Small is Beautiful
There is huge economic opportunity in China, but it is largely confined to a narrow band of society. Almost 30 years since the start of economic development, 17 percent of the rural population still live in poverty. Sustainability, social fairness and evening the spread of development are all themes of the government’s eleventh five-year plan. Yet many fledgling companies are failing because they lack opportunities to receive legal and commercial advice when they need it most.
Because the Internet offers the chance for businesses to overcome China’s vast distances, DLA Piper is working with Youth Business China and Planet Finance, microfinance specialists, to launch a microlaw website. The goal is to use the Internet to help small businesses obtain access to good advice on crucial aspects of their organization, from incorporation and employment to intellectual property and domain name registration. The new site will be live in 2008.