Our Demonstration Cases
Correspondent with local authorities from enquiry to license acquisition
As an agent of a client contemplating exporting their products from Japan, we contacted the relevant local authorities directly to make enquiry regarding salability and regulatory requirements for each product. In addition, we provided administrative assistance to obtain necessary licenses.
Development of the local value chain through hands-on business support
Exported Japanese products go through a number of steps before reaching the end customers, including domestic transfers, customs, regulatory inspections, inventory warehousing, purchase orders, delivery orders, and local delivery. We provide not only correspondent services but also hands-on business support services, such as arrangement of local logistics vendors and warehousing vendors. Furthermore, we provide back office support services, including development of a quotation/invoice control system on-site, and thus we are capable of involvement in creating the actual value-chain of the client.
Negotiation support on M&A and business alliances
We take a practical approach in advising our clients for potential M&A or business alliances with local companies by attending with the clients during negotiations with counterparties.
There are differences in law / regulation and business practices between Japan and local countries. We try to incorporate such differences into our advisory services. When we are asked to arrange local professionals, we strive to make proposals to address the clients’ needs and budgets, narrowing discretion with regard to the scope of work on the part of the local professionals.
Realistic field research
We provide field survey services so that our clients can obtain real, fresh, and relevant information from the local countries. Our track record includes interviews with ASEAN media companies, site surveys of restaurants, and local consumer surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How are the ASEAN markets right now?
Countries in ASEAN may not seem sizable individually, but they form a huge market on a combined basis, and the economy of the region is rising. For example, the total population of ASEAN is 500 million, four times that of Japan. The population is still growing and is expected to reach 620 million in 2015. The population of the middle-class with certain spending potential, in particular, will be close to 400 million and is likely to boost consumption in ASEAN markets.
According to OECD, the average annual growth rate of real GDP in the six major countries of ASEAN from 2012 to 2016 is projected to be 5.6%, which indicates stable growth in ASEAN markets. The growth of population and economies serving as bases of demand is encouraging small to large Japanese companies to tap into ASEAN markets.
Q2. Are prices of products in overseas markets competitive in comparison to Japan?
The growth rate of each country in ASEAN is increasing by leaps and bounds. Completely unlike images of ASEAN heretofore, the region is full of consumers with the wherewithal to experience new forms of consumption. There is also a chance that some products can be sold at prices above prices in Japan, depending on the individual case.
Q3. We tend to assume exploration into overseas markets generally applies to B to B businesses, such as manufacturing. Are product sales to local consumers (B to C) a possibility?
In recent years, Southeast Asia has largely been viewed as a site for overseas development utilizing the cheap labor force to establish a base of local production for Japan’s manufacturing industries. Now, however, individual motivation to spend is also increasing, based on remarkable economic growth. Given the quantitative data regarding population and GDP growth, the B to C market is expected to grow rapidly going forward.
Q4. What is the difference between local company incorporation support services and business support services?
We often see support services to help establish local companies. However, incorporation support services are not among our general services. We don’t think the incorporation of a local company is the objective of our clients. We think that our clients should first review how their products or business models are accepted by the local markets before establishing local companies. We put more emphasis on understanding their business model and trial market research at a reasonable budget.
Q5. Isn’t it a problem if we don’t understand English, Chinese, or Burmese？
No problem at all. Our concept makes it the major premise for a visitor to attempt market expansion first, and our service prices are meant to have higher cost effectiveness accordingly. Although it is most desirable to produce a commodity-sales team of bilingual company staff in-house, in practice a company needs support while determining if it is possible to develop such a team; we offer such support in developing an understanding of local business fundamentals, and we address correspondence in Chinese and English in principle at the Singapore base of our company.
Q6. How can we terminate our website management services agreement?
Please notify us of your request for termination one month prior to the term. If you are managing the website by yourself, we will make the transition to you as smooth as possible after the term.
Q7. Do we have to visit local countries? Can we ask you to attend for us locally?
ASEAN countries are changing rapidly on a daily basis. One new building after another is being built, and new city planning has started everywhere. Visiting local countries to sense the atmosphere and on-the-ground conditions with your own eyes is quite meaningful in developing your business strategy. In principle, we arrange custom-made local visits. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Q8. What is the difference between development of English/Chinese/Burmese versions of website and only translating the Japanese version into English/Chinese/Burmese?
Translating a Japanese website into several languages can be a quick start to make your company and products widely known and available. However, local customers in overseas markets tend to have different preferences from the Japanese, and we think the development of local websites suitable to each customer-set is the preferred approach. Generally speaking, customers in economically growing markets are likely to be more pro-active than the Japanese. They are willing to make phone calls first to ask questions. We also provide local call center operation services, taking the unique mind sets of overseas consumers within each country into consideration.