Overseas Expansion Support Consulting (Trade, ODA, Investment, Talent)

For many companies that begin to think about going overseas, the first wall is not a lack of information but a lack of people they can trust. Market research materials are easy to obtain. But partners who can really be relied on locally, people who will help overcome differences in business customs, and someone to turn to when trouble comes cannot be found in documents. Drawing on overseas networks built over roughly 50 years, TSK Holding supports companies and institutions across many situations in international business.

Where overseas expansion tends to trip

Expansion fails for reasons that go beyond a weak business plan. Often the cause lies outside the plan.

Choosing a local partner is the classic case. The party introduced turned out not to have the strength that was expected. A contract was signed, but differences in business customs left each side with a different understanding. Such situations arise easily when you proceed without a trusted contact on the ground.

Next comes the question of people. How will you secure and train the people who run the business locally? Managers and field staff call for different layers of talent. It takes time to build a structure in which locally hired people and the team in Japan move in the same direction.

Investment and real estate acquisition, too, require judgments based on an understanding of local systems and practices. If you bring a Japanese sense of things straight over, unexpected burdens can follow.

These worries are hard for one person to solve alone. That is exactly why a trustworthy outside adviser becomes necessary.

What roughly 50 years of overseas networks means

When we speak of overseas networks built over roughly 50 years, we do not mean to point to the number of years. We mean that we hope to draw on relationships built over a long time when you consult us.

For a company challenging a new market, this "trust at the first step" matters greatly. Whether there is someone to introduce you changes how the other side responds. According to what you consult us about, we introduce candidate local partners and help organize conditions.

Areas we support

Our consulting covers the following areas.

Trade and export support

We promote the export of competitive products and services, including agricultural and industrial goods, to Asian markets. Even an attractive product will not move without contact with sales channels locally, so we begin by helping to connect you with them.

Overseas business development support

We support domestic and overseas companies expanding into environment, renewable energy, tourism and entertainment.

ODA and international project support

We support participation in and operation of ODA projects and overseas public-private partnership (PPP) projects. International projects involve many parties and run for long periods; within them, we take the role of moving practical work forward.

Investment and M&A support

We identify overseas investment opportunities, introduce local partners and propose investment and financing plans for projects such as factory construction.

Recruitment and development support

We support the recruitment and development of people from managerial to staff level, both in Japan and overseas.

Support for the internationalization of universities and colleges

We support the development and operation of facilities for accepting international students, and career support for them, helping educational institutions become more international.

Real estate and asset acquisition support

We provide support and information for acquiring real estate in Japan and overseas.

Why overseas business is hard in different ways by sector

Our overseas business development support centers on environment, renewable energy, tourism and entertainment. In every one of these, systems and market structure differ greatly by country, and success in Japan does not necessarily carry over abroad.

In environment and renewable energy, policy and licensing in each country strongly influence success. Even with excellent technology, you cannot begin a business if you cannot meet local rules, so cooperation with people who know the local system is indispensable. In tourism, understanding local travelers' trends and how tourism resources are positioned bears directly on the design of a business. In entertainment, expansion has to reflect differences in culture and taste.

If the sector differs, what must be confirmed and who the partners should be also differ. We ask about your sector and destination and consider, together with you, an approach fitted to that sector.

What to confirm first in trade and export

When you think about exporting to Asia, being confident in your product is only the starting point. Before exports really start, there are several things to confirm.

First, whether the product can be imported into the destination country. Depending on the type of product, including food and agricultural goods, import regulations or labeling rules may apply. They differ from country to country and may be revised. Next come local demand and price. A product valued in Japan will not necessarily be accepted at the same price locally, and shipping costs and the local distribution structure also affect the selling price.

Settlement and a system for continuing trade also matter. The preparation needed differs greatly depending on whether the deal is a one-off or an ongoing supply. Organizing these points before a transaction becomes concrete reduces rework later.

We use our local connections to bridge you to potential buyers and confirm together the points to organize before trading begins. We believe that exports move only when both the appeal of the product and local connections are in place.

From consultation to support: how we proceed

Consultations about overseas expansion and international business cover a wide range, so the first organization matters.

First we ask about your situation and purpose: which country or region you have in mind, whether there is already a prospect of business and what structure you have inside the company. It is fine if it is still vague at this stage. On that basis we organize the issues and think together about what to tackle first.

Once the direction is settled, we proceed as needed with introductions to local partner candidates, introductions of personnel and organizing conditions. Instead of fixing one way of working, we adjust the scope and depth of support to your situation. Some clients ask us only for initial information gathering and organizing a direction; others want continuing support through to the start-up of a local business.

What we care about is that you can judge and move forward as your own business. We aim to be a companion who provides the materials for judgment and the local contacts when they are needed.

What it means to be involved in ODA and international projects

ODA projects and overseas public-private partnership projects differ in character from ordinary commerce. Because public funds and public systems are involved, requirements for procedures and reporting are strict, there are many parties, and progress takes a long time.

To take part in and run such projects, understanding of the systems and procedures is necessary, together with trusted relationships with local parties. Even if the requirements on paper are met, a plan will not advance unless adjustments can be made in light of local realities.

We support participation in and operation of these projects from the practical side. We stand between the parties and coordinate so that the project does not stall, arranging the flow of procedures and communication. International projects cannot be carried by one company alone, which is why local connections built through long relationships carry such weight.

People, and the internationalization of educational institutions

Whether you run a business overseas or welcome foreign talent in Japan, the question of people cannot be avoided.

In overseas business, managers and field staff need different abilities and different hiring methods. Advertising with a domestic mindset does not easily reach the people you need. Whether you have a reliable route of introduction affects how quickly a business gets going.

The internationalization of universities and colleges is also an important theme. To accept international students, institutions need not only classes but also a system for housing and daily life. After graduation, employment is a major concern for the students, and schools are expected to support their careers. We support internationalization by developing and operating facilities for international students and by supporting their job searches.

Investment, M&A and real estate: not getting the order wrong

Overseas investment, partnership with local companies and the acquisition of real estate involve large sums and are hard to undo once begun. That is why order matters.

The first thing to do is to understand local systems and practices. The fields and conditions in which foreign companies may invest, and the rules on acquiring real estate, differ by country. Next is to confirm the counterparty: whether the party introduced is really trustworthy and has the strength to carry the business with you, checked as far as possible beforehand. Only then do you move to a concrete investment plan.

If you skip this order and proceed on the strength of attractive terms alone, unexpected burdens may follow. We keep to this order when we introduce overseas investment opportunities and local partners and propose investment and financing plans for projects such as factory construction. For real estate in Japan and overseas, too, we help you make careful decisions through support and information.

Ties with Thailand and the rest of Asia

We have also worked to promote private-sector cooperation between Japan and Thailand. When Thailand's former Prime Minister visited Japan and the Tohoku disaster area, we spoke and held discussions on private-sector cooperation between the two countries. At a forum hosted by the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Promotion Organization, we delivered a keynote speech and exchanged views on Asian economic partnership with leaders from many fields in Japan. More about these activities is on our social activities page.

Relationships with Asian countries do not end with a single transaction. Dialogue and exchange in such settings become the base of long-term trust and lead to later business support.

Why a single point of contact matters

There are many companies that support overseas expansion. Where we may be of help is in drawing on relationships built over many years and in receiving, in one company, the wide range of consultations that arise within one flow of international business: trade, ODA, investment, recruitment, education and real estate. When fields are split, you have to look for a new adviser each time. With a single point of contact, the distance from consultation to action becomes shorter. For example, it is not unusual in international business for a deal that began as an export consultation to widen into hiring local staff or establishing a base. Being able to keep consulting someone who understands the history, instead of looking for a new adviser each time, makes a large difference in time and in the quality of judgment.

Tell us what you are thinking

You may be considering going overseas but not know where to start, or have decided on a direction but not found a local partner. Either stage is fine. If you tell us your present situation and purpose, we will propose the scope of support and how to proceed.

Building relationships overseas widens your options the earlier you begin, but the faster you push, the easier it is to overlook things. When internal discussion does not produce an answer, bringing in an outside view can make everything fall into place at once. Let us start together by putting into words what you are thinking.

For details of each service and for consultations, please use the contact form.