Global Trade Specialists May 2011 Newsletter - Importing from China - China Trade - China Business

May 2011 Newsletter

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Finding New Ideas

Every business needs new ideas. The right idea can spark a great product line or service feature that can catapult a company’s sales. The question is, how do we find the good ones?

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day business and miss the changes that might be obvious to others, making outside input invaluable. One of the best outside sources is the people we serve; our customers. They’re at the receiving end of the way we do business, which makes their point of view second to none.

One company that has come up with an excellent way to cull new ideas from their customers is Starbucks Coffee. They’ve set up a website specifically for this purpose called My Starbucks Idea

(http://mystarbucksidea.force.com). Here, their customers can post their input on anything from a new branch location to the milk they prefer. Then, other users can post their opinions on those ideas. One post on sugar free flavorings received 25 replies; another on whether Starbucks should sell wine generated 185. There are thousands of posts on My Starbucks Idea, providing the coffee maker with a gold mine of information. It’s not all positive, but that’s okay. Understanding one’s weaknesses can be a catalyst for improvement.

If you have a website, you might consider adding a page where you ask your customers for new ideas. If you have the manpower to manage it, forums or a blog can be set up for discussions and live postings such as Starbucks does.

Or, you could ask your customers for their feedback in an email newsletter, like I’m going to do now.

If you have ideas or comments on any area of Global Trade Specialists, please reply to this newsletter and email them to me. If you’ve ever thought “it would be nice if GTS offered…” or, “Why don’t they…?” or even “Why did they do that?” I want to hear it. This will help me know how to serve you better.

Product Spotlight: Car Wheels

Wheels made from aluminum, magnesium and/or steel are available from China. Many different styles and sizes for cars and trucks available, as well as custom wheels. Contact us for more information and/or a quote. The picture below is of a forged three piece wheel; one piece wheels are also available.

The Exchange Rate

Yuan to the dollar, as of today: 6.50 to 1

Rate when the Yuan was depegged from the dollar on June 19, 2010: 6.82 to 1

Change: .32 (4.9%)

About Us

Since 1991, Global Trade Specialists, Inc. has helped companies of all sizes get their products made in China from manufacturers of quality products. We are an American company who works with three trading groups in China with immediate access to thousands of manufacturing companies. We source most products made from metal, plastic, wood, stone, glass or textiles; from prototype to production. Many of our customers are first time importers; we walk you through the entire process.