четверг, 28 июня 2012 г.

How to find business partners in Russia

Well, here I am writing this thing. Funny, because I am actually a Russian, looking for foreign business partners. so yes, pick me! Pick me! Ok, right, first you have to think...

I have gained most of my experience in the b2b products sector, so I will be looking into the key issues of the sphere.

The main boundaries, Russian partners might help to pass are the following: certification, customs clearance issues, various internal regulations, regional markets.

Unfortunately, Russia is a very dynamic bureocratic state. So, if you are looking for effective partners, you need to make sure, the people you are going to work with have recent (not older than 6 months) expertise in the field. Remember, Russia is permanently on an italian strike. You may master the laws and regulations, but unless you work with the internal order of government institutions, all this knowlege will do little. The situation regarding the certification of some items is a good example. You can only acquire certificates for some products in Moscow, even though, the regulation allows them to be certified country-wide. This seems to be an inside-institution agreement, but the inner workings might be as complicated as one's imagination allows.

Strictly speaking, you should check the reputation of your partners. Russian courts find it hard to cope with trademark ownership issues of lesser brands, so "mimic private labelling" is not a too rare occasion. So, there is a chance that a strong and well-connected company might jst stop buying the goods one day, while increasing sales on and on. As anywhere in the world, it is very important to estimate the opportunities and capabilities.

Just remember: Russia is a country of wonders. 

Комментариев нет: