In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by John Kirch. He is the Head of beqom Japan, a total compensation management software solution focused on managing compensation and performance for HR, finance, & sales. With over 30 years of experience working in Asia's IT industry, John will be introducing the market entry process of tech companies into Japan. He explains key tips on how to market technology solutions and how to gain new clients.  Links from Guest Appearance If you would like to explore possible opportunities to realize your organization's total compensation and performance strategies for improving engagement, retention, efficiency, performance and profits in a clear, controlled manner, please feel free to directly contact John Kirch at: john.kirch@beqom.com. LinkedIn beqom Links to Additional Resources Scaling Japan Market Entry series Episode 19: Japanese Startup Cities with Akiko Nakagawa from Fukuoka GSC Show Notes (1:18) John Kirch's self introduction (5:30) Market entry differences of SaaS companies vs physical products (8:47) How to get Japanese companies to consider foreign solutions (12:50) Examples of awards and endorsements in Japan (19:31) Initiatives to market your technology (21:26) Study trips explained (23:00) Recommended PR channels (27:06) Buying decision process (31:39)  Procurement departments of Japanese companies (33:18) Factors that play major roles in the buying decision process (37:11) How to get your first enterprise customer in Japan (40:03) Potential deal breakers that foreigners may not be aware of (44:36) How to reach the decision maker (48:37) Tips for onboarding Japanese clients (52:10) What is needed for succesful customer service

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Vincent Nicol, the co-founder of GourmetPro. He has over 15 years of experience in the food and beverage space in Japan. Vincent will be introducing distribution in Japan, covering everything from mapping distribution fit to explaining the different types of distribution models. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to tune back in for our future episode with Vincent on crowdfunding in Japan.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn GourmetPro Link to Additional Resource Scaling Japan Market Entry series A New Gateway Market to Japan- Focus on Fukuoka #1  Episode 19: Japanese Startup Cities with Akiko Nakagawa from Fukuoka GSC Show Notes (1:02) Vincent Nicol's self introduction (4:46) Go to market fit explained (7:50) How to map distribution fit (9:20) Steps to take after mapping distribubtion fit (12:45) Common problems that companies face during distribution (15:34) Value chain challenges (20:19) Crafting a great selling story (22:25) Sole distributor model explained (24:35) Mulitple distributors model explained (25:18) Hybrid distribution model (29:33) Strategy partnerships explained (37:00) Cultural gaps in strategy partnerships 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.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined once again by Timothy Connor. He has returned to introduce the right strategic leadership needed for foreign companies entering the Japan market. Timothy explains the different types of leaders needed for each stage of the cycle and how they can contribute to building and growing the company. This episode covers key points that businesses should consider when finding the right candidate to help establish and scale their company in Japan. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Synnovate: Timothy's market entry firm Link to Additional Resource Episode 25: Product Market Fit in Japan with Timothy Connor Show Notes (3:03) Business life cycle of companies entering the Japan market   (4:08) Importance of choosing the right leader (6:44) Why companies might accidentally hire the wrong leaders (8:08) Challenges of hiring in Japan (13:52) Launch leadership explained (15:35) Growth leadership explained (17:33) Setting up a foundation before scaling (20:37) Qualities of a good growth leader candidate (21:42) How should a leader communicate (23:33) Interim leadership explained (32:56) Advantages and disadvantages of Japanese and foreign leaders 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.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by a highly requested guest, Timothy Connor. He is the founder and manager of Synnovate, a company that helps foreign corporations enter the Japanese market. With 20 years of experience in the field, Timothy will be sharing how he analyzes product market fit. He covers a wide range of aspects that foreign companies need to consider, from labelling to distribution, when preparing their products/services for the market in Japan.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Synnovate Link to Additional Resource Episode 24: Introduction to Japan Market Entry with Maor Shwartz Show Notes (1:15) Timothy Connor’s self introduction (4:15) What is product market fit (7:46) Changing a company name for branding in Japan (8:38) Importance of physical attributes (11:19) Making product adjustments to better suit Japanese customers (13:27) Double checking ingredients   (16:49) How to size a product (18:17) What to consider when pricing and positioning a product (23:09) How to test product market fit (26:00) Examples of companies who successfully found product market fit in Japan (27:50) Aspects of the Japanese market that businesses need to understand (35:16) Appointing a master distributer 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.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Maor Shwartz. Although Maor's background is primarily in cyber sercurity, he has spent the past year researching the unique dynamics of the Japanese Market. He has created a fantastic report on the challenges that foreign startups face when trying to enter Japan. Maor shares his findings and gives an introduction into what business owners need to be aware of when starting a company in Japan. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Japanese Market Entry Report Links to Additional Resources Scaling Japan Sales Series Show Notes (1:01) Maor Shwartz’s self introduction (2:35) Why Maor created a Japan market entry report (5:05) What is a realistic market entry timeline in Japan (10:38) Cultural differences that impact market entry (15:10) Decision making process and execution in Japan (21:08) Differences when working with Japanese clients (29:10) Complex supply chain dynamics (32:02) Startup pre-requisites to enter the Japanese market 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.

This is a special episode of Scaling Japan as we would like to introduce two guests today, Erdinç Ekinci and Yu Li Shein. They are both cofounders of Openfor.co, a company which helps startups through strategic partnerships, and they are running the Founder Institute Japan chapter as well. Erdinç and Yu Li explain the differences between startup incubators and accelerators, they also introduce what startup competitions are. They further cover support options for startups in Japan.  Links from Guest Appearance Erdinç Ekinci and Yu Li Shein Founder Institute  Show Notes (5:14) Difference between startup incubators and accelerators (7:47) What are startup competitions (9:35) Start up university and courses (11:10) What are accelerator programs (13:07) Incentive of equity (15:27) What stage do accelerators support (18:16) Who will benefit the most from an accelerator (21:49) What industries are in demand in Japan (24:56) Mentor profiles (26:16) What accelerators do foreign founders go through in Japan (29:50) Accelerator in Japan vs other countries (32:38) Famous accelerators in Japan (34:35) Corporate accelerator (35:34) How to choose an accelerator  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.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast, we are joined by Larry Greenberg. He is the CEO of Urban Connections in Japan and has over 30 years of business experience in the country. Larry shares how he has successfully grown the business through developing connections in Japan and using banking resources. He also explains how foreign businesses in Japan can build strong relationship with banks and secure loans for themselves.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Urban Connections Show Notes (0:50) Larry Greenberg’s self introduction (4:09) Experience with loans and banking in Japan (9:57) Cost of borrowing in Japan (15:07) How to help Japanese banks understand your business (18:30) Circumstances where banks are more inclined to loan (22:34) Circumstances where banks are less inclined to loan (26:53) Japanese bank recommendations (27:59) Advantages of regional banks (33:05) Experience with government lending agencies

In this episode of the Scaling Japan Podcast we are excited to welcome a highly anticipated guest, Nalin Advani, the co-founder of Entomo. He is a well renowned investor and entrepreneur who has scaled multiple businesses in Japan and Asia. Nalin shares his experiences of the IPO process in Japan and explains what it takes to for a company to have a succesful IPO. He also dicusses the steps that can be taken following a succesful IPO.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Entomo Additional Resources Clubhouse Show Notes (1:33) Nalin Advani’s self introduction (6:20) How does Nalin help advise companies (9:55) What is an IPO (17:02) Stock exchanges in Japan (20:38) What changes come after a successful IPO (24:51) What is the general timeline of an IPO (28:35) How to create a team prepared for an IPO (31:35) Impact of getting bigger contracts (33:39) Additional thoughts on IPOs

In this episode of the Scaling Japan podcast we are so lucky to be joined by Makoto Shibata, the head of FINOLAB. He will be sharing his knowledge on corporate venture capital (CVC) and how it can be used to help greatly accelerate the growth of a company. Makoto explains how to appropriately evaluate a CVC and how it can be structured. In previous episodes, the Scaling Japan podcast has also covered other financial tools such as angel investment and venture capital so be sure to check those out.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn FINOLAB FINOLAB Youtube channel Show Notes (1:06) Makoto Shibata’s Self introduction (2:30) What is corporate venture capital (CVC) (6:33) What makes corporate venture capital different from venture capital (9:32) How can an entrepreneur evaluate a CVC (15:50) What kind of professional should you look for (16:39) Reasons why a corporation would set up a CVC (19:30) How to approach a CVC (21:57) What services does FINOLAB provide (25:36) Effect of CVC structure (26:57) CVC in Japan vs. CVC in Western countries (30:55) Alternative ways of raising funds (36:10) FINOLAB youtube channel

As more cities in Japan are developing programs to support and attract entrepreneurs, we have a speical guest, Akiko Nakagawa from the Fukuoka City Global Startup Center, who will be introducing the support that Fukuoka city provides. In this episode of the Scaling Japan podcast, Akiko talks about how the GSC will help guide foreign entrepreneurs through the process of setting up their new business in Japan. She also explains why Fukuoka City is a great place to create and expand businesses.  Links from Guest Appearance Startup Fukuoka Startup Package Links to Additional Resources Guide to Making a Bank Account in Japan Show Notes (1:32) Introduction to Fukuoka Global Startup Centre (2:37) What support does FGSC provide foreign entrepreneurs in Japan (7:10) How to obtain a startup visa (8:19) What types of business is FGSC looking to attract (13:28) Examples of IT startups (15:10) Examples of non-tech startups (17:24) How FGSC can help startups with finances (27:51) Advantages of doing business in Fukuoka 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.