The Importance of On-the-Ground Presence in China
- Aug 10
- 2 min read
In this Woodburn Academy webinar, Kristina Koehler-Coluccia looks at what a local presence actually gives you in China, and how to choose between an employer of record and your own entity. It runs for about 37 minutes.
About the speaker
Kristina Koehler-Coluccia is Head of Business Advisory at Woodburn Accountants & Advisors. She has spent more than two decades helping foreign companies set up and run their operations in China and Hong Kong, and she leads the firm's Woodburn Academy sessions.
What this session covers
The value of local expertise: market insight, consumer behaviour and regional variation
Navigating the regulatory landscape with people who already know it
Building the relationships that create trust with customers and partners
The operational gains: faster decisions and quicker responses
The triggers for choosing an employer of record or your own legal entity
Why this matters if you are deciding how to enter China
The choice between an employer of record and your own entity is usually framed as a cost question, but the real variables are time, control and duration. An EOR puts someone to work in weeks and carries the compliance risk. An entity takes longer and costs more up front, but it lets you invoice locally, hold intellectual property and build a team that is genuinely yours. Most companies end up doing both in sequence, and the usual mistake is leaving the switch too late.
Woodburn supports both routes, through employer of record arrangements, full China company registration, and local recruitment when you are ready to hire directly.
Watch the full session
Thinking about setting up in China?
Woodburn Accountants & Advisors helps foreign companies register and run entities in China and Hong Kong, from company registration and trademark protection through to accounting, payroll, tax and audit. If this session has raised questions about your own plans, get in touch with our team.