Made in China Podcast

A back to back episode with Alan Scanlan at the Pullman Hotel in HK. Let's talk about building connections in Hong Kong. One of the places where you can meet some of the most successful people. Let's find out some tips on how you can meet those people so you can do business more effectively.

Topics Includes:

• The advantages of Moving and Living in HK, 

• Making a lot of connections in HK

• Supportive Expat Community 

• Joining Networking events such as Invest HK*

• Banking in China

• Email Inbox Organization

• Working on weekends and holidays

• Living in mainland China vs HK

• Handling distractions while trying to focus on Work Goals

• Dealings of a Boss: Making it Work for your staff as well

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This week's episode is another video cast episode Featuring Alan Scanlan, who runs a Family Sourcing Business that was started in the 1970s by his Father. They talk about the history of how his dad coming from Ireland came about sourcing in HK and how he turned it into an 8 figure dynasty for more than 4 decades now.

Topics Includes:

• Difficulties during the first 5 years

• Tipperary Crystals

• History of the Family Sourcing Business

• Manufacturing and Importing from everything irish such as the Shamrock

• Coming to Hong kong 

• Allied imports and allied international

• Doing business with Mark and Spencers 

• Coming into the business as a young man

• How he found Rico

• Sourcing for Whiskey Bottles

• Newlands Sourcing
  

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In this Episode, Rico and Noam Discuss how they respectively manage clients and what lengths they have to do to maintain them.

Topics Includes:

• The difficulties of maintaining a Routine!

• Approaching from the Clients perspective

• What's your Brand Story

• Making your decisions base on your core values

• Just be honest with your clients; Never give bad news without a solution

• Clients who negotiate for cheap price

• Selling Service vs Selling Finish Products

• Taking on Enough Projects that you can Handle

• Getting clients is just like "Dating"

• For every negative there's a positive 

• Systemizing your Business: SOPS SOPS SOPS

• It's good to have friends in your industry even if they are your competitors

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This week, we welcome back Noam Lightstone to the Podcast who is one of Rico's Core Friends from way back during college in Canada. In this episode they exchange each other's Growing Pains that comes with running a Consulting Business, their shared values and how it is being a Young Entrepreneur.

Topics Includes:

• Micro Expenses

• Big Sin City vs Small Transitioning City

• Does Systemizing your business really give you more free time?

• Making the right Hire and managing your staff.

• Having someone who can get task done aside from yourself

• S.O.Ps

• Strategizing and moving your staff like chess pieces

• Wearing different "Hats" within your company

• Challenges of working with an unreliable Company or Client

• Giving Trust to your employee as part of encouraging growth.

• Can there be balance when starting a business and having a relationship?

• "You can have it all you want but not all at once"

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Here is another Back log Episode to Start 2019, Recorded Back in 2016, Rico puts his Staff namely; CiCi, Immigen and Sunny on the interrogation chair to get their feedback on how it is to be working for Source Find Asia and having Rico as their Boss and Mentor.

Topics Includes:

• How it is working for SFA.

• The difference working for a Foreigner and a Chinese Boss

• Views on talking to Manufacturing Factories

• Communicating with the customers using emails vs wechat app

• Manufacturer's frustrations on SFA not sourcing specialized products.

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This is not a “MAFAN” episode! Here Rico chats with Mr Mafan Himself over drinks. Aka Luigui Mangasha, an expat in China for the last 8 years, shares with us his experience working in Beijing then moving to Shenzen and as well as talking about his brainchild The Mafan Crew, a youtube channel he created for the Multi-cultured Expats living in China.

Topics Includes:

• Mafan crew's purpose 

• What mafan means

• Luigi Mangasha channel

• Being Aware in China: watching out for spit!

• Learning to be patient and accepting in China

• Shenzen Vs Beijing

• Networking through WeChat app

• Learn to sell yourself

• Why a Chinese would hire a Foreigner?

• Competition improves a company

• Misconceptions of foreigners on the business side of things.

• Challenges working as a the lone foreigner 

• Designing toys as the next business move

• Starting out the youtube channel

• Vloggers.

• "Make yourself different"

• Youtube is Practically Illegal in China

• MR MAFAN!

• Youtubers in China WeChat Group

• Advice to "young Youtuber" Rico

• "Keep it real and believe in yourself"

• "Gratefulness is the greatest virtue of a man"

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This week’s episode, We coincide the Youtube Video Channel and the Made in China Podcast to release a VideoCast. Rico captured this moment Interviewing Harrison Bevins, an Amazon FBA Reseller, who you can recall from previous Made In China Episodes; Lessons learned in China year 1 and the Reply all episode. Here they revisit their conversation on lessons they learned in China year 1, and a year since after they both discuss the continuing process and challenges of having and handling their business in China.

Topics Includes:

• The Adjustments made, From living in Taiwan to Mainland China

• Discovering making money online, Drop shipping

• Reply All Episode

• Selling the drop shipping store through Flippa.com

• Amazon FBA, Why FBA and Lessons Learnt while selling the Company

• Product Photos from Rico's Source Find asia

• Communicating in China. "WeChat App"

• Biggest Lesson learned 2nd year in China

• Rollercoaster of emotions comes with doing business

• The Importance of having a community of like minded people surrounding you.

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