Scaling Japan Podcast

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.

In this episode of the Scaling Japan sales series, Mari Ono joins us once again to talk about sales frameworks. While this episode will give a brief recap on route and account sales, be sure to listen to episode 15 if you want to learn more. Today Mari will be diving into frameworks and the benefits that they can bring to businesses in Japan. She also shares tips on how to effectively implement frameworks and how to conduct sales in Japan.  Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Make March Matter  Show Notes (1:29) Recap of route and account sales (2:53) Problems organizations face without a sales framework (5:17) Hybrid sales model explained (12:43) More on route sales (19:19) More on account sales and importance of client relationships (25:52) Role of account rep (31:43) How sales framework impacts the recruitment process (38:19) Advice on how to become a better manager for female sales staff 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.

We are excited to welcome back Fuminori Gunji, our first repeat guest, in this episode of the Scaling Japan podcast. In episode 13, Fuminori joined us to discuss how to improve sales. Today he will be talking about how foreign companies can successfully implement a workable B2B sales strategy when entering Japan. He gives great advice on how to effectively pitch to Japanese companies through external advisors and the importance of customer segments. Fuminori also covers the pros and cons for companies that are interested in taking a B2B partnership route. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Deel Additional Links from Guest Appearance Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore Show Summary  (1:26) Starting point of a workable B2B strategy (2:33) Crossing the chasm explained (5:50) Tricks to effectively pitch to Japanese companies (10:57) How to meet a senior external advisor (14:16) Benefits of defining your own target customer segment (19:41) Workable B2B strategy for foreign company entering Japan (23:31) Concerns Japanese companies have when doing business with a foreign company (25:12) What foreign companies don’t know when entering Japan for the first time (29:55) Pros and cons of a B2B partnership route (39:12) How to get past the gatekeeper in Japan

Helen Iwata, an amazing woman with over 30 years of professional experience in Japan, joins us in this episode of Scaling Japan. Helen is the president of Sasuga Communications and is also the host of the Sasuga! Podcast, be sure to check it out! She shares how she has sucessfuly established a strong brand image across social media platforms and advises listeners on the importance of trust. Additionally, Helen explains a useful equation that can be used by listeners to evaluate themselves Links from Guest Appearance  LinkedIn  Instagram  Sasuga! Communications  Sasuga! VIP Women's Coaching Program The Sasuga! Podcast  Less Effort More Impact  Links to Additional Resources  The Trusted Advisor  Sasuga! Cafe Quick Guide “8 Essential Phrases for Clear, Confident English Presentations Show Notes (2:20) Helen Iwata’s self introduction (6:16) Using social media to establish a strong brand image (10:15) The Trust Equation explained (15:19) How to grow through trust  (16:40) How to self-evaluate with the Trust Equation (18:52) Building upon your strengths  (21:54) How to get involved and featured in the media (22:44) Why create a podcast (25:01) Importance of being the real you

In this third episode of the Scaling Japan sales series, we are joined by a wonderful guest, Mari Ono. She is a consultant with over 15 years of experience working with small and large corporations. Mari introduces two different types of structure for sales, route and account sales, that entrepreneurs and business owners can use as a helpful guide to developing your sales process. She also discusses how additional factors, such as having a good pitch and understanding the fiscal year, are needed to make successful sales.  Note: Although we mentioned a sales framework, we will dive into this in round 2 with Mari Ono Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Make March Matter  Show Notes (1:20) Mari Ono’s self introduction (1:52) Introduction to sales framework (3:40) Route sales (8:38) Key points for route sales (13:20) Account sales (17:26) How to have the correct mindset for account sales (23:10) Importance of fiscal year timeline in Japan Show Sponsors Matchpoint - Looking for a Certified Japanese Tax Accountant? Reach out to our friends at Matchpoint Japan or Shinpei at s-wakana[@]matchpoints.or.jp and mention code "scalingyourcompany" to receive your first month free. Here is a free seminar by Shinpei and myself on Japanese Taxes 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.

Beau Becker, the CEO of Reiwa Pharmaceuticals in Japan, joins us in this episode of Scaling Japan to talk about how to improve sales. What makes Beau such a unique guest is that he started from zero in his early 20's and has now built up 10 years of professional experience working in China and Japan on multiple sales teams. He explains the differences between sales culture in Japan vs Western countries as well as the common mistakes foreigners might make. Beau also gives tips on how to manage client relations, specifically with Japanese customers. Links from Guest Appearance LinkedIn Reiwaseiyaku Main Site and Reiwaseiyaku Instagram Show Notes (1:22) Beau Becker’s self introduction (5:52) Sales as a main driver of Japanese corporations (7:13) Differences between sales culture in Japan vs Western countries (13:36) What are sales meetings like in Japan (17:50) How to be liked and respected by traditional Japanese companies (20:39) How to get mentored in a Japanese company (23:15) Common misunderstandings and mistakes foreigners make in sales (26:40) Finding the decision maker is key (30:22) Exaggerating politeness can go a long way (32:08) Importance of printed materials (35:59) How to get credibility when dealing with buyers older than you Show Sponsors Matchpoint - Looking for a Certified Japanese Tax Accountant? Reach out to our friends at Matchpoint Japan or Shinpei at s-wakana[@]matchpoints.or.jp and mention code "scalingyourcompany" to receive your first month free. Here is a free seminar by Shinpei and myself on Japanese Taxes 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.