Let’s kick off the New Year with some helpful advice on how to develop your entrepreneurial skills. Eight lessons I picked up from doing business in Japan. Ganbatte!
1. Stand the Envelope Up
If you make the decision to become an entrepreneur, be prepared to be very broke for more time than you may be comfortable with. When we opened the studio in Japan we invested all but a hundred dollars of our hard-earned cash from being English teachers to secure the space, pay all the deposits and get our licenses in place.
The day I took out the cash from my bank account and brought it close to zero I felt equally elated and sticker shocked. I was too young, too foreign, too naive, I figured. But then I remembered the wise words of Takahashi san. “If the envelope is not able to stand up on its own, it is not a lot of money.” The envelope holding the money was not able to stand up on its own, so I figured I could get ‘er done.
2. It’s Your Business, Mind It
People are often surprised when I tell them about the trains in Japan. Packed at rush hour, folks fold up newspapers to the size of a tiny paperback novel so that they can read without touching another person.
It’s important, I learned with that first business, to share your enthusiasm about your new venture. But it’s equally important to know the time and place and amount of information to share. You’ll rarely hear a Japanese person disclose their salary. Discussing money woes at a dinner party is out of the question. We’d be wise to take a page out of that book when starting our own ventures.
3. Pre-Brainstorm
I have a friend that came to Japan on business. She worked for a major auto company. They had a brainstorming session early on during her stay in the country. The Americans came in fresh, having just had their first of many cups of joe of the day. The Japanese came in clutching notes they had taken for the brainstorming session. They had notes prepared to read from during the meeting.
We Americans might gasp in horror at the thought. How can it be a brainstorming session if your brain isn’t storming?! But what I really liked about this story was the idea of going into projects, meetings, even brainstorming sessions, with a plan. A little forethought goes a long way to helping you look like you know what you’re doing. Even if you haven’t got a clue.
4. If You Look Like a Slob, You Will be Perceived a Slob
There will be low points in your “career” as an entrepreneur. Don’t let it get you so down that you pull a Bridget Jones and throw yourself into the sofa sobbing into your journal eating ice cream. If you look sloppy when you go to an event because you currently don’t have any clients or your company isn’t making a positive cash flow, people will take note.
I heard that after the bubble burst in Japan in the 90s, men would put on their suit as though they were going to work and just ride the train in to Tokyo. Unemployed but dressed and ready for work. Even when you’re “off” work, you’re still “on.” Watch your appearance, be attentive to your body odor (sometimes I have friends tell me about mine and at least they know they can do so without penalty). Above all, be aware of your mouth…and the words coming out of it. You’re your own boss, which means you’re always “on the clock.”
5. It’s 3.5 x 2 Inches. Make it Your Own
I have given it to waitresses. I have given it to children. I have given it to folks all over the globe. Japan taught me the art of creating and sharing business cards. In Japan, sharing a business card is done with care. Upon meeting, each party produces a card and gives it to the other person using both hands. This is often accompanied by a bow. It’s a tiny ceremony that ends with both parties observing (and sometimes remarking on) the other person’s business card.
What I learn from observing the Japanese business card exchange is that it may be a simple act, but it has huge implications. If the way we do one thing is the way we do all things, to flippantly fork over a card without taking a moment to appreciate someone else’s card is a mistake that could cost us a relationship. In Japan, this is doubly true.
6. Give Gifts
Give gifts often and with your whole heart.
Patrick shares a birthday with me. One year we were in the countryside of Japan celebrating our birthday with a low-key celebration at our favorite ramen restaurant (see photo - that was before the yoga studio!). That ramen was toe-curlingly good. We mentioned to the owner, a friend, that it was our birthday and showed him our gaijin (foreigner) cards to prove it. He was impressed.
A couple of high school students sitting a few booths away heard it, too. I’m not sure what possessed them to do it, but on their way out the door they presented the two of us with a hand towel they had obviously bought at Tokyo Disneyland. The tags were dangling off it. It was such a simple, sweet gesture. They ran out of the restaurant before we could even properly thank them. We should all have gifts on hand, all the time, and be prepared to give them in “emergency” situations. Not because we want something in return, but because giving gifts is one of the best ways to say, “thank you.” Or, “you matter.”
7. Listen to What People Say
In the Japanese language, as you probably know, the verb comes at the end of the sentence, so you have to listen until the end of the sentence to get the point of what they’re saying. In English, it’s much easier for us to tune out early in the sentence if it’s clear the magic word “you” isn’t around the bend.
Mastering another language was one of the most important skills on my path towards learning to listen. It’s an under-appreciated and underestimated skill. Make it a goal in 2008, whatever your current employment situation, to listen. And that means until the end of the sentence.
8. Be Genki!
The word “genki” has no literal translation in English. It’s somewhere between “robust,” “cheerful,” and “enthusiastic.” Possessing the quality of “genkiness” is highly valued, not just among cute J-Pop stars (although for them it’s essential), but among workers of all rank and age. Even though it may feel forced at times, a consistently “genki” outlook and attitude will win you friends and clients. To be sure, business will occasionally be tough and you’ll want to share your tribulations with those around you.
Resist the urge. Keeping your genk in the hardest of times is what defines a true entrepreneur.
May 2008 be a prosperous one for all you entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs-to-be out there!
