Any success stories starting a small business in The countryside?

[Tsuchi1]

Just joined this site because it seems to be better than others that I have tried to participate in.
Anyway I'm trying to start my own business here in Hyogo and am interested in hearing anyone's experiences, both failures or successes.
I'm in Japan do the long term and see myself losing my sanity if I have to continue on the edutainment industry here.
What have others done to save themselves from the soul destroying that eikaiwa is?

 

[Mike Cash]

What have others done to save themselves from the soul destroying that eikaiwa is?

I got a regular job.

 

[Tsuchi1]

I got a regular job.

What exactly?
I did work in an office in Osaka in the mid nineties but the Japanese work culture wasn't for me.
The pay and benefits were not that great either.
I like to call my own shots rather than toe the line, which is the norm in offices in Japan I also found the environment very childlike, such as bulling, talking behind people's back generally a lot of backstabbing.
The industry was insurance and I have a feeling that others, not all would be the same.

Anyone started their own company? You can check mine out and tell me what you think?
www.madousoujipro.jimdo.com

 

[Mike Cash]

I couldn't view it on my iPhone.

 

[Tsuchi1]

I couldn't view it on my iPhone.

Type it into your browser then you can. Does that help you?

 

[Mike Cash]

Can't get it on my computer either. Tried clicking it and tried typing it. No joy my gadget, over.

 

[Tsuchi1]

Can't get it on my computer either. Tried clicking it and tried typing it. No joy my gadget, over.

Are you Gen Y? Keyword ; Type.
Remind me to ignore you in the future.!

 

[nekojita]

Doesn't work on my computer, either. Maybe the problem's with your site or with the address above? If the address was right in the first place, it shouldn't matter whether you click on it or type it.

If you can see it on your computer, it may be that the site is temporarily down, and you are seeing a cached version.

 

[Glenski]

Just joined this site because it seems to be better than others that I have tried to participate in.

Nice compliment, but you should really have posted this in the Practical forum.

Anyway I'm trying to start my own business here in Hyogo and am interested in hearing anyone's experiences, both failures or successes.

What kind, and what is your current visa status?

I'm in Japan do the long term and see myself losing my sanity if I have to continue on the edutainment industry here.
What have others done to save themselves from the soul destroying that eikaiwa is?

I moved up to HS direct hire for 4 years, then to university for tenure. I proofread scientific documents on the side, do speech contest training for the Self-Defense Forces, write a monthly newsletter to about 60 people (going on 12 years now), read, do research, edit, and enjoy my family.

Get out of eikaiwa after 2-3 years max. To do that and stay in TEFL, you'll have to have the right credentials/training/degree, though. Are you willing to do that (if you don't already have them)? If not, then starting a business is certainly an option, but you wouldn't catch me doing that. Best advice I can give is to prepare a sound business plan, talk to a local J accountant, market well, and get the right visa (humanities visa now? you'll need a business manager/investor visa).

Oh, and I couldn't see your site, either. Finally got it to work without the WWW prefix and spelling it correctly! Your marketing won't work well if you can't spell your site right.

 

[nekojita]

... oh, 窓掃除? Suddenly things make more sense.

(this is why copy/paste is better than typing out web addresses).

 

[Mike Cash]

Are you Gen Y? Keyword ; Type.
Remind me to ignore you in the future.!

I'll help you put a band-aid on those nasty bite marks you got on your knee just as soon as you manage to get your foot out of your mouth. Would you like us to help you pull?

 

[Tsuchi1]

Nice compliment, but you should really have posted this in the Practical forum.

What kind, and what is your current visa status?

I moved up to HS direct hire for 4 years, then to university for tenure. I proofread scientific documents on the side, do speech contest training for the Self-Defense Forces, write a monthly newsletter to about 60 people (going on 12 years now), read, do research, edit, and enjoy my family.

Get out of eikaiwa after 2-3 years max. To do that and stay in TEFL, you'll have to have the right credentials/training/degree, though. Are you willing to do that (if you don't already have them)? If not, then starting a business is certainly an option, but you wouldn't catch me doing that. Best advice I can give is to prepare a sound business plan, talk to a local J accountant, market well, and get the right visa (humanities visa now? you'll need a business manager/investor visa).

Oh, and I couldn't see your site, either. Finally got it to work without the WWW prefix and spelling it correctly! Your marketing won't work well if you can't spell your site right.

.
Spouse visa, this is not the problem.
Yes I went back and looked, I made a typo with the address it should be
ﾃｧﾂｪ窶愿ｦﾅｽﾆ津ｩ邃｢ﾂ､ﾃ｣竄ｬﾂ?｣窶堋ｦﾃ｣窶堋｣ﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｳﾃ｣ﾆ停?ｰﾃ｣窶堋ｯﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｪﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｼﾃ｣ﾆ停?ｹﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｳﾃ｣窶堋ｰﾃ｣竄ｬﾂ?ｩﾂｫﾋ愿ｦ窶ｰ竄ｬﾃ｣窶堋ｯﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｪﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｼﾃ｣ﾆ停?ｹﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｳﾃ｣窶堋ｰﾃｩ窶ｺﾂｨﾃ｣ﾂ?ｩﾃ｣ﾂ≫?榲ｦﾅｽﾆ津ｩ邃｢ﾂ､ﾃ･ﾅ?ﾂ?ﾃｦﾂ敖ｱﾃ･ﾂｸ窶堙･窶ｦﾂｵﾃ･ﾂｺﾂｫﾃｧﾅ毒津ｯﾂｼﾅ津ｧﾂｪ窶愿ｦﾅｽﾆ津ｩ邃｢ﾂ､ﾃｯﾂｼﾂｰﾃｯﾂｽ窶凖ｯﾂｽﾂ - madosoujipro ﾃ｣ﾆ椎｡ﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｼﾃ｣窶堋ｸﾃｯﾂｼﾂー/url].

As far as having the right qualifications or upgrading them to beable to get a tenured university position I'm not interested.
I would actually prefer to teach kindergarten kids than adults here, they enjoy the experience and don't have to worry about the cultural barriers that hold many student back.

So, I'm not that worried about risk as I haven't got much to lose, meaning no debt, house, car paid for and savings in the bank. And no that wasn't achieved on a teachers salary in NZ or OZ.

Thanks for pointing out my slip.

---------- Post added at 21:15 ---------- Previous post was at 21:10 ----------

[url=http://www.madosoujipro.jimdo.com)[COLOR="Silver"]

---------- Post added at 21:21 ---------- Previous post was at 21:15 ----------

[/COLOR]

I'll help you put a band-aid on those nasty bite marks you got on your knee just as soon as you manage to get your foot out of your mouth. Would you like us to help you pull?

If you want help, knock yourself out. That's the longest post you have made all year.

 

[Mike Cash]

Is there some reason why you have 加東市兵庫 in the banner? That seems a bit unusual to put the bits in that order. You might want to get a native speaker to go through and fix up the text here and there. Not so much for grammatical errors as for stylistic inconsistencies and some parts conveying less than a professional tone.

You might need to learn the difference between 待ち合わせ and 問い合わせ, and 変わります and 異なります.

Are all those photos in the gallery from places that you actually provided services to?

 

[Tsuchi1]

How does one know that this topic fits into the "practical forum"?
Is the like a Dewey system here? If there is, could you please give me a rundown on what topics are better posted where.

---------- Post added at 21:30 ---------- Previous post was at 21:24 ----------

Is there some reason why you have 加東市兵庫 in the banner? That seems a bit unusual to put the bits in that order. You might want to get a native speaker to go through and fix up the text here and there. Not so much for grammatical errors as for stylistic inconsistencies and some parts conveying less than a professional tone.

Are all those photos in the gallery from places that you actually provided services to?

Well, I'm trying to target a specific market so if I can narrow it down then it saves me and the person looking for local services time.
No the photos are not all jobs done in Japan but in Australia.
It has been checked by a native speaker and of course it needed heaps of editing and the style could do with advice but trying to keep costs down, will take your comment on board. Thank you.

---------- Post added at 21:36 ---------- Previous post was at 21:30 ----------

... oh, 窓掃除? Suddenly things make more sense.

(this is why copy/paste is better than typing out web addresses).

Why does it make more sense? 窓掃除？it's a word. It's a business. I can't follow what you mean?

 

[Mike Cash]

Because once one realizes it is 窓掃除 it is easy to spot that madousouji was an error and the cause of the problem in viewing the page. It is more apparent when seen in kanji.

 

[Tsuchi1]

Because once one realizes it is 窓掃除 it is easy to spot that madousouji was an error and the cause of the problem in viewing the page. It is more apparent when seen in kanji.

Gotcha, without understanding Japanese or the correct Phoenicia of the word, hard for people without the knowledge to spot it.

---------- Post added at 21:49 ---------- Previous post was at 21:47 ----------

[You might need to learn the difference between 窶佚停?堋ｿﾂ坂?｡窶堙ｭ窶堋ｹ and 窶禿｢窶堋｢ﾂ坂?｡窶堙ｭ窶堋ｹ, and 窶｢ﾃ鞘?堙ｭ窶堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｷ and ﾋ?吮?堙遺?堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｷ.]
I was told about this, just haven't edited it. Oops!!
Thanks again

 

[Glenski]

How does one know that this topic fits into the "practical forum"?
Is the like a Dewey system here? If there is, could you please give me a rundown on what topics are better posted where.

Just read the descriptions for the sites.

All Things Japanese
General Japan-related discussion such as history, arts & literature, religion, personal stories, etc. Subforum : Japanese Food & Recipes


Japan Practical
This forum allows you to post relevant questions about tourism, accommodation, transportation, work, night-life, language schools, and other Japan-related practical matters. Working in Japan - Travelling in Japan - Studying in Japan - Classifieds

 

[Mike Cash]

I didn't spot (pun intended) the word 水垢 in your description of the drawbacks of tap water. Check out any glass cleaning product and you are certain to find that term. I would try to work it into the text.

 

[Tsuchi1]

Is there some reason why you have 窶ｰﾃ≫?愬椎ｽs窶｢ﾂｺﾅ津 in the banner? That seems a bit unusual to put the bits in that order. You might want to get a native speaker to go through and fix up the text here and there. Not so much for grammatical errors as for stylistic inconsistencies and some parts conveying less than a professional tone.

You might need to learn the difference between 窶佚停?堋ｿﾂ坂?｡窶堙ｭ窶堋ｹ and 窶禿｢窶堋｢ﾂ坂?｡窶堙ｭ窶堋ｹ, and 窶｢ﾃ鞘?堙ｭ窶堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｷ and ﾋ?吮?堙遺?堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｷ.

Are all those photos in the gallery from places that you actually provided services to?

I didn't spot (pun intended) the word ﾂ絶?ｦﾂ垢 in your description of the drawbacks of tap water. Check out any glass cleaning product and you are certain to find that term. I would try to work it into the text.

You are right that's a good phrase to include in the text.
I have it included in our mail out explaining the importance of regular window washing.
For me here its a bit of educating the potential customers about window cleaning, building maintenance as the widow cleaning culture in Japan and the importance of it is quite different to Australia, NZ the UK or America.
My main targets are supermarket chains which we already have one contract for in Hyogo, factory offices, retail/ food shop fronts and newly built houses.
Of course I'm not going to turn down anyone but those targets are easier to clean and maintain than private houses, which take longer and organizing times etc, plus they only want it once maybe twice a year.
I will be putting ﾂ絶?ｦﾂ垢 into the text. I have already made some changes.
Ps, I'm happy with ﾋ?吮?堙遺?堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｷ not 窶｢ﾃ鞘?堙ｭ窶堙ｨ窶堙懌?堋ｷﾂ。
Thanks for your input and sorry about my crankiness earlier but I felt I was being trolled which isn't the case
ﾃｧﾂｪ窶愿ｦﾅｽﾆ津ｩ邃｢ﾂ､ﾃ｣竄ｬﾂ?｣窶堋ｦﾃ｣窶堋｣ﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｳﾃ｣ﾆ停?ｰﾃ｣窶堋ｯﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｪﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｼﾃ｣ﾆ停?ｹﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｳﾃ｣窶堋ｰﾃ｣竄ｬﾂ?ｩﾂｫﾋ愿ｦ窶ｰ竄ｬﾃ｣窶堋ｯﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｪﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｼﾃ｣ﾆ停?ｹﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｳﾃ｣窶堋ｰﾃｩ窶ｺﾂｨﾃ｣ﾂ?ｩﾃ｣ﾂ≫?榲ｦﾅｽﾆ津ｩ邃｢ﾂ､ﾃ･ﾅ?ﾂ?ﾃｦﾂ敖ｱﾃ･ﾂｸ窶堙･窶ｦﾂｵﾃ･ﾂｺﾂｫﾃｧﾅ毒津ｯﾂｼﾅ津ｧﾂｪ窶愿ｦﾅｽﾆ津ｩ邃｢ﾂ､ﾃｯﾂｼﾂｰﾃｯﾂｽ窶凖ｯﾂｽﾂ - madosoujipro ﾃ｣ﾆ椎｡ﾃ｣ﾆ陳ｼﾃ｣窶堋ｸﾃｯﾂｼﾂー/url]

---------- Post added at 09:20 ---------- Previous post was at 09:07 ----------

Just read the descriptions for the sites.

All Things Japanese
General Japan-related discussion such as history, arts & literature, religion, personal stories, etc. Subforum : Japanese Food & Recipes

Maybe the All is confusing.

 

[Glenski]

Maybe the All is confusing.

Only if you didn't see the words "practical" or "work". ☝

 

[Tsuchi1]

Only if you didn't see the words "practical" or "work". ☝

Lucky you're here Glenski, to put it right, so beekeeping would be included under "All things about Japan"?
Just checking, they are Japanese bees not western ones.

 

[Mike Cash]

It depends.....are these worker bees?

 

[Tsuchi1]

It depends.....are these worker bees?

Some of them are some other aren't but all together the process is very practical for making liquid gold.

 

[Mike Cash]

Some of them are some other aren't but all together the process is very practical for making liquid gold.

Posts regarding worker bees go in the section dealing with work. Posts regarding the queen would go in the area discussing celebrities. Posts selling the bee spit.....oops! "honey".... go in the classifieds.

 

[Tsuchi1]

Posts regarding worker bees go in the section dealing with work. Posts regarding the queen would go in the area discussing celebrities. Posts selling the bee spit.....oops! "honey".... go in the classifieds.

That's what I was thinking, anyone care to differ?
Glenski?