Market-entry strategy
Test the opportunity before you commit: market sizing, the competitive landscape, pricing realities and a clear go or no-go view.
Setting up in China, done properly
Enter China through the Jade Gate, guided by someone who has lived it.
Hands-on, senior-level support for companies in any industry planning to set up in China. Strategy, structure, partners, people and the right introductions, from an executive with two decades in Beijing and more than thirty years across Asia-Pacific.
The Jade Gate Pass
For centuries the Silk Road’s gateway into China, where traders, envoys and ideas made their entry. We help you make yours.
30+ yrsLeadership across Asia-Pacific betting, gaming and lottery markets
~20 yrsLiving and doing business in Beijing
4Board directorships held within the Entain Group
Any sectorLessons from one of Asia’s most tightly regulated industries, applied to yours
服务 · SERVICES
One trusted guide for every part of the set-up.
Rather than juggling a dozen advisers, you get a single senior point of contact who coordinates the work and the specialists, and tells you plainly what will and won’t work.
Entity and structure
WFOE, joint venture or representative office: choosing the right vehicle and steering registration with trusted, licensed legal and accounting partners.
Regulatory navigation
Mapping licences, approvals and compliance obligations for your sector, so the timetable is realistic and there are no surprises later.
Partners and introductions
Finding, vetting and meeting the right distributors, JV partners, suppliers and stakeholders, backed by proper due diligence.
People and operations
Key local hires, office location, banking and payments, and the operating basics that let a new team get to work from day one.
Governance and culture
Board-level governance, controls and reporting, plus candid coaching on negotiation, etiquette and building relationships the right way.
方案 · PACKAGES
Clear scope. Fixed fee. Senior attention throughout.
Choose the depth of support you need. Every package is led personally, and each can be extended or upgraded as your plans take shape.
1 week
Immersion Week
$10,000USD
For leadership teams exploring China who want an honest, grounded view before committing budget.
- Pre-visit briefing and goal-setting call
- Five days of dedicated support, in China or remote
- Tailored programme of meetings and site visits
- Market and regulatory overview for your sector
- Written debrief with a go / no-go recommendation
1 month
Launch Month
$25,000USD
For companies that have decided to enter and need a clear plan, the right structure and the first doors opened.
- Everything in Immersion Week
- Entry strategy and recommended legal structure
- Licensing and registration roadmap with partner firms
- Partner shortlist and first-round introductions
- Weekly progress calls with your leadership team
3 months
Foundation Quarter
$50,000USD
A true turnkey engagement: hands-on leadership of the set-up until your China operation is standing on its own.
- Everything in Launch Month
- Hands-on management of every set-up workstream
- Support in partner and supplier negotiations
- Recruitment support for key local hires
- Governance framework and a 90-day handover plan
Fees in US dollars. Travel, and third-party legal, registration and recruitment fees, are billed separately at cost. Bespoke and retained arrangements available on request.
方法 · APPROACH
Four steps from first question to a working business.
了解01
Understand
We start with your goals, your product and your appetite for risk, then test them against how China actually works.
规划02
Plan
A practical roadmap: structure, approvals, partners, people and budget, with honest timelines.
落地03
Land
On-the-ground execution: meetings, introductions, registrations and hires, coordinated from one desk.
扎根04
Take root
Governance, reporting and a clean handover, so the business keeps growing after the engagement ends.
关于 · ABOUT
Michael Charlton
A British business executive with more than thirty years of leadership in Asia-Pacific, the last two decades of it based in Beijing after earlier years in Singapore. I have built and run operations in betting, gaming and lottery, some of the most heavily regulated and relationship-driven markets anywhere, and served on the boards of four companies within the Entain Group.
That experience translates directly to any business entering China: knowing how decisions really get made, how to build trust with partners and officials, and how to keep governance tight while moving quickly. I work alongside licensed legal, tax and recruitment firms, and I will always tell you candidly what I think, including when the answer is “not yet”.
Based inPhnom Penh, working across China
Board experienceFour Entain Group directorships
ProfileLinkedIn
客户 · WHO I HELP
Built for any industry, especially the complicated ones.
Consumer and retailLeisure and hospitalityGaming and entertainmentTechnologyManufacturingFood and beverageSportProfessional services
Do you replace our lawyers and accountants?
No. I coordinate and brief licensed firms in China, so their work is focused and your costs stay under control.
Where does the work happen?
Wherever it is most useful: on the ground in China, remotely, or a mix of the two, agreed at the start of each engagement.
Can we start small and extend?
Yes. You can begin with an Immersion Week and move up to a longer package once the path is clear.
Is everything confidential?
Always. An NDA can be in place before our first detailed conversation.
联系 · CONTACT
Ready to make your entry?
Tell me a little about your business and your plans for China. I’ll come back within two working days to arrange a no-obligation introductory call.