Small Business Tips

The Simple Step-by-Step Preparation Checklist for The China Canton Fair | FREE CHECKLIST DOWNLOAD

When it comes to product sourcing, the Canton Fair is the perfect place to look for more competitive vendor pricing or prepare to introduce a new product line. After attending the Spring 2018 show, I was able to find competitive new vendors that were more than 50% lower in price. I saw several football fields worth of options; asked directly about quality, pricing and minimums; as well as talked face to face, developing relationships I couldn’t have over email. Needless to say, the trip paid for itself 10 fold. With nearly 25,000 exhibitors, I accomplished more in 4 days than several months of online sourcing.

Of course, it’s not just as simple as hopping a plane and heading for China. You have to lay some ground work if you want to, well, get off the ground at all.

Below is our step by step guide to preparing for the Canton Fair and how to have a successful and productive time.

Book your flight & hotel

Booking your flight and hotel need to come first in order to apply for a visa, as you are required to provide your travel dates and location that you’ll be staying in your application.

Here are some useful links for finding affordable flights:

• Google Flights
• www.Justfly.com
• www.skyscanner.com

**TIP You can try using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) (link https://www.tunnelbear.com/) and set the origin location to a country with a lower economy (i.e. India or Indonesia). This doesn’t always work, but I have saved a few hundred dollars this way.

Here are some tips for finding accommodations at the Canton Fair:

1.) Airbnb at your own risk. I’ve heard good and horrible stories with Airbnb in China. Bottom line, the standard of living is different in China, and that could be a mismatch of expectations. Photos may not be what they appear. If you DO want to go this route, put on your sleuthing cap and pay careful attention to the reviews.

2.) Hotels located close to the Canton Fair are very expensive. Like $400 to $600 a night expensive. So unless you’re down for an extra luxury price tag, look for small boutique hotels or apartments. They’re much more affordable.

I stayed here: Guangzhou Baiming Fangyuan Apartment & Hotel

The staff was incredibly sweet and helpful. Before I even left the US, the manager, Timmy, sent me detailed instructions on how to get to the hotel from the metro. He was very responsive and was available by text the entire time. I’d highly recommend this place.

Apply for your Chinese visa

You must have a Chinese visa to enter the country. Full stop. At the very least, you’ll need to apply 6 weeks before you leave, but the more time you give the process, the better. I sent mine a month in advance, and I had to pay rush fees to get my documentation in time. Not the kind of stress you want before heading off on a product sourcing trip across the country.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Valid Passport
• Completed Visa Application Form
• Letter of Invitation from a Chinese company you are considering doing business with on their company letterhead.
• US Business Letter for the Canton Fair from YOUR company on your company letterhead
• Visa Photo. There are pretty specific dimensions for your official photo, so be sure to confirm here.

Letter of Invitation

I found it’s much easier to write the letter for them as they often don’t include everything that is required:

– Full name & date of birth
– Passport number
– Your company name
– Intended dates of travel
– The reason you’re visiting
– Address of location where you’ll be staying
– The signature and title of a Chinese company representative
– Chinese company stamp or seal

You can copy and fill in our easy Letter of Invitation template here:

Dear Embassy of China,

We, (Chinese Company’s Name), hereby certify (Your name), (gender), born on (DOB), (Country) Citizen with a passport # of _________________ expiration _______________,  from (your company name), will come to China for a one entry business trip from _________ to________. Therefore, we could review product designs and discuss our business opportunities.

(Your name) will be staying at ___________________________________________ (full address and name of hotel or apartment). (Your Company Name) will cover all travel expenses on behalf of (Your Name).

Please apply forthwith for Entry Visa at the Chinese Embassy with this letter.
Chinese Company Details:
Representative’s Name
Representatives Signature
Address
Phone Number
Company Seal REQUIRED

US Business Letter

US business Letter for Canton Fair Template:

Dear Embassy of China,

This letter is to confirm that (your name) is one of our employees, who is engaged as a Buyer for (Your Company Name). (Your Name) has been with (Your Company Name), as (position title), for the last ___ years, and will be traveling to Guangzchou, China from _________to ________ for total of ____ of days to conduct the following business activities:

Visit the Canton Trade Fair
Source new products to expand ________________________________

(Your Company name) is a (industry) company that specializes in _____________. While in your country, (Your Name) will visit (Chinese Company Representative), Sales Manager, at the Canton Fair, China, Guangdong, Guangzhou, Haizhu, Zhanchang W Rd.

(Your name) will be staying at ___________________________________________(full address and name of hotel or apartment) for the full duration of the trip. (Your Company) hereby guarantees sufficient funds for (Your Name) stay, as well as accommodation, round trip air transportation, and full medical insurance coverage.

Therefore, I kindly ask you to issue (Your Name), a business visa at your earliest convenience. Thank you for your assistance. Please contact me should you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Signature
Name, Title
Company Information

Submit Chinese Visa Paperwork

Mail ALL of this documentation along with your passport to the closest Chinese Embassy, which you can find here.

OR

If you want an expert to help you navigate the process, use a service like https://www.passportsandvisas.com. That’s the route I chose to take, and I’m glad I did.

When you sign up for their service, they provide a super clear checklist of all documentation needed. You’ll send them everything on the list; they’ll review and confirm receipt before taking it to the Chinese Consulate. You receive an email when your paperwork is dropped off, picked up, and when they’re mailing your travel documentation back to you. Short on time? No worries. You can pay for rush processing, so you’ll get what you need in time. In summary, less legwork for you, an experienced representative to guide you through the visa process, and the comfort of knowing exactly where you are in the process at all times. Well worth it, in my opinion.

Apply for your Canton Fair Buyer’s Card

You can always go through the registration process AT the fair (here’s where that extra visa photo comes in). But if you apply online, the line is MUCH shorter, and you save a lot of time.

You can apply online here.

Packing for an international business trip

Besides the obvious–like deodorant and underwear–I packed a few things that made a huge difference in my day-to-day experience at the Canton Fair.

• Fanny pack. Yes, I actually wore it (link to amazon listing + photo). You’re doing a ton of walking, picking things up, talking, writing, so a fanny pack saved my LIFE at the fair.
• Snacks. I walked about 7-8 miles a day at the fair (that’s how big it is!).
• Sleep kit. I pack this whenever I travel to ensure I arrive fresh and awake. It’s helpful to start sleeping according to your destination’s time clock right away. To do this I pack a natural sleeping aid, ear plugs, eye mask + socks and I keep them together in a small zip up. The sleep aids are also super helpful for when you arrive, China is 12 hours ahead of East Coast time, so do yourself a favor and bring backup for your trip.
• Power converter. American electronics use a different electrical setup than units abroad. If you want to stay on the grid, you’ll need a power converter. Here’s the one I bought.

• Cash: Yuan. I budgeted $50 US dollars a day and that was too much. I could of easily dined on $25 US dollars a day. You can order currency with your bank in advance.
• Your extra visa photo (for badge at the fair)
• A few cheap business cards. You’ll want to include your name , title as “buyer”, US Market (Vendors love if you’re from the “US Market”), and your email address. I also included a photo on my card, so they would remember who I was. Here’s an inexpensive option on Vista Print.

Download these useful apps before you leave

Internet can be slow in China, so I’d recommend downloading the following useful apps while you have reliable service:

• VPN (like Tunnel Bear) on your phone AND computer. China doesn’t have google or Facebook, so you’ll need it to access those sites.
• We Chat – For Texting. All of China runs on WeChat
• Didi – China’s version of Uber. Which was cheaper than Taxis (who always rip tourists off)

Cover your a** with travel insurance (optional, but wise)

I’ve travelled all over the world, and hands down World Nomads is the best travel insurance out there.

Not only is it affordable, but it covers everything. From cancelled delayed flights, health problems, to stolen devices. The best part? Applying for reimbursement of these sometimes tragic expenses is a simple and easy online process. I had several health visits in a foreign country, and I was able to quickly submit for reimbursement online. I was issued a check in a few weeks.

You can download a complete checklist for everything mentioned, Hotel, Flight, China Visa Requirements, Applying for the Canton Fair Buyer Card, Packing List, And Download List All in one complete simple print out Here.

Have you been to the Canton Fair? Any tips for traveling internationally for business? Leave them in the comments below!