| Services |
 |
PRAG provides the following services to achieve client's
goal and objectives:
| Market research though "Test Marketing" |
| We extensively make some research on the market size,
competitive advantage, barrier to entry, distribution
channels, and short-and long-term risks. In this
research phase, we most value initial feedbacks from influential
business and academic professionals in each country. We give our
client an opportunity of presenting its product &
business model at the informal seminar where we invite
professionals and opinion leaders in the related market
space. Such feedbacks helps us forge viable
strategy and business model. |
| Forging entry strategy and Developing business model |
Based on the above market research, we work with clients to
forge both an effective and efficient entry strategy
including most preferred business model. Each business model consists of one or a combination of the
following alliance forms:
|
- Distribution and reseller agreements
- Technology licensing
- OEM agreements
- Joint ventures
- Make investment or take investment
|
| PRAG recommends the business model most
suitable for the growth stage both of client and targeting
country's market. |
| Identifying Alliance Candidates |
| In order to realize the ideal business model, we identify,
evaluate, and screen alliance candidates. This process
involves research of public information, analysis
of PRAG's proprietary knowledge, and face-to-face meetings
with managements of the candidates and interviews to influential
professionals in the related business space. |
| Entering into Inter-Cultural Negotiation |
| We assist our client in creating a proposal
to the candidates. We are also deeply involved in the
negotiations with these alliance candidates. We attend
almost all meetings with these prospects to assist the client in
understanding key issues by "reading between the
lines". |
| Raising Funds |
| If the client seeks to obtain long-term equity
investment or to be acquired by an overseas established
company, we contact potential
corporate investors, makes proposals, and negotiates the
deal with a deep financial background. |
| Methodology |
The duration of typical consulting project is usually
3-6 months. PRAG's high quality contacts (with C's level
executives such as
CEO, COO, CTO, etc.), experience of both Japanese
and US business practices, and its insightful analytical skills
contribute to the closing the partnership agreement
efficiently. Our typical
engagement is separated into three to four phases:
First Phase: Creating entry strategy and business model
Based on extensive market research through "test
marketing"--including
market size and growth rate, competitive advantage, potential entrants,
etc.--PRAG proposes the most preferred business
model and alliance form.
Second Phase: Implementing entry strategy and business
model
During this second phase, PRAG identifies, evaluates,
and screens potential partners. PRAG introduces its
client
to executive level managers of all prospects. We
arrange a series of face-to-face meetings between US and
Japanese principals. We assist clients in understanding key cultural
differences so that they can deliver effective presentations
and address prospect's questions properly.
In the meeting consisting many engineers and scientists, we
sometimes see both principals deeply dig into too much
technical details but lose the bottom line; "how to jointly
create a profitable business". In such cases, PRAG
never fails to get the subject back to the bottom line by
reminding both parties of key issues to be resolved.
Third Phase: Monitoring
PRAG's client sometimes wants PRAG to keep monitoring a new venture's
initial management phase. After implementing the entry strategy,
PRAG keeps on providing advisory
service so that the client's new alliances can sustain smooth.
Forth Phase. Running the overseas company by itself
In some cases, PRAG's management team newly creates a Japanese
venture business by using US company's technology/business platform and operates
this company by itself. |
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