Sales & marketing
Building and running sales channels, business model shifts, price negotiations with suppliers
Overseas Business Support
ChampioningJapanese companieson the world stage
Cross-functional support for your overseas business, from launch and building the administrative structure through to exit.
- 01
From launch to exit
Support at every stage of your overseas business
- 02
From business to administration
Cross-functional coverage of the whole operation
- 03
Any country, region or industry
No limit on the markets or industries we support
About us
Professionals in
overseas expansion support
From setup to day-to-day operations, we support your overseas business
across functions and at low cost.
We bring experience gained on both sides, as an outside advisor and inside operating companies, to your day-to-day operations.
Scope of support
- 01
Launch
- 02
Administrative structure
- 03
Exit
Support at every stage
Issue
The barrier to overseas expansion is a lack of talent
In many Japanese companies, employees with no knowledge of or experience in overseas business are put in charge of it and are struggling to find their way by trial and error, with little idea of where to start.
-
85.2%
Companies whose staffing for overseas business is “insufficient or not secured”
JETRO (FY2025)
-
No. 1
53.1%
Reason for not having expanded overseas: “No suitable personnel”
Japan Finance Corporation Research Institute (2023)
-
Tied No. 1
32.9%
Challenge in overseas expansion: “No personnel able to handle overseas business”
SME SUPPORT JAPAN (2024)
The source, respondents and number of responses for each survey are given in “Our approach”.
Our approachRigorously efficient
administration
administration
Achievable by any company
Product & service
competitiveness
competitiveness
Brand &
capital strength
capital strength
Approach
Winning patterns in overseas business
Companies that succeed overseas broadly excel in at least one of the following three areas.
Rigorously efficient administration
Achievable, in principle, by any company. With people and systems well versed in overseas business, this can be achieved reliably and at low cost, and it is the starting point that determines whether an overseas business succeeds.
Service
Main fields of support
Through our work at a consulting firm, at operating companies (managing an overseas subsidiary and overseeing overseas business) and as an independent advisor, we have covered the full range of overseas business, from the business side to administration.
BusinessSales, marketing, strategy & turnaround
Strategy, business planning & M&A
Business planning, M&A evaluation, choice of entry mode and location
Turnaround & organizational management
Turning around loss-making businesses, cross-functional management, recruitment process reform
AdministrationSetup, finance, legal & HR
Entity setup & operating structure
Incorporation, bank accounts, bookkeeping and tax filing, reporting systems for head office
Finance, accounting & tax
Monthly close reviews, parent company reporting, transfer pricing documentation, country-specific tax practice
Legal & regulatory compliance
Contract drafting and review, product regulations, governance design, internal controls
HR, labor & expatriates
Overseas assignment policies, local work rules, work visas, employment compliance
Strength
Our strengths
We bring experience gained on both sides, as an outside advisor and inside operating companies, to your day-to-day operations.
Track record in setting up overseas subsidiaries
Set up subsidiaries in the United States and China and supported the launch of a UK business. We design the setup with subsequent operations in mind, not just the incorporation procedures.
Language skills for negotiation
English at CEFR C2 and Chinese at HSK Level 6. We speak and negotiate directly with local lawyers and bankers and move work forward without interpreters.
Expertise in accounting, tax and legal matters
Passed all sections of the U.S. CPA examination. Many years of hands-on accounting and tax work and experience preparing transfer pricing documentation, together with in-depth practical experience in legal matters, including contract drafting and review and local regulatory compliance.
Hands-on M&A and investment experience
M&A, due diligence and business valuation at a consulting firm, and execution of overseas investments at an operating company
Zero-to-one launch experience
Set up a U.S. subsidiary from scratch, building everything from bookkeeping and tax payment and filing to reporting systems for the parent company
Risk management from an operator’s perspective
Experience as a subsidiary executive personally turning around a loss-making business, conducting fraud investigations and reducing administrative costs
Coverage
Any country, region
or industry
We have worked on overseas business across a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, trading and finance. We do not limit the countries, regions or industries we work in.
Track record: countries & regions (examples)
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Vietnam
- China
- Taiwan
Track record: industries
We are also happy to discuss industries not listed above.
Message
Championing Japanese companies
on the world stage
Throughout my career, at a foreign consulting firm, a listed Japanese manufacturer, a startup and elsewhere, I have consistently worked on overseas business, both as an outside advisor and inside operating companies. Professional Links is fully committed to helping your overseas business succeed.
President & CEOTakehiko Osawa
- The University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
- USCPA: passed all exam sections
- English: CEFR C2
- Chinese: HSK Level 6
Contact
Contact
Whether you are launching overseas operations, reviewing your administrative structure or considering an exit, please feel free to get in touch.
Contact us