Although I advise any foreign firm doing business in Japan to show commitment by setting up a small representative office here, there is no doubt that it is an expensive exercise. At the very least you need a local country CEO, a sales/marketing manager, a technology person, and someone to look after the office.

The popularity of Taro Aso's cabinet has already started sinking and if a new opinion poll speaks the truth, it looks like the LDP will have to inject a bit of hope into the economy, before an election is called. Read Now

With global fear and uncertainty leading to a plummeting Nikkei Index, we look at why Japan is so investment cautious, and what opportunities lay for those braver ones seeking to find a diamond within the ashes.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and since the cash flow problems were for good reasons, i.e., high growth, I felt that cutting back on employees or job-related costs wasn’t the right answer. Further, since I wasn’t getting paid a salary most months, in order to help the cash flow, adjusting my costs would have had no effect either. Finally I came to realize that what I really needed was more sales during the down months, but at no extra cost to the firm. In other words, I personally had to get back out on the street and start creating some new revenue.