Until my 30s, I was involved in the restaurant business. The motivation for this was that I had worked in a part-time job at a restaurant as a student. Partly because I had been fortunate in my environment, having been entrusted with a management position from a young age, I eventually began to consider the idea of starting up a restaurant of my own. I originally started working in the transportation business in order to raise the funds needed to start up my restaurant. As long as you have a driver’s license, being a driver does not require any special qualifications or skills, and there are still many people working as drivers in order to raise funds to achieve their dreams and aspirations as I did.
The company that I happened to join offered support for establishing independent business operations, making use of the company name, and this was the motivation for establishing my business in Saitama. Although I originally entered the industry for the purpose of raising funds, through my interactions with transaction partners and contracted (freelance) drivers I began to learn the fun and enjoyment of interpersonal relationships in the industry, and to appreciate the sense of worth and satisfaction in the mission of delivering cargo to end users.
The company that I happened to join offered support for establishing independent business operations, making use of the company name, and this was the motivation for establishing my business in Saitama. Although I originally entered the industry for the purpose of raising funds, through my interactions with transaction partners and contracted (freelance) drivers I began to learn the fun and enjoyment of interpersonal relationships in the industry, and to appreciate the sense of worth and satisfaction in the mission of delivering cargo to end users.
The advantage with our company is that we cater flexibly to the needs of customers at low cost. For example, depending on the cargo, it possible for us to transport cargo without packing in some cases, and if customers can pack cargo together we can offer our services at a lower cost.
With the advancement of online shopping and other e-commerce sites there is stable demand for transportation services, and they are also drawing attention as a growth business. There are also many people wishing to try their hand at the driver business as I once did in order to fulfill their future dreams. I wanted us to provide support for those drivers aiming to establish their own independent businesses, and so we have stablished schemes to enable them to reach the start line as smoothly as possible.
For drivers who do not own a light freight vehicle, the first initial cost of entering the business is that of purchasing a vehicle. It also carries the risk that, after actually paying the expensive cost of buying a vehicle and beginning work, there is a chance that the driver may feel that they wish to quit the job, and are then left with an unneeded vehicle to deal with. To solve this issue, we established a vehicle rental scheme, whereby drivers can rent a vehicle for two years on a day-to-day pro-rated basis. The reason for this is that I believe that if someone tries the job for a period of two years, they will be able to make up their minds as to whether or not they wish to continue working seriously in the business. I want to support people who are choosing to embark on the adventure of attempting something new in their lives.
I myself, too, am continuing to attempt new challenges beyond the transportation business. Influenced partly by one of my advisors, I have encountered people from a diverse range of industries and business types, and this has led me to attempt challenges in different areas of business. Firstly, seven years ago, I started a coin-operated laundry business. It was a business that I encountered when I was looking for a type of service that would enable me to generate revenues continuously through unmanned operation. This was at a time when there were still not many coin-operated laundries around, but demand for the service continues to grow even now. The point that differentiates my business from others is that it places a key focus on delivering an eco-friendly service, with the incorporation of systems using electrolyzed water. This business was born out of a relationship based on an encounter I had with a company that manufactures machinery for producing electrolyzed water.
Electrolyzed water is a solution created through the electrolysis of ordinary tap water. It has drawn attention in recent years for its various benefits, which include sanitizing, deodorizing and cleansing properties. Due to its safety, companies in various industries have begun using it for purposes such as washing food and sanitary products. In laundry applications, too, for basic everyday spoilage, it is possible to remove dirt from clothes with electrolyzed water alone, without the use of detergent. Because of this, this method of washing is convenient for washing the clothes of babies and children with skin conditions such as atopy, and has also been well received due to the advantage of its being environmentally friendly in terms of wastewater.
Another business that I launched is a recycling business for child products. There was a store that I was originally involved with as a franchise, but then the headquarters went out of business. We used this opportunity—and carrying on the relationships that we already had with the original staff—to form an alliance with a partner company and make a new start as a nationwide business. We currently live in an age where the birth rate is in decline, but although the number of children per household is decreasing, surprisingly it is also said that the amount of money being spent on each child is increasing. But even if we buy high-quality clothing and other items for our children, they will soon outgrow them and become unable to wear or use them.
Until a while back, people would hand down outgrown items to their neighbors or acquaintances, but recently it seems that many parents out of concern for recipients feeling the need return the favor, or over differences in taste. At the same time, the number of people selling such items is increasing, since throwing them away seems wasteful. Out of those items sold to us, we select and sell only the clean items that are as good as new, and donate the old and otherwise unsellable items to volunteer organizations. Our stores are located in shopping malls, and sell products at a level that does not compare unfavorably with those offered by stores that sell brand new items. A characteristic feature of our stores is that they combine both buying and selling functions, and therefore draw more visitors than regular stores. Another pleasing benefit of this business model is that we are able to contribute in drawing customers to the mall as a whole, through the creation of a positive cycle in which customers sell clothing at our stores and then purchase new items at neighboring stores.
In this way, I am currently engaged in three different types of business. Naturally, because they are completely different business types, they offer different kinds of hardships as well as enjoyment. However, I feel motivated by the act creating something new through relationships with people. It makes me feel happy if I can make people feel even a little glad to have been involved with me in some way; and the feeling of being able to provide something for someone else leads to confidence and invigoration. Another driving force for me is the feeling of wanting to lend a hand to people who are facing some kind of problem or trouble. For this reason, I keep my eyes and ears constantly peeled with the intention of expanding my activities while at the same time developing connections that I might be able to utilize later on.
My dream for the future is to build a school for unfortunate and unprivileged children overseas. I often travel abroad, and I get a tight feeling in my chest when I see young children there working in the same way as adults. Personally, I myself have also experienced my fair share of hardship since my days as a student. There were many tough times, but it taught me that if you keep on living your life then better times will definitely come.
These days it seems that a growing number of young people only want to work “in moderation,” but that makes me want to say that it seems like a boring way of life. I think that it is necessary to have the desire to be recognized for what you have done, to work hard and earn money, and to take the plunge and use that money to do things that interest you. I always tell my employees to have some kind of goal. It is important to set the kind of goal that is not unreachable, but which can be achieved in a period of around two years, and to continue to repeat that cycle. I want my employees to bold in attempting the challenges of achieving their dreams, and feel the joy of being able to achieve their goals.
