Frustrations.

Published by Julie Archer October 16th, 2007 in thoughts. 0 Comments

So, as usual, it looks like I’m a little slow on the blogging :)   However, this time, my lack of attention to the blog is born a little more out of frustration and not having much to write about than mere inattention to it.
So, as you might have gathered… not much has happened since the last post.  We are currently in pretty much the same boat we were in last time I posted, over one month ago.  I’m still in the midst of ironing out details on our financial statements, getting them polished and ready to present to the Board of Directors of the company I work for, to see if they’ll fund an initial, “exploration visit” to China.  I feel very ready and willing to plea my case for the board of our organization to send me to China, but the date to present keeps getting pushed back.  It feels like such a slow process; I understand why its taking so long (we need to have strong numbers before anyone will be willing to risk an investment), but am also frustrated by trying to figure out specific details in such an ambiguous situation.
In the midst of this, I feel like I’m in such a place of limbo; willing and ready and so excited to go… yet not knowing if it works out.  If this doesn’t work out, I need to find a job!  Which puts me back at square one.  I feel like I’m getting so wrapped up in such present concerns (paying rent and school loans, etc.), but… those things need to be done too.

So, in the midst of living in limbo… I’m excited and passionate, and ready to go!  But am waiting to see what lies ahead.

Progress!

Published by Julie Archer September 18th, 2007 in thoughts. 0 Comments

As always, it’s been a little while since I’ve posted.  Sorry, no excuses.

However, life is exciting and good in regards to the business plan and moving in the direction of China.  After my bosses’ return from China a few weeks ago, we were better able to discuss our next steps.  One of my on-going concerns throughout this process has been “Is this actually a feasible idea?”… and finally I feel as though I’m getting my answer.

If we are able to continue in this process, the next step for me would be to travel to China and work for an educational consulting group for three to six months.  The educational consulting group is a direct contact that my boss has in China.  This experience would provide me the opportunity to live in and get re-acquainted with China, building relationships and seeing first-hand the process behind creating and sustaining a successful (or unsuccessful) language program.  I’m really really excited for the next step because it would provide a much-needed and beneficial “stepping stone” that could help our program, and get it underway.
BUT… one thing stands in our way.  Financing.  To get the next step, we will need the financial (and complete!) support of the organization I’m currently working for.  Hopefully next week, we will present them with a proposal of why they should send me to China.  It’s incredibly nerve-wracking to know that four months of hard work could be finished in the blink of an eye.  I’m excited to see and know the outcome… but nervous as well.

So, that’s where we stand right now.  On the verge.  Its exciting to see the possibilities ahead… but it’s scary too.  It would be a total life transformation.  But I think I’m ready.

Until next time (and the verdict is in…)…

making headway

Published by Julie Archer August 22nd, 2007 in thoughts. 0 Comments

As usual, it’s been a little while since I’ve updated. HOWEVER, this time, I’ve had a reason for not updating (other than the usual “I don’t really know what to write”). So, for the past two weeks, I’ve been taking a course here at my workplace with other like-minded individuals regarding the idea of creating and running transformational business. It was really such a great experience! The first week of the course was spent in a classroom setting, watching videos and discussing thoughts that the videos evoked. It was a good time to theoretically discuss the idea of holistic business, what this looks like, and how business can be used as a tool for good (or for bad). We watched some very moving videos, such as “Darwin’s Nightmare” (on how the fishing trade is ruining a city in Tanzania), and some videos on micro credit that highlight the wonderful things that basic business principles are doing in people’s lives. When I watched the video on micro credit, I kept getting so teary-eyed! I felt so moved by the revolutionary change that occurred in people’s lives through the simple use of a small loan–something so simple, yet so revolutionary is able to change the course of life for generations of people. This is the principle that has driven me to do what I’m doing: enabling people to have the skills that will lead them to live successfully. So exciting!

The second week of class consisted of a group project where we were charged with the task of creating a business plan for a transformational business. We were put in a group with three other people, and told to choose a location and a business to develop in that location. My group knew that I was already in an internship creating a business for China, so they wanted to create a plan for China (their logic was that there was already quite a bit of research done, so why not use it? Real business men through and through :) ) SO, we chose China. We sat down and had a brainstorming session about business opportunities that we could forsee in China. After running through a few different options and their feasibility, my group (not me!) chose to develop a language program for our final presentation. This project was such a blessing for me! I have been praying for the last few weeks that the Lord would bring some other, like-minded people into my life that I would be able to bounce ideas off of for this project. I’ve had so many ideas, questions and concerns about how this business is shaping up, and it was just such a blessing to really have a group of people that I could “hash out” some of these concerns with. I found that to be such a great stepping stone to be able the bring this project to the next phase.

Lastly, one more exciting step in the journey has occurred! Last week, I spoke with a man who is located in Beijing. His job is to help people (like me and my colleagues) to set up language schools (like the one we’ve been planning) in China. His company helps to find a location, do a market feasibility study, helps us find a translator, teachers, and a building, etc. This really feels like such a great lead. This company in Beijing would be able to help us really get our feet on the ground with this program in China. How exciting! I am really anxious and excited to see how this program will play out.

Well, this has officially been a long post. Time to get back to the plan.

still researching…

Published by Julie Archer August 6th, 2007 in thoughts. 1 Comment

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted… but things sort of feel like they haven’t moved much since my last post.
As of now, my progress continues slowly, but surely.  I’m continuing to read and research about China, regulations for starting a business, the people and culture as a whole and am making some progress on the business plan.  It’s exciting to start to outline what we want this business to look like, still knowing that it will have to change and adjust to whatever environment we enter.

However, as the plan starts to further formulate, I realize the benefits of having a more team-oriented approach.  I feel like I have laid some groundwork for the foundation of the business, but would like some others who are invested in this project (even if from a distance) to run thoughts and ideas by, to get encouragement and criticism from, and to keep me on-track.  The business is feeling very theoretical, and I’m having a hard time thinking of steps to take that will make it more tangible, feel more like an actual business that is being developed.

It will be exciting to see how things start to play out as we get in the “decision-making” phase to make this plan a reality.

moving forward…but not without road-blocks

Published by Julie Archer July 23rd, 2007 in Business As Mission and thoughts. 2 Comments

Since my last update, I’ve had a few interesting encounters.

Early last week, I met with a few people who have had some significant experience in China. I met up with them to chat about their experiences, what they have viewed as the biggest sources of struggle and frustration, and the biggest chance for opportunity. Unfortunately, our encounters were a little rushed, so we didn’t have a very lengthy amount of time to chat in-depth about China. I walked away from these meetings discouraged, because the people I met with had encountered struggle and hardship in their businesses, and weren’t overly-encouraging about what I’m trying to. However, it was really great hearing their perspective on our proposed business plan, and getting input on ways in which we could strategically improve our positioning.

I also attended a seminar last week about trade relations with China, which was both really interesting and also a little irrelevant. It was a great opportunity to learn about doing business in China, cultural and business norms in China, and to meet people with similar interests. I spoke with a few people about our venture, and again ran into some skepticism. Frustrating… but not deterring.

So, as I speak with more people about our vision and mission, I have been getting a little more input that has directed our business development. A few people I’ve talked with have suggested that if we’re developing an English language school, that we direct our services toward children and teenagers. Some other suggestions included offering services to those in the business world either by evening or weekend courses, or by creating a contracting service that brings English language services to business professionals in their professional setting. I thought this was logical and insightful help. The more I think and pray for direction, the more I begin to see that this might be a beneficial direction to start heading–tailoring our services for a younger crowd, with specialized services being for business professionals.

I’m also currently in the process scouting out cities—looking at their population, what schools are already located there, etc.

So, all in all, I think we’re making progress. However, it feels frustrating to me to run into so much skepticism. I’m so excited about what’s happening and where we’re going. We understand the road will be rough. We understand there are anticipated and unanticipated challenges. However, I’m still excited and optimistic with where we’re heading. Understanding the need for relationships and strategic partnerships is crucial, and in no way would we be able to do this alone.

Does anyone have thoughts regarding China’s need for English Language Program? We’d love to hear your input on who we should target!

the first draft (and subsequent questions)

Published by Julie Archer July 17th, 2007 in Business As Mission. 1 Comment

It’s been a few days since I’ve written. Nothing concrete has really happened in regards to our business development.

However, we are making a little progress. I met with my supervisor last week, and we started to discuss how our business plan should start to be formulated. SCARY! So, I spent some time last week outlining our first (and very rough draft) of a business plan. It is so helpful to put ideas down on paper. It gives this very ambiguous-feeling business some direction. I think we’ve started to discover our target audience, what we want our competitive strengths to be, and how we hope to craft our desire to be holistically-minded into the day-to-day workings of our business.

But as we puts these thoughts on paper, a big question remains: location. Where would be the optimum location to bring a language school to China? As of now, we are looking to market our services to those in professional fields, such as business professionals, doctors, lawyers, etc. We would like to give them the English vocabulary necessary to be able to do their jobs successfully in a cross-cultural setting.

Question for the general public: Does anyone have any ideas on how to choose the best location for our business, especially when we are located in the United States? I feel at a loss as how to even approach searching for a good location, and the criteria to use to judge the benefits of an area.

Additionally, we would like to move into some of the more concrete areas of developing a business—we’re discussing finances and location and target markets. This also seems like a scary process, since we haven’t been there and are unable to assess locations and financial costs from first hand experience. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to begin to develop a financial outline for a business in the midst of ambiguity?

It’s an exciting process, piecing all the information together to form what we hope will be a transformational business. But scary at the same time. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of trust, and the willingness to take a little risk.

jesus invasion

Published by Julie Archer July 9th, 2007 in China. 2 Comments

I was chatting with someone last week about this great book I’m reading called “Jesus in Beijing”. Apparently I’m not the most eloquent speaker because they thought I was reading a book called “Jesus Invasion”… not quite the same idea.

Anyway, Jesus in Beijing is a book by David Aikman, who is the former Beijing Bureau Chief for Time magazine. It is a great resource for any Christian who is interested in getting involved with China. It gives a history, as well as a current picture, of Christianity in China. It describes the initial introduction of Christianity to China, the different missionaries throughout history and their contributions (successful or unsuccessful), as well as more recent history regarding the government’s relations to Christianity. It gives biographies of Christian revolutionaries in China, and what different movements are doing. I won’t go into too much detail, but it is certainly a great wealth of information of the presence of Christianity in China.

I’ve also been recently informed of an all-day event in my area for business people interested in getting involved in business in China. It is a “compact course on China”, giving information on China’s economy, cultural values, attitudes and beliefs, their intellectual property, their manufacturing environment and successful market entry. This should be a great way to learn about more of the “business-related” aspects of starting an international business (versus only the ministry aspects, which I have quite a few resources for). The more information, the better!

It’s been really fun to see things start to materialize. It’s been exciting and encouraging to receive names and contact information for people who are on a similar journey. I really think that this task wouldn’t be feasible if we didn’t have other people helping us out, giving us hints on people we would be able to partner with to create a successful venture for China. I feel more and more confident and encouraged about this endeavor with each new partner we make, and with feasible options starting to surface. Thanks for the notes from all of you who are on similar adventures!

a little bit of a bummer

Published by Julie Archer June 27th, 2007 in thoughts. 2 Comments

Well, I’ve been doing some pretty heavy-duty contact making the last few days. It’s been exciting to see how things seem to be progressing into more of a reality than just the intangible idea phase.

However, some of my contacts haven’t been so encouraging. That is to be expected, obviously, but a bummer none the less. Someone I was chatting with in casual conversation was very discouraging about the prospect of starting in a business in China right now, especially with the Olympics coming up and all the national changes that are expected to occur. Another friend who I had told about my China ventures through e-mail was also fairly skeptical. His degree is in entrepreneurship, and was warning me about the troubles of starting a business, especially internationally. And then today I received an e-mail from a contact I made with someone in China who commented that starting a business in China is a daunting task, especially when you’re living outside the country.

All completely understandable cautions and criticisms, which are appreciated (I appreciate reality, not blind optimism). I’m really hoping that we’ll be able to find a contact person in China who will help us make a “soft landing”, who will help eliminate some of the risk we’d have by blindly starting a business overseas. It will be interesting (and hopefully exciting!) to see how the future pans out.

small blessings

Published by Julie Archer June 23rd, 2007 in thoughts. 0 Comments

On Friday, I had my first meeting with someone to chat about China. This interaction exceeded all my expectations! I met with a former Philosophy professor from my school, whose name I had recieved from another professor I’ve been speaking with about China. I didn’t really know what to expect, especially since this gentleman wasn’t involved with business or language schools; I didn’t have very high expectations for our converation. (That just goes to show how little I know).

We just had a great conversation! This man has been traveling to China for the last 15 years, and has an amazing background in the academic world in China, gaining him a great amount of respect and admiration from the Chinese people. He provided me with such great encouragement about my vision for China, our prospect of a language school, and even gave me some great contacts. He offered suggestions on which areas of China would be most receptive to such a program, and offered to connect me with different influential people that he has relationships with in China. He also offered to host me if I do an exploratory visit to China, showing me around and introducing to different people in both the academic sphere and Christian sphere.

It was a huge blessing to have someone be so encouraging about this pursuit to go to China. It was fun to have someone share the same passion for the Chinese people, and be so optimistic about their receptivity to Christ and the prospect of a language program. He said that “China is full of a billion warm hearts”, pointing out the generosity and demonstrating his passion for the people. It was just a fun meeting.

On a different, and fairly unrelated, note, I was doing a little reading this afternoon and found some interesting quotes by A.W. Tozer. Some of his words really struck me because of the nature of my current business venture; much of the reading I have been doing discusses the benefits of doing transformation business (versus traditional missions work). This book (The Pursuit of God) was written in the late 1940’s, but addresses concepts that are still relevant today. Here are the quotes:

–”How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon our initial act of “accepting” Christ (a term, incidentally, not found in the Bible) and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls.”

–”I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of a holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”

I feel that those quotes are a testament to creating a lifestyle that enables people to follow Christ, not having their acceptance of Christ being the ultimate goal.

OK, I will end my mini-sermon now…sorry for being so wordy :)

amassing information

Published by Julie Archer June 21st, 2007 in Business As Mission. 2 Comments

I’m currently in the (tedious, but fun) process of gathering information before we even begin to devise a plan of action. I have been researching online, researching in books, researching through conversation, and reading, reading, reading. Thus far, I have read three great books.

The first book is Marketplace Christianity by Robert Fraser. This book was recommended to me by two co-workers, and is an excellent read on how to effectively integrate your faith with your career. It is especially relevant to those in the business world, and gives some good perspective on how to stay away from the “sacred/secular” dichotomy (faith and work are two completely different things).

The second is the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. I loved this book! After I started reading it and raving to all my friends about how awesome this book was, I was informed by many that these were not new and novel concepts, and this book is actually a best-seller that most people have read. I guess that’s what reading only textbooks does to someone. Anyway, I usually don’t read business-oriented books, but I think I picked this one up at the right time because it really struck me and I found it applicable to more than just business. I think the concepts presented in this book are relevant on so many levels. OK, enough, enough… if you want to discuss this book, let’s do lunch.

The third book I’ve read is God Is At Work by Ken Eldred. Another excellent read! This book is full of information on the role of Business as a transformational tool. It’s full of the strategy behind this movement, the history of this movement, the history and necessity of capitalism and democracy, excellent cultural information, and great summaries of approaches to complete transformational business (Microenterprise Development, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Overseas Private Equity). It is excellent, excellent information… I think I might need to read it twice just to let all of the info sink in.

In the midst of all this reading, I’m beginning to reach out and make contact with anyone and everyone who has experience with China. If you know of anyone who has experience with China or with a language school on any level… pass that information on!

AND I’m getting a little wordy… we’ll continue this “novel” at a later date.

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