Entries tagged as supliers

American enterprise was always fuelled by the inspiration, ideas and drive of small businesses that aspire to become successful. In 2009 with shrinking economy and banks seriously limiting  access to credit, small and midsize businesses suffered the most. Healthcare legislation created more confusion because many business waited to see what it will actually cost. The new 2011 budget presented today by the government pays close attention to these matters and rightly so. But does it do enough?

In my recent conversation with Andrew Reich, Founder and General Manager of InTouch Manufacturing Services Ltd., a company that delivers quality inspections in China, we touched upon the issues facing western companies sourcing from Chinese manufacturers. Andrew who is fluent in Mandarin, has been living and working in China for the last 7 years. According to Andrew, one of the burning issues in this equation is the personal interest of the freelance inspectors, typically locals, that can be swayed to "improve" their report by sweet deals from the manufacturers. To put it bluntly - bribery.