Advice for moving to Guangzhou

Posted by darger (44 days ago)

I am considering moving to Guangzhou for business.

As such, I have a few questions.

1. I would like to hire a local as a secretary. What would a full-time salary for a local run me? What about part-time? How would I go about finding someone to hire?

2. How does Guangzhou compare to other cities in China in terms of lifestyle? For example, Is it nicer than Beijing or Shanghai? I am also considering Hangzhou.

3. Cost of living--what would a studio (Serviced) run me? Food? Trying to keep this inexpensive.

4. In terms of industry, how does Guangzhou compare to other areas? What is Guangzhou known for as far as industry goes?

Thanks for your help.

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Posted by r_nemes (37 days ago)

1. about 2000 RMB
2. tropical heat, humidity, really only two seasons, winter and summer. it has its charm but not as foreigner friendly as beijing or shanghai
3. apartment about 3000 RMB if you go low budget
4. satellite cities outside of guangzhou manufacture everything under the sun

Posted by mcorco (35 days ago)

Hello, I am an American, living in Guangzhou for about 3 years now. If you are flexible and easy-going, Guangzhou is a very fun place to live. Where are you moving from? I'll try to answer your questions.
1. About 2,000 RMB for a full-time college graduate with no work experience. About 3,000 for a college graduate with 3-4 years business experience. Dependent on what you need the person to do (what experience you need, how many hours you need them, what level you need their English to be) you can find a wide variety of help at various salaries.
2. Beijing and Shanghai are definitely more "foreigner friendly" because .. there are more foreigners living there (therefore more imported items, restaurants, English speakers, and various other conveniences) On the flip-side.. there are more foreigners there - are you looking to enter a business that competes with other foreigners? The cost of living is much cheaper in Guangzhou.
3. A nice serviced studio runs about 3,000 RMB per month. What services are you most concerned about? I live in a 3-bedroom, wood-floored, 1,500 square apartment in the center of the city and pay 4,500 RMB per month. I prefer a larger living space and finding "service" on my own (housekeeping, etc.) You can get pretty good Chinese food in a clean restaurant for about 40 RMB per meal. Quality "Western" restaurants run about 75 RMB per meal.
4. Guangzhou/Shenzhen is the export "hub" of China. Literally every product that leaves the country runs through this area. There are factories making textiles (everything from shoes to cosmetics). There is a BlackBerry corporate office, Proctor and Gamble corporate office, international software development companies. Anything you can think of all within a 1-hour drive of Guangzhou.
Hope this info helps with your decision making process.

Posted by darger (32 days ago)

Thank you both for your input--it is greatly appreciated. First round is on me when I get to Guangzhou.

mcorco, I am coming from Boston, so I'm going to miss our winter thankfully and thanks for the detailed reply. I already checked out Beijing and Shanghai and Hangzhou, and I feel like Guangzhou suits my needs the best including the fact that there is a manufacturing base and that cost of living seems considerably less expensive than other major cities.

Just to clarify a few things:

1. Finding help: Is there any local websites where I can post to find someone as an assistant? Are there any job-posting sites where people post looking for work? Any other suggestions?

2. Serviced Apartment: a friend of a friend based in Beijing found a serviced apartment in Guangzhou in a high rise near the US embassy for 4500 rmb, BUT I think its a 1 bedroom, fairly small--definitely nice. Still I wonder if I'm paying a higher price than I should? I only need a studio or 1 bedroom so any suggestions where to look, or which buildings would be appreciated. The 3 bedroom sounds great, but way more than I need. But I would like a nice serviced apartment in a decent area.
Any ideas?

3. Business in Guangzhou--I just want to clarify that there is manufacturing being done in and around Guangzhou versus trading companies that are just re-selling for manufacturers. Also, what is transportation like to the satellite cities in terms of price and comfort? What's it like within Guangzhou for that matter?

4. Additional questions:

I would like to learn the language--any suggestions on schools or private tutors?

What is the entertainment scene like?

Other than rent for the apartment, what kind of expenses should I budget for? IE. $100/week for food, drink, etc.. $150/week?

Although I am coming to Guangzhou for my own business, I am also curious about job prospects--are there any for westerners? If so, what are they and what do they pay?

Thanks again for the input.