China: Perspectives of leading the R&D world environment

China: Perspectives of leading the R&D world environment
The United States of America have been ahead of all
international competition in terms of annual Research and
Development expenditure; this, for as long as we can
remember. The U.S bare an image of leading world statistics
on many various domains, but by taking a step back we can
speculate on one new R&D leading player in the next couple
of years.

According to OECD projections, based on most recent trends,
China's R&D investments would have exceeded Japan's in
2007, reaching 136 billion USD, opposed to Japan's 130
billion USD forecast. This puts China in the second R&D
investments position, still far behind U.S 's astronomical
330 billion. However, it is interesting to note that,
China's engineers and scientists usually make between
one-sixth and one-tenth of what Americans do, which means
that the wide gaps in economical terms do not necessarily
result in equally wide gaps in manpower or results.

"The rapid rise of China in both money spent and
researchers employed is stunning." Dirk Pilat, Head of the
OECD's Science and Technology Policy division.

When looking in depths at the manpower available, China
again meets the second place after the U.S. Nevertheless,
in China, the number of researchers increased by 77%
between 1995 and 2004, and China now benefits from the work
of 926,000 researchers, when the U.S employ 1.3 million.
Indorsing these figure, U.S production of engineers and
researchers is growing at a sluggish pace, when every year
China's universities and schools form 325,000 engineers in
average per year, which is five times as many as the U.S.

Not to mention China's R&D intensity (R&D/GDP ratio), which
has more than doubled from 0.6% of GDP in 1995 to just over
1.2% in 2004. This represents an increase from just over 17
billion USD in 1995 to 94 billion USD in 2004.

This has a very positive impact on both science and
high-technology sectors. China has launched a few very
competitive products, and has registered quality patents,
in a 10-year-old world emerging biotech industry. In a one
billion potential patients market, 15 Chinese biotech
products for health are already on the market, with another
60 still developing.

This points out the potential of China in advanced
technology, and it highlights the fact that China is not
only a country excelling in textile, toy factories and
other simple production facilities, but it is a major
player on skilled sectors such as R&D. One dreadfully
expensive challenge still lies ahead for China: developing
costly and state of the art research centers and scientific
infrastructure, generating a higher quality and more
numerous scientific investigations.

----------------------------------------------------
Tim Lyons is Executive Director of Manage China. Manage
China is a company that helps foreign firms who are
interested in doing business in China.

http://www.managechina.com

Celebrating Failures

Celebrating Failures
What is the real "f" word? It's failure. We all want
things to go perfectly - or what we perceive as perfectly.
But the truth is, they don't, always. Trying new things
creates the possibility of failure. In a business
landscape where the message is predominantly that "Failure
is Bad," it's no wonder that failure is perceived as a
dirty word.

Now seriously, every manager, business owner, executive and
employee has made mistakes and experienced what they
consider failures. As human beings, it's almost second
nature to us to follow the path of lease resistance by
beating ourselves up over every perceived failure and then
to continually remind ourselves how often, and how badly,
we've screwed up.

There is another way. What would it look like if rather
than seeing any task or action that didn't turn out as
originally planned as a "failure", we saw each of them as
learning opportunities...? What might we create? What
opportunities might arise for us? What would change if we
were able to step away from self-blame and emotional
flagellation and move forward into celebration? Years ago,
when Bill McGowan was still alive and running MCI, there
was a sign in the lobby that said, "Make Some Damn
Mistakes." The philosophy underneath that sign was that if
you didn't make mistakes you were not taking risks. Bill
truly believed that risk- taking was the greatest
opportunity for learning, and that nothing new, creative,
innovative or exciting happened without taking risks. It's
simply too bad that the culture has changed since MCI was
sold to WorldCom.

Part of the problem with the entire concept of failure is
that it allows leaders of companies to actually see things
as successes or failures, instead of as learning
experiences. Every single move a company makes, or action
that it takes, is an opportunity for learning - whether it
works or not. Even things that work out perfectly the
first time may not work the next time. Without
understanding what made the action or move work, what
conditions or environment or alignment of the stars made it
come together, there is no true success.

After all, you won't be able to duplicate the perfect
action if you don't understand what conditions allowed it
to work out perfectly in the first place. And will those
conditions be the same the next time? If something didn't
work, was it a failure? Of course not. If an action
didn't work, it simply means that something interfered with
that action working as well as planned. Any number of
things - from timing, to economy, to client needs, to the
vehicle used for distribution - any number of random
factors may have interfered with the action working as
planned. But if you automatically consider that action a
failure, you lose the important opportunity of learning how
to make it work better the next time.

When something you've planned for your company doesn't work
as well as expected, it's not necessarily comfortable, but
it's usually illuminating. When you look at everything from
the perspective of "what can we learn from this?", then you
put yourself in a place where you can make better decisions
about the future and you also encourage your people to work
from a position of innovative re-thinking. They will be
empowered to constantly improve actions and strategies.
How can you lose with that?

What if we celebrated failure instead of hiding our
"mistakes" in some allegorical closet?

History has shown over and over that not daring to fail, or
conversely refusing to admit failure and the lessons
intrinsic to it, has often created devastating consequences
of grand proportions. It's no small matter how we look at
the idea of failure and our response to it.

Let us not forget that our greatest successes, in business,
science, literature and indeed, life, have started from
failure. That's how we learn. Success isn't nearly so
powerful.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't
work." - Thomas Alva Edison

----------------------------------------------------
Linda Finkle, CEO of INCEDO GROUP, works with innovative
leaders around the world who understand that business needs
a new organizational growth style. These innovative leaders
know that powerful cross-functional communication is the
highest priority and the strongest strategy for building
organizational effectiveness. To find out more, visit:
http://www.IncedoGroup.com

Virtual Assistants: What Can They Do For Your Business?

Virtual Assistants: What Can They Do For Your Business?
* Do you want an afternoon to go golfing rather than
answering email?

* Or four hours to spend with your family?

* Or five hours you can spend doing whatever you want?

And no:

-- Payroll Tax

-- Vacation Pay

-- Sick Leave

-- Health Insurance

-- Office Space or Equipment

You only pay for the time you use.

You can have more time and continue to build your business
- hire a Virtual Assistant.

When I started my own business, I knew I couldn't do it all
myself. The best use of my time is on sales and the sales
strategy consulting that I do. That is my Brilliance --
the things I'm best at and love to do. I aim to do my
Brilliance activities 85% of the time.

I couldn't have done all I've done without a team of
Virtual Assistants. I've worked with Virtual Assistants
(VAs) for a long time. I've written three ebooks, many
articles, given teleseminars and produced audio CDs. I've
also developed consulting, marketing materials and
presentations to show my clients how to do this for their
own businesses - so their income is not solely based on
their time. They can sell information products online even
when they're not working with clients and bundle products
with services for additional income.

Virtual Team members are valuable and make a huge
difference in my business. It means that I don't work all
the time, even as my business continues to grow. I can
focus on doing the things I do best and know my Virtual
Team members are there to take care of the detail work and
things that are not my expertise.

What is a Virtual Assistant?

"A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur
providing administrative, creative and/or technical
services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of
communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists
clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own
office on a contractual basis." (http://www.ivaa.org)

They do the work for entrepreneurs that a corporate
assistant would do in a corporation.

What Can a VA Do for Your Business?

To give you an idea of what's possible, here are some of
the things that a VA can do for you. Review the list and
mark the ones that you could have someone do for you:

~ Power Point presentations

~ Prepare proposals

~ Vendor coordination

~ Shopping cart

~ Send out your ezine or newsletter

~ Event Planning

~ Customer Service

~ Handle client needs

~ Project Management

~ Scheduling

~ Billing

~ Proofreading, Editing

~ Transcription

~ Spreadsheet development

~ Handle CD production

~ Develop forms

~ Research

~ Organization

~ Web design and maintenance

~ Put workbooks together

~ Graphic design

~ Compile, maintain databases

~ Keep you on track, help you meet deadlines

~ Set up and manage autoresponders for e-mail marketing

~ Automate systems for your business

~ Compile and maintain lists and databases

~ Submit articles to online directories

~ Take care of all the details - coordinate with others,
make sure it all gets done

~ Keep things going when you travel: check and respond to
voicemails, e-mails, phone calls

~ And many more . . .

I've chosen to work with a team of Virtual Assistants
because I want to have each team member do what they do
best and love it. Productivity, satisfaction and quality
of work are higher. And, with the Internet, I'm not
limited by geography. I can work with the people who are
the best in their areas of expertise, no matter where they
live.

How Do You Find a VA?

The best way to find a VA is to ask other people who use a
VA who they use. Tell them what you want a VA to do for
you, and ask them what their VA does, so you'll find
someone with the skills you're looking for. If you are a
member of a forum or professional organization, post a
request on the board outlining what you're looking for in a
VA. List the types of things you want them to do for you,
and some of the skills you're looking for.

I call this "Jan's 10-Foot Rule" - Ask everyone within 10
feet of you what you're looking for, and someone will come
through. Try it! It works.

There are also organizations where you can look for a VA or
you can do a Google search. I've always found my team
members by referral, so I have no experience with the
organizations. There are certifications that a VA can get.
My experience is that there are good VAs with and without
the certifications. The certifications add credibility and
professionalism. Certification is not a criteria that I
require a VA to have, though I do take it into
consideration.

* AssistU -- http://www.assistu.com/

* International Virtual Assistant Association --
http://www.ivaa.org/

* Elance - http://www.elance.com.

This is good for project
work. You post a description of the work you want done, and
people bid on it.

Interviewing a Virtual Team Member:

Interview at least 3 to 5 people before you decide.
Interview them the same way you would for a permanent hire
for your business. Get their name, phone number, e-mail
address, and website. Check out the website before the
interview.

The following questions have paid off tremendously for me
in hiring the right people:

* How did you decide to start your VA business (Web design
business etc.)?

* How long have you been in business?

* What do you like best about your work?

* Tell me about one of your favorite projects for a
favorite client - what you did, how you approached it, how
you worked together.

* Here's an example of the work I want you to do for me.
(Describe your project with details, outcome, deadlines,
etc.). How would you approach it?

* Who are your best clients?

How Do They Work? What Do You Pay Them?

A VA works in several ways. You can hire them on an hourly
basis, project basis, and on retainer. Retainer fees are
usually lower than straight hourly fees, depending on how
many hours you pay them on retainer.

Have a good idea of what you want them to do and a time
budget for your work. If you don't know, describe the
project and ask them how much time they anticipate it will
take.

They will most likely have a welcome package and an
agreement for you to sign before you start working with
them. Review it as you would any agreement. If there's
something you don't agree with, ask about it. If there's
something missing that you want in the way you work
together, tell them. For example, I ask my team members to
sign a non-disclosure agreement. And I want them to
itemize the time they spend in a way that I can analyze my
business from the operations perspective.

Off to a Great Start: Working With Your New Team

Working with Virtual Team members is similar to working
with a local person. It's critical that you communicate
clearly. Be sure your first conversation and project are
off to a great start:

1. Assure a smooth transition, and minimize the time you
spend on it yourself. Outline for yourself exactly what
your project involves: the purpose, audience, desired
outcomes, and exactly what you're looking for them to
provide.

2. Set up a weekly coordination call. Always have an
agenda. Give them specifics about the work you want them
to do - purpose, timelines, time estimates. Tell them
what's planned and coming up in the next few weeks. No
surprises. They can often meet tight deadlines if they can
plan ahead.

3. Tell your team members what you expect in working with
them. For example, that you want close communication and no
surprises. If they have questions, let you know before
they proceed with something.

4. Manage them as you would a local person. Let them know
what they're doing well, what could be improved. Always
ask them for their input on the way the work is done. Ask
them if they see a way to simplify or streamline processes.

5. Pay them promptly.

6. Know their work schedule. What day/time will they do
your work? Plan accordingly. Arrange a day for them to do
your work. Get things to them quickly.

7. Let them know their value to you, the work and your
business. Praise them for good work. Refer other people
to them.

Hiring a VA gives you time and helps you build your
business so you don't have to work all the time. Decide
what work you really want to do, and outsource the rest to
a Virtual Assistant. You have all the benefits of an
assistant on a flexible basis that fits your business and
your budget. I could never do without a Virtual Team.

----------------------------------------------------
Jan Wallen works with companies that want significant sales
results. Jan is action- and results-oriented. Once you
start working together, she is 100% committed to
significant sales results for you. To learn more, call
(646) 485-4059 or go to http://www.janwallen.com

Errors In Judgment--Learning From Your Mistakes

Errors In Judgment--Learning From Your Mistakes
In any major or even minor business venture, there are
mistakes that you will make. In many cases, the mistakes
made by an entrepreneur are enough to convince him or her
that he or she has failed. However, the key to being
successful is to learn from your mistakes and move on.
This article discusses the importance of learning from your
mistakes and how to take the errors in judgment they
represent and turn them into opportunities to move forward.

No matter what you do in life, even if you are an expert,
you will make mistakes. Even the absolute greatest experts
make errors in judgment. One thing that separates them
from the people who fail is learning from their mistakes.
They understand that motivation alone is not enough. You
may be motivated but if you are headed in the wrong
direction you will need education to get you back on the
success track. The best education comes when you are able
to look at a situation that is not working or is wrong, get
educated and go forward in the right direction. You can
see precisely why something failed and what you can do to
keep it from failing. Having the ability to do this makes
you different from those who have failed. Used in the
right combination motivation and education will lead you to
success.

How to Learn From Your Mistakes

When you know that you have made a mistake in a situation,
a business venture or had a plan that did not succeed, you
must find out why. First, you must be take responsibility.
You must look at yourself. This sounds easy but it is
very difficult for many. The key is to look at how you have
related to the situation or challenge in front of you. If
you continue to relate the same way in the future, it
doesn't matter what you have learned, you will still face
the same obstacles. Humans actually learn from their
mistakes when they choose to think or relate differently.
Think about children. If a child touches a hot stove and
gets burned, he or she has a firm imprint in their mind
that the stove is hot and they should not touch it.
Chances are, remembering the pain of the burn, they will
not touch it again. If you have some hot stoves in your
life you must relate differently before you will stop
touching them.

This is the magic of our mistakes. If we learn how to see
what happened and what prevented the success of any given
situation, we can eliminate it. This is how individuals
learn to move forward and to have success. If you want to
have success, it's important to be able to learn from your
mistakes, and here's the key, apply what you have learned.

Using Mistakes to Propel You Forward

Remember, a mistake is nothing more than a learning
opportunity to propel you forward. It gives you the keys
to your success, education and the opportunity to approach
a situation differently. When you effectively use these
tools to your advantage, you will hold a card in your hand
that is one of the most powerful cards you can hold. This
ability to learn and apply yourself positively is what will
propel you forward within your business, your career and
your life. Next time you come face to face with a mistake
don't react. Welcome it. You have just received an
opportunity for learning a valuable lesson in order to be a
true success!

----------------------------------------------------
Steve Scott is a business/life coach and a business
development consultant. He specializes in teaching
entrepreneurs and solo and sales professionals to create
their own unique success stategies-bringing them balance,
more freedom and greater abundance.
http://www.progresssetfree.com

The Hidden costs of doing Business in China

The Hidden costs of doing Business in China
All the eyes of the business world are oriented towards
China. This "economical wonder" is the source of many
entrepreneurial opportunities, which seem easily
accessible. Who doesn't what to be part of the Chinese
miracle economy? Most of us want a piece of this huge
profit cake. There are, nevertheless, many examples of
business that struggle to enter China, consequence of a
narrow view of costs that lie within Chinese business
environment. Hopefully there are more examples of success
stories that have managed those costs in a pro-active way.

Motorola has done considerable investments to enter China,
and most of it was dedicated to technology transfer. They
knew the costs that were associated to it, and they were
one of the pioneer foreign firms to achieve such business
success, beginning in 1987 with a representative office in
Beijing. The pressure of transferring technology lies in
creating your own competition in a bubbling business
environment.

Foreign firms are eager and impatient of entering this
dynamic market, however the Chinese business process is far
from what foreign companies are used to. Initiating Joint
Ventures with a Chinese partner could be an adventure full
of twists and turns. In our determination to do business in
China, some forget that we need them more than they need
us; and unfortunately we are not sole players in this
quest. Many of the established firms, have encountered time
wasting related costs, and delays mainly due to
communication and cultural issues.

Setting up legal firm requirements, and gathering the
necessary documents and information to kick off the
implementation procedure can be a hassle if done
inappropriately. For example, while the capital requirement
for setting up a Wholly Own Foreign Enterprise can run in
excess of US$100,000, this doesn't need to be the case. In
fact, the capital requirement actually varies between
industries and could indeed be less than this. Moreover,
often all capital is not required up front and can be
dripped fed into the business over a period of time.

China has been, and is still seen as a large pool of cheap
labor.With the economical boom, especially in fast
developing cities such as, Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou,
Guangzhou... the cost of qualified labor is following
china's trends: leading to fast growing wages. Companies
also realize once set up, that managing Chinese staff is
not only about opening a cross-cultural management book...
It is once again a complex journey to achieve.Furthermore,
having access to quality and responsive Chinese staff is a
definite competitive advantage, instinctively reducing the
amount of time lost and inevitably, the amount of hidden
costs.

Fortunately, the Chinese business environment is gaining
more and more flexibility, and business frameworks of
foreign set up firms are available.Feedback and experiences
are now accessible to have a clearer view of the does and
don't while doing business in China. Likewise, there will
always be ways to compress hidden costs, and by that, ways
of gaining increasingly competitive positions.

----------------------------------------------------
Tim Lyons is Executive Director of Manage China. Manage
China is a company that helps foreign firms who are
interested in doing business in China.

http://www.managechina.com

AVOIDING DISASTERS: Construction Projects and Insurance Safety

AVOIDING DISASTERS: Construction Projects and Insurance Safety
Construction projects can be simple, short term tasks or
complex, multi-year endeavors involving millions of
dollars. In major projects, numerous outside contractors
(and subcontractors) are often hired, even if the overall
project is awarded to a large well-known engineering or
construction firm. Unless the project is insured in a Wrap
Up program (all contractors, subs and subs of subs are
insured under one contract for one job), then management
cannot presume that all of their contractors are insured
continuously through the period of the project.

Many Construction Projects Involve Multiple Tiers of
Subcontractors
In a major project involving multiple aspects such as
roadwork, foundations, electrical, plumbing or roofing, the
general contractor awarded the overall contract often hires
a variety of local contractors, assigning them small
portions of the job. These subcontractors may even hire a
second or third tier of subcontractors to perform specialty
work not within their area of expertise. Subcontractors
often work on vital aspects of the project. If an injury,
death or serious industrial accident involving hazardous
materials occurs, dealing with the consequences can be
daunting, even for a well capitalized firm. Recently a
settlement for $458 million was reached by contractors in
the Boston 'Big Dig' construction project due to the death
of a motorist from a tunnel ceiling collapse. Insurance
claims are the responsibility of the contractor and
subcontractor. However, if their policy has lapsed or
carries insufficient limits, the company could be held
liable- often for tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.

Despite Contractual Risk Transfers the Company May Be
Responsible for Uninsured Claims
Ultimately, the company is responsible for anyone who
enters their premises or performs any activities on their
behalf, leaving them basically three choices on how to
handle that risk:
* Avoid the risk - don't do the activity or let anyone on
their premises (often not an option)
* Assume the risk or part of the risk - large deductibles
and Loss Sensitive insurance programs are examples
* Transfer the risk - often done by contract and/or
insurance.
Even if the company has transferred the risk via contract
to someone else, such as a vendor or a contractor, they
need to be sure the vendor/contractor has the financial
resources to finance that risk, which often is by insurance.

Require Proof of Insurance - Certificate of Insurance Form
Most companies require proof of insurance prior to
beginning a project in the form of an Insurance
Certificate. Unfortunately, many companies stop there and
fail to monitor the ongoing coverage status. This can
result in policies expiring and not being renewed, changes
in limits, or other issues later on. Tracking those
insurance certificates is a basic Risk Management activity
and one that every company should do. Without this
function, the company or it's own insurance carrier assumes
their vendor or contractor's risk (even if they have signed
contracts transferring the liability). Manually checking to
see that each contractor is insured may be overwhelming,
however, companies which specialize in this service can
make the process easier.

Implement an Effective Certificate Tracking System
Tracking the insurance certificates can be performed by a
service or managed internally using software. Although
outsourcing hands off the daily responsibility, the
solution means on-going monthly fees and may limit your
control on what requirements you can track and how you
interact with your vendors/contractors on issues. Software
packages give you:
1) more flexibility,
2) greater control of your data and
3) are generally less expensive on an ongoing basis.
Regardless of which option you select, the minimum
requirements of an effective certificate tracking system
would include the following features:
* User defined Insurance Requirement Categories- used to
set vendor certificate policy, limit and additional terms
requirements.
* Compliance verified- for no certificate, missing
policies, insufficient limits, missing additional terms,
soon to expire and expired policy dates. Ability to
override individual policy, limit or additional term
requirements.
* Follow-up letters automatically generated- containing
detailed list of non-compliance issues. Letter template can
be customized. Reminder letters sent automatically.
* User defined fields to organize/identify vendors- for
filtering/sorting screens and reports.
* Attachments for electronic archival- of actual
certificates.
* Comprehensive insurance certificate tracking reports-
detailing non-compliance issues by vendor.
* Password access- with multiple levels of user rights.
* Audit Trail- created for certificate maintenance history.

Accidents Happen Despite the Best Safety Programs
Unfortunately accidents do happen! One of the ways to
protect your company from unnecessary costs is to ensure
your contractors have valid insurance that meets your
requirements. Don't wait until that first multi-million
dollar claim to discover your contractor's insurance lapsed
and you are now liable for their employee's injuries or
negligence. Implement an effective insurance certificate
tracking system as part of a comprehensive risk management
program.

----------------------------------------------------
GG-One Software has been providing insurance certificate
tracking software since 1996. Their Fastrack Insurance
Certificate Tracking and Document Management product is
available in Web and Windows versions. Visit their website
to learn more.
http://www.ggonesoftware.com