FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Consulting & Support
Q
What types of consulting services do you offer?
We provide the following services centered around the EC (e-commerce) domain:
EC Consulting (strategy planning, product page improvement, creative improvement, operational improvement, advertising improvement, profit improvement)
Web Marketing (search advertising, display advertising, social media ads, LINE marketing, SEO strategy)
BPO Services (store operation outsourcing, order & shipping support, logistics outsourcing, customer service outsourcing)
Creative Services (website creation, e-commerce site creation, marketplace store creation, image & video production, copywriting)
Education & Internalization Services (training for EC personnel at basic & advanced levels, building EC teams, recruitment strategies, and personnel development planning)
In addition to EC-related work, we also support general management consulting, such as strategy, organization & HR, profit structure & finance, new business & digital transformation, and executive advisory.
Q
How is your pricing structured?
Pricing varies depending on the scope of support, duration, and team structure. We propose options such as fixed monthly fees, success-based fees, or a combination of fixed + success fees based on your goals and requests.
Q
What characterizes your consulting approach?
We organize common EC challenges as the “7 barriers to EC growth,” then carefully diagnose the current situation to identify growth obstacles. We design actionable solutions (prescriptions) from both management and operational perspectives, and we emphasize supporting you through execution until results are achieved.
Q
Can you teach our team so we can operate independently in the future?
Yes — we aim to help you run operations independently (internalization), providing know-how and building systems. This includes training, building organizational structures, recruitment strategy planning, and development plans.
Q
What size companies do you support?
While we often work with companies with annual sales around JPY 1 billion to JPY 30 billion, we also support public companies and startups.
Q
What makes you different from other firms?
Our differences are mainly:
We offer proposals beyond EC operations by incorporating management and financial perspectives for overall optimization.
We support not just planning but execution and continuous improvement.
We support long-term success by helping build self-sufficient organizational systems.
Q
As we move forward with our EC business, organizational restructuring seems to be a priority. Can you also advise on management improvement?
Yes, absolutely. In addition to designing organizational structures, defining roles and responsibilities, and streamlining business processes to support EC growth, we also provide consulting on management improvement and business revitalization — including financial visibility and profit structure optimization.
As a Certified Management Innovation Support Organization, we can involve qualified experts such as Small and Medium Enterprise Management Consultants as needed to support you closely throughout the process.
How Projects Progress
Q
How do you proceed with a consulting engagement?
The general flow is:
Inquiry
Interview
Proposal & estimate
Contract
Consulting implementation
Proposal and estimates are provided without charge. Once services begin, we follow a sequence from initial interview to proposal, project kick-off, and follow-up.
Q
How long do projects typically last?
Duration varies by client needs and scope. For example, EC consulting is around 6 months and management consulting around 3 months.
Q
Do you offer in-person support?
Yes — whether online or in person, depending on your preferences.
Q
How do you staff projects?
We form a project team together with your team and our consultants to drive the engagement.
Q
Can you support clients outside Tokyo or remotely?
Yes. We offer online support and can also visit your office if needed.
Common Concerns
Q
I’m not sure where to start because sales aren’t growing.
We start with a free consultation to understand your situation and clarify priorities. Based on data and interviews, we identify factors that limit growth and propose the most impactful improvements.
Q
We have revenue but not profits.
We first conduct a simple financial analysis to identify profit-reducing factors, such as gross margin, advertising cost ratio, logistics costs, returns/discounts, and fixed costs, then prioritize high-impact actions.
Q
Another firm didn’t deliver results — can we switch to your support mid-project?
Yes. Many clients switch mid-project. We start by organizing existing strategies, operations, and KPIs to identify issues and design the best transition plan.
Q
Can you help with expansion into overseas sales?
Yes. We support cross-border e-commerce growth, mainly on platforms like Amazon and eBay, including listing strategy, product selection, page improvements (translation/appeal), and advertising. We can also collaborate with partners in the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., UAE (Dubai), Singapore, and more, depending on your goals.