Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with James W. Chan, owner of Asia Marketing and Management (AMM), located in Philadelphia, PA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I founded my solo consulting practice in 1983 to help U.S. firms export American-made products to China and Asia. I have since advised more than 100 multinational corporations, privately held firms, and executives on building business relationships in Asia.
Tell us about yourself
I realized when I was a teenager growing up in Hong Kong, then a British colony, that the Western and Chinese cultures have different values and will lead to many problems which require people who want to be culture brokers to guide and advise their clients.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I have been in solo practice successfully for 40 years. This is the 40th anniversary of my practice. The American Management Association in New York commissioned me as the first Chinese-American to create and lead a three-day course titled "Business Skills for the China Market." I published a well-regarded book on entrepreneurship titled Spare Room Tycoon: The 70 Lessons of Sane Self-Employment, which is still being read and valued.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
To stay passionate and motivated even during slow and down times and to be a self-starter and a jack-of-all-trades in the face of the often insurmountable barriers. To listen to clients with a sympathetic ear so that people tell you what their real problems are. That is a battle half won.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
First, know what you can do for which people are willing to pay. Second, focus on your greatest strengths instead of trying to be everything for everyone. Third, stay passionate and have confidence in yourself.
Where can people find you and your business?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asiamarketingmanagement/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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