Could you sell to China?
28 July 2008
According to official figures, the Chinese are now the number one users of the Internet, with a staggering 253 million people online (outstripping the 223 million from the US). The accepted wisdom suggests that we in the UK tend to see trade with China as something of a one-way street, with huge amounts of manufactured items imported every year.
It doesn't have to be this way though, and perhaps you should ask yourself this question: Could I sell my products or services to the Chinese? It may be that you're incredibly niche, but with a total market of that kind of size, it might be worth tapping into. Chinese society is undergoing some incredible changes itself, with a new, burgeoning middle class and a new wave of consumers. It can't be long before they're hankering after some of the trappings of a traditional western lifestyle, whether that's luxury cars, fine wines or art and antiques. And with only 19% of Chinese citizens currently using the Internet, there's huge potential for growth as well.