Why Business & Client Trust is Important

Like all businesses we like to keep ourselves updated with the current news. Akutagawa International especially likes the stories on the USA Today website. There was one article written by Douglas McIntyre that got our attention "Forecast: 10 most profitable U.S. Companies in 2013".

This article stood out for many reasons. It lists some of the major players in the business game, but also addresses how some are still very popular and not front runners. A good example of this is Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), and Microsoft (MFST). Everyone knows how large and successful Apple and Google are. We are also very familiar with their products. Microsoft use to be big, but not so much any more. You do not hear that much about Microsoft because like McIntyre's article states they are not considered big leaders in the tech world, but they do have huge profit margins. 

Lets just examine that portion of McIntyre's article. Why do you think Microsoft isn't as popular as Apple or Google right now, yet they still break the charts when making profit? We will tell you why. Microsoft has earned their clients respect and loyalty. There will always be new products to try and great hype around certain products and services but at the end of the day people will choose what is known and trusted. You hear all of this advertising about a new meal at Burger King. You find yourself at the drive through looking for something quick to eat. You see all of the choices and wonder "Hmm" that sounds good, but you also have that thought that you have never tried it before and what if you don't like it. You end up ordering a Number 1 because you know you can't go wrong with a Whopper. Business is the same way. Microsoft may not be as big as Apple but when you get or use their products you already know your getting something from a company that you know and trust. 

This also answers the question why some consumers will pay extra for something they can get at a deal. You can have the same exact product developed by one unknown company, Put a regular name on one and then Toshiba on the other. Consumers are guaranteed to buy the Toshiba because they are familiar with the product. Sometimes names matter, but they matter because businesses took the time and effort to prove themselves. The same can be said about any business or product. But you must also remember that just because a product or service has a name that you trust doesn't always mean you will be satisfied with the product. Even the large Brands produce things that the consumers question. This is natural. 

Akutagawa International has taken the time to build that trust with our clients. Customers and clients become loyal when there is trust in the air. Just like a child jumping from high ground into his fathers arms, customers must trust you like (Dad) to make the leap.

Visit the USA Today website for Douglas McIntyre's full article or click http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/01/20/10-profitable-companies-2013/1848581/

http://akutagawainternational.com is always interested on our clients and potential clients thoughts about business news. Tell us how you feel about this article in a comment.

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Marketers Wish List 2013

What your employees expect!

Infographic ran an article where they asked professionals in the field of marketing & business what they really wanted in 2013. Sort of like a wish list. Actually a wish list was exactly what it was. The results seemed pretty typical. Akutagawa International decided to take a look and give our views on some of these topics.

1. More Staff

2. More influence over customer service

3. More Analytics

These were the top wish list responds. More staff coming in at 40% and that is a given. Companies will always do better with more staff; however with new budgets it just may not be feasible. New start-up businesses will not have the finances to support a full marketing or business staff and existing corporations have to cut back. What can be done now? This is where new and creative low and no cost solutions come in. Believe it or not marketing efforts can be handled by one person and also junior staff once the strategies are in place. The upkeep and maintenance of implementation will be the tricky part, but will also change as the strategies and target markets change and grow. More staff is wanted but as professionals we need to find ways to "work with what we have", and just strive to be effective with our initial approach.

The second leading wish is more influence over customer service and updated software & tools. This makes sense because even Akutagawa International looks for ways to have more customer influence. We even turn to our Chief of Technology Officer Anthony Ling for the best software and marketing platforms being used around the world. Since we have affiliates that create and operate software worldwide we have many to choose from and test drive. This gives us options and that is something we want to give our clients, Options! It also gives http://akutagawainternational.com the opportunity to see what works, what doesn't, and what should be tweaked.

The third wish is better collaboration with IT, Sales, and or Service. This can be done simply with communication. As professionals we need to reevaluate our communication skills. Trust us when we say that good communication skills are key. You can have the top leaders in your industry all under one company and if they can not communicate effectively or amongst each other nothing will run properly. Business will begin seeing changes when all members begin communicating properly between themselves and other departments. 

And the best wish of all a "NEW JOB!" Come on people, this is truly the best wish. Who doesn't want a new job, a new life, our Business Services Director said he wish he had a new identity so no one would call and interrupt his sleep in the early morning. We have to except the fact that we are individually great and just become perfect as a business unit.

Visit Infographic: Marketers' 2013 to read more about the Marketers Wish List. What is your Marketing or Business Wish for 2013? Tell us, http://akutagawainternational.com would like to know. Leave your comments on our blog or visit the above link and find out how we can offer your company the solutions mentioned in this article.

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Money Overlooked! The Business You Don't See

In this game of business, companies are constantly looking for ways to market and increase revenue. We all want to build our client base; however as business professionals we tend to overlook the obvious. 

There was an article in the American Marketing Association authored by Christine Birkner that we came across and it caught our attention. One sentence in particular, "But every B-to-B marketer knows that B-to-B buyers are consumers, too, and they're spending their time in social networks just like everyone else, so B-to-B brands have to start communicating to potential customers where they are." 

The bottom line is business professionals sell products and services but also use most of the same products and services. There are many professionals who work for a company and choose to get their personal products from another. This is what marketers and business professionals have to keep an eye out for. A potential client can be anywhere. Your company probably has a business facebook page, but you can guarantee that the CEO or Chief Marketing Officer of your firm has a personal facebook page as well. Like everyone else you can see a check-in at a local restaurant or pictures of the grandchildren. 

Why are we mentioning this? Well, Birkners sentence in her article caused a complete mini series in our mind. This mini series allowed us to see how many potential clients get away per day. It also helps business professionals buildawareness of the importance of basic marketing skills and how we must always be prepared. 

Akutagawa International has a adopted basic marketing training for all members of the business services team. This allows all of our affiliates to have basic knowledge in marketing themselves and the company. It also allows us to see business professionals for who they really are. Just Regular People!

Remember to visit the American Marketing Association website for Christine Birkner's full article. http://akutagawainternational.com is proud to share Birkner's article on our company website blog 

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Why is Business better today then 10 years ago?

Even with tough budget cuts?

A lot of companies are developing new ways to stay in business with the changing times. The thing is business is better today then it was 10 years ago. Why is that? The main reason is resources! There are more resources now then there were years ago and more resources will open up in the years to come. In the old days the traditional business setting was with a company, in an office, at a desk. Technology has taken over and business can now be done from virtually anywhere.

This gives businessmen and women options and options are always good. Akutagawa International feels that options is what makes or breaks a business. If you only offer few that gives your clients very little to work with. The internet itself is a major money maker if you know how to navigate it. You can reach millions of people and thousands of potential clients. It is a way to communicate anywhere you are. This means you can be on the beach catching some rays and trading on the stock exchange. What is so cool about that you ask? Think about it? Take the second honeymoon you always wanted with your spouse and send that new marketing plan to the office from your tablet while sipping a mocha latte by a pool in Mexico. I don't know about you, but I just got excited with just typing that thought.

Business can be done anywhere. I mean anywhere. You don't even need a traditional office, in some cases you don't even need a team. All that is needed is a good idea and a great strategy. Now don't get me wrong, you can have a great strategy and still have some trouble along the way. That is were hard work, and dedication come in. You can not stop at the first sign of trouble. Have a plan A and B and maybe a contingency plan in case A & B fail.

Some may say it cost to much money to start a business and I have a business idea. While it does cost a little money all you need is a computer which most of the people on planet earth have or have access to. There are many free resources that can be utilized by new business owners and existing corporations as well. One of Akutagawa International's Directors ran a small electronic campaign on http://akutagawainternational.com in combination with Twitter and Facebook. He tracked the entire thing for a week using Google Analytics and managed to reach 64,000 people. This isn't a large number but it was also an experiment. He didn't have a target audience, didn't pay for any marketing or advertising, and managed to turn 23 of those people reached into clients. This again seems like a small number. If you are a new business with limited financial means, 23 clients is a HUGE number. Once you have proven yourself to your clients they will then recommend you. This is now your word of mouth marketing kicking in.

Experimenting is a major factor in business. Whether you are new or existing. It lets you see what works and what doesn't. What should be tweaked and what should be added. The great thing is money isn't the biggest issue. It's being creative and finding free and extremely low cost ways to do this. That is why Akutagawa International can help business on any budget. We have experimented with many resources and have found ways to offer our clients things that they would normally pay thousands of dollars for.

Visit our website http://akutagawainternational.com for more information on how we can help you business. Our clients are in 9 different countries around the world so we have developed loyal affiliates in just about every aspect of business. International companies receive special discounts along with our U.S.A based businesses.

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Akutagawa Internationals CEO Interview

Akutagawa International's CEO/Founder/ & Chairwoman

There are so many people that have questions for the CEO of Akutagawa International. I have decided to answer some of the peoples questions to give them a better sense of who I am as a professional and as a person.

Where were you born?

CEO: I was born on the island of Okinawa in Japan but was raised in Osaka, Hyogo, and Tokyo throughout my younger years and came to the U.S.A. when I was 15 years old.

You run Akutagawa International but also have another job. What is it?

CEO: My school training has involved business and international trade; however I have trained in medicine for about 7 years so I currently work and rotate between 3 hospitals in Emergency Medicine, Surgery, and Orthopedics. 

How often do you work in a week? 

CEO: I work about 24 hours per week in the hospital. I rotate through 3 hospitals an additinal 20 hours and run Akutagawa International. So if there are 7 days in a week between all of them I work about 20 hours within a day. Times 7 you guys do the math (lol)

During your free time what do you like to do?

CEO: I have many different skills and I like to do whatever comes to mind. I write so you can find some of my writing on Booksie.com, I also play piano and cello. I swim, ice skate, travel, go to the movies, dance, cook, and shop. I am like any other person actually. I was married once but not anymore. I also have a 14 year old daughter. I stay pretty busy but find ways to take care of all of my responsibilities. Some people call me super woman.

What's your favorite food to eat?

CEO: I love sushi and sashimi but I also enjoy a good old fashioned american hotdog from a stand in NYC. I am mixed South American and Japanese so I enjoy spanish and asian food. I am not really picky but I do have a weakness for chocolate and any food containing cheese.

If you could have any 1 wish what would it be?

CEO: I one wish would be for 3 more wishes haha, but if I could only have one I would choose for my daughter to always be happy.

Do you plan on having more children?

CEO: I do plan on future children. I would also like to adopt as well. I have a lot of love to give and want to share it with everyone I can.

Is there a special man in your life?

CEO: Maybe :)

What kind of music do you listen to?

CEO: Anything with a good beat to it.

Do you watch T.V.?

CEO: When I have the time yes. I tend to watch a lot of Japanese and Korean Dramas but enjoy any good show with action, medicine, melodrama. Something that will keep my attention seeing as I have the attention span of a flea. 

Favorite movie?

CEO: I would have to say "Frequency" 

What made you decide to develop Akutagawa International?

CEO: Akutagawa International was created on an idea from a friend of mine that had to much to drink at a party. He wished his firm could get all of their business services from one group. I looked at all of my friends in the room and between us we could offer just about all the business services a company could wish for and we speak 15 languages between us. That was the birth of Akutagawa International. I decided to cut the cost of services because budgets in 2013 are tighter. We all have regular jobs and work together to bring the best quality services to our clients at half the price agencies would charge.

These are just a few of the questions I am asked and figured I would answer. I must admit I love the people.

Externships! How International Business Students Earn Experience

"The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime. "
Babe Ruth 

The phrase holds true in business as well. You can have the best man heading up your marketing department and  a world class woman in charge of your advertising; however if they can't work together at the end of the day where does that leave your company? And a company is only as good as the men and women who run it.

Akutagawa International knows that some of the best individuals out there are the ones who aren't even known yet. What do we mean by this? It is very simple, The Students! Some may even ask how are students any help when they do not have formal degrees yet? The answer to this question is even easier. Eager Minds!

This brings us to the externship thought. What is an externship? What is an extern?  Externships are experimental learning opportunities, very similar to internships, general offered to students in a specific major to give them short practical experience in their field of study. Not all companies offer internships or externships; however externships are becoming more popular. A lot of companies can not afford to pay interns because of budget cuts and externs do the same type of work and hold the same responsibility as interns but do not get paid for it.

This may make you now ask the question, Why would anyone work for free? It is not about the pay for these students. It is about  putting what they learned in the classroom to use. Anyone can recite theory but if you are unable to apply that theory in real world situations where does that leave you? 

Akutagawainternational.com welcomes Externs

Externs come from all over the world. Since a lot of business can be done via internet sometimes there is no need for externs to leave their own country and also get great opportunities along the way. Akutagawa International has been playing around with this idea recently. A fellow affiliate in the investment industry asked what made us give this more thought? Our Director of Business Services told him it is utilizing all opportunities. Some of the best ideas come from new minds. Students want to be their best and learn as much as they can. As an extern for Akutagawa International they get to put those ideas to the test. They stand a chance of heading up and leading  their own project,  and networking with other companies around the world. This means they get recommendations from Akutagawa International and also the companies affiliated with us.

Akutagawa International Externs get to create projects within their major of study, construct the projects in their native language, work with specialist to better their english, run the campaigns worldwide and within their country of origin. This is a great chance for the fresh mind to become engaged with the business world. Akutagawa International team members will assist throughout the process.

How does this benefit a company? The benefit is to both company and student. The student gets all of the benefits listed above and the company gets to engage with new fresh minds and ideas. Sometimes the best ideas come from the youngsters just learning the materials. They are also eager to try these new methods out. 

Make sure to Follow us on Twitter @AkutagawaUSA for more information about extern opportunities. 

Externships usually run a shorter amount of time then internships, however, Akutagawa International will allow any externs that prove exceptional work ethics continued externships. Akutagawa International provides business services in Marketing, Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Investing, Commercial & Residential Real Estate, Web Design, Portfolio Management, Finances, Electronics Repair, Service, Program and Install, Business Start-up Plans and more. Our externs will come from College and university majors in fields such as Accounting, Advertising, General Business, Management, International Business, Marketing, Business Administration, Real-Estate, Economics, Computer Information Systems, Entrepreneurship, Communication Technologies, Foreign Languages and more.  All of these majors stand to learn a lot from working with an international business firm.

Visit http://akutagawainternational.com for a list of what our company does and how an externship may be right for you. Akutagawa International will consider externs from anywhere around the world but are currently looking to provide externships for students in U.S.A, Japan, and South Korea.

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Akutagawa will Sponsor a family

Akutagawa International's search to sponsor a family

Akutagawa International is interested in more then just business. Yes we support businesses around the world but we also have personal lives and like the same things that the average person likes. This conversation came up recently from the CEO of Akutagawa International and it got me thinking. "Wow, this is a pretty cool idea. She is actually kind of awesome for thinking about it."

The idea is very simple, she simply said "Let's sponsor a family." A few of us were a little confused because we thought she meant sponsoring a child. When our Chief of Technology said, "Don't you mean sponsor a child?" She simply looked at him and said, "No a family."

Child sponsorship is very common but after a little research I came across how many children need help. If you have 3 children that are abandon, and someone sponsors one, what about the other 2? Some families choose to keep their children and try but it is very difficult. I believe families should stay together and our CEO has a good idea. There are companies that offer the option of sponsoring a child or family. If Akutagawa International sponsors a family we will help them stay together.

So our CEO's idea isn't complicated. All of the Akutagawa International and Akutagawa Electronic's team members will contribute about $5 a month. This will allow us to sponsor a family in South Korea, USA, Japan, and China.

Getting involved with the different communities around the world is great for Akutagawa International. I was a little curious about why she chose those particular countries. These are the countries that Akutagawa International and Akutagawa Electronic's does business with as of now. She wants to sponsor families in the communities we do business with. Our staff backgrounds are from the USA, Japan, South Korea, China, South America, Middle East, and Europe. We are familiar with these communities because we are a family. We travel around the world for individual family gatherings and our team members do join us. We are a business but we are also a family and family is important. We also understand that not all families like each other. This is normal, however, no family should be separated because they can not financially support each other.

Akutagawa International will also travel to meet and interact with the families we sponsor. They will become part of our extended family and will treated as such. What can I say, Akutagawa International loves a big family.

Akutagawa International will be researching families in the regions mentioned above. If you or your organization know of any groups or families in need of sponsorship please feel free to comment on this blog, or visit our business website at http://akutagawainternational.com and leave a message

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