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Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Apr 19

Edited: Jun 14

How To Start A Startup in Japan + How To Start A Startup To Support Refugees (My Notes from Speaking at United Nations Workshop)

in Discussions

June 2024 Edit: Use this discussion to also ask me questions regarding the UN workshop on how to create a business by refugees or for refugees. As a speaker for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) workshop in Tokyo (sponsored by Nakano ward), I'm happy to answer your questions and read your insights and inputs.

What is this discussion? This is an online roundtable to share and discuss experiences, resources and practical advice for those who start up a business or a startup, especially if you're a woman or a mom 😁

#How #Business #Productivity #Femtech #Entrepreneur #Resources

Intro: To help other female entrepreneurs/ mompreneurs like me, I’ll be sharing here what steps I took/am taking as the founder of my recently created platform ProMaman, and hear from you your experiences and questions.

Up to this point, ProMaman has won the prestigious AXA insurance award, became part of 500 Global and United Nations DP, was featured in various media and we’re now building a great mailing list of companies and organizations that want to support women by holding helpful discussions that are easily accessible (it’s easier to participate on ProMaman than going to offline events or attending Zoom sessions, especially when guests have other work and childcare commitments).

My Steps So Far, in Brief:

Interviewed other women in similar situation to mine, to shape my idea

MVP (minium viable product)

Started building a list of trial clients (in our case, businesses that want to support women)

Joined governmental and private organizations for startups ( Tokyo government startups consortium, Google for Startups, etc.)

Selected to world leading accelerator: 500 Global (pre-seed/seed cohort, sponsored by Aichi government)

Partnered with more relevant organizations (JP-MIRAI/JICA, etc.)

Joined expo: Sponsored by JICA to co-exhibit with them and their partners (NHK, JP-MIRAI, etc.) at Tokyo International Expo.

Selected to United Nations DP Co:Youth contest (finalist)

Chosen by AXA insurance as the best startup for the AXA award at Tech4Good themed contest by the French Chamber of Commerce

Joined more expo: Sponsored by Tokyo government for a booth at Tama Mirai Innovation Fair)

Selected to United Nations accelerator

Media coverage by KDDI magazines, Global Piece Foundation, etc.

Now: Growing clients waiting list, preparing the platform for them to host discussions on ProMaman

Ask me anything, I’m happy to detail my above steps in the discussion below.

About me: I’ve always wanted to make a powerful social impact, but my background (educational and professional) weren't in the field of business. So, when I finally started working on ProMaman, I admit that I felt absolutely terrified to be driven purely by my passion to solve the problem my project was addressing, without existing contacts and prior knowledge on how the startup world works. I'm also a mom of small kids, so additionally to having a limited budget I also have limited time. Finally, I'm also an immigrant, so language plays quite the barrier, too. Scroll down to see my insights and experience and share yours!

united nations seminar webinar and workshop to help refugees and business — United Nations Seminar, Webinar and Workshop

58 comments

Join The Roundtable

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

My very first step was to skim through some of the Y combinator videos on their channel on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ycombinator Y combinator is a very popular (and hard to get into) startup accelerator. They provide certain starting funds to the accepted applicants, but it's its brand power that counts more. I haven't tried getting in, but I found their videos to be informative and inspiring.

Edited

Sadie

Replying to

Good to go to the free tradeshow and talk to people!

ProMaman

Replying to

Great tip! That way, even if you didn't get the chance (or budget) to exhibit, you can still interact with many people about your product!

Guest

Replying to

I join to say that I highly recommend checking out the Y Combinator videos on YouTube that Erin mentioned. They provide good insights and advice from successful startup founders. It's a great resource to learn from others' experiences.

Guest

I already have a business in mind (an app) but I’m not technical. Should I first find a technical partner?

Guest

Replying to

It’s just an idea right now. I need a technical co founder to build MVP and validate the need

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Personally I feel that, except certain cases, idea validation has to be done even before having a "minimum product". The best way to do it is to create a landing page that outlines the product and collect emails from those who are interested to use it once it's ready. You can use tools like Photoshop to create mock-shots of how the app would look like. There are also tools, like Figma, in which you can create a demo with clickable buttons that connect to various pages/functions. Often, such tools are free or very cheap and it will help you validate your idea without the trouble of finding/paying an engineer to code something for you.

Guest

Replying to

100% agree. I have an extensive group of people and it took me 2 years... But still can't funny cover the costs.

Nola

What about startups/businesses that do consumer products that don’t solve major “pains”?

I design very cute characters. My dream is to have my designs sold in fashion shops as shirts, socks, bags. Any idea what to do next? Should I start fundraising to have it mass produced?

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Maybe someday I will restart my clothing brand ;) As for the product which I presented to the distributor, I actually didn't sell it anywhere prior to meeting them. And I also didn't have a website nor any brochures. My product was an accessory to help in emergency situations, which I handmade for myself and my family. I came up with the product idea after experiencing the Tohoku earthquake in Japan and I was surprised that such product didn't exist/wasn't available in any store. After making it for my family, I decided to contact my local government's business section and asked to be matched with a relevant distributor. At that time, the section was called "Tokyo Business Entry Point". This section seems to be discontinued but many other governmental business matching services are created instead. Maybe it was "beginner's luck" but the meeting was organized very fast and the company I was matched with liked how my product works. I didn't prepare any documents (I was too naive/ignorant) and just came to the meeting with my handmade prototype and showed how it worked.

Guest

Replying to

Wow!!!! Did it work out??

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

No. They required customizations and being 8 months pregnant I felt that I should put this whole ordeal on hold. Later on I just lost the interest to go back to it and later on we had to move abroad. Here's another related WTH anecdote: during our life abroad, my husband came back to Japan for a work conference. At the conference there was this company that was giving away ad flyers of their product.....the product turned to be the identical idea of mine! Color scheme different but the idea and how it works exactly the same. So, here's another lesson to learn from my experience: if you feel you have something unique, always register patent ;)

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Also, I think it’s very important to remember that there will be a lot of struggle to actually get help or recognition. I might have had “beginner’s luck” at first, but there’s also plenty rejection and diminishing that sometimes really make me feel like my mission (of empowering better life for women like me, through providing a dedicated online space for discussing actual solutions to women’s various needs with orgs/gov/corporates and individuals) is impossible to realize.

Sometimes the negativity hits due to sexism, sometimes due to racism, many times because no matter how great your mission is, you just don’t resonate with certain governments/organizations/corporations and individuals…

So, all I’m saying is just be prepared for all the difficulties to come

Edited

Guest

Replying to

And the reasoning makes no sense. Oh well〜

Guest

Replying to

Failure is a part of the journey. Don't be discouraged if things don't go as planned. Learn from your mistakes, adapt, and keep pushing forward. Remember, every successful entrepreneur has faced setbacks along the way. You've got this!

Guest

Replying to

Such things happen. Don't stress over it!

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

This website offers free courses created by Google, Meta, etc. (Courses of IT, AI, digital marketing, etc.) Great for improving your skills or learning new ones to help your business journey

https://www.coursera.org/

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Linkedin also offers some and at the end you can get their certificate of completion

https://learning.linkedin.com/free-courses

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

And here some in collab between Microsoft and Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/microsoft-18674489

Edited

Guest

My friend’s previous business was an online magazine and she used to open her site on every phone and PC browsers in every electronic shop she passed lol

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Awesome! It’s great to always think outside the box! I also printed our logo on the shirt I wore at our expo booths during our exhibitions

Guest

Replying to

Where did you print them?

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Amazon. But there are so many print on demand shops (online and physical) and also you can print on any of your existing shirts if you have a regular printer (you can buy the special paper at print/electronic shops or online), print on it, cut out and iron on your items.

Guest

I've always dreamed of starting my own business but I have no idea what kind as I have so many interests. How do you choose what niche to focus on?

Guest

Replying to

I completely understand where you're coming from. Starting a business can be overwhelming, especially when you have other responsibilities like being a mom. One piece of advice I would give is to start small and focus on something you're passionate about. What are you interested in? What skills do you have? Finding your niche can make the process a lot more enjoyable.

Guest

Replying to

I couldn't agree more with the person above. Starting small and focusing on your passion is key. Also, don't be afraid to reach out for help and support. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals who can guide you and provide valuable advice. Networking is crucial in the startup world!

Guest

I started my own business a few years ago and one thing that really helped me was creating a solid business plan. It doesn't have to be complicated, but having a clear vision, mission, and goals for your business will guide you in the right direction. Plus, it's a great tool to attract potential investors or partners!

Guest

I recently started my own business as well and one thing I wish I had done earlier is market research. Understanding your target audience, competition, and market trends can give you a competitive edge. It will also help you tailor your product or service to meet the needs of your customers. Don't underestimate the power of market research!

Guest

I'm a mompreneur too, and one thing that has been crucial for me is time management. Balancing motherhood and a business IS challenging, but setting priorities and creating a schedule can def help you stay organized and focused. Don't forget to take care of yourself too, self-care is important!

Guest

Another important aspect of starting a business is financial planning. It's essential to have a clear understanding of your budget, expenses, and revenue projections. Consider seeking advice from a financial advisor or taking a course on financial management to ensure you're on the right track.

Guest

Stay persistent and never give up! Starting a business can IS challenging, but with determination and a positive mindset, you can achieve your goals. Surround yourself with a supportive network and keep believing in yourself. You've got this!

Guest

I have a question about starting a business that is targeting refugees. I actually never thought of such a thing, but seeing what's going on in the world I can understand the strong and seemingly growing need. What are the biggest pains refugees face? I assume it's language barrier and adapting to a new place, but isn't these two areas already dominated by very hard to compete with players? For example, language barrier can be solved with Google Translate and Google Translate is extremely hard to compete against. Pains related to adaptation are likely already handled by government agencies and many NPOs, so it's hard to see how a for-profit can succeed there. What are your thoughts?

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

There are many pains that are not language related. For example, refugees who are religious might have hard time finding the food they can eat. They may also miss movies or music or networking... in such case, apps or platforms can be created to accommodate such needs. Of course there are many more pains you can try solving. The best way would be to meet and interview them to find out what things are not yet handled by other NPOs, etc.

Guest

I also have a question about business for refugees! Assuming I have an idea and create a business plan, how easy or difficult would it be to get funding? I've never heard of a social startup becoming a unicorn so is it correct to assume that getting funding for socially focused startups is extremely difficult?

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

It's difficult, but I think it's not impossible. Definitely try thinking "outside the box" when it comes to funding and I also advice to try bootstrapping as much as you can. I don't know about funding opportunities from the private sector, but it's worth checking with funding from the government. This gov-run agency may have the answers: https://www.startup-support.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/onestop/en/ They provide free webinars/seminars and also free 1-1 consultations.

Guest

I live in Japan and want to start a business in Japan. But Japan doesn't accept many refugees and has quite a low number of foreigners. Considering this, would you advice for or against starting a business that targets refugees/migrants/foreigners specifically in Japan, and why?

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Good question. The number of refugees, immigrants and expats is growing and many pain points are shared among those groups, for example, language related struggles. I'd suggest creating a business that first targets a niche (for example, refugees from a certain region) but that can relatively easy and quickly expand to other communities. For example, daily Japanese language lessons...

Guest

Just wondering which nationalities will be the most common among the refugees that come to Japan in the future.

Erin [Femtech Entrepreneur]

Replying to

Honestly, hard to predict. In general, Japan has tight policies towards taking in refugees. According to official stats, most refugee seekers are from Sri Lanka (3,778 people, up from 502), followed by Turks (2,406 people, up from 445), and Pakistanis at 1,062, up from 238. But, from those actually granted refugee status, the largest group was from Afghanistan, at 237 people. In 2023, Japan has accepted a record high of 303 refugees, which seems really tiny, but is actually double from the previous year.

Guest

Hi,nice to meet you,Erin.I wanted to join the event of UNHCR..However, it was finished.Will you take part in the event similar to UNHCR?

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