Martin Darbyshire is President and CEO of Tangerine: a design consultancy with offices in the United Kingdom and Korea.

In this month's feature, "Doing business in China", Martin provides a few tips for UK designers wishing to start business in Asia. He states:

"If you haven't worked in Asia and are serious about growing a presence there, then your first step is almost certainly to contact officials at UK Trade and Invest.  China, not surprisingly, is one of UKTI's priority markets and they provide companies with a wealth of knowledge, advice and practical support.  UKTI operate a network of International Trade Teams in the English regions while in China there are Investment Teams at the British Embassy and Consulates-General. The China-Britain Business Council (CBBC) will help arrange meetings with potential clients...  But converting introductions into business will take time and commitment."

We would like to know about your past experiences working in other countries. What useful sources of information can you share about doing business internationally? What challenges have you faced in the past? Do you have any suggestions for those doing the same?