<b>Go East, Young Entrepreneur, Go East! The Money Is There</b>

Though Asia and the Orient are considered to be West of
North America, they long ago acquired the descriptive term,
The Far East. Without going into a lot of deep research, my
guess is that since England, in it's colonial expansion
centuries ago, had many ships sailing to those areas, the
concept of Far East made sense. They got there by sailing
around the tip of South Africa, proceeding east from there.
And by sail, that must have indeed seemed a very far voyage
eastward.

INVESTMENTS WESTWARD, NEW SOURCE OF
PROJECT FUNDING

China is currently very big in the daily news and likely to
remain so. Its huge population, rapid economic growth and
burgeoning military presence all claim a lot of media
attention. Much of that media is specifically investment
oriented and billions of dollars are being invested there.
That situation is going to expand in the future.

But what about investments reversing direction?

POTENTIAL GOLD MINE FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Hong Kong, for instance, has been a major financial center
for over 100 years. And since China has regained control of
it from the British in 1999, its influence in the Far East has
grown still further. And lately, with the onset of the EU and
other countries destroying any form of bank secrecy, more
billions of dollars have been heading for Hong Kong and
other Far East financial centers. As well, Asian millionaires
and billionaires, which is a fast-growing segment, are
choosing to place many of their investments "offshore"
(outside of China) for tax reasons, much as their Western
counterparts have been doing for the last generation or two.

My point?

Virtually every Canadian and US entrpreneur is already
delivering his business plans to Angel Investors and
Venture Capitalists located in those two countries. And only
about one in 10,000 of those submissions is likely to be
funded. Doesn't it make entrepreneurial sense to look
elsewhere, even if also submitting to those sources? Don't
creative entrepreneurs keep their eyes open for unusual
opportunities to benefit their projects?

FINANCIAL SERVICES AND FINANCIAL
CONSULTANTS

If you're a serious entrepreneur with a great package, a
question you must ask yourself is: What do I know about
finding funding? If you're honest with yourself, the answer
will probably be: "Next to nothng." Or: "Not any more than
most other entrepreneurs out there." With that sort of reality
check, shouldn't you also be looking for some help?

There are many financial services and consultants to be
found on the net. Beware, however, since many of them will
make the most fantastic promises, assure you that they can
get you the funding. They will also ask you for up front
monies. If you happen into any of those, run, do not walk, to
the nearest exit.

Unless you're asking them to do you some specific service,
such as rewriting your executive summary or business plan,
do NOT pay out a any fees.

However, if you feel they are very good and want to meet with
them for further due diligence on their knowledge and
contacts, you will be responsible for their travel and living
expenses during the trip, including a per diem allowance to
cover food and transportation cost. If they're really good at
what they do, it's money well spent.

GOT ASIAN CONTACTS?

If you are seeking Asian investors, you will need to find
consultants who have those specific connections. Doing
business with Asians is very different than doing the same
business with Canadians, Asians or Europeans. A good
consultant will be able to guide you in precisely what you
need to know. Procedures, attitudes, culture, all of these
are important. How you present yourself may be critical.

A TALE OF STUPIDITY AND ARROGANCE

Capital Funds Group works with just such an Asian
investment group. One client asked to meet with them and
offered a good quality Executive Summary. Beyond that, they
failed to ask a single question about the investors, assuring
us that "we've done over a hundred presentations." Though
I'd suggested he come in a day earlier to locate himself in
relation to the meeting hotel, he had ignored that advice and
arrived late the evening before and had no chance to identify
where he was in relation to the meeting hotel.

As a result, on the day of the meeting, he



1. Showed up 45 minutes late

2. Was wearing mismatched pants and slacks, badly in
need of a pressing

3. Wore an open throated shirt with no tie

4. And defended all this vigourously, saying that he'd have
had no problem if the meeting had been in the Silicon
Valley.

I tried, without success, to get through to him that the Asian
culture is very different, that his lateness upset a very tight
schedule on which the funder worked and that lateness, his
dress and his attitude were an insult to the investor.

Needless to say, he was not offered an investment...and
blamed me!

CONCLUSION?

If you're seeking funding for a major project, you'll have to
expand your ideas of where those monies might be found.
The Far East is the new contender. Contact us to find out
more.