Scaling Japan Podcast

Welcome to another episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast. In this episode, we are joined once again by Scott Scofield, CEO of COVUE. COVUE is well-known as a leading brand operator in Japan which provides a full-service market entry platform. Following our previous discussion in Part 1 where Scott talked about choosing the right e-commerce sites in Japan, Part 2 will delve into logistics, import compliance, and post-sales procedures. This will cover topics including Japan's import regulations, with practical examples from food and beauty care products, as well as the correct application of marketing labels and licenses. Join us as Scott shares his expertise and discusses how COVUE has successfully navigated challenges related to import compliance. *Please note that the notes / documents mentioned within the episode are being reworked by COVUE due to updates in regulations, further updates will be posted onhere as well as COVUE's website. --- 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 --- Links from Guest Appearance: Linkedin | ⁠COVUE⁠ ⁠--- Show Notes: 00:00 Introduction 01:38 Import Regulations in Japan 06:45 PSE and Power Electrical Safety 08:08 What was the Catalyst? 10:24 Foreign Sellers 12:58 Import Compliance in Japan 17:40 Phases of Regulations   21:32 Tariffs 24:03 Import Compliance for Food Products 31:18 Import Compliance for Beauty Care Products 35:46 Marketing Label and License 38:14 Strategies for Ensuring Compliance 39:56 Technology and Compliance      43:18 Solving Problems Involving Import Compliance --- 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

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

Join Scott Scofield, CEO of COVUE, as he delves into the world of e-commerce in Japan. Explore the challenges and restrictions of opening accounts on Rakuten and Amazon. Gain insights into loyalty point systems, Yahoo Shopping, and the ease of creating accounts. Discover key strategies for success in the Japanese e-commerce market.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we welcome Takuo Urushihara, who serves as the Program Manager (international) for Venture Café Tokyo. Recommended by acquaintances for his expertise in community building, Takuo has spearheaded the growth of Venture Cafés, initially beginning with events in Tokyo and expanding to numerous other cities across Japan and throughout Asia. His efforts have successfully attracted both Japanese locals and foreigners to participate in their events, showcasing the inclusive nature of their initiatives. In this podcast, Takuo discusses communities that exist in Japan, what Japanese and Foreign guests seek from venture cafes, and insights on building a community! --- 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 --- Links from Guest Appearance: LinkedIn Venture Cafe Tokyo Venture Cafe Tokyo - Events Show Notes: 00:00: Introduction 3:31: About CIC and venture cafes 7:35: What type of communities exist in Japan? 14:42: The concept of "online salon" communities in Japan 19:03: What do both Japanese and Foreign guests seek from venture cafes and start-up events in a multicultural community? 27:28: What do both Japanese and Foreign guests seek from venture cafes and start-up events in a Japanese community? 29:52 Insights on building the core group of a community 42:19: Networking culture in Japan vs. America 45:10: Tips for growing your community --- Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit here to learn how he can help⁠⁠⁠⁠ --- 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

In this podcast, Tyson shares how he scaled One Coin English from scratch with unbeatable pricing and strategic locations. He discusses overcoming trust hurdles, teacher recruitment, and promotional challenges. Tyson emphasizes team resilience, timing advantages, and transitioning from founder to business leader for growth.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we welcome once again Robert Purss, Founder and Managing Director of McLaren Group. Following our discussion in Part 1, we will explore the ways to find the right marketing agency for your company. This includes paying for and evaluating pitches from agencies, when you should ask for a second-round pitch, and how to structure your contract and scope of engagement. Here's the link for those who missed part 1 : https://scalingyourcompany.com/marketing-agencies-in-japan-part-1-with-robert-purss/ Links from Guest Appearance: ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠McLaren Group Marketing⁠ ⁠Marketing Agencies Presentation Slides⁠ Show Notes: 01:59 Recap for Part 1 09:55 How to find the right agency? 16:39 Paying for a marketing pitch from different agencies 19:30 Developing a brief for the agencies 24:37 At what contract level is fair to ask for two rounds? 28:12 How to evaluate a marketing agency / freelancer? 31:37 Contract and Scope of Engagement 33:20 How to Structure Payment Expectations 38:55 How to work smoothly with a marketing agency? --- Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit here to learn how he can help⁠⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we welcome Momoka Ebi, an accomplished professional specializing in PR, sales, and marketing. At Redhill Japan, Momoka oversees key client management while driving sales, human resources, and marketing initiatives. With Redhill's rapid growth since 2014 and its presence in 22 countries across Asia, Momoka emphasizes the firm's focus on providing comprehensive PR solutions to both foreign companies entering Japan and Japanese firms expanding globally. This episode touches on topics of Redhill’s role in helping companies in Japan, PR localization, working with traditional media in Japan, and many more. Listen in to get to know more about PR in Japan! Links from Guest Appearance: ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Redhill 00:00: Introduction 1:20: About Redhill Japan 1:45: How does Redhill help companies in Japan? 2:06: What type of clients does Redhill have? 3:02: What is PR? 4:23: Difference between PR and marketing 7:11: How can PR be beneficial for doing business in Japan? 11:40: How does Japanese culture affect the way you do PR? 15:55: What are some common pitfalls that companies make in doing their PR? 18:44: Impact of Social Media in PR 21:05: Differences between the Japanese and foreign media landscape? 23:31: The dominance of traditional media in Japan despite social media 25:02: Insights in working with traditional Japanese media 25:56: Role of press clubs in Japan 37:38: Can other non-conventional journalists participate in press clubs? 29:13: Key components of a successful PR strategy in Japan 38:17: Further insights on localization in Japan 40:06: Role and importance of influencers and celebrity endorsements in Japan as a foreign brand 42:48: Insights on event planning and management in Japan 43:38: Unique points in terms of customer service 46:21: What does a PR agency actually do? 47:26: Exploring PR Agency support for media presence 52:31: Emerging trends in 2023 and 2024 Coaching with Tyson Looking to take your business to the next level? Let our host Tyson Batino help you scale your business from $100,000 to $10,000,000 dollars with his coaching and advisory services. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit here to learn how he can help⁠⁠ --- Send in a voice message: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scalingjapanpodcast/message⁠⁠

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we welcome Kaga Yusuke from JETRO's Startup Support Division and Will Ferguson, an expert in international startup growth. We explored JETRO's role in aiding Japanese and foreign startups, uncovering case studies and tips for navigating the Japanese market. We will also discuss JETRO plans for 2024 to support startups, like their Techstars Accelerator program. This episode is perfect for those who wish to propel their startup journey in and out of Japan. Links from Guest Appearance: LinkedIn - Yusuke Kaga LinkedIn - Will Ferguson JETRO Startup Scouting Service Show Notes: (00:00): Introduction (4:39): What ministry is JETRO a part of? (5:13): JETRO’S expanding role in startups (7:06): JETRO’s unique support system (11:04): How does JETRO help Japanese startups? (14:49): Japanese case studies and tips for Japanese companies and startups (23:20): How does JETRO help foreign startups? (27:04): Tips for foreign companies entering Japan (31:35): Additional information on how to help foreign startups or Japanese companies (33:52): JETRO’s plans in 2024 (37:59): Application period for Techstars Accelerator (39:48): Connecting with JETRO: How can companies connect with Will and Yusuke? --- 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