Scaling Japan Podcast

Welcome to the tenth episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. In this tenth episode, we are joined by Erika Iwai and Allen Wong, co-founders of Sollective, which is a Japan based corporation that is re-inventing freelance in Japan by changing the views of companies towards freelancers. Join us as Erika and Allen explains the stages of their buisness progression that led them to be recognized as one of Japan’s best 100 startups in 2023 by the Toyo Keizai magazine. --- Time Stamps : 0:00 Introduction3:35 About Sollective4:44 How Does Sollective Help Freelancers?6:04 What is “High-Level Talent”10:35 What is Sollective's Competitive Advantage for Getting Into the Industry?12:35 The Stages They Have Developed as a Company and How Many Users They Have Now14:06 Stage 1: The Beginning16:38 What Is the difference between an HR Generalist and an HR BP?19:59 Does Sollective find that to be a Huge Advantage in Developing the Product?21:29 How Did Sollective Gain their Initial Users?28:26 Tips on How to Progress from the Starting Stage in the Japanese Market31:56 Business Models Changes in the Earlier Stages35:43 How Sollective Adapted their Personalities and Business Style in the Beginning38:27 Stage 2: The Investment39:43 How the Managed the Challenge of handling and balancing Companies and Freelancers in a Two-Way Marketplace44:44 Stage 348:41 How Work Contracts and the Qualified Invoice System Impacted their Business54:19 Tips on How to Progress to Round 2 from Round 159:37 About the Trust between Them and Their Clients and Final Thoughts  ---Links from Guest Appearance : Erika's LinkedIn | Allen's LinkedIn | Sollective's Website ---The Japan Scalers Podcast is produced by our companies Scaling Your Company & SmartStart Japan: Scaling Your Company : 1 on 1 advisory on sales, marketing, management Scaling Your Sales : Courses to increase your sales in Japan. Scaling Your Marketing : Creating websites in English or Japanese + SEO + MEO SmartStart : Japan Incorporation Services Discover how SmartStart can simplify your journey and fuel your growth in Japan : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://smartstartjapan.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to the ninth episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. In this ninth episode, we are joined by Paul Kraft, the Founder and President of JapanIQ, who guides multinational corporations enter and succeed well in the Japanese market. He has helped launch and scaled brands already well known around the world in Japan, including Starbucks, Nespresso and the main subject of this interview, Haribo. Join us as Paul shares how he made the world famous gummy candy brand go from #8 to #1 in the Japanese market in the span of four years, helping it go from a niche imported brand to a worthy mainstream contender. --- TimeStamps : 0:00 Introduction3:25 Initiatives4:29  About Haribo’s History in Japan7:40 The Communication of the Packages to the Customer11:45 Further Communication with Haribo with Television Advertising14:28 Advantages and Experiences as a Leader for Growth26:32 About the Competitive Nature of Convenience Stores30:18 Convincing the Internal Business Team and the Likely Obstacles that Comes40:10 Further Likely Obstacles Between the Japanese partners and Headquarters45:10 “The Death of Thinking” and Inventory50:00  “Walk the Talk”  and “Doing Things that Don’t scale”55:32 European Customer Support Time Zone Obstacles56:38 Advice before Starting Sale in Japan59:13 Consumer Understanding1:05:40 Where to find Paul and Final Thoughts --- Links from Guest Appearance : LinkedIn | YouTube | JapanIQ ---The Japan Scalers Podcast is produced by our companies Scaling Your Company & SmartStart Japan Scaling Your Company : 1 on 1 advisory on sales, marketing, management Scaling Your Sales : Courses to increase your sales in Japan. Scaling Your Marketing : Creating websites in English or Japanese + SEO + MEO SmartStart Japan : Japan Incorporation Services Discover how SmartStart can simplify your journey and fuel your growth in Japan : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://smartstartjapan.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to the eighth episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast.  In this eighth episode, we are joined by Alex Zoboli, the Co-Founder and Managing Director at Cornerstone Recruitment Japan K.K, which is a Tokyo based recruitment firm focused on placing bilingual professionals in a wide range of market leading companies. He has successfully scaled the renowned recruitment agency RGF in Japan and has since launched his own firm. Join us as Alex shares his insights on recruitment, effective leadership, and the importance of being actively involved in the recruitment process. Show notes: 00:00: Introduction5:17 Having Your Own Business10:22 What Does a Recruitment Agency Do?11:33 Twelve Industries in the Agency14:21 Scaling the Company During Stage 120:10 Ideal People to Work With and Maintaining Them27:15 Three Elements in Recruitment29:20 Adapting Through the Stages32:35 How Did You Adapt Your Personality and Business Style?37:52 The Company's Advantage and Competitive Edge42:35 Have You Had Employees Come Back?43:19 Transitioning Style and Personality46:44 Unique Strength for Japan49:47 The Founder Doing the Interview/Recruitment53:13 Bringing in Key People55:31 Effective Qualities of a Leader58:28 Challenges1:00:41 About the Guest --- Links from Guest Appearance : Linkedin | Cornerstone | Youtube Channel --- The Japan Scalers Podcast is produced by our companies Scaling Your Company & SmartStart Japan Scaling Your Company : 1 on 1 advisory on sales, marketing, management Scaling Your Sales : Courses to increase your sales in Japan. Scaling Your Marketing : Creating websites in English or Japanese + SEO + MEO SmartStart : Japan Incorporation Services Discover how SmartStart can simplify your incorporation journey and fuel your growth in Japan : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://smartstartjapan.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to the seventh episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast.  In this seventh episode, we are joined by Tracey Northcott, the founder of Tokyo Family Stays, which provides short-term rentals for those looking for an apartment and authentic home in Japan. She has successfully scaled her business to more than 25 listings and has been able to scale a solid business with two full-time staff and freelancers. Join us as Tracey shares her inspiring journey of scaling her company to its current success, all the while maintaining her unwavering commitment to ethical business practices that prioritize the welfare of both staff and customers. Show notes: 00:00 Introduction  3:19 Tokyo Family Stays and How It Began 8:01 Part-Time Residence 8:55 Target Market and Ideal Customer 15:58 Stage 1 18:23 Meeting the Demands 22:07 Challenges Faced in Stage 1 24:12 Building a Relationship with Local Communities 26:15 Debunking Myths about Living in Japan 27:27 Taking More Foreign Customers  29:33 What Would Define The 2nd Stage? 37:12 Creating A Brand  41:10 Being An Ethical Business Owner 43:15 Stage 3: Challenges and The Pandemic 46:34  How Did You Overcome This Challenge? 50:23 Why is Automation Important in The Next Stage? 57:26 Global Best Practices 1:05:01 What’s Next? --- Links from Guest Appearance : Linkedin | Tokyo Family Stays --- The Japan Scalers Podcast is produced by our companies Scaling Your Company & SmartStart Scaling Your Company : 1 on 1 advisory on sales, marketing, management Scaling Your Sales : Courses to increase your sales in Japan. Scaling Your Marketing : Creating websites in English or Japanese + SEO + MEO SmartStart : Japan Incorporation Services Discover how SmartStart can simplify your incorporation journey and fuel your growth in Japan : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://smartstartjapan.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to the sixth episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast.  In this sixth episode, Michael Stobo joins us to share his experience scaling Tripadvisor. From 2014 to 2019, he served as the APAC Group Product Manager for Tripadvisor in Tokyo, where he grew the site's revenue, traffic, and engagement. With nearly 15 years in the online travel industry, Michael recently led the technology team at Tabist, developing B2B and B2C products for the hotel sector. Currently, he is a product management consultant and leader, advising and coaching companies on all aspects of product management. Tune in as Michael discusses his expertise as a former product manager and the importance of collaborating with the right team to successfully manage a company. Show notes: 00:00 Introduction  4:14 About Tripadvisor  8:42 What Does a Product Manager Do?  11:22 Interdepartmental Communication 14:10 Programming Skills  16:44 Type of Product Manager 18:00 Working with the Right People and Team 22:22 Important Role of a Product Manager  26:39 Scaling Tripadvisor 30:41 Bringing It To Japan  35:44 Framework in Decision Making 41:17 Tips on Communicating to Headquarters  43:54 Managing SEO 48:13 Communicating with the Japanese Team  54:34 Developing Confidence and Trust within the Japanese Team  57:21 About The Guest and Travel Industry --- Links from Guest Appearance : Linkedin | Trip Advisor --- The Japan Scalers Podcast is produced by our companies Scaling Your Company & SmartStart Japan. Scaling Your Company : 1 on 1 advisory on sales, marketing, management Scaling Your Sales : Courses to increase your sales in Japan. Scaling Your Marketing : Creating websites in English or Japanese + SEO + MEO SmartStart : Japan Incorporation Services Discover how SmartStart can simplify your incorporation journey and fuel your growth in Japan : ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://smartstartjapan.com/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

This is the fifth episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast.  In this fifth episode, we are thrilled to welcome Yan Fan, Co-founder of Code Chrysalis, as she shares her expertise in guiding individuals aspiring to establish careers in Japan's software engineering and tech sectors. This insightful discussion will delve into the importance of soft skills and a growth mindset in navigating the Japanese business landscape. Join us as Yan recounts the journey of nurturing Code Chrysalis, overcoming challenges, and ultimately achieving the remarkable success it has today. --- This Episode is brought to you by Hashi Media, your agency for doing influencer marketing in Japan. They have helped major brands like Asus, Subway, and Alibaba, but they have also helped smaller companies with their social media and influencer marketing in Japan for both the foreign population and the Japanese market. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠hashimedia.com⁠⁠⁠ --- Show notes: 00:00 Introduction  3:48 Competitive Advantage: Work Experience and Growth Mindset 7:36 Career Direction and Mindset  9:43 Overcoming Challenges in Communicating Unique Selling Point  12:54 Stage 1  17:18 How Did You Communicate Success?  21:50 Community Building and Innovation 27:29 Personality and Business Style  30:02 Stage 2 32:00 Catalyst for Team Building 35:55 Other Challenges and “Grandiolarity Switching” 40:20 Unique Insights on Stage 2 45:24 Stage 3: Pivoting to Corporate Training  50:44 Challenges in Stage 3 1:02:47 Adapting to Evolve --- Links from Guest Appearance : Linkedin⁠⁠ | Code Chrysalis --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

This is the fourth episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast.  In this fourth episode, we are delighted to welcome David Macdonald, founder and CEO of DJMAC. His company specializes in corporate consulting and advisory, particularly in global and intercultural business challenges, drawing upon his extensive experience at Docomo, Disney, and YouTube, as well as his role as an outside director at KADOKAWA Corporation. Join us as David shares his journey as one of YouTube's early executives in Japan and Asia, and how he led the team that expanded the creator economy in the region. Starting with just 5 team members, David grew it to over 50 in 5 years, benefiting tens of thousands of YouTubers and businesses. --- This Episode is brought to you by Hashi Media, your agency for doing influencer marketing in Japan. They have helped major brands like Asus, Subway, and Alibaba, but they have also helped smaller companies with their social media and influencer marketing in Japan for both the foreign population and the Japanese market. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠hashimedia.com⁠⁠⁠ --- Show notes: 00:00 Introduction 1:26 What is the “Creator Economy”? 2:38 Competitive Advantage 3:17 Stage 1 and the History of Youtube in Japan 7:25 Localization of the Market 10:12 Talent Scouting Youtubers and Partners 16:05 Tips on Getting Partners on Board 19:07 The Turning Point of Youtube 28:35 Importance of Localized Content 34:40 Who are the Right People to Hire? 37:22 What Defines Stage 2? 41:46 Challenges of Youtube 47:55 Takeaways from the Interview 49:08 What’s Next? --- Links from Guest Appearance : Linkedin | DJMAC --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

This is the third episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast.  In this third episode, Elizabeth Anne Kyle shares her journey of growing Arigato Travel from its humble beginnings as a cooking class to becoming an prominent inbound tourism company in Japan. As the founder and CEO of a company with over 500 trained guides and is the #1 Culinary Tours Company in Japan, she reflects on her experiences as a solopreneur and how her vision turned into a successful tourism business. Join us as we delve into Elizabeth's story to discover how she turned her passion into a successful venture, enriching guests' experiences with profound and unforgettable experiences. --- This Episode is brought to you by Hashi Media, your agency for doing influencer marketing in Japan. They have helped major brands like Asus, Subway, and Alibaba, but they have also helped smaller companies with their social media and influencer marketing in Japan for both the foreign population and the Japanese market. Learn more at ⁠hashimedia.com⁠ --- Show notes: 00:00 Introduction and about Arigato Travel 03:59 Target market & competitive advantage 07:56 Stage 1 12:28 : Challenges & Solution in Stage 1 19:33 : Advantages for a foreigner in Stage 1 32:41 Adapting your personality to the business 34:47 Stage 2 (going from food tour to full plan inbound) 40:51 Importance of a good Internship program for a business 44:15 Having good accounting in Stage 2 49:10 Challenges during the pandemic 54:51 How to maintain service quality as you scale 57:42 What's next for Arigato Travel? --- Links from Guest Appearance : ⁠Linkedin⁠ | Arigato Travel --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

This is the second episode of our new series Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episodes, so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast. In this second episode, Bela Schweiger will share his story as an expert in scaling Häagen-Dazs. With an impressive track record including collaborations with major brands like The Coca-Cola Company, Nokia, General Mills, and L’Orèal, Bela shares his knowledge into spearheading the transformation of Häagen-Dazs in Japan and pioneering AI-driven ESG solutions for the Japanese market. Join us in today's episode as we look into Bela's experiences with innovative strategies and strategic partnerships that drove the successful revamp of Häagen-Dazs, imparting valuable lessons for businesses in the Japanese market. --- This Episode is brought to you by Hashi Media, your agency for doing influencer marketing in Japan. They have helped major brands like Asus, Subway, and Alibaba, but they have also helped smaller companies with their social media and influencer marketing in Japan for both the foreign population and the Japanese market. Learn more at hashimedia.com --- Show notes: 00:00: Introduction 02:14: What type of companies do you typically help to expand the Japanese market? 11:05: Advice on scaling your business and brand in Japan 14:50: About Häagen-Dazs coming into the Japanese market 24:40: About innovation and new product development 31:32: What was the situation when Häagen-Dazs first brought you in? 35:46: Dynamic change in Häagen-Dazs Japan 39:22: Brainstorming and its role in scaling up your business 45:10: Case Study of Costco Japan wanting a product due to a Korean Manga 46:32: Problems faced with Häagen-Dazs 49:28: Overcoming problems through the use of vending machines 53:05: Secret to scaling --- Links from Guest Appearance : Linkedin | Life-Lab --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠

This is a very special episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast. It will be our first of many episodes on Japan Scalers. In this series, we will only interview guests who have surpassed 100 million yen in revenue annually. We have many interesting guests lined up for the upcoming episode, so make sure to follow us on social media and stay up to date with the podcast. In this first episode, Tyson himself will share his story as the co-founder of One Coin English, an English language school. With over 8000 students and a team of 200+ employees, Tyson shares how he scaled the company from scratch, leveraging unbeatable pricing and strategic locations. Overcoming initial trust hurdles, he overcame challenges like teacher recruitment and promotional overflow. Tyson walks us through the stages of growth, from proving the business model to expanding to multiple schools. He emphasizes the importance of building a resilient team, seizing timing advantages, and transitioning from founder to business leader. Show Notes : 0:00: Introduction1:12: What company do you scale?2:35: What was your company’s competitive advantage?2:57: Problems faced during this scaling process4:42: Stage 1: What were the stages of One Coin English?5:17: Advantages and how you utilized them8:39: Challenges faced at this stage10:24: Unique insights12:50: How did you adapt your personality at this stage?16:05: Stage 2 of Once Coin English: can we actually scale this business model or not?17:09: Advantages and how you utilized them in stage 2?20:10: Challenges faced at this stage21:35 Unique insights22:44: How did you adapt your personality at this stage?26:33: Stage 3: Becoming a professional company.& advantages at this stage30:30: Challenges faced at this stage36:07: Unique insights --- The Japan Scalers Podcast is produced by our companies Scaling Your Company & Launch LabScaling Your Company offers several services Scaling Your Company : 1 on 1 advisory on sales, marketing, management Scaling Your Sales : Courses to increase your sales in Japan. Scaling Your Marketing : Creating websites in English or Japanese + SEO + MEO Launch Lab : Japan Incorporation Services Discover how Launch Lab can simplify your journey and fuel your growth in Japan : ⁠⁠https://launch-lab.jp/⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠

Welcome to another episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast! In this episode, we’re thrilled to host Vijayalakshmi, a seasoned entrepreneur with over 13 years of experience in entrepreneurship, innovation, and education. Vijayalakshmi is the founder of FOX Academy and ATIK Energy Solutions. Vijayalakshmi dives deep into the startup visa process, sharing who should consider applying, the limitations involved, and specific insights into Hokkaido’s Startup Visa Program. She covers essential requirements, from eligibility criteria for various types of startups to the critical steps in creating a business plan. --- Timestamps: 02:53 Starting the Journey | How Viji Obtained Her Startup Visa05:46 More About the Startup Visa | Who Should Apply and Limitations07:11 About Hokkaido’s Startup Visa Program11:17 What Hokkaido Looks for in Visa Applicants13:18 Eligibility for Non-Tech Startups15:49 Process for Obtaining the Startup Visa18:47 Essential Business Plan Details | Expected Timeline26:05 Support Available from the Local Government29:08 Business Restrictions During the Startup Visa Period31:12 Costs Associated with the Startup Visa32:16 Tasks Required of Applicants33:33 Tips for Applying for a Startup Visa36:21 Transitioning to the Business Manager Visa40:12 Support Options for the Business Manager Visa44:50 Costs Associated with the Business Manager Visa46:28 Major Advantages of Starting with a Startup Visa48:59 Post-Company Formation Filings51:25 Office Requirements for Startup Visa vs. Business Manager Visa54:59 Post-Incorporation Notifications for Company Setup --- Connect with Vijayalakshmi on LinkedIn Explore courses at FOX Academy --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to another episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast! In this episode, we’re excited to have Apolline Daimaru, a branding expert with a wealth of experience in helping businesses establish their identity in Japan. Apolline dives deep into the world of branding, sharing her insights on how startups can effectively build a brand, the tools and components involved, and the timeline for creating a lasting impression in the market. She also discusses when startups should start investing in branding, common mistakes made in Japan, and how understanding Japanese culture plays a crucial role. Tune in as she covers these topics and more, including trends in Japanese branding and a few fascinating rebranding projects. ---Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 3:55 What is Branding? 8:28 Branding for startups 11:49 Building a brand & tools and components involved in creating a brand 14:03 How long does the branding process take for startups & small businesses 16:39 When should a startup start to invest in branding? 22:18 Some steps startups could take to create their own brand 26:22 Pros & Cons of in-house branding vs freelance/agency 31:18 What are some common mistakes that startups in Japan make 34:50 How important is understanding Japanese culture for successful branding? 43:22 Branding trends happening among Japanese people 48:45 Example rebranding projects --- Reach out to Apolline on her LinkedIn⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠ Visit nowthen on their website⁠ ⁠here ⁠⁠ --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to another episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast. Today we are joined by Yuga Koda, the CEO of Nihonium, a company dedicated to helping SaaS companies successfully enter the Japanese market. Nihonium works closely with foreign software companies, guiding them through the complex process of localization and adaptation to Japan's unique business landscape. Join us in this episode as Yuga shares insights into the software gaps in Japan, how Nihonium supports the growth of foreign software companies, and the crucial role localization plays in building trust with the local market. We’ll also dive into cultural differences between Japan and the West, and Yuga will provide key advice for startups looking to establish themselves in Japan. Stay tuned for a deep dive into navigating Japan's evolving tech ecosystem. ---Timestamps: 00:00 introduction 2:36 How Nihonium is helping SaaS companies enter the Japanese market? 9:05 What area of software are Japanese companies lacking? 11:41 Are domestic startups in Japan filling up the software gap? 12:23 Entry options for foreign software companies. 32:23 Gaining trust out of the local market/ Why is localization so important? 41:46 Cultural differences between Western vs Japan 51:50 Marketing in Japan 1:10:13 Advice for startups entering into Japan --- Reach out to Yuga on his LinkedIn⁠ here⁠ Visit Nihonium on their website⁠ here ⁠ --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Welcome to another episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast. Today we are joined again by Beau Becker, the CEO of Reiwa Pharmaceuticals in Japan. Reiwa Pharmaceuticals produces an anti-flush drink called Akan and has experience incorporating in Japan and helping others incorporate in Japan. Join us as Beau talks about his experiences whilst creating a bank account in Japan and the recommendations for the best banks for foreign entrepreneurs and workers in Japan. --- Show Notes 0:00 Introduction 5:03 The Four Stages of the Fast Track Banking Strategy 28:37 About the Required Residence Status 32:51 Limitations and Technicalities of an employment business 34:27 English Service Banks in Japan 36:22 What Kind of Stamps Are You Going to Need? 38: 55 About the Account Booklet 41:45 Mega Banks 47:21 Different experiences with Shinsei Bank 50:33 Online Banking 56:51 The Business Plan and Needing a Website 1:00:23 Credit Unions 1:04:10 Does He as a Service provide advisory to Companies that need help with the Business plan for these loans? 1:10:43 Final Thoughts --- Reach out to Beau on his LinkedIn Be sure to check out Reiwaseiyaku and their Instagram  Beau also wrote two extremely popular articles on creating a bank account and incorporating a company, which you can find below:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/guide-corporate-banking-japan-beau-becker/⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/guide-incorporation-japan-beau-becker/⁠ --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠⁠

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast. Today we are joined by Eli David Rokah, the CEO of StartupBlink, a startup ecosystem research center working with over 100 government entities, corporate innovation programs, and multilateral organizations worldwide. Their global startup ecosystem map has hundreds of thousands of registered start-ups, co-working spaces, and accelerators, creating a robust sample of innovation globally, being well known for creating the startup ecosystem index of 1000 cities and 100 Countries.   Join us in this episode as Eli explains StartupBlink’s Index, where Japan and its cities are ranked amongst the other countries and the industries the Japanese government should focus on in the future --- Show Notes 0:00 Introduction 3:12 Overview of StartupBlink and the StartupBlink Index 5:06 The Highest Ranking Japanese Company 23:51 Japan’s performance in 2024 30:21 Further Thoughts on the support from the Japanese Government 38:15 Other facts about Singapore that makes it much easier for Startups 44:06 More on Business Environment Versus Overall Rank 47:37 Industry Specifics 49:21 Trends in terms of Industries 52:33 What Industries should Tokyo Focus on and any Final thoughts for any policy makers? --- Reach out to Eli on his LinkedIn here Visit StartupBlink on their website here --- Exciting News for Getting More Sales in Japan !! We are thrilled to launch our live cohort course: "Mastering Sales Decks for the Japanese Market" hosted by Tyson Batino. This online program is for CEOs and sales professionals eager to enhance their sales pitches and improve their chances of securing meetings with Japanese corporate decision-makers. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://scalingyourcompany.com/salespamphlet/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠⁠⁠