Chinese Rate Cut and Payment

China offers a prime example of export-led growth that has benefited from learning by doing and by adopting foreign know-how, supported by a complex industrial policy. Arguably, a modern version of mercantilism has been at work. The Global Crisis put an abrupt end to China’s export-led, high growth and large current-account surplus trajectory. In the US, the private sector was forced to de-leverage and lower demands for imports. Other crisis-hit developed countries also cut back on imports. Consequently, the Global Crisis and its aftermath induced rapid Chinese internal balancing, reducing the scope of future reserve hoarding.

In an attempt to revive the Chinese economy, the People’s Bank of China clipped interest rates for the sixth time since November as well as reduced its reserve-requirement ratio for banks. The country’s benchmark lending and deposit rate was cut 25 basis points, while its reserve-requirement ratio for banks dropped 0.5 basis points.

"The idea that this signals even greater weakness in the Chinese economy is flawed, but so is the idea that rate cuts represent a solution to slowing growth,”said Leland Miller, president of China Beige Book International, in an email to NACM. “When firms don't want to borrow, which is the case now, stimulus doesn't work. So while this is certainly a trading event, its effect on the economy will be negligible."

Credit insurer Atradius also released a new report this week that focuses on payment practices in China. It states that 62% of businesses said domestic business-to-business (B2B)“customers have slowed invoice payment due to liquidity problems over the past year.” On average, domestic B2B credit-based sales are 41.8% of local sales, while abroad B2B credit-based sales are 34.2% of the total value of exports. Both figures are notably lower than the average of the other Asia Pacific countries surveyed.

The statistics “confirm that Chinese respondents prefer payment in cash, cash equivalents or on other terms other than chinese trade credit, particularly in transactions with their foreign B2B customers,” the report notes. “This suggests an inconsistent perception of payment default risks arising from domestic and foreign B2B trade.”

On average, domestic B2B customers are given 37 days to pay invoices and foreign B2B customers receive 41 days. Late payments occurred almost as frequently domestically as abroad, and nearly 94% of respondents experienced late payments from their B2B customers over the past year. “The domestic insolvency environment in China is expected to deteriorate in the coming months, as economic growth is cooling down,” the report says.

The 3 C's of Content Marketing

Happy Monday, everyone! This week in news read about the top 5 emerging technology trends, 19 social media facts that every marketer should know, Google Android catching up to Apple in race for mobile ad dollars, and mobile contributed 59% to ad revenue for the first quarter of Facebook. In tips, learn how to increase your social media click-through rates, the three C’s of content marketing, effective, ethical native advertising, and 5 steps to creating a better app… It’s Skimming the News!

NEWS

The Top 5 Emerging Technology Trends of 2014 via Business2 Community

According to Gartner, one result of BYOD is “a doubling or even tripling of the size of the mobile workforce.” Gartner predicts improvements in JavaScript performance will push HTML5 and browser-based enterprise application development environments into the mainstream. Gartner believes the number of mobile apps will grow—while the number of larger applications shrink–with apps becoming smaller and more targeted than more comprehensive applications. Read the full article for the complete list of emerging technology trends.

19 Social Media Facts that Every Marketer Should Know [Video] via Mashable

Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30 years old. 53% of people on Twitter recommend products in their tweets.93% of shoppers’ buying decisions are influenced by social media. 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations whereas only 14% of consumers trust advertisements. The four C’s of digital are creating, curating connecting, and culture. See video for full list of facts.

Google’s Android Catching Up to Apple in Race for Mobile Ad Dollars via AdAge

In a report published Tuesday, mobile-ad platform Opera Mediaworks found that devices running Android sent a greater percentage of ad requests in the first quarter of 2014 than those running Apple’s iOS. The report found that, in the first quarter, Android devices’ share of mobile-ad requests reached 42.8%, up from 31.3%. Over that time iOS’s share fell to 38.2% from 44.5%. After serving 76% of impressions in the first quarter last year, Android and iOS now control 81% of all traffic and 86% of revenue.

Facebook’s Q1: Mobile Contributed 59% of Ad Revenue in Q1 via AdExchanger

Facebook reported first-quarter earnings Wednesday, exceeding analyst estimates with ad revenue growth of 82% to $2.3 billion. In contrast, Google’s Q1 revenues were seven times larger at $15.4 billion, but its growth was only 19%. The number of users accessing Facebook via a mobile device jumped 43% year over year to 609 million globally, and monthly active mobile users surpassed 1 billion for the first time. Mobile now contributes 59% of the company’s total ad revenues, up from 30% in Q1 2013.

TIPS

How to Increase Your Social Media Click-Through Rates via Social Media Examiner

Most businesses make the same mistake in their social media updates: They don’t have a call to action that routes people back to their website. Remember to give fans a reason to click through. To get the most out of your efforts, look at which social updates, blog posts and advertising campaigns your prospective customers have responded well to in the past. Use your landing page to provide more information and another clear, strong call to action and the means to complete that action.

The 3C digital accessories Marketing via Entreprenuer

Be compelling. The information and perspective you provide should feel unlike anything that’s available elsewhere, and it should give your customer pause. Always customize. When publishing your content, it’s important that it feel unique to your customer, specially created to suit their certain kind of needs. Keep consistency. Each piece of content you distribute should be published consistently, with purpose, and with a constant brand voice.

The Essential Guide for Effective, Ethical Native Advertising via Business2Community

To avoid angering your audience, transparency is critical when it comes to native advertising. Strive to educate, inform, or entertain while weaving your brand message subtly into the content. Since kids are less likely to distinguish between advertising and regular content, avoid sponsored ads in children’s publications and websites. Native ads work best when the content is consistent with a brand’s personality, as well as the publisher’s editorial mandate. Finally, provide an opportunity to participate and make customers feel empowered.

Five Steps to Better Apps: A Cookbook for Mobile Application Security via Forbes

Code should be regularly scanned for security vulnerabilities during the development cycle.  Companies that have to go back and add security after development often find that it can be more expensive. Applications produced should be automatically tested as part of a build automation process. All development staff should have received some secure application development security training. Check for security gaps by testing vulnerabilities. Utilize other testing techniques such as penetration testing, infrastructure tests, and risk reviews.

An Overview On E-Scooters

There is absolutely nothing new about electric scooters given that they make their appearances last few years ago. Formerly, 10 miles is all they can go before recharging. It can never go past 12 mph. With improved technology, these mobility devices can attain a top speed of 25 mph. A complete charge can go a maximum of 30 miles. If you’re sick and tired of ridiculous traffic congestion, then they can be the solution. Kids and old individuals are also suitable candidates since these transporters are not heavy.

As a remarkable transport, electric scooter is not only small but additionally stable and safe. The build-in intelligent chip of it adopts aerospace attitude control concept, fuzzy program algorithm and gyroscope system. These systems lower the trouble of learning for newbies and concurrently offer the outstanding speed limit protection for users.

As the wheel is small and portable, it won’t take too much room of the trunk. If users arrive at the hotel, they could place it in the luggage, without stressing to look for a parking spot for it. The exquisite body of an electric powered scooter enables riders to bring it to virtually any part in the world. Rider can even ride it to just take the elevator or ride it from outside to the dormitory directly.

New and advanced level batteries have come up that last longer and can be recharged quickly. This age increase to their usage for vehicles. Another major good reason why electrics scooters have begun to grow in popularity is continually increasing gas prices. It is becoming a growing number of hard for the typical man to own a car and make use of it for leisure purposes.

But remember that not all regions have legalized power-assisted scooters for general public road usage. In addition, age requirements can vary from a province to another. Municipalities might also pass by-laws targeting e-scooters that forbid them from using municipal roads, sidewalks, scooter paths, scooter tracks, and scooter lanes under their legislation.

In conclusion, an electric powered scooter is safer for children’s use than fuel powered ones because they do not have to keep revving the engine. I also favor them since they run with absolutely no emission. Then again you must be aware of a parental concern. You ought to know where your kids ride their scooters the moment they master the control of the transporter.

Things about Taobao

Taobao is the biggest consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce platform based in China. You can get clothes, accessories, gadgets and even computer hardware taobao at very low (dirt cheap) prices. However, because the website is 100% in Chinese, this may be a barrier to those who want to shop but can’t make heads or tails navigating through the shopping process.

Well, we’re here to help. Here are few things you need to know when shopping at Taobao. We’ll cover how you can navigate this Chinese site, giving you a rough idea of the feedback system, how to use us Tao Bao agent (middleman service), and other factors to consider when purchasing an item.

1. Communication & Translation
Taobao’s navigation, item listing and overall user interface is in Chinese. However you can visit the English version now, or visit Agreetao:http://www.agreetao.com/. You can sear will include English keywords on their listings so, when you search for baby clothes, cardigan and so on, , you will get some results from the search engine.

2. Get Better Search Results
Like most search engines, you can sort results based on certain criterion (filters). At Taobao, you can sort results based on: Popularity, Sales, Seller’s Reputation, Newest Additions, and Price.
Within an item’s listing, you can sometimes choose an option (color or other specifications) as shown below and you can also know the seller's balance stock.

3. How to choosing a Reliable Taobao Seller
In Tao Bao, you need to pick an experienced seller who is trustworthy. To figure this out is to find out how many transactions they have processed, and successfully delivered. This can be viewed at the seller’s profile.
Sellers can also be ranked by buyers. The lowest ranks are hearts, followed by diamonds, blue crowns, and finally yellow crowns. A seller has to earn 5 of each rank before ascending to the next rank.

4. Understanding The Feedback System
You can also tell when they started their shop and the amount of positive feedback they received throughout that time. For us, this feedback is very reliable. Every-time you purchase please check the feedback.
However, if there are no reviews of that particular product, you can check out the seller’s overall feedback by clicking on the seller’s rating (heart, diamond or crown). Scrolling down, you’ll see the feedback given by people who have bought any of the seller’s items. This gives you a grand idea of whether the seller is trustable or not, before you purchase an item from him/her.

5.  Shipping
Most  of Taobao sellers do not ship overseas due to the language barrier and the lack of experience on the subject. Hence you need us to help you collect your item in China, you can send to our warehouse and we will do arrangement for you.

In the process of  purchase, you need to check the item is free domestic shipping service or chargeable. After the payment is made, most of the reseller will send the items within 24H or 72H.

Usually domestic shipment will take 3- 10 days to arrive warehouse house, and we will do necessary arrangement for you.

A guide to digital SLR accessories

If you’ve bought (or been bought) or are buying 3C digital accessories- SLR camera you may have already discovered that the camera itself is just one of the many things you need to make the most of it. Even if you’re a photographer of the point-and-click variety who only intends to take the odd picture on special occasions, there is no shortage of accessories you should consider in addition to the main product. While many are just nice to have in order to develop your photography, others are absolute essentials without which the camera is almost redundant. In this guide we will look at both kinds; those accessories that you should not consider buying a camera without and those which you may want to put on a “wish-list” for another day.

1. Essentials

Lenses
It’s an obvious statement to make, but your SLR camera is going to need a lens. If you’ve bought the “Body Only” version, then no lens is supplied and unless you’ve already got a lens sitting at home that will fit your new camera, it will be unusable until you’ve bought some glass to stick on the front of it. Even if you do already have some lenses, it’s worth checking that these will fit and work on the newer cameras. Not all lenses will, and even if they do you may want to consider one of the more up-to-date lenses in order to get the best performance from your new SLR camera.

Most digital SLRs are available in kits that will include a lens (twin lens bundles are also often available) and if this is your first SLR camera then one of these kits is a sensible option. However, these tend to be standard general purpose lenses that are OK for everyday shots, but may not be suitable for more subject specific photography. As such, sports, wildlife, close-up and landscape photographers may want to consider purchasing an additional telephoto, macro or wide-angle lens to compliment and be used in conjunction with the standard kit lens.

2. Memory cards

Although once upon a time compact digital cameras used to be supplied with a memory card, the same is not true of SLR cameras, and this has caught many a new purchaser out in the past. Imagine getting your shiny new digital SLR camera (and lens, of course) home and out of the box, only to find that you’re unable to take any pictures because you’ve not got a suitable memory card – a truly disappointing experience.

The exact memory card you need will depend on the type of camera and what you intend to do with it. Different models use different types of memory cards so you’ll need to check exactly which one you need, but most cameras will require either a Secure Digital (SD, or SDHC for cards with a capacity greater than 2GB) or a Compact Flash (CF) memory card. These two types of cards are physically very different and one can not be used in place of the other.

You may have memory cards at home from a previous camera and, if you’re lucky, they may even be of the same type as your new purchase. However, things move quickly in the world of digital technology and over the years the resolution of cameras has increased dramatically. The result of this is that the file sizes your new camera produces may be significantly higher than your old model, particularly if your previous camera was a compact. Bigger files take up more space on a memory card, meaning you get fewer pictures. As such it may be worth considering purchasing a newer, larger capacity memory card to ensure you don’t run out of space.

Buying an electric scooter? Check out this guide.

So...you wanna buy an electric scooter eh. You've come to the right place. You're immediately going to see the increase in convenience and the decrease of transportation expenses. Not to mention having tons of fun.

Follow these simple tips to get the most out of your new investment, and see you on the streets of Beijing!

1. Buy for comfort
Wether this is going to be your main mode of transportation, or just something fun to use in the weekend, you're going to want to use it more if it's comfortable.

Check out the various body styles and frames to see which ones suit you the best. If you're a shorter rider, than look for the Honda Ruckus style (left) of electric scooters, or maybe the mini turtle for the female riders. This will provide a lower seat position and a lower center of gravity to help shorter riders balance during stops.

Next up is seating position. Just like a motorcycle, there are many types of seating positions and handle bar positions. Wide bars, narrow bars, drag bars, etc. Find the position and style that works for you. Usually, the various body styles come with set bars, but they can be changed so they are more comfortable for you.

Most importantly, get out there and test-fit some of these body styles. Don't worry about power, or battery configurations yet. Just test to see how comfortable it is for you. If it's not comfortable, you're not going to ride it.

2. Buy for distance
How far is your commute?
Where do you go in a typical day?
How many miles do you cover before you get to a recharge point?
Are you allowed to recharge a battery at your office?

Evaluate all the above questions and figure out how much distance you'll need to cover before a recharge.
If you go a pretty signification distance, look for Lithium Ion or Lithium Polymer battery packs. They're lighter and smaller, but more expensive.
If you need to keep costs down, double up on SLA (sealed lead acid) batteries, such as 48v, 60v or 72v, 30-40ah.
If you will recharge at work, make sure they're removable and light, such as 2x 24v, 20ah battery packs (right), so you can bring them in one in each hand.

3. Finally, buy for power
This part is the easiest of them all. Just like car racing, power (speed) is proportional to how much money you want to put in. Same thing with China Segway.

If you have found an e-scooter style that you like and that fits you comfortably and have calculated that your commute is realistic when it comes to an e-scooter, then power is easy....buy the most power you can afford; you'll thank yourself in 6 months' time.

Keep in mind that these speeds are all at full charge, so you only get about 15 mins at this speed. On average expect speeds about 10% slower than the listed above for realistic daily riding.


Well, there you have it, a few tips on preparing to buy an electric bike or electric scooter. Please leave a comment if you think this guide has been helpful...

Chinese Company Verification: How to Vet Suppliers

Two often I hear Buyers making supplier selections on highly arbitrary factors, primarily the responsiveness the sales rep on the other side. Such factors are largely irrelevant. A supplier selection without the right data is often the root cause of quality issues further down the road. In this article, we explain how you can perform a China Company Verification by analyzing their documentation. This procedure can be managed from your office, and doesn’t require an on site visit.

Considering it a first step of the selection procedure, as there are limitations to what can be done from a distance – as compared to more comprehensive, and far more expensive, factory audits. The ideal outcome is identifying a number of potential candidates. In this article, we look into two sets of documentation, company related documents and product related documents, and the role of buyer references and US customs data.

Company Documents

a. Business License
Every registered company, regardless of type, in Mainland China, has a business license. The business license contains key information about the company, that can tell many things about the supplier. For importers there are two parts of particular interest:
Registered Capital: All limited liability companies have a set registered capital. The registered capital amount indicates the size of the company. The more, the better – and a company with a very low amount, below RMB 500,000, is likely a trading company. Not a manufacturer. It’s hard to set a minimum limit, as it varies by industry. Watch manufacturers, for example, tend to have below RMB 1,000,000 in capital. Watch manufacturing is a low value added industry, and the need for capital (both in terms of money and machinery) is rather low. However, in other industries, say LED displays, RMB 1,000,000 is far below the minimum. I suggest that you look at the ratio, between different suppliers in a given industry, rather than fixed minimum numbers.
Business Scope: Specifies the nature of the company. For suppliers of goods, the specific type of products is listed. The business scope can be very helpful in determining whether or not you’re dealing with a ‘proper’ manufacturer, or a trader. For manufacturers, the listed products tend to be more specific, and within the same category. Also look out for terms like ‘production’ and ‘assembly’. Trading companies, on the other hand, tend to include products of very different nature (i.e. electronics, watches and textiles). If the business scope only mentions ‘wholesale’, ‘trade’ and ‘distribution’, it’s most likely a trader.
Keep in mind that the business license is only available in Chinese language. Suppliers have no reason to refuse sending a copy of their business license, but if they do, request them to share their business license / company registration number. With this number, you can access the very same information on Chinese government websites. However, the online company databases are exclusively in Chinese language.

b. Bank Account Details
Payment frauds are relatively common. That being said, confirming the supplier’s bank account details early on is not only a fraud prevention measure, but also quite telling in itself. This is what you should request:
Beneficiary Name: The company name of the bank account holder must match the supplier name. Never pay to a personal bank account, or one that is not matching the suppliers English language company name.
Country / Region: Many suppliers, especially those based in Guangdong province, hold offshore bank accounts in Hong Kong. This offshore account is almost exclusively held by an offshore company, rather than the company entity in Mainland China. Yes, it may sound complicated, but in short this means that there is no direct link between the actual manufacturer, and the seller of goods. In case of dispute, a scenario that shall never be ruled out, it’s easier for the supplier to evade responsibility.

c. Quality Management System Certificate
A Quality Management System (QMS) is a set of rules and processes for monitoring quality throughout the production line. There are various standardized protocols, with ISO 9001 being the most common. If a QMS is applied properly, the risk of defective products is vastly reduced. In order to prove compliance with a QMS, which is required by many overseas buyers, a supplier can choose to go through yearly audits. A passed audit results in the issuing of a Quality Management Certificate. This is what you should be looking for:
Product Scope: The QMS is only valid for the products / product categories listed on the certificate. This shouldn’t differ much from the products specified in the business scope.
In principle, the same checkpoints apply as for the Quality Management Certificate. But, why is Social Compliance (i.e. BSCI) and Environmental (i.e. ISO 14001) Certification relevant? Apart from the obvious ‘feel good’ factor, you should consider the following:

1. Suppliers with BSCI and ISO 14001 have often ensured compliance to attract large overseas buyers. Such suppliers are more likely to maintain high standards in both technical and managerial terms.

2. Social and Environmental Safety matters, even from a strictly commercial perspective. You don’t want to be associated with suppliers guilty of labor violation and contamination of the local environment. The Chinese government has stepped up enforcement of environmental protection laws, in the last few years, resulting in crackdowns in entire industries. Last year I had the unpleasant experience of dealing with a shipment, held by a supplier who was forced to halt operations due to said violations.