In his book, “Selling to China,” author Stanley Chao delivers a straightforward, practical guide for small to medium-sized businesses currently doing business in and those interested in expanding their horizons to China. Well-crafted, and straightforward, Chao has taken his 20+ years of experience in the industry and produced a “must-have” read for anyone even considering a venture into the business world of China.

There are many areas that stand out in “Selling to China.” As an avid reader, most impressive to me is the writing. Without pretention or talking down to the reader, Chao educates through examples of actual experiences, eliminating the tedious text that typically fills the pages of a business guide.

Dividing the subject matter into three sections, Chao offers all the tools necessary to develop a well-informed strategy. In Part I, Chao presents detailed information on the cultural and practical methods of doing business in China. This includes material about understanding the people, particularly the differences between the Mao Generation and the Me Generation, the role of the government, and negotiations and contracts. Chao separates myth from reality, as everything one might think to know about doing business in China is probably incorrect, one of the biggest fabrications being that only big businesses can succeed there. The very premise of the book dispels this notion entirely.

Part II dives into creating an action plan and provides step-by-step instruction to determine whether or not your product or service will sell in China, how to do a market analysis and important items to consider when deciding how to register your business.

Everything You Need to Know in a Nutshell, Part III, deciphers the meanings behind some Chinese phrases and language, and includes a list of rules for doing business in China. Chao wraps it up by making a few predictions about China’s future.

No doubt, there is a lot of information to absorb, but Chao simplifies it for the reader at every turn. Diagrams throughout the book create helpful visual aids, and each chapter is neatly wrapped up with a summary of the most important take-aways structured into succinct bullet points.

An extensive amount of labor was obviously put into “Selling to China,” and the knowledge Stanley Chao shares will save businesses time and money, as well as help avoid potential setbacks. Use the tools. Study the Chinese culture, business methods, and social behaviors. Stanley Chao has developed the perfect roadmap for aiding small to medium sized businesses on their quest to do business in China.