Not Your Usual Virtual Assistant Service: 5 Key Benefits

At its core, TokyoMate is a holistic support platform for foreigners doing business in Japan. Read on for the 5 key differences that make our virtual assistant service stand apart. 

Looking to build a virtual team to take care of your business in Japan? Need a virtual assistant for tasks you aren’t getting to because of the language barrier or time constraints?

When making any purchasing choice—such as where to stay during your holiday—price is only one factor in the equation. A shoddy hotel will have a bottom-of-the-barrel price point, but the overall quality of your experience might not meet your initial motivations for making the trip in the first place.

There are many virtual assistant alternatives online—both Japanese and international from which you can choose. The TokyoMate Assistant experience is different because of its deep understanding of the hurdles foreigners face when trying to do business here.  

If you are looking for a service tailored to meet the needs of foreign business owners in Japan, here’s how TokyoMate does that in 5 key categories:  

1. Strict screening process

Our virtual assistants are the front face of the company and the staff who will get your tasks done. Therefore, you can understand why we’d be careful in our staff selection. 

The screening process ensures that only the top candidates are selected. In fact, on average, only the top 3% of candidates meet the rigorous criteria that we have established to become a TokyoMate Assistant. 

TokyoMate was created by experienced entrepreneurs who have built and sold several companies in the past. The founders’ detailed knowledge of the startup scene in Japan, combined with their history of running their companies and discernment about whom to work with, has led to our 5-step screening process. 

Every TokyoMate Assistant has been thoroughly vetted by us and has many skills that clients often request, such as accounting, social media, translation of documents, live translation, etc. 

2. Niche assistant skills

With most virtual assistant services, you can find virtual assistants who are skilled at particular tasks. Still, in addition to the typical virtual assistant skills, we select assistants who are knowledgeable in the following two categories:  

• Startup and business culture: If you are an SME business owner, you know that it takes a particular personality type to work at a startup because of (1) rapid turnover of events and deadlines and (2) a broad range of high-priority to-dos. When we hire our virtual assistants, we make sure that they score high in adaptability, which allows them to provide quality service to our customers, who usually come to us with challenging tasks. 

• Native Japanese with global perspectives: If you are running a business in Japan, you will need language assistance and cultural translation in a country with many particular rules and manners. Our assistants are native Japanese who understand Japan’s business culture while also having a wide set of global experiences from which to pull. Therefore, they can quickly shift from an international perspective to a local one, helping you navigate cultural barriers, enabling you to present your business respectfully and attractively.

3. Our valued character trait 

Many of our customers have told us they shifted to TokyoMate Assistant from other virtual assistant services. One of the top reasons for doing so was looking for an assistant to complete a task that a previous assistant could not finish. 

There are many talented assistants in the market. But at TokyoMate, the character trait we value highly is perseverance in solving your problems. It is the value we rally behind, and it is one reason why customers have selected us after past experiences with other VAs. 

With high-level challenging tasks, completing assignments is not always straight-forward. But perseverance drives our assistants to find plan B, plan C, or plan D—until your problems are solved. 

4. Fully bilingual assistants

As previously noted, the complexity of business in Japan has given it a lackluster score of 29th place in global Ease of Doing Business rankings. For example, starting a business requires a whopping 8 procedures to complete to launch your company in Tokyo officially. 

The language barrier is a significant roadblock for non-Japanese entering the startup scene here. Without a Japanese partner or a Japanese support staff already in place, this language barrier can be near insurmountable due to the numerous Japanese-only official documents that must be submitted in the course of running your business. 

TokyoMate’s virtual assistants can speak English and Japanese fluently, providing you with a business-savvy bilingual staff standing by to support you as you grow your business here in Japan.

5. Tie-in Mail service 

Our virtual mail service allows you to check your physical mail from your phone—just like email. 

How it works: You have a personal mailing address that resides within our HQ, and when your mail comes in, you can request to have your mail opened & scanned, translated, or settled—all with 1-click. 

Basically, it’s awesome because you can access your mail from anywhere and you’re letting someone else handle your Japanese correspondence.