Post: #1

http://www.businessinsider.com/early-les...ier-2011-8

This article, in addition to my recent revelation that I am better connected in Mexico and Colombia than I realized, have started to make me think about potential opportunities in the future as a middleman of sorts between Asia and Latam.

Countries in Asia of interest:

-South Korea
-China
-Taiwan
-Vietnam
-Indonesia
-Cambodia

Countries in LatAm of interest:

-Mexico
-Colombia
-Brazil? (not sure if I want to invest in learning Portuguese)

Is anyone already operating to some degree between Asia and Latin America in a business context?

I guess we can throw Africa into the mix as another frontier resource-rich continent. Pitt, I"m looking at you.


"The Art of Good Business is being a Good Middleman."

-Layer Cake

Post: #2

So are there a considerable number of asians doing this? Why would Mexicans, Columbians, and Brazillians be interested in doing business with an Asian, when Chinese investments in Brazil are lowering, and Latin America increasingly doing trade in South Asia?

Post: #3

I think outbound Chinese investment by the PRC government, and other macro trends such as increased trade between India and Latam, are not very relevant to smaller scale enterprises and ventures that I as an individual would be involved with. There are opportunities everywhere, I'm just sniffing around to see if I can squeeze some value out of two strong networks I have.

Post: #4

I know China is doing a lot of business in Latin America... A lot of stuff in Latin America is "Made in China." Also, if you just pay attention at the airports, every-time it just seems that I see a lot more Asians in suits traveling around Latin America...

Then you also have this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb...nama-canal

I think it just makes sense that China and the Asian nations would want to do business with Latin America. I don't know anyone involved with trade with China and/or Asia, but my gut tells me it's a growing trend.

Post: #5

Also, I did not limit my focus to China alone. I listed a range of Asian countries.

Dan, you are not the first person who has told me that "it just seems that I see a lot more Asians in suits traveling around Latin America."

A lot of them are Koreans as well as Chinese. The Japanese, I feel, have been there for a while for natural resources.

Post: #6

It's true that more and more Asians are going to SA for business but also vacation. Last time i was in Rio, there was a bus load full of Chinese men. Once in Iguaçu falls, there was 2 bus load full of Japanese tourists. Yes Latin America is becoming more and more popular among the Asians. Business wise, it is indeed a gold mine as we're talking about the 2 fastest growing regions in the world economically wise. My plan is to get to a good level of Chinese or Japanese then get into trading between China/Japan and Brasil using my lingo skills and contacts in Brasil. Indonesia, Cambodia and the rest can be a good bet if one is willing to invest the time to learn the lingo and build a network there. YMG, Brasil IS the mega power in Latin America and I would strongly suggest you to invest the time to learn Portuguese, which shouldn't be that hard knowing that you speak French and can understand Spanish. Think of it this way, Brasil is the China of LA.

Post: #7

GLOBE is one of the world's largest conference series dedicated to sustainable buisness.

Post: #8

That's an interesting way to put it VP - Brazil as the China of LatAm. Sure, the analogy makes sense in a lot of ways too, as those are the big emerging economies and rising powerhouses of their respective region. China and Brazil have some striking differences, as you know, but that debate is irrelevant given your comment.

You might be right about Portuguese. With French and Spanish under my belt it would probably only take me 6 months of living and learning to get to a level of functional fluency.

The macro trends are all there. China is consuming like crazy and LatAm produces a lot of raw materials. However, the macro trends are deceiving to a smaller operator and entrepreneur like myself. I would not get involved as an individual in something like mining.

I've become obsessed with consumer trends in emerging markets - mostly Asia but also LatAm. I think opportunity is very often largely tied to macro trends caused by demographics. When one talks about trade between LatAm and Asia, it is usually LatAm resources going to China. However, I think opportunity may lie in Asian produced goods sent to LatAm - specifically Brazil.

I think ecommerce will boom in Brazil. The Brazilian middle class is like America's in that they spend and consume at a rate arguably better than China's (I have no source for that). As such, I want to spend some time analyzing the Brazilian market and see if any ecommerce sites that took off in the US could be applied to Brazil.

All of that was one long unplanned rant, sorry if it was a bit unorganized and inconsistent. I also did a crazy U-turn on my stance on Brazil.

Post: #9

(08-08-2011 02:34 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  Is anyone already operating to some degree between Asia and Latin America in a business context?

I started buying surfboard blanks from China and distributing container loads to Hawaii, CA, OZ and Guam. We've now got orders from Costa Rica and Baja.

On top of the blanks, this factory in China has the best prices in the world for basically anything styrofoam. I have orders for a damn container of styrofoam entree boxes, and three mixed shipments of those, cups, and plates. Those orders go to Mexico and CA.

It would be cool to be the styrofoam kingpin, but my shipping is a clusterfuck. My friends and I that started the business want to remain the main points of contact when it comes to all things surfing. We didn't really plan on doing anything but the blanks, but the money is too good to pass on.

The rest of the stuff is an issue. None of us want to talk about hard based craft balls or coffee cups at 3 a.m.

What can you do for me?

Aloha!

Post: #10

I think that this is very interesting, however Latin America, especially Brazil is very protectionist. There are very high taxes on electronics, cars, etc so that local crappy Brazilian DVD players can compete. Plus i'm not too sure that they'd be so keen to jump on wiping out their own manufacturing sectors.

Nevertheless, once you can get around customs and importing hurdles, i'd think that there would be a ton of stuff that could be purchased cheap in China and exported to Latin America. Basically, pretty much all the stuff here in the US that is made in China.

Post: #11

If you can connect the markets, you would make a killing. I'm looking to investing in this Asia Latin America. I feel there are real possibilities in becoming really rich in an Asia Latin America play. At the moment i am refining my language skills through work (tengo mucho suerte en mi trabajo por que hay operaciones en America latina y me da mucho oportunidad para practicar)

I have no doubt I will be one of those Asian dudes in a suit zipping you by an airport in Latin America.

Post: #12

YMG you mentioned in a different thread that you going to start working for a Chinese consultancy. What is it that you will be doing that the firm will allow you to work remotely?

Post: #13

I won't be pissing off Mixx, is mostly what I'll be doing.

Ha, just kidding.

I'm working for an emerging markets boutique consultancy in a role that does not require me to physically be in China.

Post: #14

I've come up with a solid idea with a freshman year hall mate of mine in school. While it doesn't necessarily link the two regions, as Manilaguy suggested, it covers those particular regions with an outside demographic.

Whosyoudaddy, you are correct about the import tariffs and protectionism. Fortunately, what I plan to do will actually benefit local service providers in LatAm and will not face any import tariffs.

Post: #15

Interesting. Knowing Mandarin, Spanish, and Portugese would put a person in a good position to profit off Latin America and China trade. I think you are in position to do that since I doubt many South Americans are going to learn Mandarin because of its difficulty. Portugese wouldn't be too hard to learn as you already know French and Spanish.

YMG, do you have any interest in India in terms of biz opps? Hindi isn't a requirement for India since most middle and upper class Indians speak great English.

Post: #16

Hi Torontokid,

Thanks for your reply. This will give me a chance to go into detail about India, a rising economic star that I have never really mentioned in my posts on this forum.

I think India is a highly fascinating country and civilization, but I will not be going there for business purposes. I've mentioned this in a different thread - language abilities do not translate into success in business - business skills do. Language is just a tool. Even though there are no language barriers for me in India, I would have a steep and long learning curve as far as building a network from scratch and learning the deeper intricacies of a very old civilization.

India has many things going for it, like a large consumer base and favorable demographics. It is the world's largest democracy and one of the US's top allies in the region. I could go on for hours about the other contributions (non-commercial) that Indians have made to the world. Keep that in mind as I now go on this rant about why I will never do business in India.

For my particular case, India is mostly unappealing. I have no unique and unfair competitive advantage entering India. It would be more difficult than starting in China from scratch. Also, I have heard significantly more horror stories about people doing business with Indians than success stories - people getting cut out of deals, ripped off, not getting paid, or the Indians backing out on deals at the last minute and trying to get a better price - even after the final price has been agreed upon. There is a general sense among countless stories I've heard from veteran entrepreneurs that Indian businessmen, on the whole, seem unlikely to keep promises and are solely focused on what they can gain in the immediate situation.

This trend seems to be consistent around the world, as I've heard of these sorts of practices being conducted by Indians from Americans, Europeans, Canadians, Chinese, Hong Kong, Koreans. It's not fair to judge based on stereotypes and anecdotal evidence, but when I hear it that often, from so many nationalities, in so many different cities around the world - it's increasingly hard for me believe it's not true.

Yes, I am sure there are literally millions of reputable Indian businessmen. I know that stereotypes never apply to an entire race of people. I just don't think it's worth my effort to learn how to figure out which ones aren't going to rip me off.

I do find Indian women attractive and I think India has a generally good looking population. However, it is pretty clear that Indian girls are very prude and, as a guy in his mid twenties, I don't find that to be a good thing. Even you said to not go to India unless I like jacking off to a lot of porn.

India will, without a doubt, be an economic juggernaut in the future. If I was an American Desi with a deep understanding of the culture and had connections in the motherland, this post might be very different.

Again, I want to reiterate the immense amount of respect I have for this ancient civilization and people. The cuisine is sublime and probably my favorite in the world. I've watched countless documentaries and read dozens of hours of material on the topic of Indian geopolitics, economics, and history. I'd strongly prefer if readers, especially Indian readers, do not view this post as a racist diatribe against their people and unique place in history and the world.


Ultimately, reputation is everything in the business world and I'm afraid to say that Indian businessmen do not have a great rep.

Post: #17

Yeah, I agree with you. Don't trust Indian businessmen.
Heck, my uncle got defrauded by his own family members.

Post: #18

(08-12-2011 12:37 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  I won't be pissing off Mixx, is mostly what I'll be doing.

Ha, just kidding.

I'm working for an emerging markets boutique consultancy in a role that does not require me to physically be in China.

haha good one. Well congratulations on your new career. Will you include how to get consultancy jobs in your career hacking product? I think there would be a lot of demand for knowing how to get careers like yours.

Post: #19

Thanks. The setup I have is very unique to this specific company.

Also the career hacking product I am making is specific to China but not industry specific.

Can you specify which aspect of my career you are talking about?

Consulting is a very broad topic. It's like saying you want to get into business.

Post: #20

(08-08-2011 11:47 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  It's true that more and more Asians are going to SA for business but also vacation. Last time i was in Rio, there was a bus load full of Chinese men. Once in Iguaçu falls, there was 2 bus load full of Japanese tourists. Yes Latin America is becoming more and more popular among the Asians. Business wise, it is indeed a gold mine as we're talking about the 2 fastest growing regions in the world economically wise. My plan is to get to a good level of Chinese or Japanese then get into trading between China/Japan and Brasil using my lingo skills and contacts in Brasil. Indonesia, Cambodia and the rest can be a good bet if one is willing to invest the time to learn the lingo and build a network there. YMG, Brasil IS the mega power in Latin America and I would strongly suggest you to invest the time to learn Portuguese, which shouldn't be that hard knowing that you speak French and can understand Spanish. Think of it this way, Brasil is the China of LA.

VP, I've decided that, given your hopeless infatuation with Japan, it makes sense for you to just focus on Japanese. Japan is still the world's third largest economy and extremely resource-poor. There will be ample opportunities between them and one of the 7 or 8 languages you currently speak fluently.

Post: #21

Funny how you say Indian businessmen have a bad reputation, I am not Indian but I have heard similar horror stories about the Chinese as well.

Post: #22

(08-12-2011 10:59 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  Thanks. The setup I have is very unique to this specific company.

Also the career hacking product I am making is specific to China but not industry specific.

Can you specify which aspect of my career you are talking about?

Consulting is a very broad topic. It's like saying you want to get into business.

I think your location-free consultancy career would be ideal to many travelers on this forum. You are able to travel to different countries and still get paid while doing so.

For me personally I would like to know how you obtained a job at a emerging markets boutique consultancy. I would like to know the qualifications needed, and the networking involved- all without any mention of China. I read your China career hacking guide sample, and it seems like the guide would have some overlay with regards to general steps in obtaining a job, and industry specific jobs.

Post: #23

(08-12-2011 11:40 AM)Sparrior Wrote:  Funny how you say Indian businessmen have a bad reputation, I am not Indian but I have heard similar horror stories about the Chinese as well.

Yeah, don't get me wrong, the Chinese are real bad in that sense too.

The difference is I've been operating in Shanghai and Beijing for four years and have reached a point where that isn't as likely to happen to me.

In a place like India I'd be screwed.

Post: #24

(08-12-2011 12:01 PM)zoom Wrote:  

(08-12-2011 10:59 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  Thanks. The setup I have is very unique to this specific company.

Also the career hacking product I am making is specific to China but not industry specific.

Can you specify which aspect of my career you are talking about?

Consulting is a very broad topic. It's like saying you want to get into business.

I think your location-free consultancy career would be ideal to many travelers on this forum. You are able to travel to different countries and still get paid while doing so.

For me personally I would like to know how you obtained a job at a emerging markets boutique consultancy. I would like to know the qualifications needed, and the networking involved- all without any mention of China. I read your China career hacking guide sample, and it seems like the guide would have some overlay with regards to general steps in obtaining a job, and industry specific jobs.

Ah, that's a fairly complicated answer. The issue here is that I was so determined to work for this organization that my strategy was highly tailored to getting into this specific place. A lot of the stuff I did was unique to this company, and not even the industry.

It was a strange jump to go from the environmental field into this emerging markets field, but since I had previous work experience in two Asian emerging market economies, I was able to make a strong case about how my previous work was relevant to their company and the exact position/role that I was going to fill.

I think it's very important to know the company backwards and forwards, understand the role, and have a very compelling story about why your history has led you to this precise moment during the interview.

Post: #25

YMG,
Thank you for deciding for me. LOL Kidding aside, yes I'm hopelessly fascinated by Japan and the J-culture. No mega fly J girls have nothing to do with that fascination! However, China is also slowly but surely growing on me and I'm seriously toying with the idea of spending 3-4 months at a chinese language "boot camp" to get to an intermediate level in Mandarin in China within the next 12-18 months as I fully realize the stupendous potential that China represents. There are so many opportunities out there and I have so much potential, I just need to be less lazy and get off my lazy butt. That's the main challenge at this time as far as I'm concerned.

(08-12-2011 11:27 AM)youngmobileglobal Wrote:  

(08-08-2011 11:47 AM)Vacancier Permanent Wrote:  It's true that more and more Asians are going to SA for business but also vacation. Last time i was in Rio, there was a bus load full of Chinese men. Once in Iguaçu falls, there was 2 bus load full of Japanese tourists. Yes Latin America is becoming more and more popular among the Asians. Business wise, it is indeed a gold mine as we're talking about the 2 fastest growing regions in the world economically wise. My plan is to get to a good level of Chinese or Japanese then get into trading between China/Japan and Brasil using my lingo skills and contacts in Brasil. Indonesia, Cambodia and the rest can be a good bet if one is willing to invest the time to learn the lingo and build a network there. YMG, Brasil IS the mega power in Latin America and I would strongly suggest you to invest the time to learn Portuguese, which shouldn't be that hard knowing that you speak French and can understand Spanish. Think of it this way, Brasil is the China of LA.

VP, I've decided that, given your hopeless infatuation with Japan, it makes sense for you to just focus on Japanese. Japan is still the world's third largest economy and extremely resource-poor. There will be ample opportunities between them and one of the 7 or 8 languages you currently speak fluently.