How to Start a Business in Asia: Interview with Black business owners Juneteenth 2022 event

September 11, 2022 Pharaoh

For Juneteenth 2022 BLM Tokyo and BLM Korea collaborated on the Juneteenth celebration event How to Start a Business in Asia”. This year we wanted to encourage Black financial freedom and showcased Black business owners in Asia.

Starting a business is difficult anywhere but can be even more daunting when starting a business in a foreign country. You have to contend with not only the obstacle of being a foreigner but other hurdles such as visas and language. We interviewed Jason Boutte, David Whitaker, and Micus Ralls, 3 successful Black business owners in Japan and Korea to get their story of how they started. These entrepreneurs give tips and inspiration for those also looking to start a business.

Our business owners:
Jason Boutte owner of Shuttle food delivery service in Korea

David Whitaker co-owner of Soul Food House in Tokyo, Japan and co-founder of Legacy Foundation Japan

Micus Ralls owner of KURO Restobar in Korea

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00:00:00 Introductions
00:07:16 When did you start Shuttle delivery service and Shuttle app?
00:13:04 What prompted you to start Soul Food House?
00:15:12 What kind of research did you do to start Soul Food House?
00:16:52 Did you start the business KURO Restobar to fill a need?
00:20:39 What do you offer at KURO Restobar?
00:21:50 How did you deal with the language barrier when starting a business in Asia?
00:26:31 Did you take advantage of any of the business resources available?
00:31:59 How did you go about looking for funding?
00:43:25 How did you deal with immigration statuses, visas, or licenses when starting your business in Asia?
00:52:29 How did you brand your business and get it welcomed by the local community as a foreigner?
00:55:44 What’s the main tip you have on how do find and identify your customer?
01:02:39 How do you determine if there is a need for your business?
01:08:10 What was your greatest challenge in getting started?
01:11:40 Are there any gender biases to overcome when doing business in Korea or Japan?
01:17:28 What’s the best tip you can give to someone wanting to start a business in Korea or Japan?
01:20:16 Final words from the guests.
01:27:42 Outro

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