Indiana companies looking to China

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Every day, more American companies are looking to do business in China. 

A group at Purdue is helping Indiana companies prepare themselves for just that. 

The Purdue Global Engagement Initiative is inviting companies from across the state to develop a "China strategy." 

The strategy includes how to deal with the Chinese business culture, connect with potential Chinese partners and establish a presence in China in order to sustain those partnerships. 

About 50 Indiana businesses learned what it takes to make the leap into the global economy.  

"It's pretty intimidating just for the plain, simple fact that I'm not very knowledgeable about China. I'm learning.  That's why I came to a seminar like this. I'm educating myself on relations with the Chinese," said business owner Rob Dado.

"China's complex and yet it's simple. It's an opportunity. The local market is expanding rapidly. You can probably sell your product or service in China. But how to get there and structure that needs to be learned," said business consultant Dwight Nordstrom.

Nordstrom said if you want to do business in China, do your research. In 2010, China passed Japan as the second largest economy in the world.