"Recovering Sales" Is Just the Starting Line

It started over lunch with our CEO, Kurose

The other day, I had lunch with our CEO, Kurose, and had the chance to talk about what growth support is really about.

I thought I had been genuinely engaged with my projects up until now.
But hearing that conversation made my current position crystal clear.

To be honest, I hadn't even reached the starting line yet.

Going from "Minus to Zero" Is Not Something to Be Proud Of

Up until now, I had been desperately focused on "growing sales" within the six months leading up to contract renewal.

Turning around a declining sales situation
and restoring it to where it should be.

At first glance, it looks like a result,
but it's really just getting back to "zero."

In other words, turning a negative into zero means you've only just reached the starting line.

True growth support means pushing further from there—
from 1 to 10, from 10 to 100.

When I think about it that way, I was still stuck before that point.

Creating "Lines of Change," Not "Point Initiatives"

Most of my time had been spent
creating event landing pages and proposing short-term initiatives.

Of course, that work is necessary,
but it alone won't fundamentally change a business.

What matters is diving into the core assumptions of the business itself:

・What products to offer
・How to position the brand
・What value to deliver to customers

Not just initiatives (points), but changing the flow of the business (lines).

Without engaging at that level, real growth simply cannot happen.

From "Moving Your Hands" to "Moving Your Thinking"

Another major shift was in how I approach my work.

Until now, I got a sense of "doing work" by moving my hands and taking on tasks myself.

But that approach has its limits.

What's needed going forward is not doing things myself, but defining "what should be done."

・Where is the problem?
・Why has it reached this state?
・Which action will have the greatest impact?

Spending time on this kind of thinking.

Then leaving the actual execution to clients or AI.

Only by intentionally "freeing up your hands" this way
can you handle multiple projects while still getting to the heart of the matter.

Growth Support Is Moving Closer to "Management"

Through this realization,
I felt that growth support work is far closer to management than I had imagined.

Simply "solving inconveniences" is not enough.

Beyond that, you need to make decisions with the perspective of

how to make this business win.

Where to invest resources
What not to do
In what order to proceed

All of that connects directly to revenue.

What I Expect from Myself Going Forward

First, over the next two months,
I will thoroughly master the framework for "taking sales from 0 to 100."

For merchants whose foundation is not yet in place,
I will consistently and reliably bring them up to zero first.

On the other hand, for merchants with a strong passion for their brand
and projects that can be worked on over the long term,

I will dive into product strategy and brand presentation design,
building momentum that can multiply sales several times over within a year.

Finally

Realizing I hadn't even reached the starting line stung a bit,
but more than that, it felt refreshing—almost liberating.
For the first time, I have the sense that I can truly begin from here,
and I'm excited to keep growing.

◾️ Tomoya Hori / Growth Partner

Originally from Tokyo. Started his career in apparel retail, then moved into photography and social media management for a vintage clothing EC brand. He later worked at an EC consulting firm handling consulting and ad operations, followed by web marketing and web design at a payment processing company. He also works as a Shopify designer on the side. In his personal life, he treasures time with his children while enjoying coffee, movies, board games, and futsal.