In the company of The Japanese Shop founder Jez Willard, who turned disaster into opportunity by going online

The Harrogate Advertiser speaks to Jez Willard, the founder and managing director of The Japanese Shop
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Q: In a nutshell, what does your company do and how did it start?

A: Our story began in 1996 when I was working for DHL and accepted an opportunity to work in Osaka. Little did I know, it would change my life! I fell in love with Japan. I was fascinated by its history, the stunning architecture, the neon-lit nightlife, the peace and tranquillity of the countryside and the warmth of the people. Whilst in Japan, I met Hiromi, which was great fun because I couldn’t speak Japanese and Hiromi couldn’t speak English! But we returned to the UK a year later, founded The Japanese Shop and opened our first shop in Harrogate.

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We went on to open shops in York and Chester and won contracts to supply corporate accounts which included Sony, Hitachi, Nissan, and Toyota. However, in early 2009 the financial markets collapsed and we were forced to close our shops. Even though we had to start from scratch we were extremely determined to bounce back. We have since grown our online sales to just under £1m per year and now have customers all over the world, even Japan!

In the company of The Japanese Shop founder Jez WillardIn the company of The Japanese Shop founder Jez Willard
In the company of The Japanese Shop founder Jez Willard

Q: What’s the most surprising thing about it?

A: We are genuinely different. We create an authentic Japanese experience by offering a unique collection of authentic Japanese gifts sourced from some amazing craftsmen and combined with a first-class customer service.

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Q: What do you do?

A: I love my job! Putting the occasional hangover to one side, not for one day in nearly 25 years have I not wanted to go to work. Every year, I relish the challenge to do just a little bit better than the previous year and am always on the look-out for opportunities for efficiency improvements and to learn from our mistakes.

Q: How did you end up here?

A: At age 21 and inspired by the film Crocodile Dundee I went backpacking around Australia. This wonderful year cemented my love of travel, which gave me the confidence to go to Japan. On my return from Australia I was a salesman for Pitney Bowes for three years before joining DHL as a senior salesman. One year later I was promoted to sales manager in Sheffield and at 27 I was managing a £4.5m sales budget and responsible for 42 staff!

Q: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

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A: In my dreams I would be a professional rugby player, but the reality is that I would probably still be at DHL where I loved working and have wonderful memories. It would have to be as part of a team, ideally running it, as I really enjoy managing people.

Q: What motivates you?

A: Results, winning and the freedom to change the way we do things. Having run The Japanese Shop for nearly 25 years I have experienced extreme highs and lows, but I am determined to achieve £1m in sales, which would be a great achievement for our team.

Q: What one thing do you wish you had known when you started out in business?

A: That the internet would radically change the business landscape.

Q: What excites you about business?

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A: I love working with our amazing team, negotiating deals, acquiring new customers and achieving our sales targets!

Q: What is your pet hate in business?

A: Waste. I am proud that we re-use most of our packing materials and was delighted to reach an agreement with a potter who buys any tableware that we receive broken and she uses it for kintsugi, which is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer, gold and silver. My other pet hate is poor customer service!

Q: What advice would you give to people just starting their careers?

A: I occasionally do some business coaching and enjoy trying to encourage people to think differently. My top tips would be:

Understand your people and understand your numbers.

Think long-term and make long-term investment decisions.

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Don’t get too downbeat about the tough times, and don’t get carried away in the good times.

Say sorry quickly when you make a mistake and learn from it.

Create a positive culture where your team feel valued and are not afraid to tell you when you have got it wrong.

Q: Who in business do you most admire, and why?

A: My biggest influence was an American business guru called Tom Peters who taught me essentially to ‘screw customer satisfaction’ and aspire to deliver a ‘positively awesome customer experience’!

Q: What moments of your career so far stand out?

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A: In 1996 I was honoured to receive a special award for ‘culture change’ from the chairman of DHL Japan after giving a speech to 600 staff at the Christmas dinner – in Japanese!

Leaving DHL to start The Japanese Shop was exhilarating but scary, like jumping off a cliff and hoping that your parachute will open! Working with Hiromi and building our business has been amazing. The highlight was probably winning three awards in 2004. To be recognised by your peers as successful and to be able to celebrate with my parents and staff was fantastic.

Q: What sets your company apart from the competition?

A: We care. We care about our staff, our customers and our suppliers.

Q: What is the most difficult challenge your company has faced? And what challenges are you experiencing at the moment?

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A: By September 2008 our shops were doing quite well, but incredibly just four months later the pound had halved in value versus the yen and we were forced to close all three shops and make 24 staff redundant. We lost everything that we had worked hard for in the previous 10 years. The biggest issue that we currently face is Brexit. We spent years nurturing our international customer base and the decision to leave the EU has cost us about £100,000 a year in lost sales.

Q: Have you got a five-year plan for the company?

A: With limited resources we tend to keep it simple, just focusing on improving our offer and finding new customers. Whilst I still have lots of ideas to make The Japanese Shop bigger and better, nearly 25 years on it is balanced with the desire to enjoy a quality of life too. In the next few years, I look forward to being able to spend more time coaching and helping other people to grow their business.

Q: Why is it good to do business in Harrogate?

A: Life in Harrogate is amazing! I am lucky enough to be able to walk to work and can work from home now if required. Our three boys have had a wonderful education at schools in Harrogate and all enjoyed playing football and rugby for Harrogate teams. This created a safe, happy and stable environment for us to build The Japanese Shop, and long may it continue!

Factfile:

Name: Jez Willard

Age: 55

Birthplace: Nottingham

Job title:

Founder and Managing Director

Company name:

The Japanese Shop Ltd

Company address:

Harrogate Business Centre, Hookstone Avenue,

Harrogate HG2 8ER

Website address:

www.thejapaneseshop.co.uk

Company founded: 1998

Turnover: Just under £1m

Number of staff: 4

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