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