[Sapporo Guy]

Partners .... that is really tough. I've always thought that a partner should be somebody who you are not. One person is the front end and the other the back end (no puns intended) So, one is great with sales and people the other being great at running the show from a no lime-light position.

Being friends is more difficult because business is business and if the business is running bad your friendship will go bad too. I have a silent partner and he is somebody I would consider if I were to die would be the person to raise my child for me. But even then we have our quarrels.

My business is small and profits are small too but still the fundamentals are the same.

What are you selling? Clothes? google turned up a page that has a crest of arms but no real site.

Just out of the blue it sounds like you need a sales person or more likely a sales plan rather than a partner. But then again I don't know you nor what you have done so far, so what am talking about.

Could you fill us in on your operations? I'm sure we could be more helpful if we knew more about the back end and what your product is.

OK, back after going through the thread a bit more -- G9Girl ... clothes.

This is really a guess work post but I'm going to assume that it's clothes and accessories like bags so ... I'm going to throw the idea of not running a shop / store front but rather focus on finding locations to carry your product. I have several friends in town who started out little and have slowly grown bigger by buying / contracting out with out of country suppliers and then moving those products in the Japanese market at other retail locations.

IF I can be of any help let me know. I can contact a few people here in town who I trust (they have different amounts of working capital ... )

The more I think of it ... the market timing might be good for Japan since parents are spending more on their children than themselves.

Anyway, if I can be of help, let me know!