Chapter 2 – Selling books and content
[Note: below is a chapter from the newly released Great Wall of Numbers, now available on Amazon.com] In the Spring of 2009, a young freshman named Cena asked me a question (as in WWE John Cena – many...
View ArticleAcknowledgements
[Note: below is are the acknowledgements from the newly released Great Wall of Numbers, now available on Amazon.com] I would like to thank my colleagues at the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai:...
View ArticleIntroduction
[Note: below is the introduction from the newly released Great Wall of Numbers, now available on Amazon.com] It has become increasingly difficult to separate hyperbole and exaggeration from the story...
View ArticleForeword
[Note: below is the foreword from the newly released Great Wall of Numbers, now available on Amazon.com] “Grey,” Goethe tells us, “is all theory, and green the golden tree of life.” To really...
View ArticleA long strange trip
What began initially as leftover tidbits of research written-up for another persons book about China, momentarily morphed into a newsletter for some potential overseas investors and ultimately...
View ArticleThe market for massive open online courses in China
A quick update and illustration regarding online education in Chapter 9. South China Morning Post published an article this morning about massive open online courses (MOOCs) which are increasingly...
View ArticleSelf-publishing original content, academia, freebies and SEO
Three related questions — and some long answers — that may be of use to aspiring writers globally. Julia on FB writes, I wondered, of course, out of selfish reasons — how did you do it? Seriously — if...
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Great Wall of Numbers is now on Scribd
Great Wall of Numbers: Business Opportunities & Challenges in China by Tim Swanson Send to Kindle
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Futureproofing your English with Technology: Getting the most...
A week ago I gave a guest lecture at a local college discussing three high growth areas in China: artificial intelligence, robotics and elderly care. I also explained to the college students majoring...
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What about English in China?
A director of studies (DoS) for a foreign education company in China contacted me today and we discussed the conundrum of college education, specifically English education, in China. I devoted part of...
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Chapter 13 – IT and software services
[Note: below is Chapter 13 from Great Wall of Numbers] At the various schools, colleges and organizations I have worked at on the mainland, each facility was staffed by employees with a diverse range...
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Chapter 12 – Social Media and marketing your brand
[Note: below is Chapter 12 from Great Wall of Numbers] Unlike Chatroulette, parachute pants and cabbage patch dolls, social media is not a passing fad. Despite its IPO growing pains, with more than...
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Chapter 11 – Luxury goods, amenities and art
[Note: below is Chapter 11 from Great Wall of Numbers] As I mentioned in Chapter 3, an estimated 82 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas in 2012. At $69 billion in purchases in 2011 (and $98...
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Chapter 10 – Legal services
[Note: below is Chapter 10 from Great Wall of Numbers] I have been more or less fortunate not to have any problems with government authorities at any level (yet). However whenever you put a group of...
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Chapter 9 – The education market
[Note: below is Chapter 9 from Great Wall of Numbers] Over the past four years I have had a chance to live and work throughout China. This was done in the capacity as an instructor, teacher and...
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Chapter 8 – Sports
[Note: below is Chapter 8 from Great Wall of Numbers] In 2011 I was teaching at a college in Zhongshan, Guangdong – a mid-sized city in the Pearl River Delta manufacturing region of southern China....
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Chapter 7 – Exporting manufactured goods
[Note: below is Chapter 7 from Great Wall of Numbers] When I was teaching at a college in Bengbu, Anhui there was a small supermarket across from the main campus entrance called Joy Mart (合家福). While...
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Chapter 6 – Games, health and robotic related services for the elderly
[Note: below is Chapter 6 from Great Wall of Numbers] In October 2011 I had a bad bout with food and ended up having to stay in a hospital for a few weeks in provincial China. In contrast to the...
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Chapter 4 – Hospitality services
[Note: below is Chapter 4 from Great Wall of Numbers] What I should have done when I first flew into Shanghai four years ago was take the high-speed maglev from the airport into the city. Instead I...
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Chapter 3 – Food and beverage
[Note: below is Chapter 3 from Great Wall of Numbers] There is a famous proverb in Chinese called min yi shi wei tian (民以食为天) – eating is as important as the sky.1 Despite regional differences in...
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Chapter 19 – Health care
[Note: below is Chapter 19 from Great Wall of Numbers] Another concern that foreign medical professionals probably do not have to worry about currently is trust; or rather they may be able to find an...
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Chapter 17 – Architects, aviation and debt structuring
[Note: below is Chapter 17 from Great Wall of Numbers] There are over 170 cities with a million people in China compared with nine in the US.1 By 2020 China’s urban population will reach 800 million,...
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Chapter 16 – Localizing and understanding your customer
[Note: below is Chapter 16 from Great Wall of Numbers] My own experiences with Western fast-food establishments overseas can be summed up best by the rivalry and fortunes between KFC and McDonald’s in...
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Chapter 15 – Human resource and infrastructure challenges
[Note: below is Chapter 15 from Great Wall of Numbers] Consulting firms in China are abundant and usually just a stone’s throw away. The primary reason has to do with China’s developmental status:...
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Chapter 14 – Pop Culture
[Note: below is Chapter 14 from Great Wall of Numbers] According to the Ministry of Culture, China has now become the world’s largest TV series producer and third largest film producer.1 While...
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