Be Inspired!

Be Inspired Today!

Be inspired today, think and act!  This is a magic formula for success in any business.  The last word, 'act', however is the most important.  Remember how many times you had that fantastic idea of doing something totally extraordinary, something different, but then...then the routine of every day (StarBucks, office, staff meeting, quick lunch, business meetings, traffic jams, dinner, TV or Internet, sleep) would take its daily toll on your time.

I urge you to act, be creative and try to make just a little step towards something new every day.  Just make that step and you will feel the difference in your heart.

In this page I will provide you with short stories, useful tips and advice on doing business in Russia.  Some of them are based on my experience, many -- shared by my colleagues, business clients and my readers.  I will also add some curious and interesting examples from Russian history, so that you can learn from the past (which is always helpful).  And finally, I will be glad to publish your own feedback on how to best understand Russia. 

To begin with, here is my own formula for finding a great business partner in Russia.  More of these useful tips on finding your partnerships in the Russian ICT field is in my upcoming book - "Riding the Russian Technology Boom" (www.russiantechboom.com).  Enjoy!

Your Russian Compass:

1) People: look, meet, converse with them. Be human! Know that there are people around who can serve as catalysts and connectors for your business, or maybe know who else could. Don’t make your contact database a herbarium filled with dried leaves, enliven your contacts, and go out for a “hunt”. Meet them. Make them your friends. Be genuinely interested in what they’ve got to say. Absorb their knowledge, learn their connections – win the deals. Then, give back your share to the society you live or work in. 

2) Market: what is it that you want to bring to this market? How good is your stuff? Learn your market segment’s dynamic. Be a “pro”. Focus on your segment, but see the whole picture. Then, define the best strategy. And have an alternative, always have diverse ways to look at the situation.

3) Find the tools and build your network. Get into the field and smell the earth (remember how Russell Crowe’s Gladiator smelt the earth for a successful battle).  Pull up your sleeves and browse the lists, know more than your Russian rep would guess that you know. Always respect your competition – pair with it when necessary.

4) Always find leverage -- the wisdom is always like this: 1+1 = 3. There is always a third element that will help you to lift your business (like Archimedes proposed). Government doesn’t bite, it’s not a dog – try to be on good terms with local government, and if necessary get help from your Embassy. Know your strength with the government bureaucracy – be nice but persistent.

An excerpt from "Riding the Russian Technology Boom". Chapter 4. Steps to Finding a Russian Business Partner in the Russian ICT Sector.

My story line is pretty simple – you must believe in what you are doing to succeed. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. I believe that if you find a reliable and trustworthy partner in Russia, it is a guaranteed long term success for your business, and more importantly, for yourself personally.  For over ten years I’ve met with new companies, introduced Western and Asian companies to their Russian counterparts, written market reports and identified the trends. And it was all for one truly incredible market – the telecom and IT market (ICT) in Russia. Yet, you must do it now, before it’s too late, before you’ve got to jump into the last carriage with tightening competition. 

If your company has a fine product or service, Russia is your market. If you are looking into investing in emerging ICT markets, Russia is your market. If you are not interested in Russia at this point, reconsider, as Russia must be your market.  Now, to be successful here, you must know the rules of the game. And every rule is written by people, forged by relationships and trust. These are very important elements of the Russian business mosaic. Finding a reliable partner – investing your time and efforts into new relationships – brings trust and long term relationships.

Therefore, I created a unique resource for you – www.GidaByte.com – which will serve as your guide to Russia. GidaByte features the following pages:

Market News – Latest ICT News from Russia
A-Z of Russian Telecom – Telecom Market Reviews
Russian IT Mosaic – Latest Trends in the IT Sector
Special Event Coverage – Largest Trade Show Coverage (SvyazExpoComm, CSTB, ITU, etc.)
Event Schedule – Calendar of Events

In addition, you can get access to government and ICT business contacts for free, as well as check some latest regulations, certification and licensing procedures in the "ICT.GOV" section of this site, and ICT Catalogue. On top of that you will be able to read exclusive interviews with some TOP industry players helping to find you your success story in Russia and Asia (please browse Success Story Section). And just so that you feel completely informed, I designed a special bi-monthly newsletter – GidaScope – so that you can read the latest industry news at your convenience.

Living in Hong Kong, I also made sure that you keep your eyes open to the latest developments in the ICT sector in South East Asia.  In GidaByte’s Asian Focus I will regularly cover various Asian telecom markets, helping you to build new valuable connections.

I’d welcome hearing from you. Tell me about yourself, your product, your idea, and let’s see what we can do for you in Russia.

Sincerely,

Andrey N. Gidaspov