Re: [tlug] ecommerce, payment gateway, merchant account

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

>>>>> "e" == e davies <e_davies@example.com> writes:

    e> I'll be doing as an individual, not a houjin.
    e> I'll be running this out of my apartment here in Tokyo.

I've not done a small exim business in Japan, but I've got several
friends who have, all of whom were married to accountants when they
started.  I don't think that's a coincidence.  Japanese business
accounting is hell, even compared to the U.S. and Europe.

All of my friends rented offices too, even if they did their real work
in their apartments and only stored obsolete records in their official
places of business.  Something to do with zoning, IIRC.

Remember, tax authorities can use Google, too.  They will find you;
you really want to be set up correctly.

    e> I'm trying to aviod Rakuten and Yahoo Japan because they are
    e> just too expensive.

A small business is not worth doing unless you think you're going to
make enough money to be able to afford Rakuten.  If you're really that
into money, feel free to work the extra time to avoid their fees, but
it will be a substantial burden.


-- 
Institute of Policy and Planning Sciences     http://turnbull.sk.tsukuba.ac.jp
University of Tsukuba                    Tennodai 1-1-1 Tsukuba 305-8573 JAPAN
               Ask not how you can "do" free software business;
              ask what your business can "do for" free software.