through ‘Last minute travel deals’ out of HK which included airfare and two nights at the Fortuna Hotel in Hanoi. It was an experience my friend and I will not soon forget.
I’ve some friends back home who have already been to Hanoi with their families. All told me it was an interesting place and even made some recommendations on what we should do. However I was not completely prepared for the cacophony and tumult that is Hanoi. The notion of visiting Hanoi as a tourist destination was unthinkable 35 years ago at the close of the Vietnam War. Today Hanoi is thought of as an up and coming city. That is true in a comparative sense but it still has a way to go to be a tourist destination that would appeal to substantial numbers. Westerners in particular.
The late night trip (we arrived at 11:30PM a bit late but close on HK Airways) from the airport to the hotel was a serpentine run around a great deal of construction going on, cars stopped in the middle of the road, slow-moving vehicles and boarded up houses. It was dusty and the ride took almost 45 minutes. Nearly everything closes down in Hanoi before midnight. The socialist party must feel it is best this way.
Our hotel itself was relatively nice in view of the surrounding area. Catering to a bit of a more well-heeled crowd it contained both a nightclub and a casino (that catered only to foreigners – no Vietnamese allowed was the sign posted outside). We elected to pass on trying our luck in the casino.
Saturday morning we were up early and we had a nice breakfast (included) in the hotel complete with a pretty good omelet and I had a bowl of Pho (local brothy noodle soup). I actually did not order it and I think it was destined for another guest but as this was a buffet I decided to eat it and was glad I did. We took a taxi into the old quarter and the march of the motor scooters was in evidence. Hanoi has more motor scooters than I have ever seen in my entire life combined. People travel by scooter often with small children (even infants) either behind or (worse) in front on the handlebars. Traffic is non-stop and walking across the gauntlet was daunting at first as we felt we had to be hit eventually but somehow the drivers managed to veer around us making us feel like pedestrian scooter matadors. By the end of the day we paid little mind to the scooter parade. But it still was a remarkable sight.
While we were having coffee at a place recommended on ‘Lonely Planet’ we noticed a couple emerging from a car in full bridal gown and suit. Apparently weddings begin early and we noticed that after a short while the bride (who was pregnant, but we did not see any shotguns) and groom came out and went down the street to another location where the reception was to be held.
We took in the ‘famous’ Hanoi Water Puppet Show (front row seats for $ 3.00 U.S.) that traced the history of Vietnam and was done with music, singing from the side ‘band’ to complement the puppets. Maybe it was the beer from lunch but we did manage to snooze for a couple of minutes which actually was quite relaxing.
At about 19,000 Vietnamese Dong per dollar buying things is cheap in Vietnam. It does put you off when a meal costs 200,000 dong until you realize that’s about $ 11. And you get a lot for your money. Local ‘Legend’ Beer, Fresh spring rolls, and of course more Pho – the food is excellent. We toured the market outdoor which was interesting but convinced us to shy away from street food. Goods are also inexpensive and each had a 60 minute full-body massage (get your heads out of the gutter folks this was totally legit). $ 6.00 each plus tip.
When we decided to return to the hotel that evening we hailed a taxi (also cheap) and were treated to a somewhat harrowing ride from a maniacal taxi driver. Saturday night in Hanoi is cruising night and the throngs of scooters, cars and taxis was something we will never forget. At one point the driver bumped a scooter in front of us and cackled ‘motor scooter, motor scooter’, he then stuck his head out the window yelling something in Vietnamese that seemed to scare the scooter rider off.
I got the feeling that the days of the week do not matter much in Hanoi. People work to live. And that was one of the most refreshing things about Hanoi. Despite their Spartan lifestyle the Vietnamese smile often (in contrast to the Chinese I’ve seen in Hong Kong) and appear willing to help in any way they are able. We could all learn a few lessons there.
Two more days to go.
Hong Kong is 12 hours ahead of New York. 15 hours ahead of L.A. and San Francisco. By the time we start our day back in the states it’s evening in Asia (and a bit later than that in Australia). They say the sun rises first in Asia. Many things happen first in Asia. The rampant usage of mobile was one of those things. People all over Asia can use their mobile phone while on the subways. Something that is sadly lacking in New York and I’d imagine in many other American cities.
Business is also done differently in Asia. I sat in the JW Marriott yesterday afternoon having tea looking out over the Kowloon Peninsula and Victoria Bay. It was about 5PM and there were several business meetings going on all around me and they were conducted in a number of different languages. There was French, German, Russian, of course Cantonese as well as a bunch of Brits and Aussies. I overheard snippets of several conversations and all of them seemed to be about making deals, investing in different projects and properties. Because HK is full of people from all over the globe, business meetings take place in many public locations – hotels, coffee shops (Starbucks and Pacific Coffee Company are particularly popular meeting locales). This happens to some degree in the United States but Americans are still more married to their offices and desktops.
But creative innovation is Asia is behind the curve. Traditions die hard here too and Asian history is so much longer than that of the United States that the ability to break with traditions can be very challenging to say the least. Attitudes also are difficult to change. Although people from many different cultures interact on a daily basis, there are outwardly visible prejudices and judgments made not only by the Cantonese but many of the people in Asia. The U.S. has prejudices that remain as well but in contrast to Asia they are not as deep rooted simply because the U.S. has not been around nearly as long.
The U.S. continues to have an advantage in bringing new ideas to market and overall how to manage business development. Hong Kong is an old city with lots of old money. Shanghai and Beijing represent the future in China. Do you wonder what will happen to Hong Kong in 37 years? I do.
Even though I’ve been here less than 24 hours my initial impressions of Hong Kong are that it is much more Chinese than I anticipated. Now that might seem a bit strange but I had the idea that the British influence would be much more pervasive. There are Brits around (and Aussies, and even a few Americans among the westerners) but English is not spoken nearly as much as I expected.
After I arrived, my good friend Tom and I (with whom I am staying), raced over to the Vietnam consulate to get a visa for the trip we are taking this weekend. Of course we did not know we needed photos (why a visa photo is required when I will be carrying a passport is still a mystery). Then we took a twisty, turny, taxi ride to Stanley Market last night as the sun set and we had a beer along Repulse Bay. Later we went to Lan Kwai Fong for dinner and then to Soho (South Hollywood but no relation to the California one – it’s about the holly trees as I am told). Taxis are very in expensive in HK as is the public transportation. The double decker trams cost the equivalent of just under $ .30 per ride. They are ancient if not efficient.
Since I am again staying with Tom I get to see HK from the perspective of someone that lives there and not a tourist or business person that checks into the hotel, goes to meetings, has dinner out and then goes back to the hotel. We walked through the convenience market last night to pick up a few staples. Some were expensive, some were not. Little was in English.
Hong Kong is all about business. And China is where things are at these days. If the 20th century was the American century then the 21st will be the Chinese century. Hong Kong was turned back over to the Chinese in 1997 after Britain’s 99 year lease expired. HK was nothing more than a small fishing village prior to the arrival of the Brits in 1842 (the Brits pushed back hard on China after the first opium wars in the 1830’s). Cantonese and not Mandarin is the primary language spoken in HK. Even as Mandarin is the primary language of business in China. Many residents and ex-pats speak both as well as English. The people here working appear to be highly educated.
I have much to see and learn here over the next week. Asia always inspires me. It makes me remember that the world is not nearly as concerned with what goes on in the United States as we Americans seem to think. Hong Kong is more than a gateway to China – it is China itself with special privileges. At least until 2047when the 50 year special exception is set to expire. It may be renewed however the Chinese government appears to want Shanghai (all new and shiny as opposed to Hong Kong which is – older), to be the centerpiece of the Chinese century. I’m not going to Shanghai this trip. But it’s high on my list.
I’ll be posting a little more frequently as the mood strikes me here.
Palm shares plunged this past Friday March 19th to their lowest level in more than a year. The Palm Pre Smartphone was to be the ‘killer app’ forecast to bring Palm back to relevancy. In fact Palm noted in a article last week that the Pre Isn’t an Anything’ Killer. I think many of us knew that. Now the talk on the street is that Palm is positioned to be acquired. What happened?
When the Palm Pre was released in June of 2009 the buzz was almost universally positive and the subsequent reviews nearly as positive. The removable battery was a distinct advantage over the iPhone and the interface seemingly easy to use and stable. The phone was rated more than adequate and email and web access also was notably strong. The lack of applications for it (as opposed to the iPhone) was and is a drawback but no device can hold a candle to the iPhone when it comes to apps. Sprint was the exclusive carrier at first but Palm has opened itself up to other carriers like Verizon.
There were other problems – touch screen and battery life to name two. Sachin Agarwal commented on his experience in the Silicon Valley Insider last month – http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i-dumped-my-palm-pre-plus-after-a-month-2010-2.
While I recognize the problems with Palm Pre, it still is a pretty cool device to use and this was what I heard from a new friend this past Saturday night. He raved about the performance and ease of operation. It’s small, slim and the pull-out keyboard is a definitive asset (compared to my BB Storm which seems gigantic next to it).
Elevation Partners (led by U2’s Bono) is a primary investor in Palm – that likely falls under the umbrella of it seemed like a good idea at the time – but interesting that they had the same optimism as did I, (and many others) before the release. There was a LOT of buzz prior to the release. And then very little noise, at least from the standpoint of marketing and advertising messages. In fact the pre-launch campaign from Modernista was slammed, (the comment that they thought that Pre was a new brand of feminine deodorant speaks volumes) – http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/04/video-latest-palm-pre-ad-makes-poppies-seem-brutish/.
Since then I cannot recall a Palm Pre offer being mailed, emailed, or promoted on Facebook or anywhere else for that matter. Verizon ran a few television ads http://bit.ly/c9g6bP touting the simplicity of the operating system while at the same time alienating women by implying mom is too dumb to use a smart phone. This would suggest that having the carrier distribute Palm’s advertising message might not have been the best idea ever either.
It is important to keep in mind that Palm Inc. had fallen so far from public perception that an entire re-brand of Palm (much less the Pre itself) was necessary. All of their problems can hardly be attributed to recent Palm Pre advertising campaigns. What surprises me most is how an exciting and positive pre-launch buzz has unraveled into what appears to be an unmitigated disaster on all fronts.
Does anybody out there love or hate their Palm Pre? Anyone? Hello?