Find Professional Help When You Need It Most

Even if you have good people within your firm, you’re going to need outside consultants and other professionals to perform certain key functions. For example, China’s tax laws are quite complex, so you’ll need a competent tax advisor to help you. These helpers can range from external auditors to companies that specialize in background checks on employees.

Don’t bring in a team of consultants or professionals from a firm in your home market and then get a firm in China to tack on the “China-particular aspects.” China isn’t an “aspect” of the assignment — it is the assignment. Inter-firm cooperation rarely goes smoothly as a result.

Although many internationally recognized professional firms are in China, you should do your homework before approaching them. As we discuss in Chapter 4, the quality of the service you receive in China (even from well-known firms) can vary drastically, depending on the individuals handling the assignment. Ask around for recommendations for particular professionals (whether at large firms or not) who do good jobs. Make sure that the firms you use assign professionals who bring a good balance of China and Western experience to your project.