Jake Hushka Post 3 - "Brits Get Rich: Parts 4-7"

Final Impressions of the Brits:

I believe that Peter made the right move to hire a consultant, Cecil Pih, and ultimately enduring on a joint venture with the “hired gun.” Cecil was able to put together an appropriate marketing strategy, which included attacking each region around Shanghai. He made it clear to Peter that in China you need the appropriate capital and influence to successfully wine, dine, and some times even “wench” the appropriate clients. Cecil was able to make contact with an ex-military general of the region, which was the critical success factor in his strategy. Through this business contact, Peter’s product would be passed along to each appropriate region and ultimately, would get the support from the country he needed. My one concern is that Peter began spending his capital before it had been earned and in the end might come back to hurt him.

I believed from the first episode that Vance would be the most successful entrepreneur of the group and at the end I still believe this. Along his journey through China, his shrewdness and arrogance were the key characteristics that provided him with the ability to be successful. I also believe that the humility he learned along the way will enable him to stay successful in the future. Vance has learned that he can trust some of the Asian culture and work habits. The small villages that he supports, through his factories, will ensure he receives the products he needs to be successful through his original business plan.

In the first few episodes, I felt that Tony was applying his original business model in a culture that it would not fit in. In the end viewers could see that he did adapt his plan through the resources he acquired in the foreign nation. Tony’s success was do to the fact that he hired an intelligent business partner, and subsequently also inherited a family member of hers that managed the overall construction project. I would advice in Tony’s future endeavors he should only micromanage the sales and promotion portion of the business, and leave the factory construction to a more cultured individual.

Conclusion:

Upon completing the final 4 episodes of the reality show, I came to the conclusion that there are vast amounts of opportunities for entrepreneurs throughout China. I also believe that one can be successful using their own strategy as long as they adapt it to respect the Chinese culture. This could be seen through Peter hiring Cecil Pih to market his product, Vance micromanaging all aspects of his business, and Tony hiring a business partner to monitor construction of his factory. My interpretation of the overall series is that China is like the Wild West. China has an economic culture like no other place in the world, but entrepreneurs can be successful with the appropriate capital, intelligence, and resourcefulness.