Starting a Business
Practical guides for opening your store from scratch, including preparation, funding, and permits
How to Write a Business Plan for Your Store: Revenue Formulas and Sample Text for Food & Retail
When writing a business plan to open a restaurant or retail shop, the real sticking point isn't knowing what sections to fill in — it's backing up every number with a real argument. In my experience sitting in on loan interviews, the most common reason applications get turned down is weak numerical justification.
How to Open a Cafe in Japan: 8-Step Preparation Guide
A practical 8-step guide to opening a cafe in Japan — from concept design and business planning to permits, fit-out, and post-opening KPI management.
Sole Proprietor vs. Corporation: Which Should You Start With?
Choosing between operating as a sole proprietor, LLC (godo-kaisha), or corporation (kabushiki-kaisha) is one of the biggest decisions you'll make before opening. This article walks through setup costs (LLC ~¥110,000 (~$730 USD), corporation ~¥240,000 (~$1,600 USD)), the fixed resident tax on corporations (~¥70,000 (~$465 USD) even in a loss year), the sole proprietor blue-form tax deduction of ¥650,000 (~$4,300 USD), employer social insurance burden (~14.6–15%), and the ¥10 million ...
How to Cut Opening Costs with a Used Commercial Property (and What to Watch Out For)
Takeover properties — spaces where the previous tenant's fit-out and equipment are still in place — can significantly reduce your upfront costs and shorten the time to opening. But 'cheaper' isn't guaranteed: additional renovation work and contract terms can push the total bill much higher than you'd expect.
5 Ways to Fund Your Business Startup: Loans, Grants, and Personal Savings
Looking at startup costs as one lump sum is a fast way to misread your situation. The real starting point is splitting that number into capital expenditure and working capital — because in our experience, plans that skimp on working capital are the ones that hit cash flow trouble right after opening.
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Restaurant in Japan? Startup Costs Broken Down
Japan's Policy Finance Corporation data puts the average restaurant startup cost at roughly ¥9.85 million (~$66K USD), but the median is ¥5.8 million (~$39K). More than 40% of new operators open for under ¥5 million. Here's how to read those numbers—and build a plan that actually holds up.
Restaurant Permits & Licenses in Japan: Required vs. Conditional, Sorted by Situation
Getting your permits sorted before signing a lease or locking in your interior design makes a bigger difference than most people expect. In my work helping owners open restaurants, I've seen multiple cases where the late-night alcohol notification was overlooked and the operator had to cut their hours right before opening. The practical starting point is always the same two questions: how late are you planning to stay open, and is alcohol your main revenue driver?