Careers at iWorks

There is something I want to share with everyone.

“A life spent in dull work is a dull life.”

We spend a large part of our lives working.

That is why I believe we need to make our work interesting ourselves, rather than simply looking for an easy life.

iWorks will continue to work seriously toward becoming

“a company where good people can stay for the long term” and “a company where hard work is rewarded.”

That remains our goal.

We spend much of our lives at work, so we should make it meaningful through our own efforts. This message shares a vision of working together in a company where good people stay and those who work hard are rewarded.

Rather than simply working longer hours,

how can we finish faster and to a higher standard?

How can we reduce unnecessary movement?

Let us keep making improvements like these.

A company grows through the growth of each person.

Let us actively learn from our new colleagues and build a better team together.

Review wasted effort one step at a time so that work can be completed faster and to a high standard. By learning from new colleagues as well, individual growth and daily improvements contribute to the growth of the whole company.

Each time,

I asked myself, “How would I feel if I were the customer?”

That was always on my mind.

If I were the customer,

I would want advice about what I really needed.

I would want someone to take the vehicle I entrusted to them seriously.

I wanted to create a company that valued these basic expectations.

That is why I started my own business.

Customers want recommendations that meet their real needs and serious care for the vehicles they entrust to us. This message describes the starting point for the business: a company where seeing things from the customer’s perspective is simply part of the job.

Of course, working long hours is not the point.

But taking responsibility for your role, thinking about customers and the company, and continuing to act on that thinking is not something everyone does.

We want to recognize those daily efforts and the results they produce.

Pay and bonuses are not the only ways to recognize people.

Think about customers and the company, and take responsibility for your role. This message expresses a desire to recognize daily effort and results, and to return appreciation in a variety of ways.

We can teach people how to do a job.
We can teach knowledge and skills too.

But

why do we do that work?
How should we approach our customers?
What should guide our decisions?

These things do not sink in after being said just once.

People forget.
When we are busy, we get caught up in the task in front of us.
That is why we need to keep sharing them.

We share not only knowledge and skills, but also why we work and how we treat customers. This explains the recurring morning LINE messages: they help everyone return to the company’s core principles, even on busy days.

A business owner’s job is not to earn more than everyone else.

It is to retain profits, invest, protect jobs, and grow the company.

I do not think I am special because I started a business, or important simply because I am the president.

Everyone has their own idea of the life they want.

Earning a good income as an employee while making time for your family

is also a wonderful way to live.

That is why I want to build a company where people can enjoy a prosperous life without having to start their own business.

The owner’s role is to retain profits, invest, and protect employment. This message describes a company that supports a fulfilling life in which employees can value both their income and time with family.

What matters is how you act from now on.

Today’s actions can change the way you were seen yesterday.
Trust that has been lost can also be rebuilt through everyday actions.

Attitude matters more than ability.
Trust matters more than results.

It is not too late to start today.
Keep becoming someone the people around you can trust.

A person’s future should not be decided only by past mistakes or evaluations. This message expresses confidence that people can accept feedback, change their actions, and rebuild trust through consistent daily effort.

Our roles differ, but each is essential to the company’s growth.

That is why it is important to understand the roles and work of the people around you.

Your work always connects to someone else’s work.

Are your actions helping another person move forward, or holding them up?

Try starting the day with that question in mind.

Sales, servicing, vehicle preparation, and office work become effective when they connect. This message asks everyone to consider whether their actions help others move forward, and to understand and respect the roles around them.

I want this to be
“a company where your efforts can build a brighter future,”
rather than
“a company where you simply turn up and work every day.”

That is why I want the company to grow.

Of course, I cannot achieve that growth alone.

The company grows when our work connects and customers choose us.

The company’s growth is connected to the future of everyone who works here.

I am serious about making this a company where our staff can have dreams.

The reason to grow the company is to help the people who work here have dreams for their own future. This message describes staff and company growing together as their work connects and earns customers’ trust.

This is not because we distrust anyone.

These rules make the flow of company money clear and protect both our staff and our company.

Our workplace rules are also set out in the employment regulations.

Please take this opportunity to read them again, and ask if anything is unclear.

By having everyone work under the same rules, I want to build a fair and strong organization.

Rules that make the flow of company funds clear protect both staff and the business. Shared standards and the ability to ask about anything unclear help build a fair, strong organization.

First, ask yourself how much value you are providing to customers.
How do the president, your manager, and your colleagues see you?

That is where to begin.

• Do you work out what needs doing and act on it?
• How much work do you move forward in a day?
• Can you work independently without relying too heavily on others?
• Are you reducing mistakes and earning the trust of those around you?

Think and act independently, move work forward, and earn trust by reducing mistakes. This message encourages growth by asking what value you are delivering to customers and the people around you.

For me, work means

“being useful to someone and being paid for that value.”

That is how I see it.

Customers pay us because they have a problem or a need.

They are looking for a vehicle.
They need a fault repaired.
They need a vehicle inspection.
They are dealing with an accident.

We are paid for solving those problems.

Customers have a reason to contact us, whether they need a vehicle, a repair, an inspection, or help after an accident. Understanding and resolving those needs is our work, and it is the value for which we are paid.

But becoming a good vehicle buyer is not easy.

The criteria for accident-damaged vehicles and vehicles with structural repair histories.

Knowledge of structural components.

The particular features of inspection sheets at different auction venues.

The differences between auction prices, trade prices, and retail prices.

You need to acquire all of this knowledge.

Vehicle purchasing requires specialist knowledge of structural repair history, body structure, auction inspection sheets, and different markets. This message emphasizes learning these areas one by one to judge a vehicle’s value accurately.

Staff have a duty to work safely and follow company rules.

Managers are responsible for providing training to prevent unsafe behavior, enforcing the rules, and maintaining a safe working environment.

As president, I am responsible for providing a safe workplace, setting the rules, and making sure they are understood throughout the company.

I do not want any irreversible accident or injury to happen.

Staff, managers, and the president each have a role in keeping the workplace safe. Preventing accidents and injuries requires shared responsibility for training, rules, and working conditions, rather than relying only on individual caution.

That is why vehicle buyers must keep watching the market.

A vehicle that was expensive until yesterday may be cheaper this week.

Conversely, a vehicle that was inexpensive last month may suddenly become costly.

The starting point of the used vehicle business is understanding market prices correctly.

Both buying and selling rest on that foundation.

Vehicle prices are not fixed; they change with the market. This message presents continuous observation and accurate understanding of prices as the foundation of buying and selling, rather than relying on yesterday’s knowledge.

iWorks is not looking for perfect people.

People who care about customers.

People who care about their colleagues.

People who want to grow.

And people who keep taking on challenges.

I want this to be a company where those people can thrive.

Together with people like that, I want to keep building a company customers choose.

We are looking for people who care about customers and colleagues and continue to grow and take on challenges, rather than people who are perfect from the start. The aim is a company where they can thrive and earn customers’ trust together.

Finally, the company does not evaluate people by age or length of service.

How much more work can we entrust to you?

How much have you reduced the burden on others?

How much value have you provided to the company and its customers?

It is the accumulation of these contributions that we recognize.

What matters is whether someone can take on more responsibility and contribute more to those around them, rather than age or tenure alone. This message encourages people to turn learning into results and value, and become better able to support customers and colleagues.

Used vehicle prices are not determined solely within Japan.

Events overseas can also move auction prices in Japan.

In other words, used vehicle prices are constantly changing because of many different factors.

That is why people responsible for buying vehicles need the ability to read the market.

Overseas events affect used vehicle prices alongside developments in Japan. Vehicle buyers need to look at a broad range of information and develop the ability to understand a changing market.

Even now, I look at auctions almost every day, beyond what is needed to buy our stock.

The moment you stop learning, you start falling behind changes in the market.

Build your knowledge,

gain experience,

and keep reading the changes.

That develops your understanding of prices and leads to better purchasing decisions.

I believe those accumulated efforts increase your value as a vehicle buyer.

Even experienced buyers need to keep learning and observing the market. Building knowledge and practical experience while improving the ability to read changes leads to better buying decisions and greater value as a buyer.

Please put yourself forward and approach your work with purpose.

I use a Japanese play on the words for “aspiration” and “work” to describe “work with purpose.”

It means working with your own aims and goals while creating value for society, customers, and colleagues.

The company pays close attention to each person’s work with purpose.

I look forward to seeing the challenges you take on.

“Work with purpose” means having personal aims and goals and connecting them to value for society, customers, and colleagues. This message encourages people to take the initiative instead of simply waiting for an opportunity.

If we are spending part of our limited time in this life at work, I want it to be valuable time for personal growth, rather than something we are merely made to do.

I want everyone to give today their full effort so that their future selves have no regrets.

Today is a precious part of your life that will never come back.

So let us go through today thinking, “I will do the best work I can do right now.”

Use this day, which will never return, as time to grow. This message emphasizes doing the best work you can now, so that your future self will not look back with regret.

I also believe that no talent beats sustained effort.

Make contact with one more customer.

Make suggestions from the customer’s point of view.

Ask customers to introduce new customers to us.

Consistently doing these ordinary things leads to results.

Create more opportunities to connect with customers and make suggestions from their perspective. Drawing on personal sales experience, this message explains that repeating these basic actions consistently produces results.

Problems arise.

We face them and solve them.

We keep moving forward instead of letting them hold us up.

And we make sure the same problems do not happen again.

We improve each issue, build the solution into the way we work, and use it to prepare for our next challenge.

Rather than waiting for a situation without problems, solve the problems that arise and move forward. By building improvements into everyday processes, we can prevent repetition and use each experience for the next challenge.

I want everyone to grow as a person through work, as well as learning how to do the job.

I want you to become someone people trust and say, “I can leave it to them with confidence.”

I want customers to say, “I want to use iWorks because you are here.”

I want your colleagues to feel, “I am glad I had the chance to work with this person.”

The aim is to grow into a trusted person, as well as learning the job. This message expresses the hope that customers and colleagues alike will feel glad to have worked with you.

The third phase is “building a brand.”

As I do in the LINE messages I send everyone each morning, I want us to share our thinking, our principles, our commitment to developing people, and our approach to work.

“I like the way this company thinks.”

“I would like to work here.”

“I want to buy a vehicle from this company.”

Becoming a company that makes people feel that way is our ultimate goal.

Share our principles, our commitment to developing people, and our approach to work with the outside world. The goal is to become a company whose thinking resonates with people, making them want to work here or buy a vehicle from us.

People make the company.

That is why the company grows along with its people.

This is my approach to management.

When the market changes, we change our strategy.

When our team grows, we expand the business.

Instead of fearing change, we turn it into strength and grow.

But the future we are working toward does not change.

People build a company, and the business changes as its people grow and the market evolves. This message describes an approach to management that turns change into growth while staying true to the future we want to create.

Management means deciding how to use limited profits and what to prioritize.

I think hearing everyone’s opinions is very important.

But when you bring an idea to me, some understanding of how money flows through the company and how profits are used will help us have a more constructive discussion.

A business owner must make decisions with the whole company in mind: profits, pay, investment in equipment, working conditions, and the company’s future, rather than the interests of just one employee.

Pay, equipment, working conditions, and investment in the future all require priorities. Understanding the flow of money across the company helps make discussions and suggestions more constructive.

For customers who live nearby, the relationship can continue after the sale through vehicle inspections, servicing, insurance, another vehicle of the same model, or even a vehicle sourced to order.

Selling a vehicle from stock is therefore also an important starting point for meeting new customers.

A stock vehicle sale can be the start of a lasting customer relationship. This message values the opportunity to deepen that relationship through inspections, servicing, insurance, additional vehicles, and future orders.

When buying vehicles, you learn to judge, “We can increase this vehicle’s value through preparation and servicing.”

When selling, you can answer customers’ questions confidently from your own experience.

The better you understand work on the vehicle itself, the better your judgment becomes and the more convincing your explanations will be.

That is why gaining hands-on experience is not a detour.

It is the most direct route.

Experience in servicing and preparing vehicles develops judgment and confidence when explaining things to customers. Learning hands-on is a direct way to build the skills needed for both purchasing and sales.

To do that, we need to:

• Keep used vehicle sales at our core while deepening customer relationships through repairs and servicing.

• Support every part of our customers’ vehicle ownership through related services such as body repairs, roadside assistance, and rental vehicles.

It is important for the whole company to grow together in this direction.

I cannot take us from 10 to 100 alone.

Every one of you here today must play a leading part.

With used vehicle sales at the center, deepen customer relationships through servicing, body repairs, roadside assistance, and rental vehicles. Growth that supports every part of vehicle ownership depends on each employee playing a leading role.

If information has already been shared, checking it yourself is part of your job.

Asking someone a question you could quickly answer yourself uses that person’s time.

When everyone gets into the habit of checking for themselves, productivity across the company improves greatly.

LINE is more than a messaging tool.

It is an important system for speed, efficiency, and accuracy, helping the whole company work toward the same goals.

The habit of checking shared records respects other people’s time and improves productivity across the company. This message explains how LINE can serve as part of the way we work, supporting both speed and accuracy.

I think these six points overlap in many ways with what I regularly share with you.

Of course, the company size and industry are different. But these ideas matter regardless of a company’s size.

iWorks will also grow one step at a time: holding a big vision, valuing speed, developing people, gathering information, building our strengths, and continuing to take on new challenges.

After introducing ideas influenced by Masayoshi Son, this message explains the future iWorks is working toward. It expresses a commitment to looking ahead, developing people, gathering information, improving our strengths, and continuing to take on challenges.

Managers, please watch how your staff are doing.

If anything seems different—slower movement, delayed reactions, or an unusual complexion—do not push them to carry on. Make the decision to send them home early.

Continuing to work while unwell does not improve productivity. If pushing on leads to heatstroke or an accident, it is a serious loss for both the person and the company.

In hot working conditions, managers need to watch each person and notice changes from their usual behavior. This summer message asks them to prioritize safety and avoid pushing unwell staff to keep working.

Sales is not about selling whatever you want to sell.

It is about seeing things from the customer’s perspective, asking “What is best for this person?”, and making a recommendation.

When salespeople act from the customer’s point of view, customers choose them.

Recommend the best choice for the customer, rather than prioritizing what you want to sell. This message states an essential principle: acting from the customer’s perspective is how salespeople earn trust and are chosen.

When you understand these trends, you can see whether now is the time to sell or the time to buy stock.

Selling used cars is not a job where we look only at the numbers in front of us.

Planning purchases and sales several months ahead helps us achieve steady results throughout the year.

Let us understand market trends and act with a plan.

This message encourages staff to understand the market and prepare months ahead, rather than judging only by current figures. It asks them to consider when to sell and when to buy, and to work toward steady results through planned action.

A friendly greeting does more than make the other person feel welcome.

It also helps you feel positive about your work and brightens the atmosphere throughout the workplace.

To anyone visiting us, each of you who speaks with them represents iWorks.

Keep that in mind and take care with every interaction.

Every person a visitor meets represents the company. A warm greeting helps visitors feel at ease and creates a better atmosphere at work. This message asks staff to value these small, everyday interactions.

Trust in a company is built from the first impressions made by each of its people.

“If I were the customer, would I want to trust this company and this member of staff with the job?”

Keep that perspective in mind and act in ways that earn trust today.

This message asks staff to consider their appearance and behavior from the customer's perspective, as well as their own preferences. It encourages them to ask whether they would feel comfortable trusting the company themselves, and to build trust through the first impression each person makes.

Life does not change dramatically in a single day.

But small choices and actions add up to a big difference after one year, five years, or ten years.

Please make the most of each day while keeping at least some of the ten ideas I introduced today in mind.

Let us work hard today with our own growth in mind.

This was the closing encouragement after introducing ten ideas drawn from lessons about life. Rather than expecting major change in a single day, it encourages staff to value each day, make small choices, take action, and remain aware of their own growth.

As times change, the ways we need to teach and communicate also change.

Those of us with more experience must accept these changes and think about the words and approach that will reach the other person.

Respect the other person while clearly saying what needs to be said.

Younger staff also need to listen to experienced colleagues and be willing to learn about the challenges of society and work.

It is important for both sides to meet each other halfway, rather than expecting only one side to change.

Experienced staff are asked to accept changing times and find ways of teaching that others can understand. Younger staff are also encouraged to learn from experience. The message calls for a better workplace through mutual respect and a willingness to meet halfway.

When you take on a job as a working adult, you are expected to take care of your own condition and approach the work responsibly.

This message says that accepting work calls for looking after your own condition and taking responsibility for the task. The selected sentence from the original concerns this basic approach to work.

What matters is how much value you create in your own role each day.

Keep asking yourself, “What did I accomplish today?” and “Have I grown since yesterday?” as you work.

This message encourages staff to reflect on the value they created that day and how they have grown since the previous day. When welcoming new colleagues, it also asked existing employees to keep growing through their daily work.

That is because work always involves someone else.

• Customers
• The people we work with
• The company
• Deadlines

With these people and commitments involved, we cannot work solely at our own convenience or pace.

That is why it is important to learn proactively and make an effort to grow as quickly as we can, rather than only waiting to be taught.

Work involves commitments to customers, colleagues, the company, and deadlines, so it cannot be done solely at one's own convenience. Being mindful of others makes it important to take the initiative to learn and grow, instead of simply waiting for instruction.

“We help each other because we are teammates. We look after each other because we are teammates.”

That is the kind of organization I want to build.

This is not just about work.

Everyone faces difficulties, whether with their health, family circumstances, or concerns in everyday life.

I want to support, as much as I can, people who are making an effort to grow, who are willing to learn with an open mind, and who care about their teammates.

Of course, I cannot solve everything. But I want to support our people as much as I can.

Anyone can face difficulties with health, family, or everyday life. This message expresses the wish to support people who learn, grow, and care about their teammates as much as possible, and describes the relationship the company hopes to have with its staff.

Keeping things tidy and organized is work that improves efficiency, protects safety, earns customers' trust, and puts consideration for colleagues into practice.

Please take the initiative to keep things in order for yourself, your teammates, and our customers.

Let us all continue to treat tidiness and organization as part of our work, and together create a workplace where we can work comfortably and with pride.

Keeping things in order is presented as work that supports efficiency and safety, earns customer trust, and shows consideration for the next colleague to use them. This message calls on everyone to take the initiative and create a workplace they can be proud of.

I am not telling you this simply because I want you to work harder.

I want you and your families to have better lives than you do today. I am serious about growing the company for that reason.

I will keep making an effort too. Let us each make the most of our abilities and aim for the next stage together.

Behind the wish to grow the company is a desire to improve the lives of employees and their families. The president speaks of continuing his own efforts and moving toward the next stage together.

[Office staff]
• Take the initiative to greet people with a smile, help customers with simple requests, and serve tea.
• Act on your own initiative rather than waiting to be told.
• Pay attention and anticipate what is needed so that the president, sales staff, vehicle preparation team, and workshop staff can concentrate on their work.

Alongside a friendly manner and initiative, this message asks office staff to notice what is needed and provide support so others can focus on their work. It uses their role to show how attentiveness and consideration become practical actions.

In their place are the LINE messages I send every morning.

This LINE message you are reading now is the iWorks morning meeting.

Through these morning messages, I share a little each day about the company's thinking, our standards of conduct, and what matters in working life.

The daily morning LINE message serves as a morning meeting where the company's thinking and standards of conduct are shared. These messages gradually communicate what matters in working life and help employees work toward the same goals.

That is why I thought, “I want to build a company where employees can earn well when they work hard.”

I wanted to create a system that rewards people for the results of their efforts as quickly as possible.

This reflects the wish, at the time, to build a system where employees could feel the results of their efforts and receive rewards promptly. Please see the job listings for current pay conditions.

But I also think that meeting people is one of the great attractions of working in sales.

In this job, we meet a real variety of people.

We have opportunities to talk with people in many occupations whom we would not normally encounter.

Learning about their ideas and life experiences gives us new knowledge and helps us grow.

The appeal of sales includes meeting many different people, as well as sales figures and income. This message encourages staff to learn from the ideas and experiences of people they would not otherwise meet, bringing growth and richness to their own lives.

That is why it is important to get work done ahead of time.

If we put things off, thinking we can do them later, we fall behind and it becomes difficult to catch up.

Let each of us look ahead and get an early start on what we can do now.

This message emphasized preparing early as the financial year-end month approached, with a long holiday period and auction closures. It encouraged each person to look ahead and complete what they could, contributing to the company's overall results.

Even when we take on something convinced that it will succeed, we may fail.

But getting no result after trying gives us very different experience from getting no result because we never tried.

This is an idea I learned from a more experienced business owner, and I still value it today.

An initiative may not produce results even when it seems likely to succeed. Yet the experience gained from trying is different from doing nothing. This message describes an approach to management that pursues new business opportunities instead of being satisfied with the present.

We will create an environment where we can work efficiently while maintaining the quality of our work, so customers can choose us with confidence.

For a new business to succeed, the knowledge and skills of every person handling the product matter as much as the product itself.

First, let us all understand the product's features so we can confidently explain its value.

Introducing a new product alone does not grow a business. Staff need the knowledge, skills, and working environment to maintain quality and explain its value to customers. This message calls for the foundations that allow customers to choose with confidence.

Completing the work we have now is important, but doing only that will bring sales to a halt.

Looking ahead and actively informing customers about vehicle inspections, checkups, and repairs to create future work is also an important part of the job.

I will continue to invest and create the conditions for the company to grow.

Let us each fulfill our role in our department, keep actions that generate profit in mind, and help the whole company grow further.

Alongside completing current work, this message values actions that create future work, such as reminders about vehicle inspections and checkups. It describes shared responsibilities for growth: management provides the environment and investment, while each department fulfills its role.

The same is true of a company.

Sales staff secure contracts, vehicle preparation staff improve quality, mechanics protect safety, and office staff support the company.

If even one of these is missing, we cannot provide service that satisfies our customers.

That is why I do not believe it is enough to do only my own job.

Helping colleagues who need support and cooperating across departments makes the whole company stronger.

Sales, vehicle preparation, maintenance, and office work must come together to provide a service that satisfies customers. This message asks staff to look beyond their own responsibilities, support colleagues, and cooperate across departments.

I will take responsibility.

I will continue to make responsible management decisions and respond to change while valuing our principle of putting ourselves in the customer's position.

Please continue to treat every customer honestly and sincerely, with confidence.

Even when reviewing systems and services, the principle of seeing things from the customer's perspective remains important. The president takes responsibility for management decisions, while staff continue to serve each customer sincerely. This message explains those responsibilities and expectations.

A brand is not built by advertising alone.

Your daily work, the way you treat customers, your commitment to quality, and your willingness to keep promises: these things add up to create the iWorks brand.

The work you do today creates the iWorks of tomorrow.

A company's brand grows from more than advertising. The way customers are treated, the quality of the work, and the commitment to keeping promises all contribute. This message says that each person's work today shapes the company's future.

People who make an effort, improve, and grow should be properly recognized, with that reflected in their pay.

The company has a responsibility to reward the efforts of those who work hard.

The company is serious about growth.
Its people are serious about growth too.

The company gives opportunities to people who make a genuine effort, creates an environment where they can grow, and responds to that effort.

Each person, in turn, takes hold of those opportunities through their own efforts.

As employees work to improve, the company should provide opportunities and an environment for growth, and respond to their efforts. These words describe a relationship in which both the company and its people are serious about growing. They are not a statement of specific pay conditions.

Growing the company.
Protecting the company.
Building a company where employees can work with peace of mind.

That responsibility rests with me as president.

So before asking employees to make an effort, I must make an effort myself.

Before asking employees to grow, I must grow myself.

And above all, I must not go easy on myself.

Management is responsible for protecting the company and creating an environment where employees can work with confidence. Before asking others to work hard or grow, the president must put those expectations into practice himself. This message expresses the standards he sets for himself and his commitment to leading the business.

A person's abilities are not all fixed from the beginning.

Try something you could not do before.

If you fail, think about it.

Change your approach and try again.

If that still does not work, think again.

This applies beyond work too.

Through that repetition, what you could not do yesterday becomes something you can do today, and that becomes part of your ability.

Try something difficult, think about why it did not work, change your approach, and try again. Repeating that process develops abilities you did not have yesterday. This message treats ability as something that grows through action and improvement.

Each of us has a position and a role.

I have responsibilities as president.
Each of you has responsibilities for the work entrusted to you.

Each person takes responsibility for their own role
and grows, even a little at a time,
from yesterday to today, and from today to tomorrow.

I believe that those efforts build a strong company.

The president and employees each have roles suited to their positions. Taking responsibility for assigned work and growing little by little makes the company stronger. The original message explicitly recognizes these different roles rather than expecting everyone to work in the same way.

The used car market moves differently at different times of the year.

What should we be doing at this point?

Let us understand those market trends and use them in our sales activities.

First, from now until the end of September, let us sell as many of our current vehicles as we can.

This message asks staff to read changes in used car demand and auction supply, and decide where to focus their efforts. It encourages them to understand the wider market as well as the sale in front of them. The end-of-September deadline in the excerpt refers to the policy at that time.

Instead of customers saying, “I buy from iWorks because it is cheaper than other dealers,”

we need them to say, “I want to buy from iWorks even if it costs a little more,”
and “I can trust iWorks to take care of me.”

That is the kind of company we must build.

The quality of our vehicles and maintenance, customer service, warranties, vehicle handover, and after-sales support.

Through each part of our work,
we want customers to feel,
“I can trust iWorks.”

That is the added value we provide.

This message sets out the goal of becoming a company customers choose for confidence and trust, as well as price. Staff are asked to demonstrate value in every part of their work, from vehicle and maintenance quality to customer service and support after handover.

Everyone has their own role, but when someone is absent, someone else can cover for them.

We should become a company where work is managed as a team, rather than depending on a single person.

That is the kind of organization I want to build so that the company can continue to grow.

The goal is an organization where people have their own responsibilities and can also support one another when someone is absent. Managing work as a team, instead of leaving it dependent on one person, provides a foundation for growth.

What matters is

“learning while looking at actual vehicles.”

That is the key.

Every used car is in a different condition.

Do not just read the materials we have prepared once and leave it there. Use them when looking at vehicles bought from customers, vehicles sourced for stock, and vehicles at auction.

Let us all develop the ability to assess cars as part of the basic knowledge required of a used car dealer.

Rather than stopping after reading the materials, staff are encouraged to use them while inspecting actual vehicles bought from customers or sourced for stock. Because the condition of every used car differs, everyone needs to develop the ability to assess vehicles.

As the company grows, new work and departments are created, along with more positions of responsibility.

The young staff working here now can gain experience and, in a few years, take active roles as team leaders and managers.

People who join us in the future will also have positions they can work toward.

I believe that building a company where people can feel hopeful about their own future is another important responsibility of the president.

One purpose of company growth is to create more opportunities for people to feel hopeful about their future. Providing an environment where they can gain experience and work toward greater responsibility is also seen as part of management's duty.

Set a goal.
Work backward from it to make a plan.
Take action.
Check and assess the results.
If you fall short, consider the reasons and make adjustments.

By repeating this process, we turn chance results into predictable ones.

I believe this is what it means to achieve consistent results.

Plan backward from the goal, check the results of your actions, and identify and correct the reasons when things do not go well. This message emphasizes repeating planning and review to produce steady results, instead of leaving success to chance.

If we collected all the morning LINE messages I have sent, there would probably be more than enough material for a book.

I have shared that much content, a little each morning.

Of course, no one can remember every word of such a large amount.

But rather than reading each message once and leaving it there, I would like you to remember the points you feel are important and the things I have repeated many times.

The morning LINE messages have accumulated to more than a book's worth of material. This message explains why they continue: staff are encouraged to remember the ideas they find important and the points repeated often, and apply them at work, rather than simply reading them once.

Reduce waste before reducing pay.

Before cutting staff, stop wasting people’s time and abilities.

The company will also improve how work is assigned and how our systems operate.

Reducing costs does not simply mean spending less money.

It means reducing waste in time, work and the use of people, and improving productivity.

Cost reduction is more than spending less. We can improve productivity by reducing wasted time and work and making better use of people. The company also has a responsibility to improve how work is assigned and organized.

In sales at iWorks, I want you to become someone customers think of this way:

“If it is about a car, I will call this person first.”

It certainly does not mean pushing people to buy.

Put yourself in the customer’s position.

Help when they are in difficulty.

Follow through properly on what they ask you to do.

And build trust.

Earn trust, and work will follow.

We want customers to turn to us first when they need help with a car. That means understanding their position, responding to their requests and earning trust over time. This is a sales approach built on everyday reliability.

For example, two cars with the same auction grade of 4 are not necessarily in the same condition.

We do not take a simplistic view such as “It has a grade of 4, so it is a good car” or “It has no structural repair history, so there is nothing to worry about.”

We look for what the auction inspection sheet alone cannot tell us.

“This car is worth buying.” “We should pass on this one.”

We make that judgment individually, car by car.

The same grade does not mean the same condition. We assess each vehicle rather than relying only on its auction sheet. This care and expertise support our vehicle sourcing service.

Today marks the end of our financial year.

The year’s results are now largely available, so I would like to share the figures we have at this point.

This message shared departmental results with employees at the financial year-end. It helps connect daily work with the company’s figures. Only the opening words of that message are published here.

There is no single place you can look that will tell you everything about a car’s structural repair history.

What matters is not overlooking the feeling that something is different: “Why does this part look different from the rest?”

Following those clues one by one helps us see where the car may have been hit, where it was repaired, and whether those repairs reached the structural frame.

A judgment about structural repairs should not rest on one mark alone. We follow differences between sides and signs of repairs to understand how far the effects extend. Careful observation starts with noticing what does not look quite right.

It is never too late to begin something.

You can start at any age.

If there is something you cannot do, work toward being able to do it.

And do not set your own limits.

I want to build a team that keeps taking on new challenges with that attitude, whatever our age.

At any age, we can start something new and work toward abilities we do not yet have. These words focus on the willingness to keep learning and challenging ourselves without deciding our own limits.

Looking busy and being productive are different things.

Even with the same eight hours of work, the results can differ.

So I do not want you to finish the day thinking only, “I was busy again today.”

Ask yourself: “What did I finish today, and how much?” “Can I do it faster than yesterday?” “Is there a more efficient way?”

At the end of the day, look at what you completed and whether you worked more effectively than yesterday. This daily reflection helps improve both the quality of the work and the results achieved in the time available.

Explaining your own work clearly to someone else can be surprisingly difficult.

Even for familiar work, there are questions such as “Why is this work necessary?” “Why replace this part?” “What other options are there?” and “What is best for the customer?”

You cannot explain these things unless you understand the work properly yourself.

Look up what you do not know. Think about how to make it clear. Then learn to explain it in your own words.

Explaining the reason for work, the alternatives and what best suits the customer requires us to understand, research and think. Communicating our work also deepens our own understanding.

Something you once had to ask someone about is now something you can do normally.

A decision you once hesitated over is now one you can make yourself.

A situation you once could not handle is now one you can deal with through experience.

Nobody gave that to you.

You earned it by working, worrying, making mistakes and getting through difficulties.

Work and decisions that were beyond you a year ago may now be within your abilities. That change is something you earned through difficulty and mistakes. Today’s challenges can become experience that supports your future.

That is why my role now is behind the scenes.

I think about what to communicate and write the script. I edit the video. I write the post. Then I publish it.

I support from behind the scenes so that the people in front can come across at their best.

The company I want to build is one where every person has supporters, rather than only the president.

The people who work here should be the main figures in the company’s communications. The president supports them through writing and editing, with the aim of helping every member of staff build their own following.

Before finishing a job, take one more moment to ask: “Is this really all right?” “Is there anything else to check?” “Is it ready for the next person to work without difficulty?”

Working quickly matters.

But completing a job properly the first time is also productivity.

Let us use the work we do today to move the company forward, rather than creating work that has to be done again.

Checking and completing work properly the first time is part of productivity. Preparing a good handover for the next person reduces rework and helps the whole company move forward.

Learn the work. Improve accuracy and speed. Increase the work you can be trusted to handle independently. And become someone who reduces the burden on others.

That is the growth we look for.

Just as staff want better pay and working conditions, companies want good people to work for them.

Once we hire someone, the company must teach them and create an environment where they can grow. Staff must also work to become people the company needs.

The company must teach and create opportunities to grow. Staff must work toward handling more responsibility. Improving accuracy and speed helps build a relationship in which the company and its people need and choose each other.

Start something new, improve something, and think again if it does not work.

Repeating that process has brought us to where we are today.

I do not see today’s iWorks as a finished company.

Keep what is good. Fix what is wrong. Change when there is a better way. Try new things.

And keep doing it.

The difference may look small in a single day, but it becomes a big difference in six months or a year.

I want to keep growing with all of you, even if we move forward a little at a time.

Keep what works, fix what does not and change when there is a better way. The company will continue to develop through challenges and improvements. Small daily steps create a real difference over six months or a year.

As the company grows and circumstances change, our systems and rules will continue to change.

I want you to help create that change.

Follow what we have agreed together. Speak up when there is a problem. And change things for the better again when necessary.

Together, let us build a company that is fair, comfortable to work in and able to get its work done properly.

Rules and systems need reviewing as circumstances change. We follow agreed rules, raise problems and improve them when necessary. Fairness, a good working environment and smooth operations are things we build together.

Of course, working faster does not mean lowering quality.

Do not assume that the way we have always worked is the only way.

Use good tools and ideas when you find them. Change when there is a better method. If something we need does not exist, make it ourselves.

The company will change its systems too.

I want you to consider whether your current way of working really is the best way.

We can improve efficiency while maintaining quality. That means considering better methods and creating our own systems where needed. Both the company and its staff have a part in reviewing how work is done.

Do not think only, “Can I make it even cleaner?”

Also ask, “Does it really need that much work?” and “Are we finishing the number of cars needed on time?”

“Faster, more, more efficiently.”

This change is not intended to lower quality.

It is a change in direction so that we can finish the number of vehicles the company needs while maintaining the required quality.

Vehicle preparation must balance the required quality with being ready in time for sale. Reviewing the need for each task helps us complete the work required within the time available.

Of course, contributing does not only mean directly making sales.

If more vehicle preparation staff can finish more cars sooner, we can list more vehicles and sell more vehicles.

When office staff take on work that lets sales and workshop staff concentrate on their main roles, that also contributes to sales indirectly.

Vehicle preparation creates more opportunities to sell. Office staff allow sales and workshop staff to focus on their main work. These are examples of how different roles connect and contribute to the company.

Even if we have never done a job before, start by trying it.

Build experience that way, and increase the work we can take on one job at a time.

Create more situations where we can say, “iWorks can do that too.”

Even with the same number of customers, offering more to each customer can increase sales and profit.

Trying new work and building experience expands what our existing team can do. Growth can come from offering more value to each customer as well as from hiring more people.

Say what needs to be said. Discuss what needs to be discussed. And talk through why it is necessary.

That is also the job of the president of a small company.

The company will not grow if I am the only person who grows.

I grow. The staff grow. And the company grows.

For that reason, I will not stop learning, thinking or communicating.

Because I am not especially talented, I will not stop making an effort.

If I ask our staff to work hard, I must work the hardest myself.

The president’s role includes explaining what is needed and discussing why, rather than simply doing more work alone. Asking staff to make an effort means continuing to learn, think and communicate myself.

Continue our relationship with customers through inspections, maintenance, shaken and repairs after the sale.

Encourage repeat visits to our workshop rather than ending the relationship with a single sale.

Then earn their choice again when they change cars or when their family and friends need advice.

Reach new customers through stock sales.

Let people discover iWorks through social media.

Maintain long relationships through the workshop.

And connect that to the next sale.

I want this flow to become a strength of iWorks.

A sale can begin a long relationship through inspections, maintenance, shaken and repairs. We want to earn customers’ choice again when they replace their car or when family and friends need help.

iWorks is still a small company. That makes each person’s contribution especially important.

If everyone plays their role and moves toward the same goal, I believe we can reach places we cannot yet imagine.

I want the company to grow. And I want all of you to have dreams for its future.

Company growth makes things possible that we could not do before. I want us all to feel that growth.

Act immediately on decisions you can make yourself. Achieve big goals together.

Let us go together to places we cannot reach alone.

In a small company, every person can make a large difference to its future. By playing our individual roles toward a shared goal, we can achieve more together and share the experience of growth.

“If you are unsure, choose what is better for the customer.”

This gives us a simple basis for decisions. It also connects to the earlier idea that the company exists for its customers.

“The company’s growth is the sum of each person’s growth.”

In a small company, one person’s development has a particularly large effect on the whole company.

Think about what is best for the customer, and keep growing a little at a time. This note records these priorities as possible themes for morning LINE messages.

This applies to each person’s work as well as to the company.

What will be needed next? What will I do tomorrow? Is there anything I can do now?

Think a step ahead and prepare, rather than waiting to be told to act.

That small difference can become a big difference in speed and results.

Consider what comes next, what tomorrow requires and what you can prepare now. Thinking a step ahead creates differences in how quickly and effectively work gets done.

If the old method does not work, change the method. If you cannot do it alone, work together. If you do not know, ask, research and try.

Before deciding that something cannot be done, think about how it could be done.

If each of us adopts this approach, I believe the whole company will be able to do much more.

Difficult work calls for changing methods, cooperating, asking, researching and trying. Finding a workable approach and acting on it helps both the individual and the company grow.

One thing all jobs have in common is this: do not let the work stop with you.

Of course, that does not mean rushing everything and doing it carelessly.

What matters is making decisions sooner and acting sooner.

iWorks aims to work “faster, more, more efficiently.”

Even if each of us acts just a little sooner, the flow of work across the company can change greatly.

Good speed begins with acting without unnecessary delay. Earlier decisions and starts help work flow smoothly. Each person can make a difference by keeping work moving through their part of the process.

This is the same in every department.

Before asking, “What should I do next?”, think: “What can I do now?” and “What should I do next for the company?”

There may be work you have not yet noticed.

However, do not go ahead entirely on your own judgment. Remember to make the necessary checks and reports.

Alongside completing assigned work properly, look for what you can do now and what is needed next. Make the necessary checks and reports rather than acting without consultation.

Even with the same amount of time, methods and priorities can produce very different results.

At the end of the day, I want you to reflect on “What did I finish today?” and “What results did I achieve?” rather than only “I was busy today.”

iWorks’ aim of working “faster, more, more efficiently” does not simply mean hurrying or adding more tasks.

It means becoming a company that achieves more in the same amount of time.

Reflect on what you completed and produced. Choosing better methods and priorities can improve results within the same working time.

As a company, we will continue to make improvements actively.

We will find problems through actual use and develop better systems, rather than treating a system as finished once it is built.

I want everyone to understand the purpose of these changes and approach new systems positively.

If you notice something we can improve, please suggest it freely.

A system keeps developing after it is introduced. Using it reveals improvements. The company will continue that work, and staff are encouraged to understand the purpose of changes and suggest what could work better.

The same is true of contacting customers.

The purpose is more than simply making contact. It is to deepen trust through that contact and build toward future work and referrals.

Of course, not every job produces immediate sales or profit.

But everyone can consider the purpose of their work and the results it can lead to.

Contacting a customer can deepen trust and lead to their next request for help. Even when work does not produce an immediate sale, we can consider why it matters and what it contributes.

I especially want our employees to understand the purpose of the work they are given and approach it responsibly.

This applies to all work, not only incoming vehicle inspections.

There is nothing wrong with not knowing something.

The problem is not trying to understand or to fulfill your responsibility.

Take responsibility for your own work and help the whole company operate smoothly.

Every assigned job has a purpose and connects to other people’s work. What matters is the effort to understand and fulfill that responsibility, rather than already knowing everything.

If it is something you can handle, act promptly within your authority.

If you cannot decide or deal with it yourself, tell the person responsible or the supervisor.

Simply speaking up or checking when you notice something can prevent problems, delays and rework.

It is no use saying, “Actually, I noticed that some time ago,” after the problem has become serious.

What matters is not leaving what you notice unaddressed.

Act where you can, and tell the responsible person where you cannot make the decision yourself. Turning small observations into checks and action helps the team prevent problems and rework.

I would like our international staff to introduce iWorks actively to friends, acquaintances and people from their home countries.

If someone is looking for a car or needs help with shaken or maintenance, please speak to them.

Let us all think like salespeople and help bring customer referrals and new work to the company.

Our staff’s personal connections can help international customers find someone to ask about a car, shaken or maintenance. Everyone can help expand the ways customers reach us.

Publicity and marketing are also part of everyone’s work.

The finish of display vehicles, the cleanliness of the store, phone calls, customer service, maintenance quality and vehicle handovers: everything a customer sees or experiences contributes to the company’s reputation.

Please remember that each member of staff helps create the iWorks brand.

From vehicle preparation and cleanliness to phone calls, maintenance and handovers, every customer interaction shapes the company’s reputation. Each person’s work helps build trust in iWorks.