RECRUIT 2022.04.26

ASNOVA CHALLENGER .01 Hiroki Nakamura: Passion for a new business born from the desire to be on an equal footing with customers

Starting in 2021, ASNOVA will introduce the "ASNOVA Challenge System," a new business venture challenge system. This system allows anyone, regardless of affiliation or position, to be involved in the release of a new business that has not yet been released to the world. Currently, Nakamura Hiroki from Sendai Sales Office is the first person to take on the ASNOVA Challenge System, and is attempting to launch "ASNOVA STATION." What made Nakamura step forward? And how does he maintain a balance with his regular work, which everyone struggles with? We bring you real-life experiences and messages.

Text: Rumi Yoshizawa
Photo: Hajime Kato

INDEX

PROIFILE

Hiroki Nakamura: Sales Department, Sendai Sales Office. Joined ASNOVA in 2016. Joined as a salesperson at Sendai Sales Office launch period. Rental and sales of wedge binding type scaffold mainly in the Tohoku region. Also serves as the manager of "ASNOVA STATION" using the "ASNOVA Challenge System."

Hiroki Nakamura, the first person to take part in the ASNOVA Challenge System

Three reasons for taking on a new business venture

What kind of work did you do before joining ASNOVA?

I was working in real estate sales, but I couldn't see my career path, so I decided to change jobs. I was looking to move to a completely different industry, and I found a company called Nihon Rentect (now ASNOVA Co., Ltd.). I was impressed by how quickly they expanded their bases despite being a young company since its establishment, and then I received an offer from Nippon Rentect. I felt like it was fate, so I went for an interview, and here I am today.

Currently, I work at Sendai Sales Office which was established when I joined the company, and I travel around the Tohoku area with another member. Basically, we target scaffolding construction companies, so we visit scaffolding construction companies and the main contractors above them to develop new business. In addition, we also follow up with existing customers who use our services.

What made you decide to take on a new business venture?

One reason is that, as I mentioned earlier about changing jobs, I wanted to be a reference for young employees to map out their career paths. If new businesses and departments are created in the future, like ASNOVA STATION, which we are currently working on commercializing, there will be more jobs and positions. From there, I hope that each employee can create the path they want to follow and the goals they want to achieve.

Another thing is that I'm from Sendai, and I feel that there is a big difference in market size between Sendai and Kanto, Kansai, and the Tokyo metropolitan area. Even if we do the same things as Kanto and Kansai, we won't get great results. Until now, we have been working on strategies in our own way in the region, but when the new business project ASNOVA STATION started moving forward as a company, I felt like "let's take on the challenge."

We also heard a lot from customers we deal with on a daily basis. This business plan was realized by our company, but the voices of customers in Tohoku had a significant influence as a trigger. Even if scaffolding materials are needed, manufacturers that make scaffolding materials are not found in every corner of the country, but are concentrated in the Kanto and metropolitan areas. Scaffolding contractors need materials for today and tomorrow's work, but it takes time and money to send them from the Kanto area to other regions. The imbalance in distribution is a big stress for the site.

Cooperation and pressure gained through the ASNOVA Challenge System

Your regular work seems to be quite busy, but what proportion of your time is devoted to sales department and to ASNOVA STATION?

In terms of the ratio of work, we are one step away from the final stage, so we are placing a little more weight on ASNOVA STATION than half. I would say it's about 60:4 with ASNOVA STATION taking over. Thanks to the cooperation of the president, the business planning department, and the members of Sendai Sales Office, as well as our customers, we have been able to create a situation where we can place more weight on ASNOVA STATION.

In fact, with the company's permission, we have been running a pilot version of ASNOVA STATION in Tohoku for about 4-5 years now. Since then, we have been saying that we want to eventually expand this service nationwide, so we have some experience in that field, and since we said it, we couldn't back down on this project (laughs).

However, if it was just a matter of fleshing out the work of the current sales department, I probably wouldn't have done it. It was a big deal that this project was done in anticipation of the creation of new departments and positions. Creating a department also means having a budget, so the responsibility that comes with it makes a big difference in the level of commitment, or the enthusiasm you have to face it.

What motivates you to complete this project and bring it to the world?

As I mentioned earlier, I feel a sense of fulfillment within the company, but perhaps the greater reward comes from helping to resolve problems our customers face and social issues.

I think that scaffolding contractors and partners, even though they are in different places, have similar issues all over the country. So when I propose something to them that I want to do and they empathize with it, it feels good. When I realize that this project is not off the mark, it makes me want to work even harder.

Since I'm in sales department, I think I communicate with customers a lot. We don't just talk about work, we talk candidly about all sorts of things when we meet. That way, we can pick up on issues and true feelings in casual conversation, and that's where we got our ideas for ASNOVA STATION. I think that dialogue is full of things that are beneficial for the business, so I try to maintain an equal relationship with my partners where we can discuss anything.

Have you noticed any changes in your awareness or behavior before and after working on the ASNOVA STATION project?

Thanks to the ASNOVA Challenge System, we were able to officially get the message across within the company, so we were able to tackle the new business with integrity. Until now, we had been operating behind the scenes while carrying out our normal business operations, so we felt a little uncomfortable. It's easier to work when a line is drawn like this, because it's the official seal of approval.

It may sound exaggerated, but I personally believe that receiving the official stamp of approval is a challenge that puts the future of the company on the line, so the phrase "putting the future of the company on the line" itself puts a good kind of pressure on me. It makes me stand up straight.

It's important to change yourself and take action

As a leading expert in taking on challenges using the ASNOVA Challenge System, is there anything you would like to say to those who are interested or thinking about taking on a challenge?

Nakamura: I think ASNOVA is an organization that is proactive and encourages people to change and take a step forward, but when it comes to how many people actually take that step, I think it's still only a very small minority.

So I think it's important to "just try doing it." You know how sometimes you think something is troublesome, but once you start, it's easy and done in a day? It's a similar story. Personally, I think it's better to get moving and fill in the gaps in your knowledge with experience, rather than filling up on your head with knowledge and assumptions and then taking action.

I would like the organization to continue to provide various business opportunities, not just ASNOVA STATION, and I hope that more employees will raise their hands to take part, which will create a cycle in which new positions are created and people who are willing to take on challenges gather there.

Are there any particular types of people who are suited to the ASNOVA Challenge System?

Nakamura: I think everyone is suited to it. It's really just a matter of whether they'll take action or not. So I think it's good for the ASNOVA Challenge System to encourage a variety of employees to raise their hands.

As for ASNOVA STATION, I definitely think it's a business that needs to be done, and since I raised my hand, I'm going to take responsibility and see it through to the end. I'm working with the help of many people, with the only thing I can think about is "seeing it through." No matter what happens, whether I fail or not, I want to see it through to the end before I can make a decision.