Web Sites that help you doing business in China

If you are going to work abroad, you need to know the basics of working in China. The country's digital economy surpassed the US by 2009 and it is expected to be worth $3 trillion by 2020. You will face many challenges during your stay but knowing what can be done online will help you make more informed choices about business opportunities. Websites like WeChat and Alibaba push boundaries on how people communicate with one another as well as how they do business with each other through Alipay or Taobao. It is important for foreigners living or traveling in China to stay up-to-date on current trends in order to find success in their endeavors.

The launch of Alibaba's Taobao in 2003 didn't occur by chance. It was a direct result of the growing demand for everything from clothing to food from its domestic market. It now ranks fourth on the Forbes list of Top 10 Global Web Retailers and ahead of giants like Amazon, eBay and Walmart due to its ability to execute online transactions between Chinese consumers and vendors at a low cost.

Chinese consumers are always on the move. They are constantly searching for new locations to shop, leisure activities to visit or products that can improve their lifestyles. Currently, the country boasts more than 542 million mobile internet users and that number is projected to increase to almost 600 million by 2018. This is partially due to the fact that China's mobile penetration rate is one of the world's highest at 133 percent.

This has led to the introduction of innovative platforms and an increase in e-commerce opportunities within China's digital economy. With a few clicks of a button, you can participate in real-time discussions on Weibo or make connections on Baidu Tieba. Since it was launched in February 2011, WeChat has grown into an all-encompassing application for Chinese smartphone users. It offers numerous functions from text messaging, audio and video chat, location sharing, photo editing to online payments. Additionally, it allows you to keep track of how much money you spend each month so that you can manage your finances better.

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Shane Green is an Australian journalist with over ten years of experience writing about China for publications such as the South China Morning Post and The Diplomat . He has lived in China for more than 4 years and has traveled extensively across the country while writing his first book: A Geek in China: My Journey into the Unknown , which is due for international release in September 2016.

It can be difficult to deal with business matters when you don't speak Chinese fluently. The best way to get your Chinese business questions answered is by learning the language. 

There are free online courses and language learning apps that allow you to learn how to speak and read Chinese. These programs range from learning phonetics to how to do basic business transactions like negotiating a contract.

One of the best resources for beginners is http://chinese.stackexchange .com . Try asking questions using Google Translate and see what you can learn about the language without knowing a word of Chinese. Don't be discouraged if your translation isn't perfect, most users are happy to help you out.

Once you start thinking like a native speaker, you'll notice some phrases that come naturally and some that only make sense in China .

Conclusion 

Don't let your time in China be wasted. If you thought it was hard to adjust to life in the US, imagine what it's like adjusting to a different culture again. The people who do well as expats in China will make the time and effort to learn Chinese so they can communicate with the locals. You'll find that being able to communicate a little easier makes doing business more enjoyable and engaging.