Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun (Paperback) | Released: 21 Mar 2014

Pages will be written about Brad Bartz and his impact on the venture business scene in Japan. While history takes its inventory, Mr. Bartz is offering a view into his most recent startup, ABC Solar Japan KK. If you are in the solar business anywhere on the planet this book is required reading. The sun does shine everywhere and the lessons and stories told in this book could happen in your neck of the woods. The business model for Japan is presented in detail, specifically focused on Utility Scale solar. The Japanese market is the largest market for solar here in 2014 and will continue to be for the next 10 years. The earthquake of March 2011 and subsequent Tsunami and nuclear meltdown has accelerated the adoption of renewable technology. Not just the adoption, but the planning for 100% power generation by renewable resources. This will take time and technology, but Japan is the most elegant country to tackle this problem. I believe the Japanese solar way will be replicated around the world. This book follows the birth of ABC Solar Japan as a subsidiary of ABC Solar Inc which was founded in 2000 in Southern California by Mr. Bartz. The reader can see the fluid ideas take shape and morph into the operating utility scale solar business it is today. The photos of Japan in this book make the purchase worth it. Mr. Bartz artistic photos bring the prose to life and add a new dimension to telling a startup adventure. Mr. Bartz landed in Japan in 1989 and has owned and operated businesses there since. This is Brad's 25th year in Japan and, as I write this, he can tell you that the fascination with Japan continues. Brad opened new markets in the early Internet years and fought many monopolies and vested interests. Sometimes with spectacular victories and the shamed wounded smiles of the losses. Japan delivers a kaleidoscope landscape for developing venture business and servicing consumers. This book will offer you a colorful look at the startup process, the images of inspiration and the details of operations. All in all you will learn about solar technology and solar project development. ABC Solar Japan KK is two years new and just getting started. I hope the opportunist in you will find gold nuggets and will help this planet go solar. Two solar hippies tackling Tokyo's hi-end financial district only succeeds because we know our trade. The pleasure of being a solar veteran is that our ideas and experience are needed. The best part is we are always striving to learn more and be better at our job. The focus continues to be to make our ABC Solar Japan boring. Yes, Boring. Buy this book and find out why. Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun: A Japanese Solar (ad)Venture is the first in a series of books about doing business in Japan. The trilogy will cover the founding of Japan's first commercial internet company and its dramatic rise and fall. The second phoenix is covered with the creative launch of a vanity email service at www.jmail.co.jp that featured 100 Japanese .co.jp domain names like sushi.co.jp, gaijin.co.jp and Japan.co.jp. Learn about ABC Solar Japan team built Jmail to almost 1,000,000 Japanese users early in this century. Brad's style of writing is like a warm conversation. The use of language is fluid and not exactly formal. But, it is enjoyable! Brad was born in California and started his first venture when he was seven years old. Before he could drive he established gardening business that employed more than 10. Many were older than his father. At 19 Brad started his first corporation which trained blind people how to sell and get jobs. In 1989 Brad moved the Japan and his venture spirit grew and his talent more focused. Startup in the Land of the Rising Sun: A Japanese Solar (ad)Venture might spur your jump into business. The Japanese consumer is the holy grail of commerce with their deep pockets and loyalty it is an honor to earn their business.
About the Author: Bradley Bartz is a veteran entrepreneur who has founded many companies over the past 30 years. Mr Bartz is the Founder & CEO of ABC Solar Inc, one of California's leading DG solar businesses. Founded in 2000, ABC Solar focuses on residential and commercial grid-tied solar systems (www.ABCsolar.com). Prior to ABC Solar, Mr Bartz lived in Japan from 1989 to 2000, where he founded the Internet Access Center K.K. (IAC) in Tokyo in 1991. IAC started and sold several businesses including an Internet service provider business, Japan Auto Abstracts, Tokyo Journal Magazine, Japan Press Network and the almost one-million users at JMail, a free email provider across a set of vanity .co.jp domain names. The first corporate venture of Mr Bartz was Telemarketing Visions Institute, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for- profit that he founded in 1986 to teach blind people how to sell on the telephone. Mr Bartz successfully placed his blind students in companies like IBM. IBM donated talking computers to TVI in 1986 which gave Mr Bartz the foundation for his Japanese Internet ventures. Mr Bartz also taught blind people in Japan these telemarketing skills In 2012, in the wake of the Fukushima energy disaster, Mr. Bartz moved back to Japan to establish ABC Solar Japan KK. Mr. Bartz's intimate knowledge of building businesses in Japan combined with solar industry expertise has allowed ABC Solar Japan KK to effectively access the fast growing renewable energy market; network of quality solar suppliers, EPC construction companies and projects. Mr. Bartz's know-how have enabled him to excel at finding, screening and securing Japanese Megasolar land sites with a focus on the solar resource, grid access, fatal flaws, and quality of the stakeholders. Mr. Bartz is married to a Japanese national and has two children, Bradley Jr. 21 and Marie 19. He spends most of the time between Tokyo and solar sites across Japan. He is graduate of Loyola Marymount University and is an active member of the local community via various school and community organizations.