Services

※　All the offerings listed below are conducted on behalf of the client with the utmost confidentiality.

※　Though I work on a project basis, a full-time position is also a possibility.

Some of the services offered for Pharmaceutical, Biotech, OTC and Medical Device Manufacturers

Internationalization

  • Product naming and design
  • Language issues and documentation
  • Targeting local audiences
  • Export and logistics
  • Taxation and pricing
  • Local representation and promotion

Business Development

  • Expanding the
  • market for a product
  • New markets for existing products
  • New products for an existing market
  • New business partners and/or channels to expand the market
  • Trade shows
  • Competitive Intelligence

Sales and Marketing

  • Business situation analysis and evaluation of possible problems, using IMS’s data to propose solutions.
  • Strategy formulation for sales productivity, promotion value and market life cycle development
  • Assistance in developing strategy to find new products for the Japanese market or entry into new markets
  • Licensing-in and licensing-out opportunities

Branding

  • Positioning and image research
  • Name design
  • Promotional and advertising research
  • Brand names, INN and line extension consulting
  • Patents and trademarks

Communication

  • Internal and external communication strategies
  • Review and testing of web sites and newsletters
  • Search Engine Optimization planning
  • Negotiation with Japanese partners on behalf of US/EUR based companies
  • Interpreting Japanese → English → Japanese

Start-ups

  • Pharmaceutical partnering in Japan
  • Pharmaceutical licensing negotiations
  • Opinion-leader introductions for R&D or marketing
  • Marketing strategy and competitor environment evaluation
  • Business case estimations (NPV, Peak Sales, Pricing Simulations, etc.)
  • Local office set-up and incorporation
  • Staffing introductions and HR consultancy for pharmaceutical clients

Regulatory Affairs

  • NHI pricing strategies and reimbursement issues
  • Application procedure for Medical Devices
  • Labeling requirements
  • Support with MHLW consultations
  • Regulations on Generic and OTC classifications

Why you should use me as a Consultant

  • Confidentiality: most of my clients want to do research without everyone knowing what they are interested in. With a large consultancy many levels of staff are involved and keeping a secret can be difficult.

  • Smaller Japanese companies do not have expertise in overseas markets, and many companies based overseas do not have experience in the Japanese market. I can help in both instances.

  • I bring new ideas from experience in many situations, and I give an unbiased opinion as I am not concerned with office politics. My opinion is often weighed against the staff’s opinion as an independent voice.

  • When there is a rush to get something done, the client’s staff may not have enough personnel to finish a project, and it doesn’t justify hiring a new employee. So I am asked to help out on an as-needed basis.

  • Many companies that have restructured their businesses have still have short term needs.

  • I am very results orientated, and work more efficiently in a shorter time to complete the project. So though my fees may seem expensive, it actually works out cheaper for the client. Please see this article on what an employee actually costs, as well as my costs compared to a leading consultancy’s fees.

  • I have worked on many projects both as an independent consultant as well as an employee of a multinational company, so I bring a new perspective on your business. Also I hit the ground running, so there are no delays in teaching the staff new skills.

  • I am paid to complete a project, so you do not have to pay for down time such as in-house meetings, vacations, sick leave &c.

  • I can fill in a post until a fulltime employee is found, and as I am flexible it can free up staff for other responsibilities.

What I need from my Clients

  • A solid commitment.

  • Openness, full information, and cooperation.

  • A clear explanation of needs, objectives and direction. (Time, scope, budget and how to monitor the results).

  • If you are doing the same research in different countries and want to compare the results I will need to know what the protocol is. Do you have a list of people (KOLs) you want interviewed?

  • Your trust and confidence, though I know I have to earn it.

  • An open mind!

    If you have never employed a Consultant before please read this:
                   http://kutenk2000.blogspot.com/2009/01/essential-guide-to-hiring-consultants.html

 

Fee Structure

My fee per diem is ¥100,000, this includes translation costs, transportation within Tokyo's 23 wards, communication and postage, taxes &c.  What is not included is an honorarium to the interviewee - usually ¥10,000 per half hour.

Please compare the per diem fees of a large US consultancy in Tokyo (expenses are charged separately):

 

Vice-President ¥400,000   Consultant ¥250,000
Senior Principal ¥350,000   Associate Consultant ¥200,000
Principal ¥300,000   Researcher ¥150,000

 

Compare this to What An Employee Actually Costs (US data)

$120,000 Base Salary
7.65% FICA (employer contribution on 1st $102,000)
3.40% Unemployment Insurance (1st $7,000)
$8,000 Health/Dental Plan (per year — see below)
$4,800 Matching Retirement Contribution (per year)
$140,841 Actual Cost of Employee (including taxes & benefits)

2,080 Available Work Hours (per year)
80 hours Vacation Time (10 days)
40 hours Sick Time (5 days)
235 hours Wasted Time (1 hour per day*)

1,725 Actual Hours Worked

$57.69 Apparent Hourly Rate ($120,000/2,080) ¥5,769 (at $1/¥100)

$81.64 Actual Hourly Rate ($140,841/1,725) ¥8,164 (at $1/¥100)

* Wasted time (email, internet, phone, office chit-chat, etc) can be much more than this. According to a recent survey, more than 2 hours per day are wasted! This makes the Actual Hourly Rate for an employee jump to nearly $100 per hour.

See http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/g/a/2005/07/11/wastingtime.TMP for the San Francisco Chronical's report on the "Wasted Time At Work" survey by America Online and Survey.com.

See http://www.mercer.com/ushealthplansurvey for the Mercer 2007 National Survey of Employee-Sponsored Health Plans.

A consultant may cost a bit more, but when the project
is completed, the consultant is no longer on your payroll.