Former Banker: The "Space" for SME Support He Dedicated Himself to, Even Leaving Banking

This series explores the appeal and potential of SMEs as content creators.

This time, we interviewed Tatsuya Tajima, who planned and developed the SME management support platform " Big Advance " at Yokohama Shinkin Bank, then moved to the venture company Cocopelli to challenge further expansion of the platform.

What does Mr. Tajima, who has worked with thousands of SMEs, perceive as the potential and challenges of SMEs as content creators? And what is the passion that drove him to leave his banking career to dedicate himself to supporting them?

Kohei Morimoto of Dentsu Inc., who handles planning and content development focused on SMEs, conducted the interview.

 

SMEs embody the life of their owners

Morimoto: Our relationship with Mr. Tajima began at Yokohama Shinkin Bank (Yokohama Shinkin), where we collaborated on the PR strategy and launch event for "Yokohama Big Advance," the precursor to Big Advance.

Tajima: Thank you so much for your help back then. It was incredibly valuable.

Morimoto: The pleasure was all mine. After that, you left banking to join the fintech company Cocopelli and expanded Big Advance, which you created, to financial institutions nationwide. It has now grown into a platform adopted by 51 banks and used by over 31,000 SMEs.

Mr. Tajima is making a significant contribution to revitalizing SMEs. But why did you start working at a financial institution in the first place, and why did you begin supporting SMEs?

Big Advance: Japan's first platform where financial institutions nationwide collaborate to provide management support to their client companies. For a monthly fee of ¥3,300, client companies receive various services including IT-driven operational efficiency improvements, sales channel expansion, talent acquisition, and information provision. Financial institutions can then provide management support and conduct lending activities based on the client companies' usage of these services.

Tajima: My foundational experience dates back to my student days. At the time, I worked part-time at a company producing thinly sliced daikon radish, known as "tsuma," used in dishes like sashimi. It was a small company with just a few employees. One day, they secured an order for cut vegetables from a major national supermarket chain. Seeing this as an opportunity, they built a large factory, increased their workforce by about 50 people, and achieved tremendous success.

The local bank supported that rapid growth. Seeing how this kind of work underpins the success stories of SMEs really appealed to me, which is why I joined Yokoshima.

Morimoto: I see. How was it once you actually started working there?

Tajima: I really enjoyed it. While SMEs vary greatly in scale, I found it fascinating how the owner's life and character are so deeply reflected in the company. I simply loved businesses packed with stories and personal histories, and I learned so much as an individual too.

Morimoto: That's a wonderful story. That sense of humanity and approachability within an organization is definitely one of the charms of SMEs.

Tajima: Working in B2B sales at Yokoshinsha, I was fortunate to connect with about 3,000 SMEs. Each one was truly unique, filled with the owner's passion, and had a story you just wanted to share. But at the same time, I felt that this charm wasn't being communicated to the world, and that SMEs weren't fully realizing their potential.

Morimoto: Where did you see the challenges?

Tajima: It's hard to pinpoint just one, but for example, Japanese SMEs are often said to have lower productivity compared to their overseas counterparts. I believe one reason for this is the lack of a robust support system. SME owners often feel isolated and rarely have opportunities to get advice from their employees. Growth has limits when relying solely on one person's ideas. The challenge was the absence of a supportive environment to address this.

Morimoto: That's a perspective unique to someone like you, a former banker at a financial institution responsible for regional revitalization.

Tajima: Exactly. Regional financial institutions should fundamentally support local business owners. However, it's not always the case that financial institutions genuinely stand by business owners and strive for their success. The old-fashioned "pleading sales" approach and a product-out mindset that prioritizes their own convenience remain deeply ingrained. I felt that, continuing this way, neither regional financial institutions nor SMEs could grow.

Starting from a position of isolation, we reached out to 700 companies. Through persistent effort, we built our network.

Morimoto: That experience led to the creation of Big Advance, right?

Tajima: Yes. We designed it as a platform to achieve SME management support centered on productivity improvement through IT, while simultaneously transforming financial institutions' sales approach from "pleading sales" to a customer-first model.

Morimoto: Honestly, what was the initial reaction from those around you?

Tajima: They laughed it off (laughs). We had no track record, no proof of cost-effectiveness, and above all, it was a business model no other financial institution was pursuing. Naturally, the response was lukewarm.

Morimoto: How did you move from that state to the launch?

Tajima: I believed business matching for client companies offered a clear benefit even for bankers. So I spent my days building networks, visiting around 700 companies in Tokyo. Every morning, I'd catch the first train to work, finish my regular duties, then head to Tokyo to visit 7-8 companies. After returning, I'd work until the last train. My reward for a hard day's work? Eating Iekei ramen before bed. Living like that, I gained a lot of weight (laughs).

Morimoto: Family-style ramen when you're exhausted is always a sure thing (laughs).

Tajima: As I kept at it steadily like that, more and more people around me started to understand. Especially my direct supervisor, the department head, started cooperating, saying, "This might be interesting." That's when things really picked up speed. After presenting to the executives multiple times, the chairman finally said, "It might be interesting if it succeeds," and I replied, "Then, I'll go ahead and do it."

Morimoto: At the presentation, everyone from Yokoshin was truly vibrant. Getting them to that state was all thanks to Tashima-san's efforts. Personally, I was drawn in by Tashima-san's passion and character, and I felt, "For this person, I'll do everything I possibly can."

When I first heard the idea, I thought others might have similar concepts, but actually bringing it to life seemed incredibly difficult. Yet, Tashima's passion and energy were so intense, I genuinely believed he could pull it off. He taught me how a person's charisma can become the driving force to overcome adversity and massive obstacles.

Tajima: I'm glad to hear that. It was exhausting enough to cause sleep deprivation right up until launch, but thanks to Dentsu Inc.'s support, we were able to get off to the best possible start.

Morimoto: So you were sleep-deprived. Starting the day before the launch event, I noticed for some reason that only you looked a bit out of it (laughs).

Tajima: After that, I ate some Hakata-style ramen and felt better. Maybe I was just hungry (laughs).

Determined to genuinely support SMEs and financial institutions, I decided to change jobs

Morimoto: How did financial institutions react after the launch?

Tajima: At first, it fell flat. It was an era where financial institutions didn't have a culture of collaboration, so people were defensive, like, "What's this guy from Yokoshino trying to do?" But we kept pushing forward with sales efforts. Then, one day, Shizuoka's Shizusei Shinkin Bank agreed to support us. It was such a relief to realize there were people out there who shared our vision.

Morimoto: I previously gave a lecture for your client companies with Shizukiyo Shinkin Bank on the theme of "Company Songs and Corporate Branding," and I also came away with a warm impression.

Still, it's truly remarkable that you've grown it into a platform now used by 51 banks.

Later, Mr. Tajima left Yokohama Shinkin Bank and joined Cocopelli, a development partner for Big Advance. What made you decide to pursue Big Advance, even abandoning your career as a banker?

Tajima: It started as a solo project, but as more people joined—like Mr. Morimoto and colleagues—and we gained supporters, we began receiving words of gratitude from financial institutions and client companies. I felt it was my duty to nurture Big Advance with all my strength for those people.

Morimoto: Was staying at Yokoshinsha not an option?

Tajima: Even if other financial institutions adopted it, from our position as a financial institution ourselves, they would be competitors. There were significant hurdles to providing post-implementation support. There wouldn't be any direct benefit for Yokoshima either. But I felt that approach would be half-hearted—it wouldn't change the structure of financial institutions or revitalize SMEs.

Morimoto: That way of life is very instructive.

Tajima: I wouldn't necessarily recommend it (laughs). The risks are high. But for me, what I wanted to do and what I felt I should do aligned, so I didn't hesitate much. It just felt like a natural progression to get to where I am now.

Compelling content propels SME business forward

Morimoto: Could you share your vision for how Big Advance will expand going forward?

Tajima: By expanding the Big Advance platform, I want to boost the productivity of Japanese SMEs. To achieve this, we'll enhance its functionality so it becomes a tool businesses use daily to support their management. I don't think it's yet indispensable for SMEs.

Another key strength of this platform is its "Connect" feature, which easily links companies nationwide. We want to extend this network overseas. Amidst the challenges global businesses face during the pandemic, we hope to contribute to SME growth by becoming a platform connecting overseas and Japanese businesses.

Morimoto: I'm super excited! We definitely want to collaborate.

Tajima: That's reassuring. One major challenge for SMEs is branding and PR. They lack both resources and know-how, and financial institutions providing management support aren't experts in that area either. That's precisely why having communication professionals like Dentsu Inc. support SMEs is incredibly positive for the Japanese economy.

In fact, I believe the " Company Song Contest " you're spearheading, Morimoto-san, is also helping SMEs with their branding and PR. I hope you continue to actively support SMEs, and I'd be thrilled if we could collaborate on activities together.

Morimoto: Thank you. What I believe is that rather than jumping straight into business matching for SMEs, it's more important to first understand the aspirations and dreams of the people working within these companies.

Regarding content creation, too, projects born from firsthand experiences on the ground carry real persuasive power and authenticity. By discovering these together with SME owners and creating compelling content, I believe it can indirectly help solve their business challenges.

Tajima: The promotional video you created for Yokoshinsha is a perfect example of that. Engaging content that involves employees can ultimately contribute to the company's branding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQe3hAQbZI
Yokohama Shinkin Bank "Do People Feel Close to Shinkin Banks!?": A video promotion project where supervisors played various pranks on Yokohama Shinkin Bank employees to test if they could respond in a way that made people feel close to the bank.

Morimoto: Mr. Tajima was totally into it too, right? (laughs)

Tajima: It was fun (laughs). Through content creation like this and management support, we ultimately want to create a world where small and medium-sized businesses can work brightly and energetically.

Morimoto: Absolutely. There's hardly any work you can do alone, and encounters with people always bring opportunities. To borrow your words, Tashima-san, I hope that centered around Big Advance, the "lives" and "ways of living" of many people will intersect, giving birth to wonderful projects. Let's definitely continue working together! Thank you so much for today!