Vietnam Business Guide GETTING STARTED IN TOMORROW'S MARKET TODAY
Kimberly and Brian Vierra have written the most useful guide I have seen for foreigners who want to do business in Vietnam. I've spent years in the country, but I learned a lot from this book. It's full of practical information about unique aspects of Vietnam's business culture; registration, legal and tax issues; working with local business partners; living conditions in Vietnam and industry-specific opportunities. Interviews with experienced expatriates bring the issues to life. The Vierras are very frank about tough problems such as corruption, but they also convey a real affection for and understanding of this wonderful country. Raymond Burghardt Former US Ambassador to Vietnam; Director, Indochina Capital Corporation
Vietnam Business Guide is the book that every seasoned Southeast Asia hand, bellied up to a Saigon bar, says he ought to write. Be thankful the Vierras made good on this common boast. Unstinting, pragmatic, penetrating and incredibly accessible, this highly readable volume may not keep you from the suffering the pain of starting up, but—if read closely, with a yellow highlighter—may very well spare you the agony of undue blood-letting. There will be blood, but Vietnam Business Guide will mitigate the flow. James Sullivan Managing Director, Mandarin Media; Author, National Geographic Vietnam and Over the Moat
Vietnam Business Guide provides practical and balanced information about Vietnam for foreigners to plan their first steps to enter the market. What separate this book from others are its reality and practicality, brought about by both the authors who themselves are entrepreneurs having walked the same journey and the experts who contributed their experiences on different topics throughout the book. The business landscape in Vietnam is speedily changing. Some facts, by the time you read the book, may need updating but still it serves best in providing newcomers essential starting points—a should-read book for those who consider doing business in Vietnam! Vu Minh Tri General Director, Yahoo! Vietnam Co. Ltd.
I believe that Vietnam Business Guide has been very objective and true to its purpose. It covers almost all relevant business and personal challenges that one would face in Vietnam, with the authors' firsthand experience shining through in their handling of culture issues and the Vietnamese mindset. Despite the constraints on size, it has sufficient details and a wealth of references to guide entrepreneurs and business executives in the right direction. Crisply written with interviews and real-life anecdotes, it makes for a very interesting read. A must-read book and an invaluable tool kit for anyone looking to Vietnam for business. Manish Dhawan Vice President — Coffee Division, Olam International Limited
Brian Vierra graduated from Whitman College with a B.A. degree in Economics and went on to complete a Master's degree in International Management at Portland State University. Prior to founding two successful
businesses in Vietnam, he was the import manager for the New York branch of a global logistics firm. Before this, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, East Africa, working as a university economics instructor. Brian is currently the director of Embers Asia Ltd. and the managing director of Phat Tire Ventures. Both companies have operated successfully in Vietnam for more than seven years.
Kimberly Vierra graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics (honors) from Lewis and Clark College, and a Master's degree in International Management from Portland State University. Kimberly has been a Senior Consultant with ORC Worldwide's Singapore office since March 2007, after relocating from Dalat, Vietnam where she was the co-founder of Embers Asia. Previously, she was a consultant in ORC's New York headquarters where she consulted with Fortune 500 companies on their international assignments programs. Prior to ORC, Kimberly worked in the International Assignment Solutions Technology Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City, and before this worked in the International Human Resources department at Nike, Inc.'s world headquarters.
