■ Challenging overseas business for the first time. What should I start with?

If you haven’t decided on where to do business, start by narrowing down the countries that show promise. In addition, we recommend that you directly confirm the local situation with your own eyes in order to confirm that there is a need for your product or service (= there are customers) in the destination country. In any case, we will fully support you.

■ Due to infectious diseases and security issues, we cannot travel abroad. Is there any way to keep the business going in this situation?

We have been engaged in operations in developing countries that are difficult to enter due to security issues, and we had already established a remote operation system with our domestic and overseas staff and local partners, even before infectious diseases became a serious global problem. We also support the introduction of tools and the transfer of various know-how for advancing the business within these constraints, so please contact us for the current situation and issues of your company.

■ I am interested in overseas expansion, but I do not have enough funds. What should I do?

We can propose a step-by-step overseas expansion plan that includes information that you can work either freely or inexpensively, such as information collection using the WEB and information transmission using SNS. We also assist in the procurement of funds for overseas expansion. You can see the details of the service here.

■ Are there any countries where you are particularly good at providing support?

Countries where our consultants have a wealth of work experience and can easily provide support including Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Tunisia and Zambia. However, these countries are not always the best countries for your products and services. We propose candidate countries based on whether it is optimal from the customer’s perspective, and support business development.

■ What kind of business fields are covered?

Our company has a track record of supporting overseas expansion centering on the manufacturing and service industries that contribute to solving social issues related to infrastructure and public services. On the other hand, we may refuse assistance if we determine that we and our affiliated experts are not able to provide sufficient expertise to meet your needs, or if there is a possibility of competing with our existing customers. Thank you for your kind understanding.

■ Would you like to introduce local government officials and private companies?

We do not accept requests for “introduction” only from overseas government officials, private companies, buyers, etc. We provide services only to client companies that have signed a support contract with us so that we can share the responsibility that arises from matching with local parties.

■ Can I ask for outsourcing of business as an overseas business unit or an advisor?

Yes, you can. Acting as external staff and as an advisor, we transfer know-how to your company while jointly performing various tasks such as the planning and development of overseas products, information collection, inquiry correspondence, multilingual operation manual, ordering and import/export. Please contact us for details, as the content and cost of our services vary depending on the current state of your overseas business and the amount and frequency of work.

■ Is it possible to make a request for a “success fee” linked to future sales?

Among the support services of our company, for support from the “planning to commercialization” stage, which is the foundation from the planning stage to the beginning of sales, we receive compensation according to the labor and services provided. So, we do not accept any contract on a “success reward basis”.

On the other hand, in order to help expand sales channels and the sales of existing products by matching or introducing customers, we will conclude a contract with a compensation form according to the customer’s request and the contents of our support.

■ What are the advantages and disadvantages of using external research funds?

The use of external research funds has the following advantages and disadvantages. We recommend that you consider appropriate use depending on your business prospects and management resources.

＜Benefits＞

• We can work on overseas expansion while suppressing our own cost burden
• Utilize the name recognition and brand power of fund providers
  (Example: Encourage the government of the other country with financial support from the Japanese government)
• Highly effective public relations can be expected by sending information from fund providers, etc.

＜Disadvantages＞

• It takes a long time to obtain funds, and the opportunity loss during that time is large.
• There is a high degree of uncertainty regarding the acquisition of funds due to fierce planning competition depending on the fund provider.
• In the case of a post-settlement subsidy system, self-funding is on a first-come-first-served basis.
  (In order to receive the 50 million yen subsidy, 100 million yen must be paid in advance.)
• There may be cases where the donors are willing to perform activities that are not related to business.