bellFace Annual End Review for 2020, and 127 Business Ideas Available to Public
Just as every year of bellFace, the year 2020 turned out be a year full of challenges, unexpected happenings, and surprises indeed!
Starting with a funding of 5.2 billion JPY (abt. 49 million USD at the time of February 2020), bellFace had launched a free online bellFace service right after the Corona Virus pandemic (the pandemic) occurred which resulted more than10,000 new companies signing up for a contract in 3 months. Being encouraged by the result, we decided to have new video advertising produced which turned out to be a little regrettable afterwards. Just as MMR was rising beyond Guinness Record, we found ourselves bitterly admitting, via the termination rate increased so high, our incapability of responding to the clients’ true need. At same time, however, an unexpected use of bellFace system did emerge from a particular field of business that thought to be the least in need of online sales system.
After gaining 5.2 billion JPY (abt. 49 million USD) fonds at the beginning of 2020, the number of the employees expended from 100 to over 300, and added to that, an ideally equipped version of bellFace which had been anticipated for so long was finally released. As we thought we had our future within our sight, numbers of issues were piling up before us.
To pursue for a further company development, the former organizational system of GM directly supervised by CEO had to be reorganized with a c-level executive team participating in decision-makings. ★問1＆2. In addition, we had to face several heart-breaking member partings as a result of the recruitment mismatches, and the weakness the managements★. And yet, we must still consider ourselves to be fortunate that we are now joined by the excellent persons whose personalities and experiences are rich, and attractive This is where we are right now.
The year 2020 was sure a quite a rough year packed with a fund raising, team building, and the pandemic which caused an enormous confusion in the market. It was as if riding a roller coaster throughout the year!
Here, I would like to first review bellFace dashed through a turbulence-like year, from two different point of views; an organizational aspect, and that of marketing.
Then Secondly, I’ll make about 200 of my business ideas I wrote down while traveling round the world as a teenage bag packer available to anyone who are interested in.
I do this in the hope of sending a message especially to those challengers like myself striving to launch a business in the time of pandemic:now is the time to act more than ever!
※This is my personal blog, by the way, and is also written as the first page to start ''The new year bell-Relay 2021”, our first project in the year to start with. Please look forward to the articles. Its will be updated every day by 27 other volunteers from bellFace for the next 27days. (^^
Year-End Review for bellFace 2020
Review 1: Staff Increase of 112 to 335
bellFace, with 100 of its employees at the beginning of 2020 has increased its staffs members by 330 after raising the funds of 5.2 billion JPY (abt. 49 million USD at the time of February 2020)The Objective of 5.2 billion JPY(abt. 49 million USD) bellFace Procured.The Objective of 5.2 billion JPY(abt. 49 million USD) bellFace Procured ※Video available.
We are now joined by the new members who had contributed remarkable to those well-known enterprises that began as small startups and grown to be the major companies in Japan joined as our CxOs.
In addition, other top performers, and specialists of each filed are also about to join in.
I must note that none of these would have happened if there wasn’t for the support of the stockholders (VC) and the outside officers with their vast human resources, and networks. In addition, the heartening assists from the recruitment agencies such as for Startups as well as the maximum use of the employee referral program within bellFace, and the restless effort made by our hiring team also played a crucial role to achieve this reassuring progress. All these have fallen into one place to have this transition realized.
Talents do attract talents, and thus, a virtuous circle seemed to take place at bellFace.
An organizational system transition from a top-down decision-making style to a c-level executive team-based management is beginning to gradually take its shape. Can this be a sign of our company’s improvement?
It was a pleasant surprise that the structural change in management system is quite flexible, and not as rigid as previously expected. By having the professionals of each field participate in the management, both the quality and the speed of decision making have clearly improved.
On the other hand, the transitions speeds of both, the system, and the management structures did not meet with the speeds of the company expansion and that of the rapid change in the market caused by the pandemic. Thus, countless problems emerged before us under the situation in 2020.
One of the difficulties was working fully remotely with 230 newly hired members out of 330 (about 70% of the whole). It was quite a hustle, and the shortage of the managers was, too, a cause of straggle under these conditions. ★問3. Moreover, some mismatches in recruitment occurred as a result of losing the sight of bellFace’s company values that we had been emphasizing since the company establishment.★ Also, unconvinced with the new path which bellFace was taking, there were some members who left the company.
Even under that circumstance, there were many trustworthy members who believed in bellFace’s vision and were committed to achieving the goals we shared. Among them, I am to discover the next candidates of the managers and GMs to build a team that shares an excellent vision, great operations, and best remunerations together. bellFace will be incredible improved in 2021.
The annual reviews of 2020 released by CFO, and other directors are also Intriguing to read. Here is the reality of a startup face. I strongly recommend them.
Review 2: The Pandemic bringing us a chance and an obstacle at once
The sales are raising because of the increasing needs of an inside-sales system online under the pandemic. But bellFace as a Japanese-made SaaS, is in its phase of crucial decision making with some global companies of similar product categories such as Zoom and Teams expanding the market share.
We were all forced into a situation where unexpected adjustments had to be made to a new styled business which thought to arrive in Japan in 3 years, in the matter of six months instead.
A huge, chaotic storm of change triggered by the pandemic struck the markets hard! It brought us both, precious chances like alleys, and a heavy, disturbing wind against us at same time! A notable case observed recently is a sharp rise of the cancelation rate in a certain field of business, while an active rate and number of new subscriptions in the least expected business sector is increasing rapidly.
Now, we have two possible future scenarios lying before us.
Scenario 1
Sadly, overwhelmed by the global companies previously mentioned,
bellFace will not be able to sustain a decent percentage of shares even in the domestic market, and just like any other Japanese startups, will soon be forgotten.
Scenario 2
bellFace will be an outstanding company with a strong foundation
which, by providing a truly effective, and one and the only service in the field of sales, enables its members to lead the customers to their successes.
Thus, it will, of course, be a powerful share-gaining startup not only in Japan but worldwide!
Will it be Scenario 1 or 2? This is the challenge we face.
There is not a such thing as “in between”.
In fact, by flexibly reacting, and making adjustments for the market needs, we can sure maintain the growth necessary for the survival.
But it isn’t what bellFace is for.
We must succeed way beyond other competitors to be able to introduce the world a totally new value. This is the only reason the startups exist for. Let people say whatever they please. Just like Amazon in its early days, this is a time of patience for us now. The outcome people will see in next few years is the only proof that tells what bellFace is made out of.
127 Ideas of Business Plans
Following is a collection of my ideas, and business plans I wrote down one set per day everyday while traveling around the world as a bag packer at age 19.
It eventually added up to 200 business ideas as I tripped through Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and USA. It may appear a little strange to bring it up the topic all of sudden. But since this is the first blog update in 2021, why not share them with whoever are interested in.
It is sad that I couldn’t bring about 1/3 of my idea sheets back home with me for I had them stolen while in Barcelona Spain along with my passport. I only have 130 of them with me right now though it is one of my good memories back then.
Most of the notes aren’t even worth reviewing, therefore, this may be like blowing my own trumpet, but some of them may still appear to be interesting to go through. Out of the 200, the first business I had my hand on was "Audio Dramas with Contents of Scary Stories and Horrors as Streaming Services for Cell Phones in particular". But looking back on my own trace, I cannot figure out why I have chosen that plan to be my first at all.
The 200 ideas are all copyright-free. So please go ahead and use them in any way possible. If they worth anything at all that is.
I find the idea notes almost worthless and there isn’t much to hang on to. The point is that even a country-brorn person like me without a decent education or worthwhile experiences, did somehow manage to find a way, and luckily made this far. And it all began with a single step forward.
※127 Ideas of Copyright-free Business Plans
※Lastly,
BellFace is continually recruiting for all sorts of job positions. Information available from the link before.↓↓