* What was your education experience? Was it helpful?
Yvonne Burton
I have a BA in International Business and Economics and one year at Kansai Gaidai University in Osaka, Japan as an exchange student. That one year of course was not enough to gain a strong fundamental understanding of the culture so after graduating from university I went back to Japan on my own to live and work for an additional six years.
* What was your professional experience?
In my years after university in Japan, I taught in language schools but always tried to move more into the business area. I taught in several companies (banks, electronics firms and pharmaceutical firms) in the areas of business communications and negotiations and then started doing freelance consulting work with small Japanese firms in the area of Import/Export often times searching out new products and negotiating contracts for them because many didn’t speak any English. When I returned to New York, I worked in a Japanese trading company and then moved into the technology arena. I worked as a Project Manager for the largest online job site in their Online Marketing and Advertising division and then moved into the technology consulting field as a Business Analyst in a firm that created customized software solutions for the Pharmaceutical industry. As a business analyst, I was in charge of the gathering and documenting requirements for the systems, creating detailed design documents, communicating the requirements and design to programmers and software engineers to build and then perform integration testing to ensure that the software fulfilled all requirements. I became a document specialist as these documents had to meet regulated standards.
* When did you start Burton & Associates Consulting?
Burton & Associates Consulting (B&AC) was officially formed in 1998. However, it really started while still in Japan working with those small importers. As time passed, I put it on hold to gain experience in the technology field and only did small projects such as cross-cultural training over the years.
* How did you spot the opportunity to start Burton & Associates Consulting?
Well, I always believed in my Japanese experience and knew that I wanted to use it fully in business. I firmly believe that international experience is priceless and I certainly wanted to build on the time I lived and work in Japan by either working in Japanese firms or in U.S. firms that did business in the Japanese market when I came back home to New York. However to just work in a position in a company didn’t fully utilize all of my experiences so I really wanted to create my own business targeting the Japanese market. I believed that having someone with international experience as part of a project team is an immense advantage especially in these days of this truly global economy.
While working in online marketing and advertising and as a business analyst, I began thinking that there were Japanese companies that needed these services and that with my background experience in Japan, I would be uniquely qualified to assist these companies. I began to define the services that I wanted to offer; technology consulting, management consulting and research services and of course bring the cross-cultural component to Japanese firms and U.S. firms that are operating in Japan or in partnership with Japanese companies.
One of my main interests is in assisting small Japanese start-ups and tech companies that are really using technology to compete with bigger firms or making strides in the global software market. These firms are doing something really exciting and different and I want to be a part of it by supporting them in their international endeavors through doing the analyst part of their software development life cycle or in some other capacity.
* How did you evaluate the opportunity?
There are consultants that deal in Asia and specifically in the Japanese market both small and large but I feel that B&AC offers something a little different of course. Many focus on either just the cross-cultural aspect or management consulting for larger firms. B&AC is focusing on providing customized service to Japanese related clients and utilizing its cross-cultural knowledge in doing so. We are consultants that have a foundation of cultural understanding and use that as a base in providing our services to smaller to mid-size clients seeking to improve operational efficiencies and/or grow their business internationally.
* Did you have a start-up business plan?
I had a dream in my head and worked to make it a reality but have recently started to put the plan of it down on paper and will continually update it as my business evolves. For example, with the current Outsourcing boom that is taking place, I am developing a service where B&AC would manage outsourcing projects (international project management in a way) for my clients or become an outsourcing partner for them such as being the documentation specialist for software firms creating software for global markets or creating the training manuals. As the economy changes, opportunities naturally arise and I want to make sure that my business evolves as global business evolves. I still want to make sure that our core values, services and quality of service are the highest possible but that as our clients evolve and grow; we also evolve and grow to provide them with the services that they need.
* How did any outside advisors make a difference in your company?
Well, I have been working with Small Business Development Centers (truly wonderful sources) and through creating my business plan, I have received very valuable advice especially in terms of new services that I hadn’t thought of. I have also been very fortunate in meeting several wonderful mentors who really believe in me and what I have been trying to do all these years. They have provided guidance, encouragement and introduced me to contacts to continually forward my vision.
* Tell us about your business and the services your offer
We consult to companies in the Japanese market whether directly or through partnerships and to Japanese firms operating in the U.S and internationally. B&AC core services include:
Management Consulting & Research:devising and mapping out appropriate strategies for our clients in various areas.
Collateral Materials/Websites: designing or improving on existing marketing and sales materials and web sites to maximize the impact on sales efforts.
Technology Consulting: assisting clients in the software development lifecycle with business analysis and requirements gathering, testing and implementing products for global markets. Also, advising clients on effective online marketing and advertising strategies.
Business Development: seeking out or developing new business initiatives on client’s behalf.
Target Market
* Could you tell us who are your target market and how did you determine it?
Mainly the target market is Japanese companies seeking to make efficient use of technology in their business processes to manage information and improve business performance. Also, companies in the Japanese market or in partnership with Japanese companies seeking to further strengthen relationships with customers, business partners, create new opportunities, improve operating efficiencies and improve communications both internally and internationally.
* How does having a niche help you grow your business?
It allows for more flexible growth. By keeping abreast of what is happening in your niche, it is easier to see how and when to make changes to your services or company’s mission statement. You adapt easier and make changes faster to accommodate changes in the market.
* What are your plans for the future?
To develop and grow B&AC into a multi-service firm that with the foundation of our experiences, provide quality services to clients. I would like to see the company become the go to company for smaller to mid-size Japanese firms and foreign firms in the Japanese market because of the personal care we give our clients. Living in Japan has taught me the value of quality service and I want to apply that in my business.
* What were/are the most demanding conflicts you face?
Growing the business – even though the business world has changed so much, it is still hard to convince new clients to take a chance on you. That is why it is imperative to provide valuable services and to go the extra mile for your clients. Also, having your own business is literally 24/7. I make my own schedule though and that is great so if I want to be working at 3AM, I can. You do have to make compromises of course but there are some things that I do not compromise on – I exercise at least 4 times a week and I do Buddhist chanting and meditation that keeps me as free from stress as you can ever be. This allows me to perform at the highest level for my clients.
* What things do you find personally rewarding as an entrepreneur?
For me it has always been about helping people. It’s just that I am doing it on a business level. I am fortunate in the years I spent in Japan and all my experiences there and I always wanted to use that in the best way possible. I like the one on one interaction with my clients, getting to know them and working with them and helping them do what they do better and more efficiently.
I saw a lot of small Japanese companies struggle when I was in Japan. In most cases, they didn’t have the small business assistance programs we have here in the states. But these companies, whether they were small retailers or import/export firms, believed in what they were doing and even without help were out there each day fighting. I want to help those types of companies. The Internet and other technological revolutions now allow smaller businesses to operate on the global stage at much lower costs and enhance their potential and chances of great success. These are the companies I want as clients, to work in conjunction with them to do something new and different.
The entrepreneur life has always been good for me even though it is tough. I moved to the states from Jamaica with my family when I was a child and I saw my mother work hard to make a good life for us. I wanted to honor her efforts by doing something bigger and different. I wanted to use all of who I am in my business – my Jamaican work ethic, my American drive to pursue my dreams, my life and work experiences in Japan and my business experiences to create a successful business.
The most obvious trade-off is time because you want to be involved in every aspect because it is your business. You have to do everything yourself especially while building the business; development, marketing, sales and the work once you get the projects. In spite of all your hard work, it might still not work out but you still go for it. But if you think about it, that is really the same for everything in life. So if you really believe in it –you can and will succeed at it.
For more information about Yvonne Burton and Burton & Associates Consulting, please visit www.Burtonconsulting.biz.
Update: Recently, Yvonne Burton launched her first blog: www.JapanUSbusinessnews.com is a forum for news, discussion, sharing and advertising for the Japan-US business community.