May 14
Updates on the internet and social media in China
This resource also can be found on the IFI Global Guides website and on IFI’s Storify page.
China prospect research guide now online
Six months ago, I released China: A Guide for Prospect Researchers in PDF format. I wrote the guide to as a training manual for individuals who wanted to learn how to conduct prospect research in China and Hong Kong. The guide included dozens of links to resources covering everything from news outlets to private equity.
Of course, links break quickly, and new research tools go online all the time. My goal has been to find a new format for the guide that would allow me to update its contents easily on a regular basis. To that end, I just re-launched the guide as a subscription-based online resource, which is now available at www.ifiglobalguides.com.
This new format will allow me to update the links in the guide, add descriptions of new research tools as they become available, and include how-to videos in the text. As I make these changes, I will post updates on that website’s Updates page.
You can learn more about the online guide in the video below. If you have questions, please let me know!
This week’s international prospect research news
Business
The Wall Street Journal looked at how some of South Korea’s conglomerates involved in the construction industry are dealing with the current real estate market decline.
ArabianBusiness.com looked at the “UAE’s 30 most profitable companies.”
Art Collecting
JingDaily asked, “China [is] now the world’s largest art and antiques market, but what does it mean?”
Real Estate
A new Lloyds TSB International Global Housing Market Review found that home prices in “emerging markets saw the biggest increases … over the past decade.”
Philanthropy Report
At Dasra‘s India Philanthropy Forum last week, Bain & Co. released the 2012 edition of its India Philanthropy Report. You can read tweets from the forum by searching for the hashtag #IPF2012.
Background reading
The Academic Impressions website featured two articles based on an interview with Gretchen Dobson, author of Being Global: Making the Case for International Alumni Relations: ”Transitioning International Students into Your Donor Pipeline” and “Engaging International Alumni.” Along with these articles, you will see a link to my upcoming AI course on international prospect research.
International prospect research news
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who completed my APRA pre-conference workshop survey. Your answers will be very helpful in planning this event. (By the way, if you haven’t taken the survey yet, please do … and thank you in advance!)
Real Estate
Arabian Business posted a slide show of the 20 most expensive homes in Dubai.
Continuing a trend that began in the fourth quarter of 2011, real estate prices in China have continued to fall, according to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required).
Homes of the Rich profiled four properties in London with market values or asking prices of £39.95 million (US$63 million), £37.5 million (US$58.96 million), £11.25 million (US$17.6 million), and £9 million (US$14.1 million) respectively. The website also showed a Sotheby’s listing for a 29,000 square foot home in Montreal with an asking price of C$18 million (approximately the same in US dollars).
Business and Finance
Legal changes in Switzerland will bring the country’s definitions of fraud and tax evasion into line with those of other countries, according to Bilan (in French).
The FT‘s beyondbrics blog looked at the relatively small dividend payouts by South Korea’s family-controlled businesses, which are facing pressure from minority investors over the issue.
Wealth List News
The New Zealand Herald ran an article last week about how that country “is fast becoming a favourite spot for global billionaires.”












