JOEL DRYDEN
joeldryden@gmail.com

CTL Business Group C.E.O. Maggie Chen likens the process to the building of a bridge – “economic globalization” refers to an increasing interdependence between nations whose economies grow in conjunction with one another, a process her company is focused on.

It is becoming necessary for modern Canadian and American companies to establish links with Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China to adapt to this new standard, Chen said. According to Michael Dillon in his book Contemporary China: An Introduction, China is set to become the world’s second superpower of the twenty-first century.

The country, which boasts the largest population on earth at 1.2 billion people, is expanding culturally, socially and especially economically. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore are similarly seeing substantial market increase, and with China represent a population of 1.6 billion people.

“The global market is emerging and our world is shrinking,” Chen said. But the advent of a global economy does not mean local businesses will be left behind as a result of this termed “economic globalization” if they successfully adapt to a changing marketplace.

According to David Dollar and Aart Kraay, authors of “Trade, Growth and Poverty” in Finance and Development magazine, economies and business that globalize are seeing increased profits, and those that do not are being left behind. For this reason, Chen established CTL Business Group in 2007 after moving to Canada from Taiwan. An experienced business and marketing consulting agent in her home country, Chen added local business and marketing training to understand Canadian markets.

I want to see business grow up,” Chen said. “I like to understand lots of different industries and markets to try and help businesses develop.” Chen said that her understanding of foreign markets as well as local markets enables her to empower local business owners with the skills necessary to not only understand an international marketplace, but to thrive in it.

CTL Business Group offers consulting to understand certain fundamentals: bookkeeping, marketing consulting, tax consulting and – ever important in an increasingly multilingual world – language training. Connecting to foreign markets is more crucial than ever, said Chen, and CTL Business Group offers Mandarin language training and translation services to businesses.

Chen said that when a business approaches CTL Business Group, the company will do marketing research and analyzing to determine competitors in the area. They will analyze the economy and culture of desired markets, and provide a marketing and business plan to clients. CTL Business Group offers consulting and advice that allows businesses to focus on their own local work, while the business fundamentals are handled. “We are experts in this area,” Chen said. “Every business wants to increase their profits and reduce their expenses. We can help them do that.”

For more information on CTL Business Group, visit www.tw.ctlinternational.ca